Friends of history preserve photos and documents, often sharing them. I thank them and will save and protect them. A recent acquisition had Cindy Lamphere and I befuddled for a bit, thinking it could not possibly be Conquest but checking with husbands Floyd and Dewey and oldsters and maps - it certainly is.

Handwritten on the back of the photo it says: “Conquest Village looking north from John H. Van Auken's wagon shop - winter.”

The 1904 map of Conquest clearly shows Van Auken's wagon shop.

Today if you were to stand just south of Crooked Brook you would see the Burke#'s Hardware and Farm Implement establishment on the west side of Route 38 and also on the east where Blakemann's Blacksmith Shop used to stand. The Lake residence is now the Grange Building (the Phillip Massons lived there for years) and where the tall spire of the Methodist Episcopal Church stood is but a vacant lot.

The store on the southwest corner of the four corners is the next structure and at one time was also owned by Van Auken.

It will be featured in one of my next articles chronicling the stores in Conquest. (That lot is also vacant now.)

Often there were three thriving mercantile operations serving the village and farm families of this northern Cayuga County town.

They all have stories and proud histories. I can't wait to share them with you! I have reminiscences from Gerry Burke, Tom and Olga Slayton and Charlie Brown.

If you have stories of Conquest stores to share, please give me a call.

Joni Lincoln is the town of Conquest historian. She can be reached at 776-4726