On March 2, the Rev. Ronald Sanford and his wife Marge returned to Owasco Village after a long absence. They wanted to share with the Reformed Church congregation that they would be soon leaving the ministry. They explained during the worship service why after more than 30 years as a minister, in the upcoming months they would enter into full time missionary work with New Tribes Mission in Texas.
More than 32 years ago, Ron was just out of the seminary when they came to Owasco. The Reformed Church was his first pastorate, and he was here during our nations Bicentennial in 1976. He saw the restoration of the church interior to its splendid completion in 1978. A barrel vaulted ceiling hidden by three false ceilings was uncovered after 175 years during part of the restoration.
This revealed the true original grandeur of the sanctuary of the pioneer church. During the restoration, Ron reminded us how we met downstairs in the educational building for church services, while the sanctuary was gutted back to the frame.
The Sanford's return was welcomed by everyone in the community. During the dinner following the service, they renewed old friendships and saw the young people they had married now grown with teen aged children of their own. We could not help but think of the faithful faces of friends and family gone from our midst.
While downsizing his records, Ron and Margie brought to us some wonderful memorabilia given to them during their tenure here. A box of items of their personal papers were also given to the Owasco congregation. One was the pictures of a fun musical involving all ages under Margie's direction called “Rainbow Express,” which members still talk about today.
It is said good things come in small packages. A treasure trove was another small box that contained lantern glass slides taken by the Rev. Cassius Jay Sargent when he was pastor. The slides are dated from 1905 to 1910.
This preacher must have been fascinated with the new home box cameras for he had taken pictures of Owasco Village scenes repeatedly. He never missed an opportunity for a photo event. I am so glad he did. I can see him recording the daily village life in 1905 viewed from the parsonage next to the church. I suspect he had a penchant for always having his camera ready and lining the adults and children up for a picture ... that sounds so much like me! From their happy faces, they did not seem to tire of their preacher and his camera.
His glass slides will give me rare documentation about village life for some time. The early roads, telephone poles, store, school, including the grand church picnics on the lake. A gem is one of a group of workmen at Perkins brick and tile yard on North Road. The Rev. Sargent took pictures of the houses across the street from the parsonage looking north. These will provide a wonderful resource for the present owners of these homes. Large porches seemed the trend then, and many homeowners today are presently creating a revival of this time honored pleasure.
He took pictures of the Sunday school children standing on the movable carriage block steps, the ladies in their linen dresses with huge picture hats hosting a picnic on the church lawn and little girls dancing in a circle on the church lawn in their pleated sailor dresses wearing fashionable big bows in their hair. Later, these same little girls were shown seated at a picnic table under the watchful eye of the ladies of the church who were overseeing their behavior.
Could this have been his daughter's birthday party? Was she one of the three girls playing dress up in the adult long dresses impishly grinning at the pastor in their hats and finery?
Thus a wonderful time capsule compiled from the hobby of a former minister's life more than 100 years ago came back to Owasco - all from the generosity of another pastor.
This column about 100-year-old glass slides proves why I am continuing to ask anyone willing to share their pictures of the streets, homes and businesses of Owasco. It's all for history's sake. Please contact me so we can make copies and have a record for all of Owasco.
For those readers who are following my series of individual stories and names of Owasco men and women in service to our country during war time, I will continue in April leading up to Memorial Day with the additional names of World War II Veterans, then list the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf War and Desert Storm veterans to present-day Owasco soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. My goal is to complete this long overdue record of respect by Veterans Day in November. Also to provide, if possible, a page for each soldier I am compiling for town records. Please, pictures and shared memories are welcome from everyone.
- Sources: Lantern slides by the Rev. Sargent circa 1905-1910, the Rev. and Mrs. Ronald Sanford, Owasco Reformed Church Bicentennial material and “Milestones of Minutes and Memories” by Henry Van Etten Parsell
Laurel Auchampaugh is Owasco historian and can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoons or at nowthenwasco@aol.com
This revealed the true original grandeur of the sanctuary of the pioneer church. During the restoration, Ron reminded us how we met downstairs in the educational building for church services, while the sanctuary was gutted back to the frame.
The Sanford's return was welcomed by everyone in the community. During the dinner following the service, they renewed old friendships and saw the young people they had married now grown with teen aged children of their own. We could not help but think of the faithful faces of friends and family gone from our midst.
While downsizing his records, Ron and Margie brought to us some wonderful memorabilia given to them during their tenure here. A box of items of their personal papers were also given to the Owasco congregation. One was the pictures of a fun musical involving all ages under Margie's direction called “Rainbow Express,” which members still talk about today.
It is said good things come in small packages. A treasure trove was another small box that contained lantern glass slides taken by the Rev. Cassius Jay Sargent when he was pastor. The slides are dated from 1905 to 1910.
This preacher must have been fascinated with the new home box cameras for he had taken pictures of Owasco Village scenes repeatedly. He never missed an opportunity for a photo event. I am so glad he did. I can see him recording the daily village life in 1905 viewed from the parsonage next to the church. I suspect he had a penchant for always having his camera ready and lining the adults and children up for a picture ... that sounds so much like me! From their happy faces, they did not seem to tire of their preacher and his camera.
His glass slides will give me rare documentation about village life for some time. The early roads, telephone poles, store, school, including the grand church picnics on the lake. A gem is one of a group of workmen at Perkins brick and tile yard on North Road. The Rev. Sargent took pictures of the houses across the street from the parsonage looking north. These will provide a wonderful resource for the present owners of these homes. Large porches seemed the trend then, and many homeowners today are presently creating a revival of this time honored pleasure.
He took pictures of the Sunday school children standing on the movable carriage block steps, the ladies in their linen dresses with huge picture hats hosting a picnic on the church lawn and little girls dancing in a circle on the church lawn in their pleated sailor dresses wearing fashionable big bows in their hair. Later, these same little girls were shown seated at a picnic table under the watchful eye of the ladies of the church who were overseeing their behavior.
Could this have been his daughter's birthday party? Was she one of the three girls playing dress up in the adult long dresses impishly grinning at the pastor in their hats and finery?
Thus a wonderful time capsule compiled from the hobby of a former minister's life more than 100 years ago came back to Owasco - all from the generosity of another pastor.
This column about 100-year-old glass slides proves why I am continuing to ask anyone willing to share their pictures of the streets, homes and businesses of Owasco. It's all for history's sake. Please contact me so we can make copies and have a record for all of Owasco.
For those readers who are following my series of individual stories and names of Owasco men and women in service to our country during war time, I will continue in April leading up to Memorial Day with the additional names of World War II Veterans, then list the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf War and Desert Storm veterans to present-day Owasco soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. My goal is to complete this long overdue record of respect by Veterans Day in November. Also to provide, if possible, a page for each soldier I am compiling for town records. Please, pictures and shared memories are welcome from everyone.
- Sources: Lantern slides by the Rev. Sargent circa 1905-1910, the Rev. and Mrs. Ronald Sanford, Owasco Reformed Church Bicentennial material and “Milestones of Minutes and Memories” by Henry Van Etten Parsell
Laurel Auchampaugh is Owasco historian and can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoons or at nowthenwasco@aol.com
The Citizens' Say
There are No comments posted.