on the Erie Canal, Niagara County NY
A large four story building that stood on the northwest side of the canal had a rich history and several different names. It started as a flour mill which was destroyed in 1859 and came back to life in 1883 as the Ontario Preserving Company. The property was leased to the company by Buel P.
I and my family were present when the car parked outside of the hardware store had somehow slipped into reverse… It was running at the time… And plunged into the canal, closing it for the remainder of the day. State trooper divers from Athol Springs came down and the car was eventually pulled out inch
At a recent meeting of the Belvadear troop in Middleport, I enjoyed sharing with the scouts a little history on our own Belva Bennett McNall Lockwood. Born in the Town of Royalton in 1830, she championed the rights of women for equal pay, a good education and the right to vote when women were given
In 2014, many of you know I made contact with the head of the Prince’s Restoration Trust, which was refurbishing and reopening the famous Middleport Pottery in Stoke on Trent, England. They even generously presented us with 2 pitchers and bowls made at the newly reopened facility, hoping we would use them to entertain visitors
In a moving ceremony attended by many of our local residents, the Fire Bell Memorial was rededicated this past Memorial Day 2016. The Middleport Fire Department first dedicated their bell memorial in the park on Memorial Day of 1952 in honor of the deceased members of the department. The bell used to hang in a tower
It was back in April of 1841 that the Middleport Universalists organized their church on a piece of land donated by John Craig. The building of the church was accomplished with smooth, egg shaped stones gathered by the congregation from the shore of Lake Ontario and under the supervision of stone mason Emery Smith. Reverend
Back as early as 1886, the factory owned by Sylvester Evans and Henry McClean turned out some 2000 baskets daily. By 1893, James Hulihan and Thomas Conley owned the Royalton Basket Company which supplied local fruit farmers with different size baskets ranging from berry baskets to fruit crates. The logs were floated down the canal
All history lovers, especially those who love learning more about our little village, will be pleased to hear that the history written by our previous historian, Anna Wallace, is about to go to press. During her 30 year tenure as historian, Anna collected stories that go back to the beginning of our community in the
Myrtle Lewis Wilmot was the daughter of Middleport residents and inventor Elgie J. Lewis and his wife, May Bathrick Lewis. Born in 1888, she attended Middleport High School from where she graduated in 1904 and then went on to study music at the Julliard School of Music in New York City. She and her husband,
As early as 1825, the corner of Main and State Street in Middleport was known for its stately hotel, then called the Pierce House. One of the finest establishments in the area, it provided a home away from home for many a traveler who passed through this area. After a fire in 1883, the original
