Parades, Pies, Raffle Baskets, Memorial Day.....and another day in Eaton's 220 year history!

The week has finally ended, and what a week it was.  Last Sunday I was  pushed to set up for our event and bake a ton of pies until 2 or 3 in the morning.  Then at dawn it was out to finish setting up for our traditional Eaton Day event, which is held each Memorial Day Monday and celebrates Eaton’s history especially... its founding by Revolutionary War Soldiers and its many other veterans.

The day came together and the weather cooperated allowing us to enjoy hometown America at its best with friends, neighbors, and former residents.  Thank you to all who came out!

As a special tribute to its 20^th Anniversary and Eaton’s 220^th year I managed to finish a new history book that concentrates on the later years after 1850 in Eaton’s History and a remastered video of the day in 1995… parade and all.  To those who would like a copy you can go to Dougherty’s Pharmacy in Morrisvile and buy a copy or two and support the Old Town of Eaton Museum that made the day and event possible.

Our basket raffle was a success and the winners were Sharon Lloyd- cats, Kay Depuy - flowers, Karen Betz-history, and Barb Keough.  Barb won the wine basket (she put all her tickets in it I bet).

Thanks you to the Goodfriends, Pat Utter, Judy Oplinger, Mike Curtis, Cathy Nagle, and our special guest Tommy Hoe… You guys were great. Thank you to Jim Monahan for the use of the building and grounds!

Thank you to our history speakers Harry Riggall and Bob Betz... we are hoping to do special presentations on Wednesday nights in Eaton in the summer.

For all those who missed the grand finale ....cemetery tour…it was made especially memorable by a huge tree falling on the Morse graves…but luckily missing every stone.  It happened at a most fortuitous time… just before we toured the area! Whew!

As for me...the following morning was spent tearing down with Pat and Barb followed by working all week on ladders and chain saws so today… Sunday…I am resting… and taking this time to remind you to enjoy the day and remember to stop and smell the peonies… they are out!

Here is a clip from the video to make you smile!

Putting on Events, Eaton Day, doubting churches, swearing at friends and all the rest this Memorial Day!

Jim from M&M Press with the new history book 20 years
to the day from when they did the first!

This week is almost over, and the little event  “Eaton Day” that we are putting on is here and… I have broken the two most important rules that I have learned in putting events on.  

After putting on 8 Fall Festival History Weekends, 4 Archives Events and 16 Eaton History Days, 2 Bicentennials, a Fireman’s 50^th Anniversary & co directed the 170^th Madison County Fair…I did it…I swore at my volunteer helper and asked another who is a busy person to do two things. My rules are never swear at your helpers and never ask people to do impossible jobs… 20 years of experience left in the dust!

The helpers for the events have dwindled (death and moving away) to a few people, good people, who are trying hard for Eaton’s 220 Birthday and the Town of Eaton Community, but alas…the leader is tired…far too tired.

Barb Keough has run the gauntlet with me and as I tried to describe what I wanted her to do while holding up over 100 lb. weight… I snapped….the Big D…. Y… words came out…I was appalled at myself!!! The horror!!!!

Not a hour later my good friend Cathy came over and was as mad as I had seen her ever…. she had brought me the 10 chairs I requested.  Well she was also baking today as she had something to do all day tomorrow…so in the midst of cookie bake off she was trying to fill the shoes of Judy Lyrek who was out of town…and get me chairs.

Now we had borrowed 10 chairs from this church in Morrisville for many events…Judy and Cathy get them, bring them down the day before, and pick them up that day and bring them back…. Simple I thought… until Cathy showed up.

Seems people were off on their whatever’s, and the many she contacted wouldn’t take responsibility for loaning this (20 year community group that is putting on an event for the whole Town of Eaton on Memorial Day for the 20^th time) ten chairs. 

Undaunted and resolute she did not call me (she should have at what time I would have dug some up from a more cooperative group), but had to round up the ten chairs from her card playing friends (who I thank for believing they will be returned) and even taking one off a porch!!!  I was appalled!

I pointed out to her why I always say...”Putting on a community event with volunteers…is like stabbing yourself in the eye a hundred times with a sharp pencil!”

The person I sat with later with a drink, who forgave me for swearing at her, and poor Cathy... say they are still my friends, but I wonder?

And as events go, it is not very big…just a mark in time for a rural community that is still trying to protect its history for the coming generations…but perhaps for me the cost has become too high!  This is the last Eaton Memorial Day Monday Event I am doing…can’t do it again.

Here is a video clip of 20 years ago today...Another still friend I hope Owen Corpin!

So my plea is to you the reader…please come out and support the wonderful volunteers and neighbors in your town who are doing this for you… and for a little town museum …though I am prejudiced… that is one of the best little museums in upstate New York!

Memorial Day Monday is Eaton Day, nostalgia, history, & the All American Pie Sale await you!

Dr. Gawn as part of Eaton's float on the 4th of July

Another Sunday in Eaton, more pleasant than many lately as Mother Nature has come through with a rainbow of green colors with a bit of purple... as the lilacs finally opened down here.  We still had two nights this week in the low 20’s… but the days have improved.

I have been putting together clips of video taken 20 years ago on Monday, and I started wondering what the town will look like and who will be here in 20 more. 

The Eaton History Day that started in1995 has been put on to bring the community together as a  celebration of what is right with living in a small and historic rural town.  Nothing is wrong really, except perhaps the distance for many to go to work…but now we have so many beautiful cars to do it…no longer needing a horse and wagon.  What is sad,  is that most people don’t realize what caused a loss of community.  We no longer used it.

You might say, “use it”… yes, use it.  We lost our grocery stores and businesses because we no longer need to shop in town or near by.  In the old days money that was paid out came back to the community or stayed in it supporting “the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker”.  100 years ago there were 4 stores, barbers, Doctors, machine shops, mills, and all kinds of small business.  Today we have a Price Chopper and Walmart people shot at.

There were 3 churches in town then, luckily we still have one on “Back Street”, it has been working for 182 years.  As a mater of fact when the bell rings on Sunday… as I write the Sunday blogs for you…  it has been ringing like that since 1848.  It reminds me that the community is still alive.

Eaton still has a mini-mart and gas station, though remnants of the old Tower Gas Station are still in town housing the Post Office. We have a volunteer fire department... that still rushes to help those in need in the community.  We still have that Post Office… something that is also disappearing from rural America.  Our cemetery is still kept up and by the original Eaton Cemetery Association that was formed by George Morse in 1856.

We also have a museum that keeps the history for the Town of Eaton and the community, although the Town does not run it. 

So this is where you as a member of the community come in.   Come out to Eaton before or after the parade… that this year is in West Eaton.  Have a hot dog and soda like the old days, buy a pie at the 200 year old American institution of Pie Sales to raise money, join the Friends of Eaton Society that keeps the museum alive buying a commemorative 220^th History Book (You can buy it for those special people who can’t come to the event this year)…  listen to the speakers that this year will include Harry Riggall Historian of West Eaton and Mary Messere former Madison County Historian....and enjoy HISTORY AND THAT THING CALLED AMERICANA.

If you were at the original Bicentennial in the parade, or watching Dr. Willabee Gawn, at the Cemetery, at the Church,  at the cutting of the giant Birthday Cake… then you can view yourself on a video that will be playing during the day….Memories for sure!

The kids in it are now full grown and many have children of their own... many faces have disappeared from view... though they now rest on the hill in the cemetery or in a nursing home, and unfortunately some of us are a bit heavier…but we are there enjoying that day.  So come out and enjoy this one!!

*The museum will not be open for the day, but Back Street Mary will giving a tour of the Cemetery at 2 PM.

Hops, Beer, Patents and History on the march in Eaton!

The new history book that is coming out for Memorial Day Monday is filled with new tidbits on history and leads to another book that I am working on describing the Patents that came form the area.  As they say.. everything old is new again...and that goes for the history of an area and its products.

“In 1808 James D. Coolidge planted the first hops field in Madison County. By 1859 NY supplied 87 percent of hops grown in the U.S.”  

That is an unbelievable statement but it is true. Madison County grew hops and the crop was a bumper crop that made many of the farmers in the area, but it also destroyed some.

The Hop commodities market was actually moved to Waterville where hops were bought and sold with the fluctuating hops market.  Many an Eaton Farm grew hops and held hops to get the best value at market. They also welcomed the pickers in season because in town the money flowed from outside to in.

Many a farm put families up during the “season” and stories of fun and friendships made abound… a more simple time.  My own mother recalled taking the canal to Madison County where her family would pick hops.  She as a small child remembered hiding under her mother’s skirt on the trip.

The hop fields of Samuel Coolidge ran between Madison and Eaton near the Summit level of the Chenango Canal.  The field crops were called by some locals, as filled with “the Devil’s weed”… because of Hops addition to beer to make it bitter or to add flavor and aroma.

Hops would later disappear from the hills of Eaton and Madison County because of blight and because of white or blue powdery mold.  Another problem “Temperance” played a large part.

Another facet of hop production were the numerous attempts to patent labor saving devices.  A few out of Eaton and the area are pictured in the back of the book.

One was a “HOP-PICKER’S BOX” designed by Frederick A Fargo of Pine Woods, New York it was Patent No. 949,915 dated November 22, 1881. (Fargo Corners in Eaton today).  He states that: “My invention consist of a hop-picker’s measure or box having such construction that it may be easily taken apart for stowing away in small spaces and for transportation, and easily set up for use.”

Another interesting invention out of Morrisville is a Vine Trellis.  The Trellis was submitted by Andrew S. Hart and is Patent number 495,673, dated April 18, 1893. Hart says: “The object of this invention is to provide a trellis for training chiefly hop-vines, and which shall be permanently erect on the ground to afford ready access to the uppermost parts of the vines.”

The time of hops passed and became a time of cows and corn that have in recent time given back land to the cultivation of Hops in Eaton and in Madison County.  It is interesting to note that at Fargo Corners today you can see a new “hop field” located on today's  Mosher Farm.

Memorial Day Monday to bring history to the "Forefront" with food, fun, raffles and PIES!

Well the special Eaton Day is coming together.  Though the parade will be in West Eaton you can follow the road down to Eaton and enjoy History Day.  The 3^rd Annual Pie Sale, gift sale and more will be in front of the old Auction Barn on Route 26 again.  

This year weather permitting Back Street Mary will be giving a tour of the Historic Eaton Cemetery and we will be having history lectures on front street and will show history videos….A great look back at the Bicentennial Celebration 20 years ago.

In that idea we are publishing a special book for the occasion with almost 50 pages of history, with new pictures and information… that... even some historians are unaware of.  The book will be in the same size and style as the old one and we are seeking donations to publish it in that format.

We sold the original Eaton History Book on History Day 20 years ago! Since then we have a museum full of history and tons of history books on subjects pertaining to Eaton.

This book covers not only Eaton but also the entire Town of Eaton… stories and pictures that are new to the museum and that represent the years after 1850.

To get this book printed we need a little help.  The advertising off the other book paid for it and we are hoping to do the same thing again.

So we will place a page or two with Friends of History and card size ads for businesses that are friends of history

For your name only $5 as a friend of history

For a Memorial $10 (For a deceased family member that was a part of the original group of Eatonite)

For your business card only $25

First printing will be of a hundred and of course they will continue to be printed and sold at the museum forever after or when our gift shop travels to Madison Hall.

So Help if you can…our printing deadline is the 18^th…Contact Cathy Nagle,, Barb Keough, Bob Betz, Steve or Judy Goodfriend or Pat Utter for details or you can always go to our web page at www.historystars.com and hit donated to book to do it with charge card or debit….it will go through PayPal.