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04 May Spring 2016 Newsletter

Posted at 20:08h in Uncategorized by cszimmer 0 Comments

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Address:

P.O. Box 15065
Syracuse, NY 13215

Phone:
(315) 415-2954

Email:
HOCPAOakwood@gmail.com

This post comes via the Red-Tailed Hawks Tales Fac

This post comes via the Red-Tailed Hawks Tales Facebook account.

“😭THE ULTIMATE DEVASTATING NEWS 😭

Our breathtakingly handsome Otto has also tragically passed away. A Red-Tailed Hawk was found dead on the ground in Oakwood cemetery on January 19 around 2:00pm by ESF students who messaged me on Red-Tailed Hawk Tales. I drove to Oakwood and confirmed it was Otto. Needless to say, it was a devastating shock but I am so grateful to the ESF students who contacted me.

I took SU-Sue and Otto’s bodies to Cornell University Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center in Ithaca, NY for necropsy and special testing to determine the cause of each of their deaths. The results are pending and I will post an update here when available; I have no other information at this time.

This is the ultimate tragic loss for SU-Sue and Otto’s admirers at Syracuse University, in the local community, and around the world who have followed Sue and Otto and their 28 progeny since they began nesting at SU in 2012, via the SU Hawk Nest Cam since 2017, and on Syracuse Hawk Chatters and Red-Tailed Hawk Tales.

I’ve been so very touched by the massive outpouring of grief, comfort and love from around the world. One reader talked about her surprise that the passing of these hawks, who didn’t know the joy they brought us, would affect us so intensely. I believe they allowed us to deeply connect to the awesomeness of nature and the circle of life. One of my favorite quotes by ecologist Carl Safina is: “When someone says you can’t attribute human emotions to animals, they forget the key leveling detail: humans are animals.” We are ALL connected and Sue and Otto gave us many lessons in how to love, parent, teach, and care for each other and their family. We owe them so much gratitude for their gifts.

As we collectively grieve the loss of this magnificent pair, shared grief makes the pain somewhat easier to bear. Eventually, our hearts will get used to the pain and find joy in the cherished memories that remain.

May SU-Sue and Otto's Spirits Soar High and Free, Together for Eternity. They have taken Pieces of Many Hearts with Them. 💔”

Great learning opportunity this Friday!

Great learning opportunity this Friday!

Have you ever come across a name that is kind of u

Have you ever come across a name that is kind of unusual and just begs for more research? Well, that happened to me with the name “Pliny Dickinson.” Here’s his story.
He was born in Amherst, MA on March 5th, 1797. In 1827 he came to Syracuse and opened a store on the corner of South Salina and E. Water Streets. That site would later become the site of the Onondaga County Savings Bank, today's M&T Bank. He was a silversmith, jeweler, and watchmaker until he retired around 1847. In the 1860 census, he's listed as an insurance agent with a net worth of $6500. Today that's equal to over $200,000.
In 1841, Dickinson was called to serve on a jury of inquest following the horrendous Gunpowder Explosion that occurred on Aug. 20. They had the solemn task of investigating the 25 deaths that had occurred.
Then there’s a story concerning Mr. Dickinson from 1886, when he was close to 90 years old. He introduced me to a new term, “bunco sharper.” Seems Dickinson was accosted on a street in Syracuse by a young man and offered the opportunity to purchase some very valuable artwork. Dickinson went with the young gentleman to a room where, yes, there were paintings spread out on a table. He was then encouraged to make some investments guaranteed to have tremendous returns. Pliny wasn't exactly an old fool. He knew something was up. He realized he was being scammed., so he listened politely to the young man and then turned on his heel and walked out.
It turns out that Pliny is a distant cousin of none other than Emily Dickinson. And Emily, in an 1852 letter to her brother Austin, talks about Pliny and his family. It seems that Pliny came to visit Emily’s family in Amherst and they stayed a few days. Emily says, “Cousin Pliny says he might stay around a month, visiting old acquaintances if it wasn't for his business.” She continues, “Fortunately for us, indeed, that his business feels the need for him or I think he would never go.”
He died a day before his 90th birthday, and the pallbearers at his funeral were named Belden, Gere, Bagg, Kirkpatrick. Pliny Dickinson, resting in Section 47, Lot 60, does not have a headstone.

This was posted on the Red-Tailed Hawk Tales Faceb

This was posted on the Red-Tailed Hawk Tales Facebook account.

“😭 DEVASTATING NEWS 😭

Our amazingly beautiful SU-Sue has tragically passed away. On Friday, January 13 around 5:00pm, several people reported to Syracuse University Public Safety that a hawk was on the ground near HB Crouse. I was called and rescued Sue with the help of a public safety officer and took her to Cindy Page, wildlife rehabilitator, where Sue received emergency treatment for head trauma but unfortunately, she did not survive.

No one witnessed Sue's injury that we know of, only that she was on the ground, and we have been trying to piece together any other possible information. Should I have anything new to share, I will post it here.

This is a tragic loss for her devoted mate Otto, and the pairs admirers at Syracuse University, in the local community, and around the world who have followed Sue and Otto and their 28 progeny since they began nesting at SU in 2012, via the SU Hawk Nest Cam since 2017, and on Syracuse Hawk Chatters and Red-Tailed Hawk Tales.

Red-tailed Hawks mate for life and when one dies, the surviving hawk usually finds another mate. We hope in time that Otto will find a new mate and they both will continue to thrive.

May SU-Sue's Spirit Soar and Fly Free knowing that she has left so many grateful for all she has given us over the years. She will be greatly missed and always loved. 🙏😭💗

This photo of Beautiful Sue taken December 18, 2022 in Oakwood cemetery shows her most distinctive feature, her pristine white chest feathers that made her identification possible from afar and never ceased to amaze as I gazed in absolute awe at her unique and stunning majesty. 💞”

A Butcher, Ben-Hur, and Broadway It was January 14

A Butcher, Ben-Hur, and Broadway
It was January 14, 1895. Frederick Bastable was eagerly awaiting the arrival of author General Lew Wallace at the Bastable Theater to lecture and read from his 1880 bestseller, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The theater was the anchor of a new building designed by Archmides Russell, replacing the incinerated Bastable Block units built by Frederick’s uncle Stephen Bastable in 1852. The theater had been struggling since opening in 1893 and Fred was hoping for a good turnout. General Wallace was a colorful character. He was promoted to Major General during the Civil War but his actions during the Battle of Shiloh were controversial and blamed for heavy Union casualties. Before retiring in 1895, Wallace served as governor of the New Mexico territory from 1878-1881, then as minister to the Ottoman empire. He wrote a number of books, the only successful one being, Ben-Hur. Sadly, the crowd was smaller than expected and the Syracuse Evening Herald, in a lackluster review, described the lecture as being more about the writing of the book than anything else.
Fred Bastable was born in England in 1852 and came to Syracuse about 1870 to join his Uncle Stephen. A butcher and livestock farmer, Stephen Bastable arrived in Syracuse prior to 1850. He acquired a lot in the city, managed a meat market, and ran a farm near what is now E. Genesee St. and Cambridge Ave. Although the family had valuable rental real estate, the industrious Stephan did not retire from butchering until 1870, and in the 1880 census Fred was listed as a laborer on his uncle's farm. The offices were always leased but the theater never profited until Sam Shubert was hired in 1897 as manager. Jacob Shubert was working at the Wieting Hall and their elder brother Lee was the bookkeeper for both places at the same time. The Shuberts supported each other and eventually built the largest theater empire in America after leaving Syracuse for Manhattan and Broadway. The Bastable building burned on February 12, 1923 in a “spectacular and terrifying fire.” The lot, at Genesee and Warren Sts, is the site of the State Tower Building. The Bastables are buried in Section 45 lot 26.

Syracuse received an early Christmas gift from the

Syracuse received an early Christmas gift from the state in the form of $10 million to revitalize the Southwest Gateway District, principally West Onondaga Street. It seeks to expand downtown into an urban, walkable part of the city. The grant seeks to redesign the intersection with Salina St., create a gathering space under the railroad bridge over Clinton St., repurpose Trinity church on South Avenue which contains Keck stained glass, and install broadband along the corridor, among other projects. An exciting endeavor is to restore the Whedon House at 366 West Onondaga into apartments, commercial space and a public space. This 4828 square feet Queen Anne style home was built by Dr. George Denison Whedon in 1892 and occupied until his death in 1912. Born in Camillus (1832) he graduated from Albany Medical College and practiced in Plainville until the opening of the Civil War. A surgeon for the Tenth NY Cavalry until 1863, he organized the field hospital near Stafford Va. Returning to Syracuse after the war he lived on S. Salina and became a successful practicing physician. After building the West Onondaga home the Salina property was leased for 99 years to the company building the Keith’s Theater. During this time West Onondaga became home to the wealthy and elite of Syracuse including Alexander T. Brown, inventor, Hurlburt and Wilbert Smith, brothers of L.C. Smith of typewriter fame, and Harvey Baldwin, first mayor of Syracuse. Designed by Archimedes Russell and Charles Colton many structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Dr. Whedon is buried in Section 3, lot 230 with his wife Ella and his two daughters, Florence and Ethel.

Got those new year’s resolutions ready for this

Got those new year’s resolutions ready for this Sunday? I’m hoping that more folks will work on their genealogy and/or family history. Wait, aren’t they the same? Not really. Genealogy is basic facts such as dates – birth, marriage, death. Family history is an in-depth study of your ancestors’ lives. We do a lot of both as we search out Oakwood stories. There are four (free) online tools that I use extensively. The first is The Inflation Calculator (https://westegg.com/inflation/). It’s often a shock to see someone’s income, or price paid for an item. It makes more sense in today’s dollars. For example, great grandpop’s income of $1200 in 1900 would be equal to about $40,000 today. My next tool is a perpetual calendar. To nail down a confusing date go to https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/generate.html. Don’t forget Find a Grave. Almost all of Oakwood’s residents are on Find a Grave. Perhaps my most important resource, the one I can’t do without, is https://www.fultonhistory.com. Fulton History is a searchable database of newspapers, a lot from right here in central New York. Although intimidating at first here are a couple of hints to get you started. Let’s say we’re searching for info on “the Merchant Prince of Syracuse,” Milton Price, mentioned in just Syracuse newspapers. If you type in this search: "milton price" AND (filename contains (syracuse, n.y.)), you’ll get over 500 hits. Doing the same search with “milton s. price” returns even more hits. However, we can narrow it down by date. If we want to see just the year 1876, type in "milton price" AND (filename contains (1876)) AND (filename contains (syracuse, n.y.)). That search will return 35 hits, a much more manageable number. I always capitalize AND so it stands out. Also, check for typos and misspellings. So, off you go, hunting down those elusive relatives. BTW, did you know that everyone has 64 great great great great grandparents? Better start now, and happy hunting (and happy New Year). Questions? Email to HocpaOakwood@gmail.com

Like many of you, the Christmas Holidays are the t

Like many of you, the Christmas Holidays are the time of year I often use my Mother’s old pastry recipes. Many feature the use of dried milk. Refrigerators were a lot smaller in those days, and families kept a box of that product around for cooking and in case they didn’t order enough from the milkman. That way children could get the protein they needed even in areas where fresh milk wasn’t always available.
We have a Syracusan, John August Just to thank for that useful product. Mr. Just was born in Carlsbad Germany about 1854 and was educated at the prestigious Heidelberg University as a chemist. He came to America in 1876, his primary interests being in coal mining and extracting precious metals from ores. He eventually settled in Syracuse in 1886 with his wife Anna Baughman Just. Just registered dozens of patents and founded several companies including Just Mining and Extraction and the Just Reduction Co.. He belonged to numerous scientific societies and his research in chemistry gained him worldwide recognition. In the late 19th century Just became interested in the food industry. Although a method for evaporating milk had been in use since 1802, the product was inconsistent in quality and nutritional content. US patent No 764294, the Just Milk Process, was a new method he devised for drying milk. The Just Food Co. utilizing his process was incorporated November 15, 1902. The main product of the company was an infant food, which contained his famous evaporated milk. The Just powder was superior in vitamin and mineral content when compared to other dried milk after undergoing extensive analysis. His company was later sold to the local Merrell-Soule Co., which became one of the largest dried-milk companies in the United States, eventually bought out by the Borden Co.. A similar drying process which involves applying a thin film of milk to heated drums is still in use today. America produces well over a ton of powdered milk each year, 50% of which is exported and is a major component of the United Nations food distribution program. The Just family monument, in section B was designed and patented in 1909 by Annie Just and sculpted by C. E. Tefft.

Thanks to your generous donations, Oakwood Cemeter

Thanks to your generous donations, Oakwood Cemetery Inc. was able to lay wreaths on the graves of several hundred veterans yesterday through the Wreaths Across America program. Also many thanks to the wonderful volunteers who laid the wreaths.

Go check them out! 🇺🇸 ❤️

The magical Christmas season, which began at Thank

The magical Christmas season, which began at Thanksgiving, was brought to life in downtown Syracuse with fantastic window displays in the major department stores and lights on the street lamps. But if you were a child in the 50s and 60s, the real destination was the E.W. Edwards & Son department store near Clinton Square. Walking through a tunnel under Clinton Street to the Toy Annex, children would pay 10 cents to ride Santa’s Rocket Ship. Installed in 1953 by Rocket Systems Inc., it was rented from Clinton B. Clark, the inventor, and passed over Santa and the people shopping below.
Coming to Syracuse in 1889 from Johnstown NY where he had operated a store with his father, Eleazer W. Edwards took over the Milton S. Price (Sect 12, lot 103) store on S. Salina. Expanding until it occupied the block from S. Salina west between Washington and Water Streets, they subsumed the former Globe Hotel when it closed in 1906. The store was comprised of six floors plus the annex and anchored that spot until 1974. Like many early local businesses Edwards extended credit to customers but in 1896 they advertised a “revolution in the Dry Goods Business of Syracuse,” converting to a cash-only business. They believed that this would provide better prices for consumers and would make them more competitive. George Rodormer, his oldest grandson, wrote in 2020 that E.W. “cared so much for all who worked ‘with him’ not for him as I was corrected as very young boy.” E.W. Edwards and his family are buried in a beautiful mausoleum at the back edge of Section B (Morningside), lot 267.

In 1942, Woody Guthrie asked, “Tell me, what wer

In 1942, Woody Guthrie asked, “Tell me, what were their names.” One name, in answer to Woody’s question, is James Mead Belden, who was born in 1911 and died in 1941. A distant nephew of James J. Belden, James Mead attended the Naval Academy for two years, left and joined the US Navy Reserve as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade). In 1940 he was assigned to the USS Buchanan, and then he transferred to the USS Reuben James. In late October of 1941, his ship was escorting a Lend Lease convoy headed for England. They were just short of the rendezvous point where British ships would take over when a German U-boat fired two torpedoes at the Reuben James. Both found their mark, and the Reuben James quickly sank. She went down with 159 crew, including James Mead Belden. Only forty-five sailors were rescued. The date was October 31, 1941, six weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Although two other American ships had been fired on, they were not damaged. The Reuben James was the first American ship sunk by the Germans. Belden’s body was never recovered and today a cenotaph marks his place in Sec. 24, Lot 1 in Oakwood Cemetery. So, in 1942, Woody Guthrie wrote “The Sinking of the Reuben James,” a ballad with those haunting lyrics – “Tell me, what were their names. Tell me, what were their names. Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?” Indeed, his name is James Mead Belden of Syracuse, NY.

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Historic Oakwood Cemetery Preservation Association - Syracuse, NY

4 hours ago

Nothing had a less auspicious beginning than the Everson Museum of Art. Named for Helen S. Everson (1859-1941), daughter of Giles and Sophia Brown Everson, it began as the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts on the second floor of the Carnegie Library at Columbus Circle. Founded by Dr. George Fisk Comfort (Section 39 lot 19) it lacked storage and exhibition space and the board announced plans in 1937 to raise funds to purchase property at James and State Streets to “take art out of the attic.” It formally opened in October of that year and had 53,000 visitors during its first six months. Neither Helen nor her brother Charles (1856-1925) liked the building and planned a new venue for the museum. Charles died first and left his estate, valued today at about $11 million, to Helen, his only heir. Helen made her will in 1927 and intended to follow her brother’s wishes for the museum. Several plans for the museum were found in her home although nothing was done at the time. Although she had no heirs and her will bequeathed $1 million for the “purpose of founding, erecting and maintaining a Museum of Art to be known as the ‘Everson Museum of Art’“ in the city of Syracuse, 27 distant relatives contested the will, and lost. Then the Syracuse Museum of Art claimed the money rightly belonged to them; they lost. It wasn’t until nearly 10 years later that a location was discussed. Syracuse University campus and Thorndon Park were floated as sites but dismissed as being too far from downtown. 28 years after her death the two organizations combined and worked toward one goal. The I.M. Pei building finally opened Oct 27, 1968. Helen is buried in the family plot (Section 23 lot 1) with her parents and two brothers. ... See MoreSee Less

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