The Library Where They Know Your Name #4CLSRoadtrip

Today, on our roadtrip to explore some of the 43 libraries of the Four County Library System (Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties), we return to the Binghamton, New York area, which has the highest concentration of population of the four counties.

I had never been to all the libraries of my home county, so this road trip was a great opportunity to learn about all of them.

The town of Fenton, New York (population around 6,600) was established in 1867 and prospered during the years of the Chenango Canal, a feeder canal of the larger Erie Canal system.  It was located on the west side of the town and linked the Susquehanna River with the Erie Canal.  When the railroads became the dominant form of commercial traffic in the 1870's, the Chenango Canal was closed (in 1878) and only small remnants of the canal are visible today.  

It was only open for 44 years.

Fenton, today, is one of 22 towns and cities in Broome County, and I had never been to its library.

Let's visit The Fenton Free Library, which calls itself "The Heart of the Community".

It has an interesting history.

Friends gather here.

The librarian obviously didn't know me or my spouse, but she greeted everyone else who came by during our visit by name. She asked after their family, their pets.  She knew what was happening in their lives. 

We were welcome to make ourselves at home.

Maybe we could stay and play a game.

The entire library had a friendly, country decorated vibe.

Still more libraries to go (I visited 33 total), and I'll blog about several more in the coming months.

Thank you for joining me.

New Berlin Library and Museum #4CLSRoadtrip

Today, on the Four County Library Road Trip in New York State, I take you to a small village in Chenango County called New Berlin.

This is one of several small libraries that incorporate a museum.

It took us two tries to get to this library.  The first time, we didn't get there in time and the library had closed.  But the return trip was worth it.

I didn't take notes on the art and other objects I found there so you'll just have to guess along with me. I couldn't find much information online.

What a beautiful clock.

I'll just let the exhibits speak for themselves.

Next time, I take better notes.

Besides the museum, this little library does a lot for its local community - summer concerts, children and teen programs, bike helmet programs, book clubs, and more.  It was an eye opener to find out just how important these small libraries are in the lives of their patrons.

Another small town New York State gem next week.

The Skene Memorial Library #4CLSroadtrip

The four county library system (Broome, Delaware, Otsego and Chenango counties in New York) roadtrip ended September 2, but the memories remain.

Today, we visit the only Carnegie library in the system.

Fleischmanns, New York, in rural Delaware Count, has an interesting history.  It was once a popular summer vacationing destination easily reached by railroad from New York City, and was the home of many grand hotels.  It was also the summer home of the Fleischmanns family (of yeast and gin fame), which had a large family compound built on land acquired in 1883.  Of the five mansions in the compound, I believe only one remains.

One of these resorts was owned by the father of a girl, Tillie Edelstein, who is much better known to older generations as the actress Gertrude Berg, who starred in the radio (and later, television) series The Goldbergs.  But that is a story for another day if any of my readers is interested.

Dr. Alexander Skene, who was born in Scotland and lived in New York City, used to vacation in Fleischmanns.  He was a childhood friend of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, and was one of the foremost gynecologists of the 19th century. 

Dr. Skene's wife Annette worked with others to raise funds to get Fleischmanns a library.   Andrew Carnegie contributed $5,000 with the sole stipulation that the library be named after his childhood friend Dr. Skene, who died before the library was built.  

In 1930, the building was turned over to the Village of Fleischmanns.

Unlike many memorial libraries we visited on the roadtrip, this building (which dates from 1901) has always been a library.  Let's go in.

I'm assuming this is a portrait of Dr. Skene.

I found the wood paneling gave the interior a warm feel.  You'll see the lion statuette, too.  Lions are considered by some as powerhouses of wisdom and a fitting library mascot.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Fleischmanns family left in 1913 and only a handful of hotels remain in the area out of the more than 50 that were there in the early 20th century.  At one time, the population during the summer swelled to some 10,000.  But when cars became something any household could afford, those days ended.  

The year round population of the village has dropped to around 210 people (2020 census) from a high of some 500,  but it is still popular as a destination for those wanting (and able to afford) a second home.

This roadtrip was so much fun, and I learned so much.

Do you want to see more posts like this?

Downsville Covered Bridge #SkywatchFriday

Let's take a road trip today to a historic covered bridge in Delaware County, New York.  New York doesn't have too many covered bridges but this county has six of them.  Not all of them are on public property but this one is.

The Catskill Mountains near Margaretville, New York (also in Delaware County), earlier in the trip.

It's beautiful country.  My photos don't do it complete justice.

This must be the place!

Historic marker.  Built in 1854, this bridge was restored in 1998.  We weren't able to drive across it because only passenger cars are allowed.  I could have walked across it but I chose not to.

Beautiful reflection.

Another view of the bridge.

I can't resist one more.  There was a small park next to the bridge, and this picture shows part of it.

We were in this area only because of our library system's Four County Library Roadtrip, which ends tomorrow.  It was so much fun investigating many of the 43 libraries, many of which were in rural areas.  We didn't get to all 43 but who's counting?

Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.

The Bathroom Mural For the Birds #WordlessWednesday #4CLSRoadtrip

Yesterday, we visited the Andes Public Library in Andes, New York as part of the Four County Library System road trip.  I mentioned a bathroom mural and today I want to show it to you.

This is a brand new mural, created by artist Diane Lockspeiser of Long Island.  She worked on the mural in May and early June of this year.

Here is their mural in its entirety.  This picture doesn't do it justice so here are some closeups of all the detail.

A barred rock rooster and a mourning dove look at a peaceful (or is it?) cattle scene from the Anti-Rent War (I'm guessing) of 1839-1845 which I discussed briefly yesterday.

Various wildlife, including many birds, adorn this mural.

Don't disturb the snoozing raccoon.

More birds.

The - upright deer blowing a horn? - is a mystery to me. It must refer to a local legend (my guess).

One more to go.

Finally, lazy Rip Van Winkle waking up from his 20 year sleep.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday

The Nostalgic Trip #4CLSRoadTrip

Years back, the grandfather and uncle of my then best friend lived in the Catskills mountains outside of a hamlet in Delaware County, New York.  My friend and her siblings and mother would spend summers up there, escaping New York City for the rural life. Her father would join them on weekends.

 In the early 70's, I was invited twice to visit the family for a week up in Delaware County.  I was back a handful of times to that house since (after her parents moved up there), but never to other nearby villages I had remembered from those visits when I was younger.

As the Four County Library Roadtrip drew to a close (it ends on September 2), my spouse and I decided to visit several of these villages/hamlets I visited during my stays with my friend's family and view their libraries.

One of these hamlets (it was a village when I visited, but they dissolved the village in 2002) is Andes, population approximately 1,000.  Andes is located in a setting of  hills, winding roads, and farmland and was the center of the Anti-Rent War of 1839-1845.  Some called that uprising the Second American Revolution. 

I grew up in New York State and don't remember learning about it.

Much of Andes' downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.  I don't know if the library building is that old but the library itself celebrated its 100th birthday last year. Some renovation work was done in 2020 during its pandemic closure.

As for its setting....

This is the rear of the library.

There is a gazebo for raised beds, which are used for gardening programs.  The library, over the summer, started to install an edible landscape. 

The front of the library.

The inside.

There was a question I had to ask the librarian.  I remembered being taken to a municipal pool during my visits. It's actually one of the few things I remembered of Andes.  Did the pool still exist?  The answer was yes, and, in fact, it was only a couple of blocks away from the library.  

No, we didn't visit it, but it would have made a good stop in this nostalgic trip.

But one thing we did visit was the library's pride and joy-a mural in the bathroom.   I'll show it to you tomorrow, as it deserves its own post.

Although we had other libraries to visit, I want to return to Andes one day and visit the town further.  The place where we wanted to have lunch was closed on Wednesdays, so we picnicked on the library grounds.

Tomorrow, we'll travel back to Andes for a treat (alas, not Andes chocolate mints, which are made in Wisconsin).

Japanese Pagoda Library Tree #ThursdayTreeLove #4CLSRoadTrip

Time for another road trip, this time to a library I've used hundreds of times over the past 35 plus years.

On the grounds of the George F. Johnson Memorial Library in Endicott, New York stands a Japanese Pagoda Tree.  These trees bloom in late August, unlike most trees in our area, which bloom in the spring.

The tree.

This may help give you a little scale.

Close ups of the flowers. These were taken August 18.

Entrance to the George F. Johnson Memorial Library.

Inside, a clock.  It keeps time nicely.

I believe this is the house that used to sit on this property, owned by George F. Johnson

Here's a little history:  this library has existed since March of 1915, known originally as the Endicott Free Library.  It was located several blocks from the current library.  It moved several times before finding its permanent home in the current building in 1967.

The Endicott Free Library (later renamed the Ideal Home Library) operated one of the first bookmobiles (horse drawn) in the Northeast United States starting in 1916. It was a Ford flatbed truck used by someone else during the day.  It became a bookmobile in the early evening using removable book shelves. If your community has a bookmobile today, it may well have been inspired by the Endicott bookmobile.

Eventually, the library was named for industrialist George F. Johnson, who died in 1948 but is still beloved in this area for his philanthropy. If you are old enough, you may remember Endicott-Johnson or Father and Son shoes.  Here is a short history of the library and the population of immigrants and others it served.

After Mr. Johnson died, his homestead was purchased by the Village of Endicott.  The current library sits on its grounds. 

Mosaic, George F. Johnson Memorial Library

Also joining Parul of Happiness and Food for her #ThursdayTreeLove.

The Prehistoric Snake and Ninevah Library #4CLSroadtrip

Today, I'm tired after a Monday of Four County Library Roadtripping, so I am staying local for my post today.

Have you ever read the comic strips BC or The Wizard of ID?

For many years, the creator of these comic strips, Johnny Hart, lived in the small town of Ninevah, New York. His art is celebrated all through the New York State county I live in.

Johnny Hart, or so I was told several years ago by someone I met who worked at a cetain company, worked at the then General Electric plant just outside of Johnson City, New York in their art department.  But he really wanted to start a cartoon.  He did, and became famous.

So, when my spouse and I visited Ninevah, New York as part of the Four County Library Road Trip earlier this summer, it was no surprise to see this.

 

Artwork by the late Johnny Hart - one of his characters in his BC comic's prehistoric world - I think this bookworm is simply called The Snake. It's not unusual to see art created by Johnny Hart in our area, for example in the logo used by our public transportation.

Welcome to the Ninevah, New York library.

This library is proud of its local history, even having a collection of books devoted to history and some of our distinguished citizens.  If you see a Twilight Zone book up above, you are right - Rod Serling grew up in nearby Binghamton, New York. 

This library dates from 1901, and this is a painting of its original building.  The library moved to its present home in 1972.

The current library is the smallest library in the county I live in, but it is big in hart...I mean, heart.

Small does not mean "boring'.  The librarian gave us a tour and something immediately caught my flower loving eye.

This library has a garden.  Due to lack of volunteer labor, it needs some love, but it was still nice to look at. 

Like so many other rural libraries in our area, this library depends greatly on local businesses to help fund the many programs it offers to its community.  The libraries, in turn, attempt to support local businesses.  The librarian here told us about a local grocery a couple of doors down that made the most wonderful desserts.  There wasn't even a sign on the front, but we went in and bought a delicious (and large) slice of chocolate peanut butter cake.  It was wonderful.

This has been a fascinating road trip, full of surprises and history.  

Join me again in a few days when I blog about another library in our four county area.

The Second Floor #4CLSRoadtrip

Yesterday, I blogged about the first floor of the Oxford (New York) Memorial Library, which was once the home of master bridge builder Theodore Burr.

This house is the last known work of Theodore Burr, and his presence is felt everywhere in the building. Sadly (unlike his more famous cousin Aaron Burr, who became our third Vice-President of the United States and killed the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, in a duel), Theodore Burr died in obscurity and is buried in an unmarked grave.

I promised I would take you into the second floor of the building and that's what I am going to do today. But first, a little more of the first floor of this historic structure.

This must be the place!

This plaque greets you.  Besides a library, this building also houses a Covered Bridge Resource Center with reference material for various covered bridges including bridges in New York, Vermont, and Indiana.

Theodore Burr invented a truss called the Burr Truss that was used in the construction of many covered bridges. 

 I thought I had taken pictures of the resource center on the second floor but turns out I didn't.

Another plaque in the children's room.

Fireplace.

Up on the second floor, there is a lovely painting of a covered bridge.

Underneath it are two figurines.   I don't know anything about them.

China plates on wall.  I'm hoping one of my readers knows something about these.

The original flooring was rediscovered in 2013 during renovations when a rug was taken up.

The Four County Library Road Trip has uncovered many treasures in the area where I live in New York State.  There will be more to come in the next few weeks.

Thank you for joining me today.