Beautiful West Stockholm, NY - Part 1

It was brutally cold, about 0 F (-18 C), as well as cloudy and snowing lightly, but I nevertheless decided to return to the picturesque hamlet of West Stockholm, NY. There isn't much to it, but I remembered it as particularly pretty:

Here's the Google Earth View, which you can reference if you would like to trace my driving route during these three posts:

I drove in from the north on County Route 57, also called W.Stockholm-Southville Road, stopping and snapping photos as I went along:

West Stockholm is mostly forested, but there are still barns and farm fields which indicate that nearly everyone here once farmed in order to eat:

An old barn, to which a modern garage had been added:

A house in the woods, still decorated for Christmas:

This appeared to be a more modern house, but I was especially taken with the front porch and the thought of living in such a pleasant community:

All the snow made these Christmas decorations seem right at home:

There was a sizeable cemetery, evidence that West Stockholm may once have been more populated than it is now. Being located just east of Potsdam NY, it may also have been on the stage coach route:


This was only a small portion of the cemetery:

Many of the homes were farm style and may indeed have been farm houses when they were built:

There was a New England style church in the center of town, but I didn't see what denomination it was:

I remembered this place from my driving tour in 2013. It was a former school house, then for sale as a duplex. Apparently it was sold and the new owners had begun painting it when winter hit:

The most popular style of farm house in the area. But there was much more to see in West Stockholm, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Franklin County Route 1 - Part 2

I was headed north on Franklin County Route 1, from Bangor to Fort Covington, NY (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). I knew I was in Fort Covington when I passed the school. It was a large campus, much bigger than what you see here:

But there was still farm country to drive through to get to the center of Fort Covington, and this place with old equipment out back sure drew my attention:

 A farm house with barn and silo:

Was this a former one-room school house? It sure looked like it:

A small barn, peeking out from behind a spruce tree:

An old carriage house, now a garage:

I knew I was nearing the town center when I began seeing more residences:

And this giant, old farm with a number of outbuildings:

I came to the end of Franklin County Route 1 and laughed when I saw a Dollar General store. They seem to be everywhere around here. I turned east onto Highway 37 toward the Fort Covington town center, but I'll post about that 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:

Hopkinton, New York Town Museum - Part 2

I was touring the Hopkinton town museum on a rainy Saturday (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and had just finished the first floor. I walked upstairs and began in the military room. There were old uniforms, awards, banners, photos, flags and this model airplane. The lighting was bad, though, and this was the only photo from the military room which was usable:

They had an old typewriter and once again I realized that I've become old enough to have used some of the items which are now museum pieces:

The bedroom was typical for the 1800s, including bedpans, long johns and nightshirts, and reminded me of my grandmother's bedroom:


One wall had additional artifacts and some children's clothing:

A baby's crib, dolls and nightclothes:

Yes, this reminded me very much of my grandmother's bedroom:

Another upstairs room had been furnished as an old time schoolroom, complete with desks, globe and picture of George Washington:

I returned downstairs and went to the kitchen to photograph the old fashioned wood stove, once again an item I have used in my childhood:

  A cabinet which perhaps would be called a Hoosier:

The attendant took me out to the Museum Annex which was filled with old tools from around the farm and house:

A fanning mill for grain, a mold for making concrete block, snowshoes, corn planter, scythes, barrels and Adirondack pack baskets:

And a fire department pumper, made in 1897 and used in this town until 1927:

All kinds of tools;

Two old fashioned washing machines, a wringer and logging saws. There was one more building to see but the light was too dim for photography. So I thanked my host and headed for home:

The Massena, New York Museum - Part 1

Our snow was beginning to melt and I felt inspired to tour the Massena, New York Museum:

The museum was a colorful, spacious assortment of all kinds of things from many different eras. They had lots of Easter themed displays:

The museum had musical displays:

And a handmade, Victorian doll house. I could see that it was filled with furniture but I couldn't see in through the back. I should have asked for a special look, but I didn't:

I was shocked when I saw this torture device - and then realized it was a hair curler from a beauty parlor:

On second thought, I suppose some would have maintained that it was indeed a torture device:

Easter bonnets:

And a history of sewing:

The Massena Police Department:

An old fashioned school room:

Medical devices from bygone eras:

More sewing equipment. And there was still more to see at the museum. Tune in tomorrow for Part 2: