North Star Schoolhouse and History Center

On Redman Road, just north of Roosevelt Highway, on the east side of the road backing up to Sandy Creek, there is a little known pioneer cemetery. Here are some recent pictures of the remaining grave stones. Here is an excerpt regarding the cemetery from Mary Smith's book "Remembering Hamlin 1802-2002": "Pine Tree Cemetery - Hoyt Cemetery East of Kendall Mills on the east side of Redman Road a short distance north of Roosevelt Highway is an old cemetery. It has been referred ...to as Hoyt Cemetery, Wentworth Cemetery, Pine Tree Cemetery, and Two Bridges Cemetery because two bridges spanned Sandy Creek in its vicinity. The earliest recorded burial these was in 1823. The last stone bore the date 1865. Apparently the cemetery was unused after the Civil War. Editor Lorenzo Beach reported in the Brockport Republic that there were about 50 graves there in 1890. At that time many graves were without headstones, some marked with ordinary fieldstone and some with broken marble, but all obscured by weeds and bushes. By 1920 the number of tombstones had dwindled to about 20. Now only 2 or 3 remain." Also nearby there is another pioneer burial site. I am not sure of the exact location of this singular grave might be but here is a brief excerpt regarding the site from Mary Smith's book "Remembering Hamlin 1802-2002": "A Private Burial Ground Clyde Wiler One of the Timmerman aunts is buried on the old Timmerman farm, on the west side of Redman Road north of Roosevelt Highway.. Tom Timmerman's grandfather showed me where she was one time. She was his sister. She married a Kocher-an uncle to my mother. She's buried there under a cherry tree. There's no stone there-just a pile of fieldstones to mark her grave."

On February 15th, I Traveled to Clarence Center New York to acquire a reed organ that was used at the Kendall Mills Inn (Webster Inn) located in Kendall Mills (Hamlin, NY). It was donated by 93 year old John Mosher who was born and raised on Creek Road in Kendall, NY. He moved as a young man, after WW II, to Clarence Center where he owned and operated a farm for many years. Mr. Mosher stated his father, Llewellyn Mosher, who farmed 200 acres in Kendall was given the Organ by ...the Inn's owner after it was not sold at auction for $5.00 in 1930 and it had been in the family ever since. The organ was manufactured by the Packard Organ Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It appears the company changed its focus from Organs to Pianos around the turn of the century. We are still researching the date of manufacture of the organ but it is likely around 1900. The organ is currently not in working order so we are seeking to restore it to working order. If anyone has any knowledge about organs and how they function please let us know. The following pictures show the organ at the History Center. We will provide more information on the Mosher Family in future facebook updates. Mr. John Mosher is a veteran of WWII and a plaque depicting his service is pictured here as well as a picture of his father who was a motorcycle messenger in WWI. More history of the Packard Organ Company will be researched and provided.

Recently received the following invitation via email. If anyone is interested you are welcome to attend. February 3, 2020 ... You are invited to join Mayor Lovely A. Warren at 11 am on Friday, February 14, 2020, at 271 Hamilton Street to celebrate Frederick Douglass’ birthday with the dedication of a historic marker at the site of the only home owned and occupied by Douglass that is still standing in Rochester today. Douglass lived in the Hamilton Street property with his daughter, Rosetta Douglass Sprague, son-in-law, Nathan Sprague, and their family from 1873 to 1874. Though he occupied the house only briefly, Douglass maintained ownership of the building for several decades, which allowed him to continue to vote in federal elections following his relocation from Rochester to Washington, D.C., in 1872. Thanks to a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, this long-overlooked site will be recognized with a historic marker that will serve to educate the public about the life of one of the city’s most celebrated citizens. The Pomeroy Foundation has funded more than 850 historic markers throughout New York State since 2006. Mayor Warren will be joined in unveiling the marker by Sherri Dukes, owner and occupant of the former Douglass home; Deryn Pomeroy, the Pomeroy Foundation’s Director of Strategic Initiatives; and Robert J. Benz, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives. The dedication ceremony is open to the public. Feel free to share this invitation with anyone who would be interested in attending. Sincerely, Christine L. Ridarsky City Historian & Historical Services Consultant, Rochester Public Library

The History Center recently acquired the map below from Lucinda Prat Smith. It originally hung in the house of Claude King who resided in the brick house on County Line Road, near the intersection with Moscow Road, southeast side of the road. There is no date readily seen on the map so we are researching the date of when it was fabricated.

Attached is a picture of a commemorative plate which was donated to the history center by Mrs. Pearl Hewlett Stutz. Mrs. Stutz is in her 90's and currently lives in Penfield, NY but grew up in Walker. Mrs. Stutz is mentioned on the National Women's Hall of Fame (NWHF) due to her career as a photojournalist. Also attached is a letter written in her honor by her daughter which is accessable on the NWHF's website.