OLEAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY & PRESERVATON NEWSLETTER

OLEAN HISTORICAL AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Olean Point Museum, The Fannie Bartlett House
302 Laurens St. Olean, N,Y, 14760
Summer 2008 Newsletter
Since the last newsletter members of OHPS has been especially busy enlarging 'GRANDMA'S ATTIC', which is located on the second floor of the Olean Point Museum. Not only will visitors enjoy viewing the collection of more than 1000 Salt and Pepper Shakers, from the Olladene Nourse collection, but also the Blue Glass display from the Mildred Cook Collection. A Spinning Wheel and a Haspel from the 1880's donated by Steve and Betty Eaton * is also displayed
(Haspel --after the yarn is reeled up ten times round, the haspel makes a loud noise that you can count. This is the way you can measure how much yarn you have already made.)

After this photo was taken more Blue Glass had been displayed on the bottom three shelves
*Betty and Steve Eaton have sold their home and have moved to Kenneth Square, Pa. The members of OHPS wish them both the best and they will be greatly missed by all of us.

Since the Olean High School 125th Alumni Reunion was held on Saturday evening, June 21, 2008, at the Premier Banquet Center on Constitution Ave., I thought that perhaps this would be an ideal time to recall the First Annual Dance held by the Alumni of OHS on December 26, 1894, at the Academy of Music on North Union Street, Olean. The Academy of Music was destroyed by a fire and the Feder Silk Mill was built on this site in 1907.

The following article appeared in an Olean Paper, Dec. 27, 1894.
"The first annual ball of the Olean High School Alumni Association was held at the Academy of Music last night and the pleasant anticipations of its patrons were fully realized. About 125 couples were present, including the elite of the city and many from abroad. The spacious hall afforded a delightful place for the large party and those who attended spoke of the ball as one of the most enjoyable parties in the social annuals of Olean.
The 43rd orchestra led by Prof. Donnicker furnished the music which as usual was excellent. The collation (a light meal) was served by Mrs. Deabold of Olean and was deliciously prepared. Many exquisite gowns were worn by the ladies. The party was a brilliant success and it was learned with pleasure that the association contemplated giving a like function each succeeding year.
Among the out-of-town guests were Mr. and Mrs. Hanna of Cincinnati, Miss Palmer of Oberlin, Miss Morris, Miss Jones, William McCoy, Mr. Leland and Mrs. Freeman of Springville, Miss May of Hinsdale, The Misses Sill, Miss Fuller and Mr. Charles Sutton of Rochester, Miss Della Homes, Miss Gleason and Benjamin Hawkins of Buffalo, Mr. Crawford of Bradford and Miss Davis of Pittsburgh."
The Feder Silk Mill and Eade's Fitness Center were located on the site of the Academy of Music. After demolishing the old silk mill building, Louie Magnano is now having a Senior Center built on this same site.

Old Swimming Holes in the early days of Olean were a rarity since there was too much activity on the river and creek, what with the lumber thriving hereabouts. However, one good swimming hole was in the Olean Creek at a point where a spillway north of the Pennsylvania tracks entered the creek from the Genesee Valley. At times of low water, thousands of logs were floated down the Allegany River from the lumber camps above Portville. Until the river was higher, it was impossible to float the logs below Olean so they were shunted into the canal and north to the spillway, leaving the canal at the spillway and entering into the creek to be carried downstream to a lake formed by the Martin Mill dam, in what is now War Veterans Park where they were held for high water in the river. From the spillway to the creek was a drop of some fifteen feet. This was a favorite swimming hole, since it was sheltered from Union Street by the high bank of the tow path and swimming suits were unknown. The boys would get onto the logs as they came through from the canal, riding them to the bridge over the spillway and climbing onto the bridge just as the logs went over the spillway, a very dangerous practice.

W.C.T.U. declared swimming near the Filtration Plant should be stopped. One night in July 1926, the following resolution was adopted by the women of the W.C. T. U.: "resolved that we go on record to waken interest in having sources of Olean water supply suitably guarded from pollution, and prohibitive measures taken to prevent bathing and swimming in Olean Creek above the filtration plant within such distance as may be determined by health board." Members of the union claimed that boys and young men have been swimming in the Olean Creek just above the filtration plant. Mrs. Tucker stated that members are indignant" even to think" that water reaches homes in the city after persons have been swimming in it. She admitted that the plant is perfectly capable of removing any pollution from the water before it reaches the homes, but still the very thought she claimed, is disgusting. Inquiry made at the Water Department on July 29th, revealed that a State Health Law holds that no person shall swim or bathe in water within 500 feet of the intake of the Olean water supply. It was emphatically made plain at the office that there was only one person known to be swimming within the 500 feet limit. It was claimed the man was told to move and he immediately did. There was no jurisdiction either state or city outside this limit, according to statements made by the Water Department. 1940's photo- swimming at Old Mill, North of Filtration Plant, North Olean

Newsletter and photo by Eileen M. Smith,

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