Gibson, the Glen Guide

     In the 1880s, visitors to Watkins who wanted to see the famous glen often had a most unusual guide.  A dog.  His name was Gibson, a large furry fellow who for nearly twelve years gladly showed the tourists through the glen, as long as they rewarded him with his favorite treat: ice cream.  Gibson was described as a “remarkable animal” with “almost human intelligence.”

     Gibson made his home at the Jefferson Hotel in Watkins, which once stood at the corner of Franklin and Fourth Streets.  He innately knew who was a tourist, and would make his presence known by walking up to them to touch his nose to their hand or touch them with his paw.  He would never take local people to the glen, only the tourists.  All one had to say was, “Gibson, I want to go to the glen,” and their canine guide was ready to go.  He would lead them to the glen on foot or hop in their carriage and ride sitting upright on the seat with them.  Once at the glen, Gibson would lead his charges along the pathways to show them the spectacle of the glen.  If they began to take a wrong path, Gibson would stop and sit, until they came back to him so he could get them on the correct route once again.  If a path was somewhat dangerous, he was known to grasp their clothing in his mouth and pull them the right way.  He would even pause at certain spots as if to get the tourist to enjoy the natural beauty before them.

     Once Gibson began his guided tour, he did not abandon his escorts.  He was not distracted by other people, or even by other dogs—he kept to his mission.  If the people wanted to stop into a place to have a meal or shop, Gibson would lay down outside and wait for them.

     Gibson was very protective of his escorts, and he seemed to exhibit some class consciousness.  He was known to growl at workingmen who came near dressed in shabby clothes and was even known to spring on them to make them move away as he gallantly protected his tourists.  He also was not fond of salesmen, who he instinctively ignored.  But Gibson was gentle as a lamb around the tourists, especially the ladies who gleefully pet and pampered him.

     Many were saddened in December 1888 when they learned that Gibson had died at the Jefferson House.  I hope that those of us who walk the glen today will remember how Gibson’s paws once joyfully tread the same path, regaling in his favorite job.  And have some ice cream at the end of the journey in memory of Gibson.

1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic

Watkins Glen

Montour Falls

Watkins Glen

The articles above, taken from the Watkins Express and the Montour Falls Free Press in the fall of 1918 and spring of 1919, show that the current corona virus threat is nothing new.  We have traveled this path before.  The Spanish Influenza of 1918-1919 struck during World War I.  It was called the Spanish Influenza, but historians and scientists now believe it originated in army camps here in the United States and then spread overseas by way of military troops ships with very deadly consequences.  The articles reveal that some of the same precautions being taken today to deal with the Covid-19 virus were also done in 1918 and 1919, such as closing schools and re-purposing buildings to use as hospitals.  During the WWI crisis, Americans also moved about wearing masks to limit contracting or spreading the virus, meetings were cancelled, and businesses closed.  Local papers in 1918 and 1919 were filled with articles about people who had contracted the flu, and there were a number of local citizens who died from it.  Here's hoping that by working together we can all help avoid making our present pandemic as harmful as the Spanish Influenza of WWI.

The Great Walking Contest of 1879

 

One of the first spectator sports in America arrived in Watkins Glen in April 1879.  Pedestrianism, or Walking Matches, were all the rage in the late 1870s.  There were two walking matches hosted by Watkins Glen.  The first was held in the Freer Opera House at the corner of Franklin Street and Fourth Street (the present day site of Jerlando's Restaurant--see photo above).  The men who competed in the match tested their endurance to earn cash prizes.  First place received $100, the equivalent today of about $2,000.  The race began on Tuesday, April 8 and ended on Saturday.  The winner, Thomas Griffin, walked over 245 miles on the third floor of the Opera House.  Contestants took short breaks to sleep and rest at their trainer's instruction.  Local people came and watched as bands played music and refreshments were served.  Gamblers bet on different aspects of the contest-- who would cover the most miles the first day? who would be the first to drop out? who would win?  It is hard to imagine that those men walked around and around and around the top floor of the Opera House covering the equivalent of walking entirely around Seneca Lake everyday.  People back then found this all very exciting.  A second walking match took place in Watkins Glen in June 1879, and it was held under a tent on Fourth Street, where the current Watkins Sporting Goods is.  In that contest, the winner walked in circles under the tent to complete 323 miles.  It makes one wonder what people 100 years from now will look back at our own times and shake their heads in amazement as they contemplate: what could have made people do that? 

Left click on the newspaper article above to see a larger version of it.

Chemung Canal Toll Collector

In the archives of the Montour Falls Library is a Chemung Canal toll collector's book from 1843.  There were two toll collection offices on the Chemung Canal.  One was in Horseheads and the other in Montour Falls, known then as Havana.  Above is a sample entry from the book.  At the top of the entry, it provides the name of the boat owner, G. Fauset.  But notice at the bottom of the entry the owner's signature is spelled differently as George Faucett.  At the top, the boat name is also given as the Reading, hailing from Seneca Lake.  It also shows that this boat was the 22nd clearance on that day.  The boat cargo is listed, along with where that cargo was destined.  Listed are 2 barrels of pork, some iron, 2 barrels of soap, and one barrel of tea all being shipped to Corning.  There is a load of furniture headed to Fairport.  At that time, Horseheads was known as Fairport.  Lastly is an entry for 3 barrels of flour.  The destination seems to be an abbreviated form of Corning.  Obviously, a toll collector had to be good at arithmetic to compute the toll due on each boat.  There were no weigh locks on the Chemung Canal, so each boat had to have a manifest listing the cargo and the weight or quantity of the goods.  Toll collectors had assistance thanks to tables that listed toll rates on different products, and tables listing mileage between the various destinations on the canals to help them compute the tolls.  Toll rates often were stated in mills, that is one-thousandth of a currency unit, in this case a dollar. So, for example, look at the Furniture entry.  The weight of the furniture was 400 pounds.  It would travel 17 miles.  The rate on furniture was 9 mills (.0009).  So the toll was computed like this:  400 lbs. X 17 miles = 6800.  6800 X .0009 = 6.12.  So the toll was rounded to 6 cents.  Notice that the boat itself also paid a toll, but apparently it was not figured in mills but in cents.  Thirty two miles to Corning at 2 cents per mile came to 64 cents.  Tolls collected in Montour Falls (Havana) were kept in the Bank of Havana, located in the Montour House.

The Little John

 




George Magee was a wealthy railroad and coal mine owner who lived in a mansion in Watkins Glen near the present site of the Elks Club (the Magee mansion was torn down in the 1960s).  The main business offices of his company were in Corning, NY, so every day George Magee traveled by rail from his home to Corning.  In the morning he took a train to Corning, but in the late afternoon he would return home on his own luxurious private car, the Little John.  The photo above on the left shows the private engine that transported Magee.  The engine would drop off Magee and then return to Corning with eight or nine passengers.  The Little John was also used for family outings and to inspect the tracks.  The private engine was rather unique.  It had a horn instead of a bell on it, and it had two cow catchers, one in front and one in the back.  It also had two large lights, one in front and one in back.  The steam powered locomotive could get up to 40 miles per hour.  Magee was sentimental enough about the little engine that he had a clock made depicting the Little John, which was part of the decor of his mansion.  The clock, shown above on the right, resides in the Schuyler County Historical Society in Montour Falls.  When the Little John was retired in 1912, it was sold for $25 and converted into a diner in Corning called the Little John Diner.  Later it was moved to Gang Mills and housed an antique shop.  The next time you are in the Schuyler County Historical Society make sure to check out the Little John clock.  If you left click on the photos you can view a larger version of them.

An Unexpected Visit

The first plane to land in Schuyler County touched down in early October 1919 when it experienced mechanical problems while participating in a transcontinental round trip race between New York and San Francisco.  While flying a De Haviland biplane over Seneca Lake, one of the two men on board noticed an oil pressure problem so they quickly found a place to land.  The plane dove sharply, just cleared a wire fence, and landed on the Beahan farm along County Line Road, just west of Watkins Glen.  Children at a nearby school saw and heard the plane and the teachers decided not to stifle their curiosity. They dismissed school so that all could rush to the scene.  As the pilots telephoned Ithaca to acquire the type of oil they needed, the children and other onlookers climbed all over the airplane with glee.  Mrs. Beahan arrived with sandwiches and coffee for the two flyers who expressed their gratitude.  The oil leak was fixed and the two men roared off again on their journey, waving to the crowd below as they flew over.  The plane soon disappeared into the clouds, and the throng of curiosity seekers were left with a great memory of the day the first airplane landed in Schuyler County. (left click on the photo above to see a larger version of it).

Opera Houses

The Odessa Opera House (shown above) once stood at the corner of what is today Merchant Ave. and Main Street in Odessa.  Opera houses were the center of activity for many local communities in the 19th century.  Havana (Montour Falls) also had an opera house, as did Watkins Glen.  The building that houses Jerlando's Restaurant in Watkins Glen today was once the Freer Opera House.  The opera house in Montour Falls was torn down in the 20th century when the roof collapsed.  The opera houses did more than host musical performances.  They also were venues for plays, conventions, political meetings, graduations, movies, and even sporting events such as wrestling matches and basketball games.  Suffragettes Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt once spoke at the Freer Opera House.  The Odessa Opera House also housed the fire department.