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Continuing the discussion on how women use craft to express their inner life and the world around them, Dr. Anthony Wonderley, Oneida Community Mansion House Curator, presents a talk on the “Oneida Community’s Best Quilt” at 7 p.m. on Wed., April 21. 

Wonderley’s presentation on the textile masterpiece created by the women of the commune in 1873, will focus on pictorial content and will survey images on the quilt that illustrate the activities and interests of the quilt's makers. The Best Quilt itself is on permanent display in the Mansion House.  On this occasion, other quilts and quilt pieces of the Oneida Community will be exhibited. Dr. Wonderley (Ph.D., Cornell University) is the author of two books, At the Font of the Marvelous, and  Oneida Iroquois Folklore, Myth, and History: New York Oral Narrative from the Notes of H. E. Allen and Others and he was recently named a Fellow of the New York State Archaeological Association.

The Oneida Community Mansion House was the home of the 19th century utopian Oneida Community (1848-1880).  Today, the building houses a museum with permanent and changing exhibitions, residential apartments, overnight lodging, Zabroso Restaurant, and banquet and meeting space.  Guided tours are available Wed. through Sat., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sun. at 2 p.m. for a nominal fee.  The Oneida Community Mansion House is located at 170 Kenwood Ave., Oneida, NY.  For information call 315-363-0745 or visit www.oneidacommunity.org. 

  



 

  

 
 
The Madison County Historical Society is holding a Donation Auction Fundraiser on May 16 at 1 pm and we need donations! The society is looking for donations of items that are usable and saleable. Items for the donation auction may include, but are not limited to: furniture, art, decorative objects, gift certificates, or services.  Gift certificates and services may include but are limited to: weekend getaways, gift baskets, salon services, fitness memberships, restaurant certificates, sport event tickets, and golf passes.  We will not be accepting personal clothing, appliances, vehicles, or books.  If a car dealership would like to donate a vehicle, please contact us.

The society asks that donations be delivered during business hours Monday through Friday from 10 am - 4 pm. If you need pick-up assistance, please contact Becky Karst at 315.374.1349 or Teri Hill at 315.264.1073.  The deadline to donate items to the auction is May 5. Items accepted for the auction are tax deductible to the full extent of the Internal Revenue Code. Tax receipt forms will be furnished when item(s) are received. Auctioneer Bradley Markowski will conduct the auction. There is no buyer’s premium.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Madison County Historical Society’s Restoration Fund. Restoration of an 1850 Gothic Revival period home is an ongoing process. Currently, the society needs to address the following restoration projects: the repair of the tin roof above the side porch including the vault room, and the front porch; the replacement of rotten window sills; and the replacement of one rotten column on the front porch.



 
 
(Oneida)   How do women use craft to express their inner life and the world around them? This topic provides the focus of the spring adult enrichment series at the Oneida Community Mansion House, which will be presented at 7 p.m. in the Big Hall on three successive Wednesdays in April.
On April 14, Dr. Kheli R. Willetts will present “African America Women and the Craft Tradition.”  Dr. Willetts is an Assistant Professor African American Art History and Film in the Department of African American Studies and Executive Director of the Community Folk Art Center, a community service based unit of the African American Studies Department.  Prior to joining the faculty at Syracuse University in 2002, Dr. Willetts worked with a number of arts organizations including the Real Art Ways, Studio Museum of Harlem, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, the Connecticut Historical Society and the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.
As Executive Director of the Community Folk Art Center Professor Willetts is responsible for developing diverse and dynamic programming including exhibitions, workshops in visual and expressive arts, lectures and film screenings.
“The Oneida Community’s Best Quilt,” a textile masterpiece created by the women of the commune in 1873, will be presented by OCMH Curator Anthony Wonderley on April 21. Focusing on pictorial content, the talk will survey images on the quilt that illustrate the activities and interests of the quilt's makers. The Best Quilt itself is on permanent display in the Mansion House.  On this occasion, other quilts and quilt pieces of the Oneida Community will be exhibited. Dr. Wonderley (Ph.D., Cornell University) is the author of two books, At the Font of the Marvelous, and  Oneida Iroquois Folklore, Myth, and History: New York Oral Narrative from the Notes of H. E. Allen and Others and he was recently named a Fellow of the New York State Archaeological Association.
On April 28, Pody Vanderwall will speak on the art tapestries of Jessie Catherine Kinsley (1858-1938). Born in the Oneida Community, Jessie Kinsley created textile "paintings" out of silk braidings, a body of work unique in the art of the early twentieth century. A great-granddaughter of the artist, Vanderwall will review Kinsley's life and art, and how her artistic themes relate to her personal circumstances and concerns.  Many of Kinsley's works are on exhibit in the Mansion House. Others will be set out especially for this talk. 
All talks are free and open to the public and are followed by a light reception.
The Oneida Community Mansion House was the home of the 19th century utopian Oneida Community (1848-1880).  Today, the building houses a museum with permanent and changing exhibitions, residential apartments, overnight lodging, Zabroso Restaurant, and banquet and meeting space.  Guided tours are available Wed. through Sat., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sun. at 2 p.m. for a nominal fee.  The Oneida Community Mansion House is located at 170 Kenwood Ave., Oneida, NY.  For information call 315-363-0745 or visit www.oneidacommunity.org.
 
 
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2010 marks the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum.  The museum, located on the Old Erie Canal, is where 90' long cargo boats were built and repaired during the late 19th and 20th centuries.
The all-volunteer museum will incorporate this momentous occasion into the 19th annual Canal Fest to be held on Sunday, June 20th.  Activities and entertainment are being planned around the celebration.
Throughout the six hour day, activities will be offered to children and adults alike.  Being planned are demonstrations on canal boat building, blacksmithing, many children's games, a magic show, wagon rides and a teen play performance.  A chicken barbeque will be served throughout the day.
Time has been set aside for a special ceremony paying tribute to those who had the foresight and fortitude to undertake the excavation, preservation and restoration of this unique historic site.
The museum is located at 7010 Lakeport Road in Chittenango. Visit our website: www.chittenangolandingcanalboatmuseum.com or call (315) 687-3801 for more information.

 
 
The Oneida Community Mansion House hosts Donna Woolfolk Cross, author of Pope Joan, on Sat., March 6 at 7 p.m., during a free public event to kick off The Big Read in the greater Oneida area.
 The Big Read is presented through a partnership of the Oneida Community Mansion House and the Oneida Public and Sherrill-Kenwood Free libraries to celebrate The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder.
Oneida and Sherrill represent one of 268 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, from September 2009-June 2010. To date, the NEA has funded more than 800 Big Read programs in the nation’s towns and cities.
The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.
Cross will kick off The Big Read by sharing the research, writing and themes of her popular novel.  During this inspiring presentation on the power of reading and writing to enlighten, enrich, and change our lives, Cross will also discuss the influence of Thornton Wilder on her own writing.  Attendees will be the first to see the two-minute trailer of the movie version of Pope Joan that was released overseas last year.  The author’s talk will be followed by a reception when she will sign copies of Pope Joan, on sale that evening from the Colgate University Bookstore.
 
 
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In honor of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and Black History, the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark will display a replica of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation given to the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro by the New York State Library in Albany. The exhibit will be at the Visitor Center at the Gerrit Smith Estate Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.One of the nation's greatest documentary treasures, the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, has been part of the New York State Library's collection since 1865. “The unassuming appearance of this four page declaration in Lincoln's hand tends to mask the significance of what one source declared to be the ‘most important and far-reaching document ever issued since the formulation of this government.’ …Though Lincoln had always found slavery morally repugnant, he consistently stated that the Civil War was being fought solely for the purpose of restoring the Union. … Besides, as Lincoln knew, simple justice and moral imperative demanded it.The partial Union victory at the terrible Battle of Antietam in September 1862 provided an opportunity for Lincoln to issue his epoch-making decree. It had taken nearly a century, many years of abolitionist agitation and two years of America's bloodiest war to begin to apply the meaning of the Declaration of Independence to the nation's black population.” (NYS Library)

“Lincoln read this document to his Cabinet on September 22 and told them that he firmly believed in its principles, though he would accept minor changes of wording. Secretary of State William H. Seward, a former Governor of New York and lifelong abolitionist, suggested certain additions which strengthened it and then actually wrote in his revisions. Except for these revisions and the formal beginning and ending written by the Chief Clerk, the document is otherwise entirely in Lincoln's hand. The next day the nation's newspapers gave prominent attention to the Proclamation, beginning a discussion of its importance which culminated three months later.” (NYS Library)

“The proclamation declared that all slaves in states which were still in rebellion on January 1, 1863 ‘shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.’ ” (NYS Library)

In February and March of 1864, the Army Relief Bazaar was held to raise money for the U.S. Sanitary Commission, an agency that helped provide medical care for Union soldiers. To assist the Bazaar in its fund drive, Lincoln donated the Preliminary Proclamation, sending it to Emily Weed Barnes through Frederick W. Seward, son of the Secretary of State. On the very last day of the Bazaar, the manuscript was won in a lottery by well-known abolitionist Gerrit Smith. Smith generously gave the proclamation to the U.S. Sanitary Commission to be sold to raise more money. Said Smith, “My purpose when I purchased the tickets…was to let it go to the individual or association, who should pay the largest price for it…As I believe the putting down of this infernal Rebellion to be our highest and holiest work, so I recognize no other claim upon my possessions to be as strong as that of the Soldiers, who are prosecuting this work.” (Letter, Gerrit Smith to William Barnes, March 12, 1864)

Three days after Lincoln's funeral train passed through Albany on April 25, 1865, the New York State Legislature purchased the proclamation for the New York State Library.

The Chicago Historical Society acquired the manuscript copy of the final proclamation. Unfortunately, it was lost when the Society's building was burned during the great Chicago fire of 1871. However, the New York State Library's collection includes 19th century photographs of the final proclamation.

At the Visitor Center on Sunday, February 14 at 2 pm, Norman K. Dann, Ph.D. will present a program on Lincoln as “The Great Emancipator,” the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation’s ties to Peterboro, and describe the Central New York origins of “Lincoln’s party.” Dr. Dann is the author of the 2009 biography of Smith, Practical Dreamer: Gerrit Smith and the Crusade for Social Reform. 

For both days of the exhibit the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum (NAHOF) invites participation in “Linking Lincoln.” A paper chain of 2010 red, white, and blue links with the names of donators of currency with Lincoln’s image will be featured at a ribbon cutting October 24, 2010 to celebrate the Heritage NY Underground Railroad project.

The two day February exhibit is hosted by the Chair of the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark Lodge Squad, Jody Jones, a Morrisville State College Resort and Recreation Management Technology Intern. The program is part of a series of programs provided by the Stewards of the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark through a PACE grant to the Smithfield Community Association from the Central New York Community Foundation. The Estate is on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, and the Heritage NY Underground Railroad Trail as part of the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The Visitor Center is open during the summer on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 – 5 p.m. and by appointment. Programs and tours are $2 per person, $5 for a season pass, and free to children, stewards, and residents of Smithfield with season passes from The Lodge. For more information mail@sca-peterboro.org or 315-684-3262.

 
 
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As is often the case, the best travel ideas come from the visitors to Central New York themselves.  We received the following email over the weekend from a pair of travelers that took our Architectural Trail and turned it into a bike tour of the county:

Hello,

I wanted to send the folks at madisontourism.com an e-mail to say how much my sister and I enjoyed the Madison County Architectural Heritage Trail.  We learned about the trail through an article in the Post Standard, and immediately thought it would be an interesting multi-day bicycle tour.  So this past September we took to the road in Oneida, NY and followed the trail starting in Sherrill all the way around to Rte. 31.  We camped the first night at the Lebanon Reservoir, and the second night on the Stoney Pond State Forest land before returning home on the third day.  We thoroughly enjoyed the architectural highlights, and appreciated the well-written descriptions in the online pamphlet. 

Along the way we met some amazing people, including a man who gave us an inside tour of Madison Hall, the owner of the Lebanon Reservoir Campground who graciously offered us warmth next to her wood stove, even a pair of bicyclists on a 7-year bicycle ride around the world!  We also discovered many other "hidden attractions" of Madison County, including spectacular views of Oneida Lake, the Fenner wind farm, the "Red & White Café" in Deruyter, and the nordic ski trail at Stoney Pond.

Thank you again for creating the trail and publishing it on the web. In addition to many wonderful memories, we have a new appreciation for the varied terrain, interesting architecture, wonderful people, and different attractions that make Madison County so unique!

Sincerely,

Andy and Jenny Cleary

Andy and Jenny

Thanks for visiting and sharing your story with us.  We are so glad you enjoyed your trip! Come back soon.

 
 
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Photo by Christian Phillips Photography
The seasonal sounds and joy of Christmas at Lorenzo will once again be filling the air in Cazenovia this year beginning on Wednesday, December 16 and running through Sunday, December 20, 1-4 pm daily.  Additionally, Christmas by Candlelight will be staged on Friday, December 18 from 7-9 p.m. and sleigh rides (weather dependent) will be also available to and from the be-decked Rippleton Schoolhouse on Family Day, Sunday, December 20.   
With generous program support from The Friends of Lorenzo and the artistry of volunteer decorators, the Neoclassical mansion will be abounding in “Christmas Carol-themed” decorations throughout—and in the spirit of giving, more than 25 volunteer docents will be assisting staff with tours. Whether dreaming of a “White Christmas” or walking in a “Winter Wonderland,” guests will enjoy a number of favorite holiday carols interpreted in spirited decorations by Dan McCann of Five Seasons, Susan Anthony, Nancy and Elizabeth Whiting,  Jill Gates, Nancy Hook, Sara Mitchell, Wendy Van Der Bogart, Sydney Regan, Priscilla Arthur, Diane Voss and Jackie Vivirito. Festive greenery and decorations throughout the site have also been provided by The Cazenovia Garden Club. Another special feature of Christmas at Lorenzo this year includes a display of vintage and collectible dolls from an extensive private collection. A favorite among patrons, wassail and peanut brittle will also be served daily in the kitchen. And guests will also have the opportunity to win Kit, an American Girl Doll and companion book, and a decorative “suitcase” packed with unique gifts and seasonal items from the Lorenzo gift shop.
During the weekend festivities, Friday evening’s Christmas by Candlelight will feature American holiday standards by the John Rohde Jazz Trio; the Belle Aire Handbell Trio will delight visitors on Saturday; and the Bells and Motley Consort will offer the sounds of a “Merry Olde Christmas” on Sunday’s Family Day.  The Friends of Lorenzo will also host a holiday open house on Family Day at the Schoolhouse--replete with live music, holiday crafts and refreshments—and round-trip sleigh rides by Lamplit Farms will also be sponsored by The Friends. Mary Jeanne Bialas, of Victorian Whispers, will present “Over the River and Through the Woods: A 19th C Holiday Journey” on Family Day, and a jolly Father Christmas and holiday music by John Wisniewski will be welcoming patrons at the Visitor Center during Friday night, Saturday and Sunday hours.  
A modest admission price is charged for a holiday visit to Lorenzo--and during weekdays, beginning December 8th, group tours of 12 or more may also be arranged by advance reservation only. A vast array of distinctive gift-giving items is also available for purchase at the museum gift shop throughout Christmas at Lorenzo hours. For more information, please call (315) 655-3200 or visit www.lorenzoNY.org.
 
 
The Canastota Canal Town Museum will have an Open House on Sunday, December 6, from 3:00 until 5:00 pm. This year¹s Art Show will be dedicated to the memory of Carlo Raineri who participated in former shows and whose painting of the Canastota Lift Bridge will be on permanent display at the museum.
Harp music and refreshments will be provided.
The open house will feature the art of more than 30 local artists.  The exhibit will also be open Saturday, December 12 and 19, from 10:30 until 1:00.
The new ³2009 historical ornament featuring the 200th birthdays of Canastota and Town of Lenox, along with the others in the series, will be sold.  Also Canal Town will have on sale a 2010 bicentennial color calendar.
 
 
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St. Pat’s Shining Angels
The Madison County Historical Society’s Victorian Christmas Open House is December 13 from 1-4 pm at Cottage Lawn, headquarters of the society, on 435 Main Street, Oneida.  The public is invited to this free event to tour the beautifully decorated period rooms, sample holiday sweets, and delight in joyous Christmas Carols from area school choirs.

Balloons and Blossoms, Oneida Floral and Gifts, and Unique Flower and Gift Boutique, of Oneida are all returning to decorate the period rooms at the society.  Lisa Marshall of Oneida Floral will address the holiday spirit in the music parlor while Denise Goodwin of Balloons and Blossoms will create a holiday scene in the dining room. Diane Gunthorpe, owner of Unique Flower and Gift Boutique will be adding her seasonal touches to one of the bedrooms. Area garden clubs, Green Thumb of Oneida Castle, and the Sherrill Garden Club will also be adding some holiday embellishments to period rooms. 

Holiday music has become an enjoyable tradition in the society’s music parlor. Joining us this year will be Oneida High School’s Select Choir directed by Jeff Welcher from 1:15-1:45.  From 2-2:30, North Broad Street Mini Jazz Machine under the direction of Heather O’Connell will continue to delight the crowd with Christmas Carol favorites.  

Otto Shortell Middle School Choir under the direction of Roselle Lynch will perform from 2:45-3:15. The afternoon will draw to a close with St. Patrick’s Shining Angels under the direction of Pam Maihafer from 3:15-3:45.

Our holiday gift shop will have the many Madison County Historical Society items for sale, such as local area history books, note cards, postcards, mugs, videos, and, shirts, and specialty gift baskets.  Come view the society’s new exhibit Madison County Underground: Cemeteries and Gerritt Smith.

Be our guest this holiday season and join us on Sunday, December 13 from 1 -4 pm at the Madison County Historical Society’s Annual Victorian Christmas Open House.  There is no admission to enjoy an afternoon filled with the holiday sights, sounds, and refreshments for all!

 For more information, please contact the Madison County Historical Society at (315) 363-4136 or (315) 361-9735, or 435 Main Street, Oneida, NY 13421, email: history@mchs1900.org, or visit our website at www.mchs1900.org