Tag Archives: herkimer county historical society

Pedestrian Post with Pictures

Steven and I decided to take a little stroll after dinner, so I brought along my Tablet to take a few pictures.  It was a lovely afternoon for a stroll.  After stopping to chat with  neighbor, I saw some flowers I wanted to snap.

This is an apartment building that used to be a school.

Hmm… I guess that one did not come out very clearly, but I liked the purple flowers.

Maybe I’ll go back after dark and try to get a picture of these lit up.

Steven noticed some solar lights and wondered if ours still work.  We did not put them out this year.  It’s kind of a rebuilding year for our lawn; we have not done much with it except get the nice young man who lives across the street to mow it for us.

Steven thinks this would make a delightful movie/opera house.

Eventually we turned down Main Street, and I suggested I take a picture of this building, which we have long admired.  The “for sale” sign that I had noticed there previously was gone.  I wondered if somebody had bought it or if they were just doing the trick of taking the sign down for a while so when they put it back up folks will think it is a new listing.

I love the color; the picture does not fully do it justice.

Continuing down the street, we saw a building that had seen better days, but there was one lovely flower in front of it, so I took its picture.  Soon we were approaching the Historic Four Corners, which regular readers may recall is a favorite spot of mine.

I wrote a blog post about this cemetery once, a long time ago.

This is the Herkimer Reformed Church.   I love the old gravestones.  Next I wanted a shot of the Suiter House, home of the Herkimer County Historical Society.

It’s even more interesting inside.

The house was built by Dr. A. Walter Suiter, who played a pivotal role in the trials of Chester Gillette and Roxalana Druse, two famous historical murderers of the area.  Steven played Dr. Suiter in the play Roxy, presented by the Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre in 2015 (I played Roxy.  Perhaps you read a few of my blog posts about it).

Across the street is the Herkimer County Courthouse, where Chester Gillette and Roxalana Druse were tried for their respective murders.

Still a magnificent-looking building.

Of course I had to take a picture of the 1834 Jail, which housed both Gillette and Druse.

Who put that tree in the way!

Steven suggested I take a picture of him on the steps.

“Try to look like Dr. Suiter,” I suggested.

“In my party shorts with my Mr. Incredible t-shirt,” he said, as if he thought that was a problem.  He just smiled handsomely instead.

“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are thou…” Oh, wait. Wrong play.

Continuing down Main Street, I took a picture of Christ Episcopal Church.

Another handsome, historical building.

We cut though the little park next to Basloe Library (another of my favorite places), and I got a picture of some nice flowers.

I did not read the NOTICE on the building. I hope it did not say not to take pictures of the flowers.

After that, I thought I had taken enough pictures, so we continued our walk back home.  Now I see I am over 550 words and I have successfully avoided having another Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  I say, not a bad ending to the weekend.

 

Losing My Lame Head

It is like a Friday for me, because I have tomorrow off.  Therefore, my mind wants to post lame.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I often want to post lame or not at all (not at all?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!) (it ain’t so; I always want to make a post).  On Fridays, I pretend I have an excuse.  On other days, I make up an excuse.  Or I make a foolish post and I have no excuse.

Sorry, folks, but I am tired today.  And sad and discouraged.  One of my favorite quotes, although I do not know who said it, is, “Courage comes in waves.  Hold out for the next shipment.”  I may even have the exact wording wrong, but isn’t it a good thought?  It kind of goes along with a saying of mine, “Sometimes you just have to feel that way till you don’t feel that way any more.”  And while I am feeling that way, there is no point in making a whiny, tiresome blog post, is there?

I had another rehearsal earlier for Who Shot JS? the murder mystery to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I last heard that a mere 10 tickets remain to be sold.  Woohoo! I want the event to be a success!  Rehearsals are going splendidly.  The mystery will be performed at the Herkimer Elks Club on Saturday, April 22 at 6 p.m..  Tickets are $20 and include dinner catered by Dominick Scalise of Herkimer with dessert from the Friendly Bake Shop in Frankfort. If any local readers want to try for one of the few tickets left, contact the Historical Society at 315-866-6413.

I was hoping I could think of something funny to say to amuse my readers, but I am blank.  I know!  I will end with a trivia quiz, stolen from a Facebook friend.  I knew the answer to this.  What movie ends with the following:

I wonder if I can talk Steven into watching it tonight!

Answer in tomorrow’s post!  Ooh, I like the suspense.  Maybe I’ll make a trivia quiz a weekly feature.  What do you think?

 

Pre-Rehearsal Post on Tired Tuesday

I just started to type in a first sentence confessing that I am having a Tired Tuesday and this is my Tired Tuesday post, and I accidentally erased most of it. A sign?  My subconscious telling me to NOT have a Tired Tuesday post?  I don’t have time to ponder these things.  I have rehearsal for Who Shot JS? in an hour (or so).

Who Shot JS?, for anybody who doesn’t know or forgot, is the interactive murder mystery dinner theatre which will benefit Herkimer County Historical Society.  The performance will take place on Saturday, April 22 at 6 p.m. at the Herkimer Elks Club.  Dinner will be catered by Dominick’s Deli of Herkimer with dessert from Friendly Bake Shop of Frankfort.  Ilion Wine and Spirits has donated a prize for the winner.  Tickets are $20, and reservations may be made by calling 315-866-6413.

I’ll have to write a whole post about the mystery, telling the characters and a little of the plot (not too much of the plot, though, in case you go see it; I don’t want to spoil anything).  Today my brain is not up to it.  What the hell, brain?  How am I going to get through rehearsal?  Luckily, I have a script for that.

In the meantime, sorry about this lousy blog post.  I started to write a good one earlier, all about a cheesy horror movie Steven and I watched this past weekend.  Unfortunately, I did not get very far with it.  However, as they say, tomorrow is another day.  Happy Tuesday, everybody.

 

 

Putter, Post, Repeat

I pause in my Sunday gyrations to make a blog post, or at least to begin a blog post.  I may do other things between paragraphs and make no apology for doing so.  We’ll see.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it in this space before, but I often have what I call a putter and post kind of a day.  I putter around the house, I post a status on Facebook, I putter some more, go back to Facebook, etc. It is a pleasant way to spend a day off, and sometimes I even get a few things done.

Today I have gotten a few things done.  I grocery shopped.  I stopped at Honey Brook Hobbies and Sweet Temptations in hopes of writing an article about them for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I did the dishes. I made a pepperoni and cream cheese roll-up, just because.  I chopped up radishes and carrots for this week’s lunches.  I am in the midst of making a batch of Chex Party Mix (in the oven with real butter, as God intended).  And I paused to check up on my Facebook friends.  I like Facebook.

And that was when I stopped composing this post and did a few other things, as threatened in the first paragraph.  I did not accomplish anything more of note, but I am anxious to get on to the sweats on, bra off, movie watching portion of the day.  That is, get back to it, since in fact my sweats are on, my bra is off and A Place in the Sun is playing on the DVD player.

Last night we watched A North Woods Elegy: Incident at Big Moose Lake, a DVD Steven got for me from the Herkimer County Historical Society.  It is about the real life case that inspired the novel that A Place in the Sun is based on,  An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.  The case was, as local readers no doubt know, the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gilette.  Gilette stayed in the 1834 Jail here in Herkimer, while he was tried and convicted in the Herkimer County Court House; both of those buildings are located on the Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners, which I have mentioned numerous times in this blog.

I would like to write a longer blog post about A North Woods Elegy.  Perhaps in a subsequent blog post, because if I don’t get this posted soon, today might turn into Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  And we wouldn’t want that, now, would we?

 

Only Through the Door of the Jail

It is well known (by people who know me) that I am a big fan of Herkimer’s 1834 Jail.  When Steven noticed tours would be available this past Monday, I was delighted.  I was even more delighted when we realized that Steven would also be available to participate.  The tours were in conjunction with a talk by Craig Brandon taking place across the street in the Herkimer County Courthouse.

Brandon wrote Murder in the Adirondacks, about the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in Moose Lake.  Gillette was housed in the jail and tried in the courthouse.  Brandon recently revised the book, adding new photos and information. I’m hoping Steven buys me a copy for my birthday.

Some people, when they have seen an historic site or other attraction, are done. I, on the other hand, am not that way, especially when it is something you can’t go to just any old time.  The 1834 Jail is in that category.  The Jail is an easy walk from our house, on Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners where Main Street meets Church Street.  We thought we had left in plenty of time, but people were already gathering in front of the jail when we arrived.  The door was open, so we went in.  We could hear voices upstairs.

Other people soon followed us in.  One lady noticed a place to sign in, but there was no pen.

“You can borrow my pen,” I said.  It was actually one of Steven’s pens.  He buys these cheap ballpoint pens to take to work, in case he hands one to a customer and doesn’t get it back.  That was a good thing, since I didn’t get it back.  Almost everybody wanted to sign in.

“Oh, look, there are the gallows they strung me up on,”  I said, pointing into the next room.  It was the replica of the Galloping Gallows, which were used to hang Roxalana Druse, who killed her husband in Warren County.  Herkimer B.O.C.E.S. built the replica for Herkimer County Historical Society when they presented the play Roxy at Ilion Little Theatre last September.  I played Roxy.  (In case anybody did not see the play and was concerned, they did not show me being strung up.  The audience was shown the gallows, but the actual execution took place offstage.)

Soon the group who had enjoyed the first tour came downstairs with their tour guide, Jim Greiner, who wrote Last Woman Hanged: Roxalana Druse.  Jim is a dynamic speaker and very knowledgeable about the jail and Herkimer County history.  Steven and I attended a talk he gave about his book, and I have taken a tour of the jail with him.  He greeted us new arrivals  as “Chester Gillette fans.”

“And Roxalana Druse fans,” I said, although truth be known I am a Gillette/Brown aficionado as well.

I must end my blog post here, at the beginning of our tour.  I have a rehearsal tonight for Much Ado About Nothing, and I’m not quite ready for it.  I hope to see you all on Lame Post Friday.

 

Multiple M Monday

“The weather is going to stick around.”  –Bill Kardas, WKTV Weather.

I think he meant that the GOOD weather is going to stick around, but Steven and I were amused by the way that disembodied quote looks. And the word “disembodied”  to me has a distinctly Halloweenish sound to it.  It brings to mind disembodied heads and hands.  Nice.

If it was not already obvious, I am having a Mental Meanderings Monday.  It was either that or a long Monday Moan, and who wants to hear more of my belly-aching?  Not me!

Soon I must run to rehearsal for Lunch Hour, the first show of the Ilion Little Theatre 2015-16 season (yes, yes, I have mentioned it before; it bears repeating).  First Steven and I have to help with a little project for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I’ll just be a little mysterious about that for now (Mysterious Monday?  I like that, too).

As the month progresses, I shall also be preoccupied with Steven’s and my Halloweddinganniversaweenary Party.  I thought it would be fun to mention the name.  I made it up myself. Oh dear, I do hope all of my followers weren’t hoping for an invitation.  That would make it a larger party than I have resources for.  Not as large a party as SOME bloggers would have.  I say it with jealousy but also with respect.

And now I’m getting silly (Malarkey Monday?),  but I am over 200 words, so I can sign off now with a relatively clear conscience.  Hope to see you all on Tired Tuesday.

 

Thinking about Theatre

The answer to the question, “What was I thinking?” is pretty much always, “You weren’t thinking.  You are a huge idiot and you bring all your troubles on yourself.”  There is something vaguely liberating in the admission.  Or am I just glass-half-fulling?

No matter.  For this week’s Monday Mental Meanderings, I bring you another theatre update.  Are any of my readers tired of hearing about Ilion Little Theatre?  I cannot fathom such a thing.  In any case I am too tired to think of anything else to write about (and it’s not even Tired Tuesday yet. Yikes!).

Yesterday was closing performance of Roxy,  (I think we can say it all together now:) the play presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre  (ILT).  Naturally we followed up with a cast party.  Oh all right, I may have possibly had just a sip or two more wine than was strictly necessary.  I had a wonderful time with my theatre friends, but I got lousy sleep and I am feeling far from my best this morning.

Now I can hear the unkind laughter.   I assure you, I am laughing at myself at this point.  But why do I feel as if nobody is laughing with me but only at me?  Like you never did anything stupid!

Anyways, that is not what raised the question of what I was thinking, and as always I apologize for going on about my own ills.  On to the theatre update.

Tonight we begin rehearsals for the first official show of the ILT season:  Lunch Hour by Jean Kerr.  It is to be directed by Suzanne Rodio.  I am stage manager.

I realized this morning that if I had thought about it for even a short time, I would not have agreed to such a thing. I’m tired, for heavens’ sake!  I’m not a young woman and I don’t lead nearly as healthy a lifestyle as I ought to.  Suzanne has set an ambitious rehearsal schedule.  I ought to be glad about that, because she is very organized and obviously means this to be a good show that does not have to pull together at the last minute (oh how I hate opening night miracles!) (although I suppose it is even worse when you need one and it doesn’t happen).

Well, just listen to me whine.  What a big, fat baby!  I’m going into a show with a strong script and a good director.  More to the point, I LOVE theatre!  I want to work on a play!

I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow, as long as rehearsal doesn’t run late and I get a good night’s sleep.  Here’s to not feeling too tired on Tuesday!

 

Roxy to Romance

It is Tired Tuesday, folks, and you can just get mad at me, because I’m not apologizing  (“I’m sorry but I’m not apologizing” is one of my favorite sayings).  In fact, I wrote most of a very good post about Saturday’s visit to the Garlic Festival (full name Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival).  But, as often happens with me and this kind of post, I want it to be BETTER.  I’ll work on it.

In the meantime, here is an update on theatre news.  The first official production of Ilion Little Theatre will begin rehearsals with a read-through tonight.  Roxy (you know, that play I’ve been blathering on about for weeks), if you recall, is actually a production of the Herkimer County Historical Society AT Ilion Little theatre.  It is not officially part of the ILT season.

The first ILT production is Lunch Hour by Jean Kerr, a romantic comedy.  I have agreed to be stage manager.  I have not acted as stage manager since sometime in the early 1990s, but I daresay I have not forgotten how.  At least I don’t have any lines to learn.  Auditions were held a couple of weeks ago.  The play is cast and we are read to go!

And I am missing the read-through tonight.  The director said it will be OK.  She understands that I am tired.  After all, killing your husband with an ax, burning the body and then getting hung for it all weekend kind of takes its toll.  And I have to do it all again this weekend.  I’m not complaining, mind you; I love to be in a play.  A good night’s sleep tonight will be just what I need.  Hope to see you all on Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

All Roxy But Mostly Tired

Are you ready for All Roxy All The Time?  Because we have three — that’s right, a mere THREE rehearsals before opening night on Friday.  How can I help but obsess?

For anybody just tuning in or for anybody who REALLY doesn’t pay attention when they read (like the way a lot of you listen when I talk) (you know who you are), Roxy is the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  I’m in it, and I have written several blog posts about it.

Actually, I spent a good deal of my time at work today NOT thinking about Roxy.  I was instead thinking about how hot and uncomfortable I was.  Unofficial end of summer, my ass! (I used that as the first sentence of a blog post once; let’s just say I’m quoting myself.)  However, to kvetch about the weather is tiresome.  I am comfortable now and enjoying the sounds of a thunderstorm.

I spent my lunch time going over my lines again.  I pretty much know them, but it is a mistake to become complacent about these things.  My only fear is that the hot weather of the last few days as boiled, steamed and fried my brain to less than its normal level of usefulness (admittedly low).  For example, I’m looking back over this blog post and it reads to me a bit… disjointed.  I feel it is not as entertaining as one would like.

Then again, it is Tired Tuesday.  And since it was doing double duty as Monday (since I was one of the fortunate people who had a three day weekend),  I have even more reason to be tired.  I must hit publish and try to catch a second wind before rehearsal.  Tune in tomorrow, when Mohawk Valley Girl says, “I had hoped NOT to have Wuss-out Wednesday, BUT…”

 

Exit, Stage Lame

You know, like how Snagglepuss used to say, “Exit, stage left!”  I always liked that line.

Of course it is Lame Post Friday.  Perhaps you hoped I would not have one, since yesterday’s post was, well, I guess a little lame, too.  Then again, that usually doesn’t stop me (ssSomebody, sstop me!) (like Jim Carrey in Mask, a movie I have only seen once, not all the way through) (have you just lost all respect for me?).

Where was I? Ah yes, trying to get my blog post published before I get ready for rehearsal for Roxy, the play being put on by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre (I thought it would be good to say that again).  It is one week before opening night.  They still have not gotten the gallows squared away, which I suppose should be good news for me, since I am playing the character who gets hanged.  Rehearsal may run late, but that is OK with me, because I don’t have to work tomorrow. Yay!

I have my contact lenses in, which I very rarely wear.  I get the one-day disposables for precisely that reason.  I get awesome distance vision with them.  Close up, not so much.  To see my computer properly I have on a pair of over-the-counter readers.  Full disclosure: I bought them because they were on sale and had rhinestones.  I don’t know what power they are.

I shall declare  this post sufficient for Lame Post Friday purposes.  I must go do my hair, look over my lines, and get ready to murder my husband with an ax, theatrically speaking, of course. Happy Friday, everyone.