S.T. Joshi wants to help Moravia rediscover its history.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Writer and editor S.T. Joshi helped organize the reprinting of the book “Moravia and its Past,” which was first printed in 196.
Writer and editor S.T. Joshi helped organize the reprinting of the book “Moravia and its Past,” which was first printed in 196.
By working to reprint Leslie L. Luther's “Moravia and its Past,” he'll get his wish.
“It's my gift to the community,” he said.
Luther's 414-page book traces the town's progression from its settlement in 1798 to the book's publication in the late 1960s. He explores the extensively detailed history of shops and houses, like the Jewett mansion sitting behind Joshi's home.
Luther, a former town historian, also tells several anecdotes about famous figures with connections to Moravia, such as president Millard Fillmore and Jethro Wood, inventor of the iron plow. He also accounts for the town's residents who served in the Revolutionary and Civil wars.
Joshi, who has lived in Moravia since June 2005, was fascinated by what he learned about the town.
“Life here isn't all that different today. It's still slow and quiet,” Joshi said. “I personally like it that way.”
He was introduced to the book when Locke resident Jim Hurst brought Joshi and his wife, Powers Library Director Leslie Joshi, tattered and unbound copies of it in the fall of 2005. S.T., a writer and editor, saw an opportunity to reprint the book given the span of almost four decades since its original release.
He wouldn't act on his idea until Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society President Mary Donovan approached S.T. and asked him if he would be interested in working to reprint the book. As the copyright holders of the book, Donovan and the society had also been hoping to release it for a new generation.
“It'll give more people a chance to read it,” Donovan said. “It's a very important book because it covers all the history.”
The reprinting process gave S.T. the chance to polish a few rough edges in Luther's original version. There were no italics in the print copy - Luther instead used all-caps for several people and proper nouns. S.T. also fixed a few other typos and inconsistencies in name spellings.
“I fixed the commas and semi-colons, but I didn't touch his actual writings,” S.T. said.
A new foreword to the book was written by Luther's son, George A. Luther. S.T. also spent countless hours compiling a new index that lists where each name from Moravia's past appears in the book.
The historical society supplied original copies of several of the pictures in the book's first printing.
“It took us a lot of searching,” Donovan said.
Other pictures were scanned with remarkable clarity by printer John Audley of the Covington Group.
The Aeroflex Foundation almost completely covered the cost of the book's reprinting. The philanthropic group is led by Derrick Hussey of Hippocampus Press, whom S.T. knew through his work in the literary world.
Five-hundred copies of “Moravia and its Past” were printed with Hussey's help - and with an electronic form of the book, it would be easy to publish more. Proceeds from its sale will benefit the historical society.
S.T.'s own history with Moravia started when he wanted to move to the east coast from Seattle with his wife. His work, editing authors like H.P. Lovecraft and H.L. Mencken for such publishers as Penguin Classics, had frequently required trips to New York City and Washington, D.C. for research.
In Moravia, he found both the small town he and Leslie sought and a large nearby library at Cornell University. But after only a few months of living in Moravia, he saw it as another subject of his literary talents.
“I hope people will realize what a rich history this town has,” he said. “How seemingly normal people have spent their whole lives trying to make the town better, and I hope we can all do the same.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you go
What: “Moravia and its Past” Re-release party
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26
Where: History House, 14 W. Cayuga St., Moravia
Cost: $35 for the book for non-COLHS members, $30 for members
For details: Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycolhs/#events
“It's my gift to the community,” he said.
Luther's 414-page book traces the town's progression from its settlement in 1798 to the book's publication in the late 1960s. He explores the extensively detailed history of shops and houses, like the Jewett mansion sitting behind Joshi's home.
Luther, a former town historian, also tells several anecdotes about famous figures with connections to Moravia, such as president Millard Fillmore and Jethro Wood, inventor of the iron plow. He also accounts for the town's residents who served in the Revolutionary and Civil wars.
Joshi, who has lived in Moravia since June 2005, was fascinated by what he learned about the town.
“Life here isn't all that different today. It's still slow and quiet,” Joshi said. “I personally like it that way.”
He was introduced to the book when Locke resident Jim Hurst brought Joshi and his wife, Powers Library Director Leslie Joshi, tattered and unbound copies of it in the fall of 2005. S.T., a writer and editor, saw an opportunity to reprint the book given the span of almost four decades since its original release.
He wouldn't act on his idea until Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society President Mary Donovan approached S.T. and asked him if he would be interested in working to reprint the book. As the copyright holders of the book, Donovan and the society had also been hoping to release it for a new generation.
“It'll give more people a chance to read it,” Donovan said. “It's a very important book because it covers all the history.”
The reprinting process gave S.T. the chance to polish a few rough edges in Luther's original version. There were no italics in the print copy - Luther instead used all-caps for several people and proper nouns. S.T. also fixed a few other typos and inconsistencies in name spellings.
“I fixed the commas and semi-colons, but I didn't touch his actual writings,” S.T. said.
A new foreword to the book was written by Luther's son, George A. Luther. S.T. also spent countless hours compiling a new index that lists where each name from Moravia's past appears in the book.
The historical society supplied original copies of several of the pictures in the book's first printing.
“It took us a lot of searching,” Donovan said.
Other pictures were scanned with remarkable clarity by printer John Audley of the Covington Group.
The Aeroflex Foundation almost completely covered the cost of the book's reprinting. The philanthropic group is led by Derrick Hussey of Hippocampus Press, whom S.T. knew through his work in the literary world.
Five-hundred copies of “Moravia and its Past” were printed with Hussey's help - and with an electronic form of the book, it would be easy to publish more. Proceeds from its sale will benefit the historical society.
S.T.'s own history with Moravia started when he wanted to move to the east coast from Seattle with his wife. His work, editing authors like H.P. Lovecraft and H.L. Mencken for such publishers as Penguin Classics, had frequently required trips to New York City and Washington, D.C. for research.
In Moravia, he found both the small town he and Leslie sought and a large nearby library at Cornell University. But after only a few months of living in Moravia, he saw it as another subject of his literary talents.
“I hope people will realize what a rich history this town has,” he said. “How seemingly normal people have spent their whole lives trying to make the town better, and I hope we can all do the same.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you go
What: “Moravia and its Past” Re-release party
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26
Where: History House, 14 W. Cayuga St., Moravia
Cost: $35 for the book for non-COLHS members, $30 for members
For details: Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycolhs/#events
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