The Massena, New York Museum - Part 2

I was touring the Massena, NY Museum (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and stopped at this old writing desk for a closer look:

 Victorian Era wicker wheelchair and crutches. I thought the uniforms were from World War I but wasn't sure, and I saw no signs to tell me:

There was kitchen furniture and furnishings from a variety of eras:

An old still, probably the only real one I've ever seen:

And this mysterious object. I'll bet you don't know what it is. It's a bottle capper from Massena Springs (see also next photo):

 

I knew nothing of Massena Springs, so I checked the town website and learned this:

During the 1800’s, Massena grew in prominence as a health retreat as people flocked to the area to enjoy the medicinal benefits of bathing in the sulfur mineral springs found along the Racquette River. Known to the Indians as Kanaswastakeras, meaning "the place where the mud smells bad," the Iroquois had been visiting the springs and using the waters for their "curative" powers for generations before settlers from New England and Europe came to this area. The Indians described the springs as a place where many moose, deer and their sick brothers would come to drink the healing waters.

The sulfur springs provided a booming economy for the place known as Massena Springs, N.Y. Many grand homes and hotels opened and grew to accommodate the many people who would come to "use The Massena Waters." For those who couldn't travel here, the curative waters were locally bottled and shipped far and wide:

I kept having the feeling that I was being watched, and this exhibit was the reason why. This woman tended an old fashioned general store, comprised of artifacts from former Massena merchants:


This Dayton scale (early 1900s) was once used in Tarpenian's Grocery Store. The store counter was once used in "Honest John" Serabian's store:

Lots of old grocery items, but it was calendar which caught my eye. It was from September, 1946,  before I was even born. I've reached the age when I see lots of things in museums which are younger than me, and it was a pleasure to see this calendar which was older than I:

An old cash register from Podgurski's store:

Uniform and switchboard from the Massena Police Station in the 1950s:

And a phone book from 1953-54 to authenticate it. Massena was called "The Aluminum City" because of the aluminum production plants which once ruled the city. Only Alcoa is left, and that has a much reduced workforce now. Massena was a boom town in the heyday of aluminum production and again during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. I have been told that Massena's population is now only half of what it once was:

This was my last stop for the day, a collection of items saved by local residents and donated to the museum. I'll have to return when they other half of the museum opens:

The Massena, New York Museum - Part 1

I drove into Massena one sunny day and visited the town museum, newly moved to a former bank building and looking elegant:

I'd been there before but didn't remember the two giant murals. I had to ask about the subject of the paintings. They depicted Jacques Cartier's exploration of the St. Lawrence River in the mid 1500s:

 

Cartier was a French explorer and named Canada by misusing the Iroquois word, "kanata," which meant village or settlement. He met a number of local tribes, and apparently they received him with friendship:

Only half the museum was open when I visited, as the other half was being rearranged for a new exhibit. But there was plenty to see in the open half, like this home spinning equipment:

There was no sign on these handmade dolls and I wish I'd asked about them. I will next time:

I headed down the hallway, which was filled to overflowing with local artifacts:

A Victorian dress, butter churn and milk can:

Victorian doll, baby carriage - an old desk and artifacts from an early church and synagogue:

Lots of hand tools, which I assumed were for kitchen use because those few which I recognized were kitchen tools:

Mohawk baskets, wagon wheels and lots of artifacts from Massena's history:

Farm and fireplace tools:

Tools for barn building and use around the farm:

A Civil War Uniform. There was a lot more to see, though, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Massena N.Y. Town Museum - Part 3

I was touring the Massena Museum and took a closer look at the general store exhibit (photo at the end of Part 2, posted yesterday).This scale was from the early 1900s and came from a local store, Tarpinian's Grocery:

This old cash register came from Podgurski's Store:

The Massena Police Department's switchboard and a uniform, both from the 1950s:

Instrument case from a doctor's office:

From the Purity Bakery:

I was advancing in history as I toured the museum, and things were beginning to look familiar to me. Then again, I am pretty darn old:

This reminded me of Easter dresses, worn by little girls to church on Easter morning:

A perfectly rendered model of the old Massena High School, displayed in a wood and glass case. Of course they have a modern high school now:

I wondered about the year of the model in the above photo, but then noticed an accompanying photo of the students from 1925. I suppose they were from about the same time:

More artifacts which I remembered from the old museum location:

A scene from a one room school:

An old Hoosier cabinet school and more vintage clothes. But this was the end of my tour. I asked about the hearse and funeral home display which I remembered from the old museum and was told that most of those artifacts would be moved here when an addition to the new building was completed:

Massena N.Y. Town Museum - Part 2

I was touring the Massena Museum in its beautiful new building (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and had begun where the oldest artifacts were displayed. Massena, New York was settled in 1792 by French lumberjacks and the town has a very long history, at least compared to the surrounding area, which some would say was frontier not too long ago:

This old diving helmet surprised me and looked, at first, out of place. But then I read the sign and understood that it was a U.S. Navy diving helmet, worn by a local man (James Bero) when searching for lost boat engines in the St. Lawrence River and cleaning underwater gear as part of his job for the ALCOA plant. Massena was an aluminum town and, to a lesser extent, still is:

One end of the room held old furniture and old clothing, including a military uniform (Civil War? I forgot to check). It had lots of photos, maps, tools and memorabilia from bygone days in Massena:

A woman's dress from long ago:

And a gas street lamp from the 1920s, which once brightened  Andrews Street in Massena:

And a lovely old desk. The display of old time, hand fashioned locks and latches just to the left of the desk was especially fascinating and, when I got home, I regretted not having gotten a closeup of it:

A Victorian Hunzinger/Eastlake style chair, dating back to 1870-1890:

Mother and daughter, out for a stroll. I don't know what era this was from, but it was looking to me like the 1920s or 1930s. Part of what fascinates me about such artifacts is that people kept them in such good condition for such a long time:

An old wheelchair:

I bet you don't know what this is. I don't suppose anyone does these days. It was a bottle capper from the Massena Springs Bottling Co:

Military uniform and a still - which caused me to wonder if they were displayed together for some reason, or just coincidentally. There was an antique sign on the still but I was unable to read the old handwriting:

A recreation of an old time general store.  The counter came from a local store, owned by "Honest John Serabian." But there was still more to see in the Massena Museum, and I'll post Part 3 tomorrow: