Author: Town Clerk's Office

It is always exciting when someone sends a Wheatland artifact “home.” The Historian’s office has recently received the gift of this beautiful diploma from the Mumford Union School dated 1904. Bob McCann of Geneva, NY was the generous donor. The diploma was presented to Howard D. Hadley when he finished his eighth grade studies at the Mumford school. A little research revealed that Howard was the son of George and Clara (Munson) Hadley. George, the father, was the stationmaster in the Mumford railroad station for 40 years.  He was also the head of the Mumford school board and signed his son’s diploma. Howard went on to high school in Pennsylvania and then graduated from Cornell University in 1911. For a few years, he worked as an engineer on the Barge Canal. He married Cora Comstock of Penn Yan and opened a hardware store in Seneca Falls in 1919. Howard and Cora had four children, all university graduates. This Mumford boy became a well-known and successful businessman. He retired in 1962 and his store was passed down to his son-in-law and then to his grandson. Howard D. Hadley died in 1971 and is buried in Seneca Falls where he had been a respected community member for over 50 years.

2017 Tentative Assessment Roll now available.

FINGER LAKES ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVER INSTITUTE presents “Understanding Behaviors and Care Partner Stress, Monday March 27 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Streamed live at each location with Alzheimer’s Association staff present to welcome and assist:

The Brightonian, 1919 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY
Hill Haven Nursing Home and Rehabilitation, 1550 Empire Blvd, Webster NY
The Highlands at Pittsford, 100 Hahnemann Trail , Pittsford NY
Jewish Home of Rochester, Goldberg Center, 2021 S. Winton Rd, Rochester NY

Caring for a person with dementia can be rewarding, but also physically and emotionally challenging. Learn about care partner stress and strategies to help keep yourself strong and well with special presenter Carol Podgorski, Ph.D., Director Finger Lakes Center for Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease. Registration is required by calling 1 (800) 272-3900.

To all Town of Wheatland Residents OUTSIDE the Village of Scottsville:  Please stack your storm debris at the roadside for the Wheatland Highway Department to pick up.  We ask that you be careful to keep it out of the road and provide enough clearance for the snow plow to go down your road if snow comes before it can picked up.  If you have the ability and the desire to drop off the debris yourself, the Town’s dump site is open and available to Town of Wheatland residents outside the Village of Scottsville.  The Village of Scottsville Facebook page will have information available for village residents.

TOWN OF WHEATLAND PUBLIC NOTICE
On Saturday, April 29, 2017 and Saturday, May 6, 2017 between the hours of 8 A.M. and 3 P.M. there will be dumpsters placed at the Highway Building, 1822 Scottsville-Mumford Road. Town Outside Village Residents may bring trash to this location to dump in hoppers provided.  Proof of residency will be required. New York State driver’s license is acceptable. Recycling of electronics will also be available. All electronics can be recycled free of charge.

BRUSH, TIRES, FUEL OIL, GASOLINE DRUMS, REFRIGERATORS, FREEZERS OR PAINT CONTAINERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. DUMPSTERS WILL BE MANNED FOR ASSISTANCE.

By Order of the Town Board of the Town of Wheatland
Dated: March 3, 2017
Laurie Czapranski, Town Clerk

NOTICE TO TOWN OF WHEATLAND RESIDENTS OUTSIDE VILLAGE OF SCOTTSVILLE – 2017 SPRING BRUSH REMOVAL – The Town of Wheatland D.P.W. will pick up brush at each resident’s home. Brush pick-up will start on Monday, May 1, 2017. We will do the town residential areas first: a. Hamlet of Mumford b. Rolling Acres After the residential areas are done, we will start at the west end of Town and work east to cover the outlying areas. Brush must be neatly piled, butt ends in same direction 1 truck load per household Residential brush only No fence row material, such as trees or large stumps No brush over 6 inches in diameter.

ONCE A ROAD OR STREET IS DONE, THERE WILL BE NO RETURN TRIP.

By Order of the Town Board Of the Town of Wheatland
Dated: March 3, 2017
Laurie Czapranski, Town Clerk

 

This past February 3rd, Wheatland Recreation held the annual Sweetheart Dance in the cafeteria at the T.J. Conner Elementary School. This event is a free family event for TJ Connor students and their “dates”. The event was well attended with over 240 guests, which was record participation for the dance.  The kids enjoyed dancing to music provided by DJ Brian from BRL Entertainment, having some sweet treats and singing/screaming their hearts out the last half hour. Many thanks to Nancy and Sam Berl, Cathy Clancy, Shauna and Olivia Cross , Erika DeVoe,  Andrea Goodfellow, Tina and Morgan Franklin, the Keister family, Ava Cody, Margaret Wright, Deborah Leh and of course our limbo stick holders, Corey Brandes and Ryan Cameron.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s Scottsville had its own jail. It was located on the south side of Main Street near the Clydesdale and Kelly building, recently occupied by Six Month Smiles. The 40’ x 40’ property on which the jail was built was purchased in 1885 from Samuel McConkey, who had a blacksmith shop there. The cells were built of 2 x 4 studs laid flat on top of one another. The heavy batten doors were held in place with wide iron straps. A Wheatland Constable was on duty in the jail when was a prisoner was housed there. This 1904 photograph shows the Scottsville Citizen’s Band seated in front of the jail. As far as we know, it is the only existing photo of the building.

In 1916 the building was moved from Main Street to a site behind the firehouse. Both buildings were on the lot that is now occupied by the Municipal Building. An article published in the Caledonia Advertiser on July 24, 1918 was headlined, “Inspector Gives Report of Village Lockup.”  The Monroe County jail inspector was George McLaughlin. He described the jail as “a small, detached, well-constructed wooden building.” He reported that 12 x 24 inch windows had been installed in the three cells, which were barred and screened. Each cell had a bunk provided with a mattress and blankets, which were in good condition, according to the report.

The inspector commented that the lockup “is not much used, no more than six times a year.”  No lodgers had been housed during the past year. When it was decided to give up the local jail, George Richardson moved the building to 2 Wyvil Avenue, where he used it as a woodworking shop. It survives today, but has been incorporated into a house and is no longer recognizable. Bobbie Richardson Dunn inherited the keys to the jail from her father and has graciously given them to the Wheatland Historian’s Office to be preserved as part of our history.

Interesting statistics included in the county jail inspector’s report stated that Scottsville’s population in 1918 was almost 900 and the Town of Wheatland about 2,500. John H. Gatenbee was the Town Supervisor, I. W. Salyers resident justice, and W. E. Vokes, chief of police.

For well over a hundred years, the men responsible for keeping law and order in the Town of Wheatland were known as “Constables.” At the very first town meeting held on April 3, 1821, Caleb Calkins and Chester Savage were elected constables. Later in the nineteenth century, constables were elected by the people and chosen to represent the various geographic areas of the town. In 1885, for instance, there were five constables elected; Samuel Conkey and Isaac Salyerds for Scottsville, Duncan McQueen in Garbutt and James Freeman and Duncan Grant to cover Mumford. In 1929 a ballot was used for the Republican Primary Election in Wheatland where voters were asked to choose candidates for constable. Rosenworth, Studeman and Rebholtz were Scottsville men, while Nichols and Skivington lived in Mumford. Harry Harvey of Mumford was the Republican Candidate for Supervisor that year who lost to Democrat Romeyn Dunn.

One of the outstanding constables of Wheatland was former slave John Alexander. He lived on Caledonia Avenue in Scottsville and served as town constable for more than 30 years at the turn of the last century. He became a hero in Scottsville’s famous 1912 murder case when he was able to convince the suspect to surrender after he had murdered his father, Turner Twiman.

William Rebholtz was a popular Wheatland constable who held the position in the 1920s and 30s. By 1960 there was only one town constable, and he was appointed by the Town Board. Stuart Grant held the position in 1960 and 1961 and was paid $100 a year. This article was inspired by the gift of a Wheatland constable’s badge to the Town Historian’s office. It was given by Debbie DiPasquale last fall before she and her husband Paul moved from Bowerman Road to retire in North Carolina. It calls attention to an interesting aspect of Wheatland history.

After approximately four years of discussion about community emergency services, the Town of Wheatland has finalized a contract with Henrietta Ambulance to provide Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) to the Wheatland Fire Protection District.  This newly adopted approach is intended to help ensure that people in this district continue to receive responsive ambulance services when the need arises.

The Democrat  & Chronicle has published articles about the much anticipated merger in emergency services for the southwest corner of Monroe County.  This portion of the Town of Wheatland now joins Henrietta and Chili as partners in this innovative design to ensure continued ability to provide emergency services.  The 2017 contract (an annual contract) provides for a reduced cost with the addition of ALS when needed.  The appropriate level of ambulance will be dispatched based on the issue described in the 911 call. The Town of Wheatland will receive quarterly cost and call reports in order to provide a continued evaluation of performance and cost regarding the use of these services.  When all the contracts are completed, Henrietta Ambulance will change its name to CHS Mobile Integrated Health Care to reflect the new partnership. 

“Many thanks to Matt Jarrett, Reg Allen, John Glavin, Esq and Raymond DiRaddo,Esq for the hours spent to collect data, utilize standards, and create a contract and partnership that may well serve as a template for other stressed ambulance services trying to provide responsiveness in non-city settings.”
~ Linda Dobson, Town Supervisor