|
|
|
|
|
HISTORIAN’S CORNER
|
From "200 Years of the Town of Phelps"
PHELPS HISTORY
SAN- ICE MACHINE TO SMITHSONIAN
(Story by Fred Gifford)
(Photo is -FRICK CO. WAYNESBORO, PA)
Old newspapers continue to reveal news of yesterday. Mrs. Lois Copeland recently gave me a copy of an article in the Geneva Times of April 28, 1959, which told of the old ice-making machine, which once made ice at the Sanitarium.
The article went on to relate that such an ice machine was shipped to the Clifton Springs Sanitarium on December 5, 1898 from its manufacturer, the Frick Co of Waynesboro, PA. It was an early type steam-driven ammonia compressor and was used to make 300-pound blocks of ice. An auxiliary job of the compressor was the cooling of food storage spaces throughout the hospital, including the main building, the Foster Block and later the Woodbury Building. The coolant was piped from the compressor to all these areas. The Sanitarium used this compressor from 1898 until the early 1950's when a new model was installed.
Smithsonian Institution officials heard of the existence of this early model at the San and in 1957 suggesting that they donate it to the nation's new Museum of History & Technology in Washington, DC. This type of compressor virtually formed the backbone of the refrigerator and artificial ice industry from its commercial inception in the 1870's until about the First World War. The Smithsonian institution stated that the machine would occupy the central position in the technology section and should be a most interesting and striking exhibit. Much correspondence and planning preceded the final moving of the big machine, which weighed about seven or eight tons and measured approximately 9 ft by 12 ft by 12 ft.
In a letter of the time to the Frick Co., Charles Corwin, then treasurer and business manager of the hospital, told them that the compressor was "still in existence and in clean condition, although it had not been used for quite a few years". "We have kept it in the engineering room as a curiosity," said Mr. Corwin. The Mollenberg-Betz Machine Co of Buffalo had serviced the compressor over the years. The Frick Co. was one of the oldest manufacturers of refrigeration machines in America, their work in this field having begun in 1882. It was said that this design was the standard of the entire refrigerator industry for more than 50 years and the principle was still used in nearly all heavy-duty industrial compressors handling ammonia or Freon 22.
According to Harrison Galusha, night clerk at the hospital in those days, the machine was used until the early 50's when part of the machine cracked. Needing ice daily, the hospital immediately bought a modern ice cube machine. The old machine was repaired but never put back in use. From the time of its arrival at the San, the machine, with two huge flywheels, rested on a specially build concrete foundation in the engineering section of the hospital. The 300-pound blocks of ice were then cut up. Later a special cutter made cubes from the large blocks.
The machine was returned to the Frick Co. who repaired the machine at their expense, and then sent it on to the Smithsonian. A plaque was to be placed on the machine denoting that the Clifton Springs Sanitarium & Clinic had donated it to the institution.
Whether or not our old ice machine of yesterday is still on exhibit at the Smithsonian is unknown, but if it is not, you can be sure that somewhere in the holdings of that famous museum it still awaits the viewing of the thousands who visit its halls each year. A small piece of OUR HISTORY is now in the hands of a highly regarded National Institution preserving it for its history.
|
HISTORIAN'S CORNER
By Frederick L. Gifford, Emeritus
Clifton Springs Historian #111
The Early Methodists & Their Church
|
In the early days of the settlement of this country it was often quite difficult for people to hold meetings. In the first place what there was of a religious element was scattered far apart and it was a laborious task to get them together. Some families that did however gather for these revivals were the Fergusons, the Baggerlys, the Barclays, the Woods, the Griffiths, the Pritchards, the Sheriffs, the Costs, the Redfields, the Rafters, the Lazenbys, the Shekells, the Coates, the Warfields, the Carys, the Edgertons and many more.
The Shekell family, who were mainly Episcopalians, built the first church in Clifton Springs as early as 1808-09. However, within three or four years of its construction the War of 1812 began and many of the early Episcopalians moved west. During this same period, there was a large increase in settlers of the Methodist persuasion and John Shekell Sr. proposed to their members that if they would complete the small Episcopalian church they could have use of it for services. The Methodists agreed to this and organized a society afterwards known as the Third Society of the Methodist Church of the Town of Phelps. This church, located on East Main St. in Clifton Springs, was occupied until its destruction by fire sometime between 1839 and 1841. The most prominent in forming the First Methodist Society were Hezektah Baggerly, Peter Baggerly, Isaac Sheriff, John Wood, William Ferguson, Richard Barkley, Robert Ferguson, Jared Knapp and the Rev. Gideon Draper. All of these were heads of families with Richard Barkley as the local preacher. The Rev. Gideon Draper was here for awhile, moved to another community, then later returned and lived here until his death. He is buried in our local cemetery on Pearl Street.
After the loss of their church by fire, the society had no place for worship except the old stone school house, which stood on the northwest corner of the present church lot. Feeling the necessity for a regular place of worship they resolved to ascertain if something could not be done towards the building of a church. A meeting was held at the home of Richard H. Shekell, the grandson of the original settler and an active member of the Methodist Church, to decide their future. A committee composed of John Cost, Jesse Cost, Levi B. Ferguson, Richard Giddings and Richard H. Shekell was formed. The committee, with the exception of John Cost and Richard Shekell, lived at some distance from the settlement, so the original contact for a piece of land for a church fell to these two. Richard called on the Hon. Francis Granger in Canandaigua, who with Phelps and Gorham owned a tract of land below the springs in present day Clifton Springs, to see if a site could be procured. Mr. Granger, known for his public service, donated the site for the new building even as he had earlier given the site for our first schoolhouse.
The next big job was to procure subscriptions and as the number of Methodist families was limited, they sought support from friends outside their own society. With the help of the community the sum of thirty-three hundred dollars (part being payable in labor, teaming and materials) was raised. In the discussion of building materials it was unanimously decided to build of brick; as they could be procured as near as the village of Orleans and could be delivered to the grounds by voluntary contributions of local citizens.
The heavy materials were on the grounds by the fall of 1843 and contracts let for construction to begin early in 1844. The mason work was let to James LaDu of the village and the woodwork to Joshua VanEtting of Geneva with the understanding that he was to make Clifton Springs his place of residence while doing the work. This proved helpful as he could attend to the purchase and measurement of all the lumber and timbers and take care of all the decisions necessary in such construction. Candles lighted the church and each pew was fitted with a door. There was a belfry on the church but some records say there was no bell. It seated 135, with room for an additional 85 in the gallery.
This first "official" Methodist Church building was completed in the fall of 1844. Lottie Baggerly, wife of Hezeklah Baggerly, who had been seriously ill during the building period, often expressed a wish to live until its completion. Her wish was fulfilled, her funeral service becoming the first service performed in the church. A dedication, led by Rev. Matthew Simpson (later Bishop) soon followed with the sermon being preached by the Rev. John Copeland. The preacher in charge of the new organization was the Rev. William Ferguson. The building of this church marked an important epoch in the growth of Clifton Springs. In 1849, Richard H. Shekell sold his property in the village and moved to his farm on the Orleans-Chapin Road. It was at this time that he met Dr. Henry Foster who was prospecting for a location for his Water Cure. In looking over the springs and the present site of the "old" San, we wonder if he cast an eye on the nice little brick Methodist church in the center of town. Would he have selected this site for his worldwide institution had not the church been such an appealing addition to the area in which he sought to build? Of course we will never know, but in all honesty, it certainly did nothing to deter his acceptance of Clifton Springs as the site for his great undertaking!
The Methodist following was to grow in the years after 1844. In 1850, Dr. Foster's Water Cure was in operation and within ten years the nation was involved in a Civil War. By 1865, and the close of that conflict, the village and the Methodists were ready for a giant step forward. This growth and the construction of the present Methodist Church will be the subject of a future article. Let me say in closing that we all owe much to the families of the Methodist Church who have helped to make our community what it is today. The history of the Methodists here begins with the opening up of this whole area in the early 1800's and has remained strong for nearly two hundred years. If the future is what we make it, let us be thankful for these past examples.
|
|
Click On Banner For More Information
|
