Village Of Norwood New York Museum-Part 2

I was touring the village museum in Norwood, New York (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and came to the kitchen, which was filled with old time implements:

A hand cranked washing machine and washboard:

I was told that this was the bedroom of the former home owner, a doctor and Civil War veteran, much as he had left it:

This bureau, which matched the bed, must have been expensive in its day, but something a doctor could afford:

There was a military room, filled with photos, flags, helmets and a wheelchair:

And uniforms from various eras:

A children's room with toys:

And children's clothing:

This gruesome and frightening contraption was a hair curler. Oh, the prices women paid to try to look beautiful!

Women's clothing and dolls:

More women's clothing, including a scout leader's uniform:

The Norwood Fire Department is well known for its marching band, the Brass Fireman. They were honored at the museum with artifacts, photos and trophies. But this was the end of my museum tour. I thanked the historian and made my way outside to begin the drive home:

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 Norwood Village Museum - Part 1

I enjoy touring the small town museums in the area, but most of them are only open a few days per week and only in the summer. So as soon as it began opening, I drove to this former brick home on Main Street in Norwood to take a look:

The Village Historian introduced himself and welcomed me. I signed the guest book and began wandering through the rooms of the museum, which once served as the local doctor's home and office. The first exhibit had lots of old lanterns:

Toy trains and more lanterns:

More toy trains, photos and documents about railroads. It was at this point where I amazed the historian with my sharp mind by asking if Norwood used to be a railroad town. Indeed it had, and an important one at that. They are working on a railroad museum which may be open some time this summer:

There was an old wooden sign and sewing machine from the former Boyce Clothing Co. (Men's And Boys' Wear):

An old wig, which had lost most of its color, and a deluxe hairbrush set. The sign didn't say, but I imagined that the bright red wig must have been worn by some loose woman who entertained the railroad men at the former American Hotel, just down the street:

High-button shoes and other artifacts from the Victorian Era:

A lacy baby's bonnet and more high-topped shoes:

Carpenter's tools:

The kitchen was all decked out and furnished with utensils of every kind from bygone eras:

There was even a hand-crank washing machine:

Lots of bottles and kitchen tools. But I had more yet to see at the Norwood Museum, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

The Massena, New York Museum - Part 2

I was touring the Massena Museum (see also yesterday's post) and came to this display, representing an old fashioned general store:

This cash register used to ring up sales in Massena's H.T. Clark Co:

And a poster from World War II, urging patriotic Americans to eat well and stay healthy:

There was entire room devoted to Massena's main export - aluminum. Massena is a company town and Alcoa has several plants in Massena and employs about 1100 people, about 1/12 of the town's population. By the way, did you notice that the war poster above was sponsored by Alcoa?:

And old fashioned washing machine with a Civil War soldier in the background:

And an early refrigerator:

I'm sure this Hotpoint kitchen stove was state of the art at one time:

Remember when people got new clothes every year for Easter?

A dining room:

I went downstairs to the Hearse room, where they had two enormous, horse drawn hearses. There were also displays of military costumes and fire equipment, - but the hearses and funeral home displays were my favorites:

This set-up used to be in a local funeral parlor:

I didn't photograph everything, but that'll give me new things to post when I make a future visit to the Massena Museum. My last picture was of this milk crate and bottles from Massena's Wilson's Dairy: