School – Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105http://middleport-newyork.com on the Erie Canal, Niagara County NY Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:21:04 +0000en-UShourly1http://middleport-newyork.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-middleport-icon-32x32.jpgSchool – Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105http://middleport-newyork.com 3232Union Free School Fire of 1910http://middleport-newyork.com/union-free-school-fire-1910/ http://middleport-newyork.com/union-free-school-fire-1910/#commentsSun, 09 Feb 2014 18:38:32 +0000http://middleport-newyork.com/?p=1817Early Middleport was often the scene of devastating fires but none as sad as the early morning fire of February 23, 1910.  Firemen were called to the south side of Park Avenue near Vernon Street to the building that housed the Union Free School, which had been established in 1891 to ensure “educating our children

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]]>Early Middleport was often the scene of devastating fires but none as sad as the early morning fire of February 23, 1910.  Firemen were called to the south side of Park Avenue near Vernon Street to the building that housed the Union Free School, which had been established in 1891 to ensure “educating our children at home and not at some of the neighboring towns.”  Additions to the original 1870 building were built in 1893 and again in 1898 to house the growing school population and ranking the school #8, one of the best in New York State.

The first volunteers to arrive at the fire found the cistern frozen and no water handy to spray on the building.  A call was made to Medina where several firemen arrived on the 7PM train each carrying a roll of hose on their back.  Sadly their hose connections did not fit the ones used in Middleport.  The fire totally destroyed the structure as well as all the records stored in the building.

For the remainder of the school year classes were held in various buildings within the community, including church basements, second floors of downtown stores and in at least one private home.  In January 1911 the Board of Education made the  decision to build a larger school building  and in July 1911 ground was broken at the State Street site of our present high school.

Middleport Union Free School before the fire.

Middleport Union Free School after the fire
Middleport Union Free School after the fire

 

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]]>http://middleport-newyork.com/union-free-school-fire-1910/feed/3Commencement at Union Schoolhttp://middleport-newyork.com/commencement-at-union-school/ http://middleport-newyork.com/commencement-at-union-school/#commentsTue, 18 Jun 2013 17:25:20 +0000http://middleport-newyork.com/?p=411A  1901 clipping from the local Middleport paper: The annual commencement exercises of the Mdpt. Union High School will be held at the opera house this eve. at 8:15, June 26, 1901. The class motto is “Climb though the rocks be rugged”. Grads. in the academic course are: Misses Clara Louise Bates, Gertrude Louise Benson,

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]]>A  1901 clipping from the local Middleport paper:

The annual commencement exercises of the Mdpt. Union High School will be held at the opera house this eve. at 8:15, June 26, 1901. The class motto is “Climb though the rocks be rugged”. Grads. in the academic course are: Misses Clara Louise Bates, Gertrude Louise Benson, Cornelia Lucy Freeman, Martha Eleanore Pollard, Elizabeth Loretta Bray, Bernice Mary Freeman, Lucy Freeman Graves, Messers Leslie Willard Allen, Charles Floyd Ewing, William Henry Watts.  In the advanced academic are: Messers Elijah Henry Seaman, Frank William Sterritt, Glenn Henry Wakeman.  Music for the occasion was furnished by Hammond’s orchestra.  Mr. W. J. Sterritt presented the diplomas in his usual graceful manner making a few remarks appropriate to the occasion

Union High School at the corner of Park Ave and Vernon Street
Union High School at the corner of Park Ave and Vernon Street

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