Galen Historical Society

Keep the photos and info...coming!! Thank you.

With May being Military Appreciation Month send us your military personnel photos. We will be showcasing all Galen military personnel who have served. Please send a personal message with a photo to include name, branch of service, or any other information you'd like included. We will post on Facebook close to Memorial Day. Please share away! Thank you in advance.

Live near or far but love our local history? Become a member of the Galen Historical Society. You will receive the Blockhouse Bulletin, as part of your membership. Click the link below and mail in your membership to us. We'd love to have you as part of the group! http://www.galenhistoricalsociety.org/membershipform.htm

Today marks the incorporation of the Villiage of Clyde. Clyde was incorporate at the Stow insurance and law office on May 2, 1835. The law office was located at the corner of West Genesee Street and Sodus Street. A photo with Mr. Stow at the law office is below. The law office is perfectly preserved and is now at the Genesee Country Museum. The first President of the Village was Aaron T. Hendrick, who was a medical doctor. Yes, President... that later changed to Mayor. What importance does the Village Park have to do with the Incorporation of the Village? Below is the first page from the New York State Archives of the original incorporation. If you read carefully it states the boundaries of the Village align with the center of the public square, which is now called the Village Park. Happy 186th birthday Village of Clyde!!

Today Sidney W. Wood, also know as S.W. Wood was born in 1829 in Kingston, NY. His father Israel relocated the family to Galen. At 12 years old Mr.Wood ran a saw mill for Nathan Stevens until he was 17. He married Catherine Whitmire and had three children (Henry, Ray, and Ella). He went on to work in 1847 as a machinist for 20 years at the Seneca Lake Foundry. In 1866, he went rented the Clyde Iron works under the name Wood, Chandler and Co. Partnering with his brother Set...h and George Chandler. In 1867, when Chandler retired the name was changed to the S.W. Wood and Co. In 1868 they manufactured portable steam engines, boilers and farming equipment particularly plows and cultivators. Mr. Wood remarried on 1878 to Catherine Queeman. The business was renamed to S.W. Wood and Son, when Seth died in 1886 and S.W's son Henry joined the family business. The portable steam engine equipment made by S.W. Wood and Son resides at the Mill Museum. Mr. Wood died in 1913 and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery. See more

This post did not work yesterday...so here it is the "Father of Clyde" April 7, 1757 is the birthday of the "Father of Clyde", Major Frederick DeZeng. Major DeZeng was in the Revolutionary War and fought on the side of the British Hessians. After the War, he became a Naturalized US Citizen. He was the first large landowner in Clyde and opened the mostly unsettled area north of the river to commerce and industry. He was the first glass factory owner with his son, William and business partner, James Rees. He was responsible for building many bridges, canals, inspecting watersheds. He lived a long life of 82 years and passed on April 26, 1838. He is buried in Maple Grove Cemetary.

We are still offering the purchasing of Memorial Bricks for Hertiage Park. Check out our website, http://www.galenhistoricalsociety.org/heritagePark.htm, for the details and the applications! If you have any questions, please let us know.

New Year...new ideas wanted!!! We want to hear from you and be here for you. Tell us what you would like to see on Facebook. We are going to be doing some new things like focusing on some of our collections, our Gift Shop items will be featured and available for sale with shipping but we want to make sure we are not missing something you'd like to see. Comments are welcome.

Wishing all of you near and far a very Merry Christmas!

Our snowman! Thank you to our Board member Mary Katherine Lauster for her donation of her creative talent!!!

Santa is real! https://www.facebook.com/goalcast/videos/1678441322233051/