Eden, NY: Scenes From The Past

The Hamburg-Gowanda Expressway

2010-12-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

Pictured is the dirt road going out of Eden Valley in July 1909

Do you remember when the Eden Town Board,in 1958, had a public meeting to discuss having a Hamburg-Gowanda Expressway, which would run west of the railroad tracks? It was first advocated by Albert F.Hickman and the Eden Citizens Association. The proposal had been vetoed by the governor the previous year.

Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian Office.

Building a Road

2010-11-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

Building a road in the early days was not a simple job. Shown here is the construction of East Church to Kromers Mill, probably in the very early 1900s. The Steam Engine is where the bridge was to cross the creek. The carts were full of gravel, so they were making a gravel road, which probably had been a dirt path before.

Courtesy of the Town of Eden Historian and Julia Hill Laing Meyer.

The DoodleBug: All Aboard!

2010-11-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

In 1985 the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority experimented with running a Railbus between Blasdell and North Collins via Hamburg. The stops were Blasdell at Lake Ave. and Martin, Hamburg at Pleasant and Scott, Eden at West Church and North Collins at Spruce. Needless to say it didn't last long because of any interest to the commuters. Pictured is the Railbus nicknamed the Doodlebug?

Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian.

Eden Train Wreck

2010-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Eden was not without it's train wreck. Pictured here is one that happened near the viaduct on Route 62. The Historian's Office has no information about it or a story. We would like to hear from someone that may have a write up about it or remembers it. It appears that the two men to the right are (left- one of the Kraft boys from Kraft Trucking: right- someone from Eden Motor Sales, which used to be the Plymouth-De-Soto Garage run by Harv Hooker). Please contact the Historian, if you have information, at 8584 S. Main St., or call 408-6334.

Passenger Trains in Eden

2010-10-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

It must have been fun for the children in the 1920s and 1930s to see the trains come through Eden, passenger and freight. There were several passenger trains a day, including the very popular commuter trains, until 1930 when one after another was discontinued. The last one disappeared in 1950. The Depot area of Eden had a lot going for it in the early days and still does. There was the Feed Store, which is now a gunsmith, Page Harms Oil Company, with a small gasoline service station, warehouses and garages still in business. A blacksmith, which later became the area for the Haeick's Deli and Grocery store, now an antique store. Laing's Mill, which is now LaingGro, Nagle Lumber Company, now a carpenter shop, and the Gumtow Lumber Company, and last, but not least, the Eden Memorial Studio, selling grave markers.

Pictured above is a locomotive at the Eden Center Depot, viewed from the west side of the tracks.

Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian

Glen Burgott and the Buffalo to Jamestown Railroad

2010-10-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Buffalo to Jamestown Railroad was organized in 1872. The City of Buffalo contributed $1 million dollars and the towns along the right of way $1 million. Glen H. Burgott was the Eden Station Agent beginning in 1903, starting at age 24, untilhe was 70. A hoax got him off to a hustling start. They told him that a railroad "spotter" was in the cupola widow atop the hotel across the tracks. So young Burgott, eager to leave a good impression with the overseer,kept the express packages moving at a top speed. He said his busiest days were during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901, and the other during the winter of 1945. Pictured is Mr. Burgott at his window.

Courtesy of the Town Historian.

School #8 Class of 1908

2010-10-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Pictured here is the 1908 Class of School #8 which was located on the west corner of Derby Road and Eden-Evans Center Road. The building is now a dwelling.

Pictured here, back center, is the teacher, Elsie Thompson, Blanche & Clayton Vellam on the left and extreme right is Glen Vellum. Second row, l-r second person is Mabel Gehl, fourth person is Pearl Vellum, sixth person is a Hardy, seventh is Joe Buntikiel, ninth person is Violet Hardy. Front row l-r is Leo Hardy, third person is Walter Minekime, fourth is Earnest Gehl, sixth is ArleneMinekime, two girls on the right may be Heinrich girls. Do you know anybody? Contact the Town Historian if you do.

Eden Basketball

2010-09-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Probably the earliest known picture of am Eden Basketball Team 1927-1928: Back row, L-R: The first two boys are unknown, then Prof. Meyers, Clinton Hardy, and then unknown. Front row, L-R: Howard Roeller, Sam Rose and Pete Wilcox.

Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian

Class of 1940

2010-08-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

Pictured is the Eden Central High School Class of 1940. The actually attended the old school on East Church St., but graduation exercise was held in the then new school on Main St.

Pictured front row, leftto right: George Kraft, Mary Manning, Carolyn Davidson, Betty Kaufman, Margaret Willet, Peggy Knapp, George Bartoo.

Second Row: Lester Rupp, June Winter, Gladys Shue, Sylianne Neville, Unknown, Eunice Sixt, Evelyn Kersten, Edward Parysek.

Third Row: Edward Reinhard, Donald Hoppe, Irma Schmittendorf, Alta Brusehaber, Dorothy Brusehaber, Kenneth Schreiner, David Laing. (Those not pictured but graduated were: Doris Coughell, Samuel Forti, Rita Osborn)

The class history speaks of making a better world than Mr. Hitler claims; episodes of gum chewing, basketball rivalry, note writing sessions, trip to the museum, and eighth grade promotion, Carolyn Davidson had perfect attendance, hadnotmissed a single day in 12 years.

(Courtesy of the Town Historians Office. If we have left out anybody or misidentified anyone, please let us know.)

1935 - 1936 Eden High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team

2010-08-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

1935 - 1936 Eden High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team

Front Row L-R: Mary Lardo, Caroline Shue, Evelyn Roberts, Joyce Nagle, Jean Brown, Caroline Plesko.
Back Rom L-R: Carol Guenther, Marjorie Murphy, Coach Evelyn Meyers, Ruth Guenther, Genieve Lardo.

At the recent Eden School Alumni, Joyce Nagle, 92 years old, was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. Pictured here is Joyce, front row, 3rd from right, with the basketball. Also an article from a local newspaper about the team. (From the 1936 Historian File)

Athletic News (1936)
Girl Edenites Trounce Pine Hill

When Joyce 'Any Angle' Nagle opened up with some of her long-hidden and secretly practiced corner shots,pop-shots and trick passes here Friday, Jan. 17th, a good looking Pine Hill basketball crew went home defeated. Joyce's running mate, Caroline Shue, also accounted for a considerable amount of Pine Hill's worries. Mary 'Toughy' Lardo surprised the audience with her long hidden ability also, to score a total of nine points which made her of no little notice in the first half. Joyce performed her best,piling up 20 of the locals' 34 points. Miss Shue caused 8 of the Edenites honors. Five of the locals cager's favors weremade when the Guenther family, Ruth, the older and Carol, the younger,got on the floor. Be sure this family caused Pine Hill plenty of trouble, the younger doing the scoring. That same old, trusty defense Caroline Plesko, Marjorie Ryther, who almost went to the fire after the game,and Jean Brown help off Pine Hill's offensive. Miss Marjorie was never substituted for during the whole match, in which she played a strong, steady defense. Jean Brown, with the ability to pass a ball like Babe Didrickson, made brilliant recoveries and prevented many shots. Caroline Plesko held down her side of the defense in fine style, her injured back being entirely forgotten.

It was the 5th victory for the Edenites. Thet took charge of the affair from the opening whistle, keeping an average of 12 points ahead of the invaders at the end of every quarter.

Class Photo - 1915

2010-05-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is a picture or a 1915 high school class in the old wooden school on East Church St., Eden, NY.

The names are (from the left row to the right): First Row: Dudley Richardson, Ellis Storms, Everett Anderson, Robert Brindley, Ernest Rice, Floyd Land. Second Row: Ruth Anderson, Alice Meister, Doris Richardson, Hazel Webster, Herbert Bartoo, Ford Johnson, Joe Palmerton. Third Row: Charlotte Gressman, Evelyn Knoll, Lina Blowers, Mary Schreiner, Grace Jenrowe, Laura Palmerton, Esther Stesing. Fourth Row: Freda Hickman, Frances Olden, Virginia Cole, Violst Hardy, Jessie Gressman, Pearl Vellam.

Horace D. Meyers

2010-05-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Horace D.Meyers came to Eden as principal in 1928, and remained until 1939. In 1928 there were 12 teachers. In 1927, the school building was once again remodeled and enlarged, including a combination gym and auditorium built in front.In 1932, another addition was erected in the rear, and still another in 1937. Pictured above is how the school looked in 1938,from the left side and right.

Eden High School - 1905

2010-05-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Pictured here in 1905 are students standing in front of the Eden High School (where the town hall is now). The teachers were Miss Lindsey and Miss Beebe. When the school was added onto in the early 1900's, the front entry was moved to where the Penny Saver is now and had many uses - a barber shop, print shop, lawyer's office, shoe repair, hat shop, beauty and a cleaning and pressing shop. It burned down after the Penny Saver opened their office there in 1957, and the present building was built there. (Courtesy of the Town Historian)

The Class of 1899

2010-05-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

Pictured here is the 1899 graduation class from Eden Union Free School that was pictured last week. We have identified all in the picture, and some that youmight recognize by name are: Pearl Stickney, Addie Rhyther, Ruth Horton, Henry Swartz, Arthur Horton, Jay Palmerton, Herbert Webb and Horace Castle.
(Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian)

The First High School

2010-04-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

Not mentioned last week was that Ezra Welch, an early settler of Eden was a teacher in the one room school system from 1842-1874. He then accepted a position in the Buffalo Public School System. He retired to his farm at 8429 N. Main St. about 1880.

Pictured is the school house built in 1881 to replace the one room school house on East Church St. (where the Town Hall is now). This location is known as District #4. By 1894 three teachers were hired making a total of five. On June 19th, 1896, the Eden Union Free District was established by an almost unanimous vote under the school law. The first class was graduated in 1899. It wasn't until 1925 that it became a fully recognized high school.

(Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian's Office)

The First Schoolhouse

2010-04-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

It was about 1812 when people of Eden were thinking of building a school. Rowena Flack was the first teacher, probably teaching the three R's in her home. Eden people stood up and pledged what they could afford in either money, material or labor. To the surprise of the citizens, a Mr.Gail said he would furnish the nails. Mr. Gail then went to Buffalo, which had just burned from the War of 1812-1814, and he simply picked up nails from the buildings that had been burned to the ground months earlier. It was then that a frame log school house was built. The location was thought to be near the four corners.

In 1822, when log buildings in Eden were beginning to be replaced by frame buildings, a one room school was built on the site of the present town hall called District 4. Pictured is a schoolhouse that may have been that building.

(From Doris Anderson's History, courtesy of the Town Historian.)

"Eden Corners" Church

2010-03-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

About 1866 a few families of "Eden Corners" who were either German Immigrants or of German descent to it upon themselves to build a church at what is now Main and Hemlock Streets. Shown is the church as it looked in 1910 and as it looked remodeled in 1952. It is now the Faith Baptist Church. The early record books list the following names: Phillipi, Baldauf, Enke, Lepp, Nagel, Duerr, Jager and Lang. Indications were that these people had been going to the church in Hamburg, which was St. James Evangelical Church, then called St. Jacobs, and a few were going to St.John's in East Eden. (The East Eden Church was always called the mother church of the one at "Eden Corners" and St. James in Hamburg.) Under a constitution, the Church in Eden was the first called German United Evangelical Protestant Church. Later, in 1923, it was changed to St. John's Evangelical Church, and still later merged with the Reformed Church. (Continued next week)

(Information courtesy of the Town of Eden Historian and Centennial History of St.John's Church.)

St. Paul's Lutheran Church - Today

2010-03-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Pictured is St. Paul's Lutheran Church, which was built in 1931. This building replaced the one built in 1879, which was pictured in the first of our series of the Alsace and Germany Immigrants. This beautiful Gothic church structure will be 80 years old in 2011 and stands as a reminder of how this small group came to America and, through many struggles, survived the many obstacles and remain a very viable church today.

(Courtesy of the Town Historian and excerpts from the St. Paul's History)

St. Jacob's Church

2010-02-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

At left is a picture of St. Jacob's (in English St. James) Church and School that was located on Eckhardt Road, where Nelson Rd. is now. The building is gone, but a small cemetery remains to this day. The land for this church was purchased from a Charles H. Schroeder on April 1st, 1852. It was members of St. Peters (Lower Church) and the members of the above church that formed St. Paul's Lutheran Church on North Boston Rd.

(Courtesy of the Town Historian and excerpts from the History of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.)

The "Lower Church"

2010-02-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

When the St. John's Church (upper church) formed in East Eden, the religious heritage was both Lutheran and reformed. In 1844, under a Pastor Grabau, a church was built and organized under the name "German Lutheran Church." It was located at the foot of the hill on East Eden Road near Eckhardt. While the church no longer stands, there is still a cemetery at the location. The first trustees were Chirstian Gallman, John Heilbronn and Jacob Bauer. Elders were Phillip Miller and Phillip Rauch. The church was known as the "lower church", and was later called St. Peter's. Pictured is the church.

(Information and picture courtesy of the Town of Eden Historian and excerpts from the history of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.)

The "Upper Church"

2010-02-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

Soon after the immigrant families (Alsace and German) settled in Eden, many of them gathered together as a congregation, meeting in private homes.

About 1836-1840 the church to the left was built on land probably owned by Balthasar Zittel (he had already deeded land at this location for a "burial ground") This land is high on the East Eden Road across from what is now Tennessee Gas Pumping Station. The church may look plain on the outside, but pictures show a beautiful inside balcony suspended from three walls. One story says that lumber for the church was hauled from (Lodi)Gowanda by ox cart. This church was called the Upper Church and was the first church built by the immigrants. The Congregation was known as the Society of Evangelical Lutherans and Reformed. It was later known as St. John's United Evangelical Church. Sadly, this building no longer exists.

(Courtesy of the Town of Eden Historian, and excerpts from the history on St. Paul's Lutheran Church.)

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

2010-02-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Beginning about 1830, immigrants from Alsace and Germany, perhaps attracted by the countryside's promising farm land, found their way to Eden and began to settle in the eastern part of town. One of the churches they built, located on the corner of N. Boston Rd. and Sisson Highway, was the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and constructed about 1879 is shown above with the parsonage. This picture, taken about 1915,is another taken from the Sutter Glass Negative collection. There are many decendants of the founders of this church still living in Eden, for instance the Agles, Henrys, Eckhardts, Bleys, Bauers, Kromers and Zittels, just tomention a few.

(From the Town Historian's Office, especially from the 125th Anniversary Booklet of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.)

Sutter Pictures 2

2010-01-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

Another picture from the Sutter Glass Negative Collection shows Eden Valley as it looked in about 1917. The buildings you are looking at are still there except for the barns. The buildings in the foreground was a grocery store.

Courtesy of the Eden Town Historian.

John Sutter

2010-01-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

John Sutter was thought to of been an amateur photographer. The town historian was fortunate to have obtained his glass negatives from the early 1900's. These negatives have been developed and the picture to the left is of a young man, maybe a Sutter who has just caught what looks like three suckers from the 18 Mile Creek, He is standing on the approach of the bridge where Croops Mill was and is still standing, near the trailer park in Eden Valley. Notice no fancy reel or pole but just a stick with string for line. Taken around 1917. (Courtesy Town of Eden Historian Files.)

Delphia Alpha

2009-11-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

This picture from the Eden Historical Files shows the Delphia Alpha class in the early 1900's. Pictured are: Florence Philips, Nina Valentine, Lettie Burgott, Mae Redfield, Fannie Fisher Farmer, Pearl Flint Yager, Mabel Tice Miller, Emma Renegal, Eleanor Lawrence, Edna Machmer, Mabel Redfield Zittel, Edna Miller. Order of people not known. If you can identify some of them, we would be glad to hear from you. Historian - 2795 East Church St., Eden, NY 14057

Eisenhower Decorates Soldier From Eden

2009-10-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

World War II Scrap Drive

2009-09-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Sticheri Club

2009-09-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

July, 26th 2009

2009-07-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

This photo, from the town historian's file shows Kathleen Muck as The Corn Festival Queen on August 11th, 1988, the 25th Anniversary of the festival. The girl in the last posting was 8 year old Lynda Staplin of Eden.

July 19th, 2009

2009-07-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

The above picture is from an article that said, "An estimated 2500 persons attended the Friday Night opening of the Third Annual Eden Corn Festival at The Newell Faulkner American Legion Post. Town Supervisor Guenther, co-chairman of the festival, said, 'I don't think the corn this year is as good as it has been in years past, but we're holding the festival a week earlier this year.' "

-Courtesy of Eden Town Historian's Office

February 19th, 2009

2009-02-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

January 11th, 2009

2009-01-11T06:34:00.000-08:00