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Presale Prices In Effect for Historic Treasures Tour 2011 - Saturday, September 10th!!!
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW
Tickets are available at the discounted rate for the September 10 “Historic Treasures Tour” of historic homes in North Tonawanda.
FEATURED HOMES
Returning as a participating home this year is the Farny R. Wurlitzer mansion, which has been a participating home in the three previous tours presented by the North Tonawanda History Museum. Other featured homes include one which was the residence of members of the Rand family of industrialists, bankers, and insurance executives and the Dr. G. Norris Miner family and two homes which were built for men who were part of the lumber history of North Tonawanda, Donald S. McLean and William Stradella.
ADDITIONAL HISTORIC ELEGANCE
Each home will have floral displays provided by North Tonawanda’s Sherwood Florist. The Cinderella carriage ride presented by Hartland Carriages, a popular component of the three previous tours, will be a repeat again this year. Also returning with this tour will be the siting at each home of an antique or classic automobile, coordinated by Richard L. “Joe” Zellner.
This will be the fourth bi-annual tour of historic homes presented by the seven year old History Museum and will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 10.
This year, the History Museum is also including a separate morning tour of three of North Tonawanda's significant historic buildings.
TICKETS
Advance purchase tickets are available at the History Museum or by mail, phone or email orders. Advance admission is $20 per ticket, entitling you to admission to the interior of the historic homes. Museum members can purchase as many tickets as they need at the member price of $15 each.
Tickets may also be purchased for the Cinderella carriage ride at $5 each.
This year there will also be an additional mini-cultural tour from 9 a.m. to noon on the day of the tour. This mini-tour will include the historic 1926 Leon H. Lempart & Son designed Riviera Theatre & Performing Arts Center building, the 1929 E. B. Green designed Buffalo Suzuki Strings Musical Arts Center building, and the 1903 E. E. Joralemon designed Carnegie Art Center building. The Riviera Theatre building and the former Carnegie Library building are listed on the State and Federal registries of Historic Places. Tickets are $7.50 for the mini-cultural tour.
Homes tour tickets on the day of the event will be $25 each; carriage ride tickets will be $7.50; and the mini-cultural tour tickets will be $10.
GUIDEBOOK
Printing of the guidebook, which, following the tour, will join the guidebooks from the previous three tours as a permanent Museum publication, will again be by Pioneer Printers, with the cover design by Beverly DiPalma of Quinlan and Company. The guidebook is the passport into the homes and is obtained the day of the tour at the History Museum in exchange for the advance purchased tickets.
An original sketch of one of the homes by North Tonawanda wildlife artist Len Rusin will complete the cover. Photography for the guidebook will be by North Tonawanda native Jacob Kedzierski, now a New York City photographer. Students of Kerry Traynor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, KTA Preservation Specialist, of the SUNYAB School of Architecture & Planning's Urban Planning Historic Preservation Course will work on developing the architectural histories. Page layout and internal graphics will be created by John Zellner Neal, the History Museum's Assistant Executive Director. History Museum Executive Director Donna Zellner Neal will edit the publication.
TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THREE DRAWINGS: CLOCK, VICTORIAN STYLE CHAIR, WATER COLOR SKETCH
Three drawings for unique items will be part of the Historic Treasures Tour.
Drawing No. 1 will be for a Princeton 611-138 floor model Grandfather Clock which has been donated by Walker Bros. & Monroe Jewelers. The clock is from the traditional collection and has a retail value of $1,395. It is in Hampton Cherry finish on select hardwoods and veneers and has a swan-neck pediment which features a turned urn finial and a decorative shell overlay. It has a decorative olive ash burl patterned back and bottom panel. The base includes a decorative cutout. The polished brass dial features elaborate corner spandrels, center disk, silver chapter ring with black Arabic numerals, and a stationary midnight blue moon phase. The clock has a hinged door framed by simple but elegant columns. It has plain glass throughout, a polished brass pendulum and weights. It has a quartz, triple-chime Harmonic movement which plays your choice of Westminster, Ave Maria, or Bim Bain chimes, with volume control and automatic nighttime chime shut-off options. Tickets for the drawing are available from now until the end of the Historic Treasures Tour on September 10. Tickets are $5 each, 3 for $10, or 10 for $20.
Drawing No. 2 will be for a 24" high by 31-1/2" wide limited edition print of an original watercolor sketch of the DeGraff Mansion by artist Florence Simmen is on display in the History Museum. Tickets for it are $1 each, 3 for $2 and 10 for $5.
Drawing No. 3 will be for a newly reupholstered Victorian Queen Anne style side chair, cherry wood with green floral fabric upholstery on the tufted back and tufted seat is also on display. Tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5 and 10 for $10.
The drawings will take place at 6 p.m. at the North Tonawanda History Museum. The winners will be contacted by phone following the drawings.
VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE AS DOCENTS BEING ACCEPTED
Individuals wishing to participate as docents for the tour are invited to visit the Museum to complete a volunteer application.
TOUR SPONSORS:
The Board of Trustees of the North Tonawanda History Museum is pleased to announce the growing list of major sponsors, general sponsors, and patrons of the 2011 "Historic Treasures Tour." Major sponsors of this year’s tour are Brady Electric, Inc., the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas, the Downtown Merchants Association of North Tonawanda, Holler-Grapes Insurance Agency, Marty Hall Plumbing & Heating, Metro Group, Inc./North Tonawanda Source, Michael Mroczka/RealtyUSA, Nussbaumer & Clarke, Inc., Pioneer Printers, Inc./Gardei, Inc., Quinlan & Company, Sherwood Florist, Walgreens (Payne Avenue & 19th Avenue), Jacob Kedzierski, Photographer; Len Rusin, Wildlife Artist; Kevin T. Stocker, Esq.; SUNYAB School of Architecture & Planning and Walker Bros. & Monroe Jewelers.
General Sponsors are Mayor Robert G. Ortt, New York State Senator George D. Maziarz, and Niagara County Legislator Peter E. Smolinski. Patrons are A-1 Home Appliances, Citizens Bank/20 Main Street, Tonawanda; Pane’s Restaurant; “Joe” Zellner, Brian Daddis Masonry Reconstruction, M&T Bank (Mid-City Plaza), and Barb's Sweet Treats/Jack's Trains.
RealtyUSA was the first major sponsor of the tours, the lone sponsor of the 2005 event, and Michael Mroczka/ReealtyUSA has been a sponsor of the 2007 and 2009 tours; Pioneer Printers has been a major sponsor of the previous three tours, Sherwood Florist sponsored the 2007 and 2009 tours; and Quinlan & Company also sponsored the 2009 tour. The SUNYAB School of Architecture & Planning also sponsored the 2007 tour.
Museum Needs Your Help!
"Woody" Now Stands Guard Over North Tonawanda History Museum!
State Senator Recently Stops By Museum!
New York State Senator George Maziarz and Robert C. Rand toured the North Tonawanda History Museum on September 28. Senator Maziarz called the first interest group meeting on September 10, 2003, to kick off plans to create the history museum. Members of the Rand family, proud of their family's roots in North Tonawanda and the contributions their ancestors made to North Tonawanda, Tonawanda, and the world, have been supportive of the history museum effort from the beginning. Robert Rand visits the History Museum frequently. Here, Senator Maziarz and Robert Rand join Executive Director Donna Zellner Neal in front of a Wurlitzer Model 1400 jukebox manufactured in 1951 and donated to the History Museum by member George Trautman.
New Books Available At History Museum For Holiday Giving!!!
In time for holiday shopping, the North Tonawanda History Museum announces two additions to the books offered in their gift area:
The new Elite Coupon Book for 2011 is already in and available at $20. The History Museum sold the first edition of the book in 2010. This year's book is even better than last year's, eliminating the need to use a card, simply requiring the coupons in the book. Purchases of this book assist the History Museum with operating income as well. The coupon book has coupons for use in dining, both formal and informal as well as takeout, recreation, car washes, cleaners, tanning salons, etc.
A small quantity of the remaining copies of the third and final edition of "Crystal Memories--101 Years of Fun at Crystal Beach" have been made available to the History Museum, by the author, Rose Ann Jankowiak-Hirsch. Jankowiak-Hirsch will also do a program for the History Museum on Saturday, February 19 at 2 p.m., for those who would like to meet the author and learn of her seven years of research and writing of the book.
Crystal Memories is the first and most comprehensive book ever written about Crystal Beach Park. First published in 2004, it has since gone into a third printing. The book is coffee-table size and includes 199 pages of black and white photos and 4 pages of color photos. Crystal Memories is a complete history of the park, from its humble beginnings as a religious campground in 1888 to its final season in 1989.
Chapters concentrate on the S.S. Canadiana and her sister ship, the S.S. Americana; the construction and mysterious interiors of the Laff in the Dark, and the change of the Magic Carpet to the Magic Palace. Included are rare photos of the making of Hall's suckers and the building of the Crystal Ballroom.
Special sections list the rides and attractions operating on the midway during those 101 years and the statistics of the amazing roller coasters of Crystal Beach: Harry Traver's terrifying Cyclone, PTC's speedy Comet, the scary Wild Mouse, the compact Flitzer, the smooth Galaxy and the venerable Giant Coaster (yellow coaster). Praised by Western New York Heritage Magazine, Crystal Memories is the perfect gift for any Crystal Beach fan.
Museum Announces Volunteer and Board Positions Available Immediately
JANUARY NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!!!
Our latest newsletter is chock-full of upcoming events as well as an update of our status...
Please visit our Public Relations section inside for download!
Hurtubise Exhibit Being Developed at Museum!!!
Photo shows Richard L. "Joe" Zellner invited Karen Hurtubise-Pashong, daughter of North Tonawanda's race car legend, Jim Hurtubise, to visit the Museum and see the exhibit being developed under Joe's direction.
MUSEUM PROUD MEMBER OF NEWLY FORMED CULTURAL ALLIANCE
Rae Proefrock, Acting Chair, and Donna Zellner Neal, Acting Secretary announce the first meeting of the Cultural Alliance of the Tonawandas took place on Monday, June 1 at the North Tonawanda History Museum. Initial participants in the new local alliance of cultural non-profit organizations were the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum/Carrousel Society of the Niagara Frontier; the North Tonawanda History Museum; the Historical Society of the Tonawandas and its Benjamin Long Homestead; the Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier/Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society; the Riviera Theatre, the Carnegie Art Center; Starry Night Theatre/Ghostlight Theatre; and Gateway Harbor, Inc.
The purpose of the alliance is to collaboratively address issues of importance to the individual members and issues which affect them collectively and work together toward solutions.
The Cultural Alliance of the Tonawandas normally meets on the first Monday at 7 p.m. in the North Tonawanda History Museum, 54 Webster Street, North Tonawanda.
Click the logo above to enter the new directory page for the Cultural Alliance of the Tonawandas.
NORTH TONAWANDA MAGNETS NOW AVAILABLE!!!
The North Tonawanda History Museum is pleased to announce the beginning of a line of North Tonawanda magnets. The first two in the series, a colored photographic view of Webster/Sweeney Street looking across the Canal from Tonawanda declaring "PROUD to be from...North Tonawanda, NY" and a black and white 1953 view of the west side of Webster Street from the Sugar Bowl almost to Goundry Street labeled "Historic Downtown North Tonawanda, NY" are the first in the line and are available for purchase at $2 each. An NTHS team letter magnet will also soon be available. Additional photo magnets will be designed. A trial selection of tee shirts and caps reading "Proud to be from North Tonawanda" will soon be available also.
"PROUD to be from... North Tonawanda, NY"
"Historic Downtown North Tonawanda, NY"
Call us at (716) 213-0554 for shipping rates if placing order by phone.
Museum Now Accepting Discover Card!!!
The Board of Trustees of the North Tonawanda History Museum announces that the purchase of their permanent home at 54-60 Webster (and 59-61 Manhattan Street) has been finalized, with closing occurring on March 18 in Buffalo. History Museum President Carl Tamburlin and Executive Director Donna Zellner Neal consummated the purchase on behalf of the History Museum's Board of Trustees.
Kristin Doebler and Facebook to the Rescue!
We have recently found out that our Online Forums provider (Xsorbit.com) has shut down services (without giving anyone notice at that). We were lucky enough to have a Facebook page created for us within the last few months by Kristin Doebler and would like to invite all of our old Forum guests to visit the following link to join our new online community hub via registration through Facebook. You will see that she has added the very same forum topics as with Xsorbit and encourage everyone to join and post freely.
Click here to view and register for our Facebook page
"Demonstration Edition" of the "Niagara Historic Trail" Update 2008-2009 Announced
The North Tonawanda History Museum, in cooperation with the County of Niagara and the Association of Municipal Historians of Niagara County and other County historians, the Historical Society of North German Settlements in Western New York and the Niagara County Historical Society, has produced a "Demonstration Edition" of "Niagara Historic Trail: A self-guided historic tour of Niagara County." It is an update of the original 1975 County project and the 1991 update by the County.
The 166-page spiral bound book (designed for use in driving around the County so that the pages will remain open for reference) will be available in January initially through the North Tonawanda History Museum and will also be distributed to other County cultural and tourism locations wishing to handle the sale.
Cost of the "Demonstration Edition" is $15 each and can be mailed for an additional $4. The North Tonawanda History Museum is accepting advance orders and accepts Master Card and Visa. Mail orders should be sent to the History Museum at 314 Oliver Street, North Tonawanda, NY 14120.
The new "Niagara Historic Trail" is dedicated "to our inspirations for their love of local history: Dr. H. William Feder, A. Daniel Bille, and John W. Percy."
Although the North Tonawanda History Museum is presently actively involved in moving from their three previous locations into their new home at 54 Webster Street, orders may be placed by phone at 213-0554 or email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com. A Museum representative will get back to you within 24 hours and arrange for pick up or delivery or mailing.
When the current Trail update project began in early 2008, the entire County of Niagara was enthusiastically celebrating the 200th anniversary of its establishment. The volunteer crew of municipal historians and historians from historical organizations in the County did not know what to anticipate in doing the update. A few had been involved in the earlier versions and some had never seen the printed versions of the earlier efforts. We did, however, generally conclude that, since a significant number of sites included in the previous two printed publications either no longer exist, were of current interest at the time of their original inclusion, or required new or additional descriptive material based on knowledge gained since the earlier publications, an updated version was justified.
The original intent was to have each community section updated and redone as correctly and thoroughly as possible so that the current publication would be an appropriate addition to the celebration of the County’s anniversary and provide a starting point for future updates, since technology has significantly improved in recent years and repeat printings and updated printings are much easier to facilitate. The finished product was to serve visitors to Niagara County, students of local history, and residents and become the basis for regular future updates and printing.
The plan was to fund the initial printing with grants and use the proceeds of the sale of the actual first printing for future printings. A dedicated fund was established by the North Tonawanda History Museum for this purpose, and a $5,000 grant was obtained from the Niagara County Legislature and a $2,500 Mini-Grant from the New York Council for the Humanities, a New York State affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, toward the initial printing costs. Beverly DiPalma of Quinlan Associates volunteered her services for the design of the cover. Carl Hoover of Pioneer Printers served as a consultant to the editor as plans progressed. Donna Zellner Neal, North Tonawanda History Museum Executive Director served as Editor and coordinated the project. Dr. H. William Feder made a presentation on the original Trail project at a March 2008 program of the North Tonawanda History Museum.
Because of the complications of a busy anniversary year in the County, a number of municipal historians were unable to fulfill the request for the historical descriptions, photos, and mapping data for their communities. We apologize, therefore, if their communities’ segments require future work. Without their assistance, we worked with what others were able to provide and did some of the work at the editor level so that all towns and villages and cities in Niagara County would be represented in the guidebook. The delays that resulted and the additional unanticipated work prevented us from having a completed copy at the initially planned time in September.
Our goal from the beginning, however, and the requirements of our funding of the printing, were for a book to be published in 2008 that could be easily updated and reprinted as needed.
Once the copy was as complete as we could make it, with the variety of styles provided merged into a uniform style, mapping proved to be a problem because it was not just a matter of adding available maps. Much of the material supplied, at a significant contribution of time by the historians, did not incorporate street addresses into the descriptions. In some instances, we had to totally eliminate a site which has an important history but for which siting it on a map was not possible as we passed our initial deadline and were continuing past the original schedule to complete the publication.
Locating accurate maps which would work became a problem. From the beginning, we had planned on using a uniform map, breaking it into segments. That, we found as time was running out, left us with maps which did not agree with either of the previous publications in detail. The historians who provided actual street addresses make it possible for the reader or traveler to locate their sites using the addresses. We resigned ourselves to using what we had for the first printing. John Zellner Neal of the North Tonawanda History Museum worked with the editor on this. We will appreciate input from users of the book and the contributing historians so that the first update we do may include any necessary corrections and revisions. We also will be grateful for better maps for future reprints.
We realize at this time with the initial printing that better maps are a necessity for the next printing. Good quality black and white local municipal maps of the cities, towns, and villages are desired for future updates. It is our belief that the kind historians who worked with us in getting this “demonstration edition" together will, upon seeing the initial printing, assist in locating and preparing better local maps. We also hope that other historic sites omitted from this initial printing of the publication can be incorporated into the next printing. We hope as well that street addresses can be included – or at least a description of where on the road or street, or between what other sites, a site is located.
Copies will be distributed to all participating contributors to the publication and to the Mayor of each of the three cities, the Town Supervisors of the twelve towns, and the Mayors of the five villages. City, Town and Village Clerks will also be given a copy of the "demonstration edition." The "Demonstration Edition" will be available for purchase and will be reprinted as needed until the next update. It is hoped that the publication will be updated every couple of years.
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