Spring 2002

About the Spring 2002 Issue

Note from the Editors

This issue beings with a new essay by Thomas D. Cornell titled "The Call of Stories" which is to be a part of a larger collection of essays, some already published here and more yet to come. Tom writes again of his grandmother, Marie B. Cornell, a great storyteller, who got him started following stories and connecting them to places.

Richard Palmer remembers what the New York Central was like when he was young and had older family members who worked for the sprawling rail system. He explains how each division and branch of the New York Central seemed to be a different railroad, each operating in a way of its own.

Edwin N. Harris wrote many stories of his early life around Dundee, and later about living and working in Rochester and western New York. They were all chapters in Harpendings Corners published in the Crooked Lake Review between August 1989 and March 1995. Ed got the book written just before a severe stroke in 1995. Physical therapy enabled him to walk and to respond to conversation, but it didn't bring back his memory. Last month he suffered another major stroke and died the day following, February 14, 2002.

About ten years ago, Ed sent us a suggested obituary, remarking, "This might sound presumptuous, but I don't want it screwed up." We publish here a brief biography by the editors. I hope we have it right, Ed. A sample of his wisdom and his humor are included.

Ed Harris should be credited with starting the group that has become the New Society of the Genesee.

Gerry Muhl is back with another article on money, but this time about phony money and the people in this state who printed bills, stamped coins, and pushed them on a largely unsuspecting public. Gerry still acquires the artwork of the money entrepreneurs and has provided us with many pictures of their products. Inflation has made counterfeiting on a small scale not worth the trouble anymore.

David Minor reviews the happenings of the year, 1818, in New York State and New York City . David has collected so much information for each of his timeline years that a whole page, filled with text, is required to cover each year now. We are gaining and should catch up in 62 years.

The issue includes a report by Gary Lehmann of his researches into iron processing in Penfield during the early 1800s. Charcoal was necessary for sufficient heat to smelt iron ores and Gary relates a charcoal-producing firing he took part in at the New York Historical Society in Cooperstown.

The second scene illustrating the pioneer's progress from the Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase is reproduced with Orsamus Turner's text.

CLR Blog | Site Map | Contact CLR