Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry

2012: March - April

Archive 2010: March - April - May - June

Archive 2009: April - May - September - November

Archive 2008: April - May - June - September - October - November

Archive 2007: February - March - April - May - June - July - September - October - November

Archive 2006: January - March - April - May - June - July - September

Archive 2005: May - June - September- October - December

September '06

(Clockwise from top left) Joyce Brady gave a talk Patrick Brady, who was the great grandfather of her husband Francis, before Dick Belding spoke on the history of blacksmiths at the Seneca Museum on September 28.

Joyce Brady speaks to the group about her husband’s great grandfather, whose was a blacksmith in Seneca Falls.

An interested group gathered at the Seneca Museum to listen to Dick Belding from Ionia, who spoke on the blacksmithing industry’s history.

July '06

Phil Westcott remembering his days at Westcott Rule Co.

(clockwise from above) Many friends, family and guests were present for the Westcott Rule Exhibit on July 6, 2006. Phil Westcott, last (family member) owner of Westcott Rule, surrounded by his youngest daughter, Karen Cervino, and his two grandchildren.

Phil Westcott with previous workers from Westcott Ruler Co. that came to the exhibit opening.

Phil with Nelson and Edith Delavan, founders of the Seneca Museum.

(at left) Professor David Hanna is talking near the new entrance with John Groves, a canal enthusiast.

(above) JoAnn Willis, Kathy Peters and Linda Solan proudly display their new t-shirts for the ribbon cutting asking, “Where are the falls?”

A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held for the new entrance to the Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry located in downtown Seneca Falls. Visitors constantly ask where the falls are. The museum has an enlarged 7 X10 foot photo of the original falls to show visitors how the falls looked before the reconstruction of the Erie Barge Canal that was completed in 1917. The falls and islands, where many pump companies were located to make the village ”the pump capital of North and South America” for over 100 years and the “fire engine capital of the U.S.” 1870-1910, are now under the present buildings and redone canal.

(left to right) Professor David Hanna (Seneca Falls historian), Steve Dougherty, Jim Terryberry, Lu Cook, Peter Same (all Seneca Falls Town Board members), and Craig Smith (architect and builder of the entrance) cut the ribbon for the official opening of the new entrance to the Seneca Museum.

Craig Smith, architect and builder of the new entrance, proudly sits with his wife, Karen.

June '06

Pop Spencer is a collector and player of zithers, an older instrument that makes music sounding like a piano/harp. He presented a program in April sponsored by a NYS DEC grant from FLAGS ( Finger Lakes Art and Grant Services) awarded to the Seneca Museum. Spencer lives in Waterloo.

(left-top) Craig Smith designed and constructed a new entrance to the Seneca Museum with guidance from Professor David Hanna and Jerry Abbott from ITT Goulds Pumps. The working water falls is below an enlarged 7’ X 10’ photo of Seneca Falls taken in the early 1900’s by photographer Grace Woodworth. The original smaller photo was borrowed from the Seneca Falls Historical Society. An official ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on July 14 at 7:00 p.m. The public is welcome. Refreshments will be served after a brief talk by Professor Hanna.

(left-bottom) Linda Solan, assistant director, and Craig Smith from North Star Woodworks put up the 7’ X 10’ enlarged photo of the original falls in Seneca Falls

(Clockwise from top-left) Students from St. John Bosco School in Seneca Falls entered their school’s blue ribbon winners in the History Jamboree. Romulus Central School, Finger Lakes Christian School and Cady Stanton School also participated in the jamboree.

Bea Allen, Betty Shipley, Jolene Lanphear, Walt Gable and Lynn Patti are working hard to judge entries to the Second Annual Seneca County 4th Grade History Jamboree. Baskets made by Cady Stanton students are in the foreground.

Walter Gable, Seneca County Historian, took much time judging art work from Cady Stanton School for the 2006 Fourth Grade History Jamboree.

The Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra played on June 17 at the Seneca Museum of Waterways & Industry to a good size crowd. The concert was planned outside on the canal-side, but because of the HOT weather the concert was moved inside where visitors were nice and cool. This concert series is part of a NYS-DEC Grant through the Finger Lakes Arts and Grants Services, Geneva.

May '06

Ball in the House performed a fantastic concert on Friday, May 26. The group hails from Boston, MA. Joining the group for a picture is JoAnn Willis, tour guide for the museum.

April '06

Walt Gable, Seneca County Historian, presented a talk at the Seneca Museum on the history of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal via a Power Point presentation along with a traveling exhibit.

Fran Caraccillo and Doris Wolf joined forces to tell the “Great Whale Tale” at the museum. If you don’t know the story, stop by the museum to see the large poster and hear this true story, when a whale traveled by barge to Seneca Falls.

June 3 will be National Trail Day in the United States. The Cay-Sen Trail Committee is sponsoring a walk to promote the trail that is being planned from Montezuma to Geneva. These student leaders were selected by various Seneca County communities including Waterloo, Seneca Falls, and St. John Bosco’s schools, SURGE and other groups. The area walk/bike ride will be on June 3 and will begin at the Chamber of Commerce in Geneva to River Road and end at the Waterloo Rec Center. For more information go on the web to www.cay-sentrail.org

Seneca Knitting Mill Artist Contest

This winter the Seneca Museum invited visual artists of all ages to submit a painting or drawing of the Seneca Knitting Mill. Click here to view all of the artist's work and see who won.

Home schooled children visited the Seneca Museum with their mothers and had fun building with the Seneca Sticks which were at one time manufactured by Nelson Delavan, the museum’s founder.

March '06

Artists and visitors gathered at the museum, Friday evening March 31st, for the unveiling of the "Seneca Knitting Mill Art Contest". As always, artists astound with different views from 'the artist's eye'. Drawings and paintings will be displayed in the window of the Seneca Museum as well as on www.senecafalls.com Please come by and take a look.

Director Peters welcomes the Dixieland Swing Project to the Seneca Museum as a part of a FLAGS grant.

Director Kathy Peters and Assistant Director Linda Solan did some swing dancing with the Dixieland Swing Project’s catchy music.

A couple dances to the music of the Dixieland Swing Project’s concert in March which is part of the Finger Lakes Art and Grant Services grant earned by the museum.

A crowd of over 50 people gathered on a rainy March afternoon to enjoy the sounds of the Dixieland Swing Project from Ithaca.

Professor Hanna is the great nephew of Arnold and Helen Barben. He teaches at the University of Quebec in Montreal. In this picture he is giving a lecture on “SILSBY: A Teacup on a Fire Engine” at the Seneca Museum.

The audience along with (L to R) Director Peters, Professor Hanna listen to Tom Cannon from Friendship, NY’s volunteer fire company. Cannon along with support of Friendship’s volunteer fire department and its small village (population 1,700) is refurbishing an 1880’s Silsby fire engine made in Seneca Falls. On July 29 the steam fire engine will shoot water over the highest point in the village, the Presbyterian Church. The village raised over $50,000 to complete this task. This will be an all day event with many activities going on…the public is welcomed!

Katie Hathaway proudly displays her paintings that are in the Seneca Museum’s window March and April

Director Kathy Peters welcomes crowd to hear Professor David Hanna’s lecture on Silsby Manufacturing Company’s lead in the United States in the production of fire engines in the middle to late 1800’s. Silsby was one of five manufacturing companies located on The Flats in Seneca Falls who produced pumps as well as fire engines.

Artist in the Window

Katie Hathaway’s art work is now being exhibited in a window of the Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry at 89 Fall Street in Seneca Falls. Hathaway lives in Seneca Falls with her husband Michael and son Dalton.

Hathaway won her first coloring contest at age five and her passion for art has never faded. One of her paintings was hung in a gallery in Seneca Falls, when she was attending high school in Waterloo. She paints mostly for friends and family. Hathaway works at Cady Stanton School where she once a month paints a new mural for their bulletin board.

January '06

JoAnn Willis, new employee of Seneca Mueum of Waterways and Industry.