Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Miller House Hotel

The Miller House was a well-known hotel that stood at the corner of Main and Elm Streets in Malone (on the site of the current Flanagan Hotel). Built as the residence of W.D. House, it was purchased by Orlando Furness and enlarged into a hotel. Furness' son-in-law, Philip B. Miller, became its proprietor in 1834 when Furness died. Miller ran the hotel from 1834-1857, when Alexander and Mary Flanagan purchased it. They ran it until 1871, when they took over the Ferguson House (across the street). (It's their sons who built the current Flanagan Hotel). The Miller House was torn down in 1886.


Click on image to enlarge
From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society, 1969.106.1

Monday, December 21, 2009

Malone Municipal Band


Click image to enlarge

The Malone Municipal Band was formally incorporated in 1915, although it had performed for at least a decade. Concerts were held on the site now occupied by the Flanagan Hotel, across the street at Memorial Park 1913-1918, Arsenal Green 1918-1946, and the Rec. Park.  Pictured are: John H. Faubert, Ozias R. Boyer, Wallace Shortsleeve, Moses Bessette - Director, W.J. VonDell - Manager, Melvin T. Desnoyers, Oliver E. Faubert.

From the Collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society.  1981.65.1

Monday, December 14, 2009

Telegram to Abraham Lincoln

Telegram from William A. Wheeler and Albert Hobbs to Abraham Lincoln, November 1, 1864. The telegram was concerning the case of Nathan Wilcox, a military deserter.

REPOSITORY:  The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress (Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833-1916.)
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/377/3779800/malpage.db&recNum=0



(click image to enlarge)


Transcript:

Office U.S. Military Telegraph
War Department
The following Telegram received at Washington, 1023 a M, Nov 1 1864.
5 From Malone NY Nov 1 1864

Abraham Lincoln
President US

Mr Nathan Wilcox who is under sentence of death for desertion from the army is my relative + for the sake of his grandparents this large circle of loyal relatives I humbly pray your Excellency to commute his sentence so that his life may be spared He was a member of the twenty second 22d Massachusetts Volunteers
                                                                  A Hobbs

- Continued –

Hon A Hobbs who signs the above despatch is the Union Senator from the 17th NYork Dist + a good + loyal man to whose representation all good faith + credit may be given
                                                                 WA Wheeler
                                                                 Late MC
+++++++
President Lincoln must have agreed to order a stay of execution, as the Library of Congress has futher telegraphs on the matter.  On November 2, General Grant telegraphs to President Lincoln General Meade's reply to him, indicating that there's no "Private Nathan Niloan" scheduled for execution, but there is a "Nathaniel M. Wilcox" and he'll stay the execution order accordingly.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/378/3785500/malpage.db&recNum=0&tempFile=./temp/~ammem_yjHO&filecode=mal&next_filecode=mal&prev_filecode=mal&itemnum=4&ndocs=96




General Meade sends his own telegraph to the President, indicating that he will suspend the execution and await further orders:
(http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/P?mal:2:./temp/~ammem_yjHO:: )

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Hayes-Wheeler Campaign Sheet Music

Sheet music for "The boys in blue will see it through; Campaign song and Chorus."


PUBLISHED:  S.T. Gordon & Son, New York, NY, 1876

REPOSITORY:  Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/a/a90/a9087/



(click image to enlarge)

Friday, December 11, 2009

Pierce Arrow automobile

Ca. 1910 photograph of Pierce Arrow automobile with Floyd Pond at the wheel. Passengers include Leslie Howard, Roy Kirk, Harold Lawrence, Dan Flack, Mrs. Wallace Smith. Four women in back are: Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Elizabeth Kirk, and Elsie Douglas.  Photograph taken in Malone, NY in front of what was the Pond Electric Building. (From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society.)




Thursday, December 10, 2009

J.W. Murphy, Undertaker

J.W. Murphy Undertaker business on Amsden St., Malone
(From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society, 1971.330)


John W. Murphy established his business in Malone in 1899 on Amsden Street, later moving to a West Main Street address, and continued operation until his death in 1936. His daughter, Mary E. Murphy, joined the business as a licensed funeral director, took over management of the family business, and in 1971 merged the J.W. Murphy Funeral Home with that of Francis St. Mary to form the St. Mary-Murphy Funeral Home.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Franklin County History in the blogosphere

We're not the only one talking about Franklin County, NY history in blogs. 

Smallpines recently posted about some famous folks who likely passed his place is the southeast part of the county through the years:
http://smallpines.com/2009/11/23/the-franklin-county-glitteratti/

Shatagee Woods regularly posts about the history of Chateaugay and Chateaugay Lake area.  Here's a link to a cool picture of Brainardsville:
http://chateaugaylake.blogspot.com/2009/03/me-church-brainardsville-ny.html

Adirondack Almanack highlighted a Saranac Lake resident who was killed in North Africa during WWII:  http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2009/11/history-channel-to-feature-saranac-wwii.html

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Saranac Lake Dam

From the September 11, 1938 Northern New York News, distributed by the Syracuse Post Standard:

click image to enlarge