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Mark your calendar and join us for these upcoming programs

For more information on any of these events contact the Interlaken Historical Society 

 

 

 

 

 

 

California Gold Rush era

 

 

April 28, 2008   7:30 p.m.

Town of Covert Municipal Building

(former American Legion Building)

Based on the research and collection of his grandfather, Christopher Wolff of Interlaken will tell stories and show images of the California Gold Rush era.  

   Please join us at the Covert Town Hall in Interlaken at 7:30 PM on Monday, April 28, 2008. The program is free, open to the public and refreshments will be served. The Town of Covert Municipal Building is the former Interlaken American Legion.

 

 

Past Events

 

 

Monday January 28, 2008

Cheryl Schaefer

Owner and creator of Schaefer Yarns

 

       It is often at sunrise and sunset when the colors in the fields and extensive gardens surrounding the Kelly's Corners farmhouse which houses Schaefer Yarn are the most exciting. Color is the single most important factor in Cheryl Schaefer’s yarn business, confirmed by 27 years in the hand knitting yarn industry.

 

    Come and experience Cheryl’s enthusiasm as she describes the fibers such as Elaine and Andrea and a few of her colors including Spanky, Little Mermaid, Eleanor Roosevelt, Julia Child and Virginia Apgar.

     Grateful for knitters, weavers and crocheters everywhere, she also depends on eight full time and eight part time employees who bring Schaefer Yarn to a growing international market.

 

Shown are just a few of the

Hand Painted yarns created

each day at

Schaefer Yarns on Kelly's Corner

Road, and the Schaefer Yarn staff

 

 

 

The Humble Spud
The Vegetable That Changed the World

   Potatoes are often called "humble" yet they are the most important vegetable on the planet, a multibillion dollar tuber that is now making french-fried incursions into the traditional rice turf of Asia. This is the vegetable whose ability to produce at high altitudes enabled the advancement of the Andean cultures that culminated in one of the world's great civilizations, the empire of the Inca.  When this Irish staple failed to produce, the resulting famine changed western history with the death and migration of 2.5 million people. In Germany, a prolific potato crop in 1915 had a role in that country's World War I plans. On Monday, October 22, 2007 Ashley Miller discussed the history of this influential vegetable at the Interlaken Grange Hall. Also on display were several varieties of potatoes.

 

 

 

 

Old Fashion Social

An old fashioned social dish-to-pass get-together was held on the lawn between the Grange Hall and the Covert Baptist Church on Sunday July 22nd.

 

Over 80 people enjoyed grilled hot dogs, lots of great side dishes and ice cream cones for dessert. 

 

 

 

 

Contra & Square Dance at the Interlaken Grange Hall

April 21, 2007 The Interlaken Grange in Covert was alive with the sounds of music, dancing, and laughter. with an evening of contra and square dancing,The Interlaken Grange and Interlaken Historical Society  with live music and caller. Musicians were Kathy Selby and Tom Quigley from the Ithaca area,

 

 

 

 

 

“Lest He Should Kill the Goose That Lays His Golden Eggs”

Field Crops or Dairy      Wheat or Butter?

The Farming Systems in Nineteenth Century New York State

 

 

 

      New York State held an important position in nineteenth century agriculture in the United States. Using agricultural census records and 19th century agricultural journals, historian Anne Derousie discussed the impact of disease, climate and soil fertility in the establishment of different agricultural practices within the state. Anne is currently a PhD candidate in history concentrating on women’s history, rural history and early 19th century history. Her master’s thesis is “The Johnstons of Viewfield: Farm and Family in Transition, 1820-1880.”

 

Monday, April 23, 2007

 

 

 

“The History and Building of Muzzle Loading Rifles”

 

 

     January 22, 2007 Alec Wolcott presented a program on the building of muzzle loading guns, as well as a history of  muzzle loaders built in America including the J. Guest and L. Coon rifles in our collection.

  

(Left) Alec talking with others about some of the muzzle loaders; (Center) Patch Box covers on two early American Muzzle loaders; (Right) After the program everyone was able to get a close-up look at the guns and ask their questions.

 

 Events from our Past  Click on the gray text to see additional pictures for these events.

Hamlet of Covert Tour  Summer 2006

      The Interlaken and Ulysses Historical Societies hosted the “Hamlet of Covert Tour” in August 2006. For information on the buildings click on the Covert Tour above. Check at the Gift Shop for the Tour program including the Tales of Covert Kids by Mary Gregg and the book: And Let My Memory Cherished Be, Remembering the Families of the Old Covert Cemetery.

Olde Home Day 2005 The Interlaken Historical Society and the Interlaken Community Action Group presented a day of activities along Main Street. Included were talks by "Ben Franklin", "Nasty Ned the Frontiersman", violin music at the Farmers' Museum, and dresses from the past 200 years as we reprised and add to the 2004 History of Fashion parade.

        Dresses from many past eras, (left to right) 1930s, 1870s, 1890s, and 1830. In the background Nasty Ned the Frontiersmantalks with a young mother from the 1860s. Olde Home Day 2005 

 

2004 Olde Home Day: The Centennial of the Incorporation of and naming of the Village of Interlaken and the Bi-Centennial of Seneca County continued on June 5th with events throughout the village.  

       

200 years of fashions were on display at the 2004 Olde Home Day as the Bi-Centenial of Seneca County and the Centenial of the Village of Interlaken were celebrated.

 

Underground Railroad Program 2006

  "Follow the Drinking Gourd, a Ticket on the Underground Railroad" was held on March 27, 2006 at the Lodi Historical Society Building. The event was hosted by the Interlaken, Lodi and Ovid Historical Societies.
 

Plowing the Soil: 1770 – 2005 A Day of Plows & Plowing

Brook Farm at Lively Run (Hunt/Usher Barn) and Persoon Farm, Route 96, Interlaken Saturday, April 30th

         

Other Past Programs

If you would like more information on any of these program please contact the
Interlaken Historical Society at information @interlakenhistory.org

May 23, 2005  Of Plumage and Poetry: Alexander Wilson's 1804 Ornithological Exploration of the Finger Lakes

Renowned late 18th and early 19th century ornithologist and naturalist Alexander Wilson made an expedition on foot from Philadelphia to Niagara Falls in 1804 to explore the region and learn about the flora and fauna, especially the birds. Considered by many to be the father of American ornithology, this trip appears to have set him down the path of publishing "American Ornithology", a 9 volume work wonderfully illustrated with Wilson's paintings. He passed through the Finger Lakes, where he and his nephew, William Duncan, had purchased a farm in Ovid about 1798.

In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the 1804 expedition through the area, which Wilson celebrated in his epic poem “The Foresters; a poem, descriptive of a pedestrian journey to the falls of Niagara, in the autumn of 1804”, Marty Schlabach and David Corson will tell of Alexander Wilson's life, work and Finger Lakes travels.
 

2003 Barn Tour: The 2003 Barn tour featured six area barns including the Hunt Usher Barn, built by John Wells, the Farrell Barn, the Stout-Mattey Farm, the Stannard-Jones Farm and the Esh farm.
 

2004 Carriage Barn Tour: This tour of local carriage barns included a return visit to the Usher-Hunt Barn with Luke, a Belgium draft horse in harness to welcome visitors; the MacDonald-Adams Barn; the Kellogg Barn, Patterson’s Carriage Barn, Barzilla’s Barn and the Ritchie-Aman Barns.  

                                                        

 

 Featured Speakers

 Over the years we have had a variety of speakers on Monday evenings.
The programs are always educational and entertaining.
Highlights from the past few years include:

2005 Summer Program

“Some Revolutionary War Patriots and Their Descendants in Seneca County, New York”

      Soon after the Revolution, New York’s Finger Lakes Region was on our new nation’s western frontier. When this rich and beautiful land was opened to settlement, pioneers poured in from all over the East. Many of these settlers had served the American cause during the Revolution. For the past seven years, Trumansburg native Mike Tunison has been actively investigating his family’s roots. So far, he has discovered forty Revolutionary Patriot ancestors. Fourteen of these patriots, the children of another ten, and eventually the descendants of all of them moved to Seneca and the surrounding Finger Lakes counties. On July 25th, Mike will share the results of his research on these patriots. His presentation will focus on their contributions during the Revolution and their subsequent settlement in the Finger Lakes Region. Families to be discussed include: Cole, Covert, Crisfield, Frisbie, Hall, King, Miller, Porter, Sawyer, Schooley, Sherwood and Tunison. A member of the Sons of the American Revolution since 2001, Mike is currently first Vice-President of the Rochester Chapter and is working with a team of Livingston County historians on a book about the 1779 Sullivan Campaign in Livingston County.  For more information on these Patriot ancestors and help with your genealogy search contact the Interlaken Historical Society at information @interlakenhistory.org

 

 Fat White Boys and Black Valentines: Bean History 101
Monday, October 24, 2005 – 7:30 PM Covert Grange Hall

      A solitary dried bean is a perfect whole, a self-contained universe. Both food and seed, it carries within it stories of transformed cultures and crisscrossed continents. Ashley Miller, the author of The Bean Harvest Cookbook, will give a presentation on the surprising history of New World beans, which are still being grown as crops in local fields.
     Ashley Miller is the Curator of Exhibits at Mann Library, Cornell University where she creates displays that showcase Mann’s collection of rare books. She has been involved in the book arts for over 25 years as a calligrapher, marbled paper maker, printer and graphic designer. Ms. Miller has also written books and articles on growing and cooking vegetables, as well as on the history of vegetables.
          The program will be held at the Covert Grange Hall on West Covert Road and is co-sponsored by the Covert Grange and Interlaken Historical Society. Refreshments will be served. There is no admission and the public is invited to attend this interesting presentation.

 

Premium Ciders Leading the Revival of an American Tradition

Bill & Cheryl Barton, Owners, Bellwether Hard Cider   October 23, 2006

Bill & Cheryl Barton have been in the hard cider business for six years beginning at the Old Babcock Hatchery Building which is now an antique mall near Jacksonville. Desiring to be closer to the Cayuga Wine Trail and in a location where he could plant an apple orchard, Bill purchased property in the Town of Covert. The business was moved to a new building on the property on Route 89 halfway between East Covert Road and Halls Corners Road. Because of the high acid and tannin content Bill has planted varieties that are common in the Celtic region of Europe. However, he is very interested in native varieties and is testing Northern Spy, Tompkins King and Golden Russett apples. Of special interest is the Tompkins King because of a source in Kingtown.

  
 

 

Bill is interested in researching the local, historical connection with apple cider and will not only be presenting a program but will be asking questions. He points out that the farmyard cider that most of us are familiar with is not the same as the hard cider of today. Today’s hard cider, some sparkling, some still, is very food friendly, can be consumed the same as wine and used for cooking.

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