Saint
Johnsville
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Town & Village Historian Reports
Village and Town of St.
Johnsville Historian's
History Inquiries: As usual, inquires from people
conducting research on family history were numerous.
While many of these were people looking for
information on their families from the 19' century
and earlier, others sought information about people
in the 20' century. These included the following. In
July, I conducted a tour of the village for author
Tara Smith of Kent State University and family. Dr.
Smith is doing research on Pearl Kendrick, a STJ
principal from 1914-18, for a book. Kendrick was a
co-inventor of the whooping cough vaccine. A
Massachusetts man sought information on his great
grandfather, Henry Peterson, who lived in St.
Johnsville in the 1930s and 1940's. I was able to
determine that Peterson worked for Palatine Dyeing
Co. and later built and operated the Empire Diner on
Main Street. One
of the more interesting inquires came via
Facebook Messenger from the country of Poland. A man
was looking for family connections in St.
Johnsville. The only piece of information he had was
an envelope dated 1957 with a return address from 27
Monroe St. I was able to determine that he is
related to the Yuchniewicz family, which lived in
St.
Johnsville for many years. I received many history
inquiries from STJ people and others via Facebook.
Research on buildings - I fielded questions and
conducted research on the history of various local
buildings/homes. These included inquiries about
residences, The Central Hotel, the Medical Linen
Systems site, former Terricola-Murcray building, an
old home in South St. Johnsville, the area around
the nursing home (former Burgess property and gravel
mine). I expect many more such inquiries at least
partly due to the recently created historic district
in the village.
Cycling the Erie -In July, along with Chamber of
Commerce members, I greeted bicyclists who stopped
at the marina-campsite as part of the annual
"Cycling the Erie" event. As usual, I answered
questions the cyclists had about the community and
its history. Cyclists who stopped at the marina
numbered about 150. The Erie Canal Trail, although
located in the town of Minden, continues to be an
asset to St. Johnsville. Many long-distance riders
cross the bridge, primarily looking for food and
drink. Historic
Lock 33— Also in the town of Minden, but with a stronger
connection to St. Johnsville, is historic Lock 33, now
about 180 years old. In August, I joined a group of
volunteers organized by Chris and Shelly Arduini to cut
the grass and remove weeds, trees, trash, etc. that had
begun to obscure this site. This battle is a constant
one. The site attracts those interested in the old Erie
Canal and is used for fishing and picnicking, but
greater use is hampered by the poor condition of the
road (old Towpath) leading to it. Moses
Quinby - I gave historical information and advice to the
locally-organized Moses Quinby Memorial Association.
Quinby was a world-famous beekeeper who kept as many as
1,500 hives in the area just east of the town highway
garage. He lived in St. Johnsville from 1853 to his
death in 1875. The Association hopes to promote Quinby's
history and beekeeping through various events. I hope to
work with the Association in 2020 to obtain grant
funding for a historical marker to be placed in the area
where he lived and worked.
Library/Museum - In my role as library trustee and
chairman of the museum committee, I conducted numerous
tours of the museum, much of which focuses on the
history of St. Johnsville. I continue to inventory
museum items and add to the museum's extensive photo
collection, which contains an estimated 5,000 photos
dating more or less from the Civil War era to today.
This work makes it easier for visitors to do research on
their families and the community where they lived. The
library and museum are widely known as a history
research center. Two recent visitors live in Arizona and
are related to the Kneeskern family, which was once
prominent here. History
Meeting - In July, I hosted a meeting of Montgomery
County municipal historians at the Reaney Museum and
represented St. Johnsville at similar meetings in Fonda.
Newspaper Article - In May the C-S-E published an
article I wrote about the cemetery and its role in past
Memorial days in St. Johnsville. If you
have any questions please contact me. Respectfully
submitted, Mathew
Rapacz St.
Johnsville Village and Town Historian December, 2019
(518) 568-7057
zcap928@live.com Village and
Town of St. Johnsville Historian's Historic District - The
creation of a historic district in the village was
finalized early in 2018. I assisted consultant
Jessie Ravage on the project both with a historic
development narrative of the village and with
property location information. Anyone who owns a
property older than 50 years within this district
(which encompasses most of the village) is eligible
for state and/or federal tax credits for
rehabilitation and/or renovations to their property.
Register status will also bring greater recognition
to the community as an historic area. The historic
narrative along with photos and information on
almost every building in the district will be a
valuable resource for researchers now and in the
future. A Montgomery County
sponsored Cultural Resources Survey project similar
to the one conducted for the village in 2016 was
completed for rural western Montgomery County,
including the town of St. Johnsville. This may
eventually lead to creation of a historic district
similar to the village's. Cycling the Erie -In July,
along with Chamber of Commerce members, I greeted
bicyclists who stopped at the marina-campsite as
part of the annual "Cycling the Erie" event. I
answered questions the cyclists had about the
community and its history. Those who stopped were
impressed with the marina-campsite. I note that the
Erie Canal Trail in western Montgomery County saw
considerable use this year, to a good extent because
it has been paved. This trail, which parallels the
historic Erie Canal, has been a positive for St.
Johnsville. Park History - At the
request of Supervisor Stagliano, I researched and
wrote a history of the beginnings of Soldiers and
Sailors Memorial Park. The purpose of this was to
stimulate interest in the park - and possible
improvements to it - in advance of its 100'
anniversary in 1921. Public response was positive. Schoolhouse Assistance - I
assisted Palatine Settlement Society member John
Case, who has done much work on the outside of the
District 8 (New Turnpike) school, in determining the
age of the school building. I found that the
building dates to at least 1838 and perhaps a few
years earlier. The Society hopes to renovate the
inside of the school, which needs considerable work. Library/Museum - In my role
as library trustee and chairman of the museum
committee, I conducted tours of the museum, much of
which focuses on the history Grant Assistance - In the
spring, I assisted with a Homes and Community Renewal NY
Main Street Technical Assistance grant application
(through Montgomery County) by providing historic photos
and information on 1-3 W. Main Street. In December, I provided
historic photos of 11, 13, 15, and 17 W. Main St. to an
architect relating to a grant application to improve
that section of the village. Other Assistance - I answered
numerous questions about the history of St. Johnsville
from various people conducting family and/or historical
research. One of the more interesting of these inquiries
was from Dr. Tara Smith of Kent State University. She is
writing a book about the inventors of the whooping cough
vaccine. One of these inventors was Pearl Kendrick, who
was St. Johnsville High School principal from 1914-18
and taught mathematics and science here. I was able to
provide Dr. Smith with information about Kendrick's time
in St. Johnsville. History Meetings - In May I
represented the village and town at a regional meeting
of municipal historians, held in Waterville. I also
attended meetings of municipal historians of Montgomery
County conducted by the county historian. If you have any questions,
ideas, etc. please contact me. Respectfully submitted, Mathew Rapacz December, 2018
(518) 568-7057
zcap928@live.com
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