October 1992

About this Issue

Note from the Editors

We begin this issue with Huldah Barnes Davis's remembrance of her childhood association with Jemima Wilkinson and others in the society of "The Friend". Her description of the people and early events was made when she was 83 years old in 1890. Herbert A. Wisbey, Jr. furnished the copy of Mrs. Davis's recollections, and following it is his history of her account. He also furnished the two illustrations with the article.

Professor Wisbey wrote Pioneer Prophetess, 1964, and has given many talks on Jemima Wilkinson and her Society. He has served on editorial boards of New York Folklore Quarterly and Communal Societies, and is Professor Emeritus of American History at Elmira College. The Wisbeys make their home in Horseheads, NY.

Corning native, Rev. Robert F. McNamara gives us the first chapter of a biographical series about Charles C. Corwin who was a choir director, and founder of the Corning Philharmonic Orchestra. Rev. McNamara has written several long books on church history. From 1947 to 1949 he wrote 70 articles on Corning history that appeared in the Corning Evening Leader. He lives now at the Rectory of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Rochester.

We present Josephine Matilda deZeng's diary for the last week of September 1842. She tells in this installment of a visit to her sister in Honeoye Falls.

Edwin Harris tells us another story from his book, Harpending's Corners. This month's story is about how busy he became in the 1960s at his new job with the Ken-Mar company. Ed Harris was born on a farm along the Pre-Emption Road close to Dundee, New York, where he grew up. Harpending's Corners was the early name for the village that became Dundee. The Harrises have lived in Rochester for years, but Ed still keeps close touch with Dundee, and writes articles for the Dundee Observer.

Robert Koch writes this month about the potash industry in this country, particularly in western New York, where it was the principal money source for the settlers when they cleared land and burned trees. Professor Koch was Dean of Liberal and Applied Studies at University College, U. of R., from 1970 to 1982, as well as director of summer studies. For the last 5 years he has presented programs on history from WXXI-FM on Saturday mornings at 9:30. The Kochs live in Pittsford.

CLR Blog | Site Map | Contact CLR