VICTORY - Victory may be a small town, but its history is long and full of life, a fact that was proven among displays, artifacts and performances this past weekend.
The relatively young Victory Historical Center, which opened in 2002, hosted an open house Sunday afternoon. Not only was the center unveiling a new display of the old common schools in the town, but other displays showcased the historical deeds of past residents as items could be seen around the building. To add to the atmosphere, the Coleman Family played bluegrass music with guitar, fiddle, banjo and mandolin.
The Historical Center is housed in the building that was once the Victory Four Corners Grange and was founded to preserve the town's history. It provides a place for residents to come and see the history of this little recognized corner of Cayuga County.
There were displays of pictures of past Victory residents, such as Hamilton Wetherby, a drummer boy in the Civil War who died in the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864 and Jean A. Bates, a tree mover who planted mature trees in the 1950s at former President Eisenhower's ranch in Gettysburg, Pa.
Artifacts from different time periods were also displayed, from old dolls and a baby bed to textbooks used at the one-room schoolhouses.
All of these were donated to the center by residents or their families and helped to make some history come alive that most only hear about in school.
A large amount of information was also held in binders and of special interest to some at the open house were the ones with information about Victory's veterans of the armed services.
Within these was a plethora of history; from information about World War II veterans, to rubbings of the names of Victory residents who are forever memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Beverly Coleman Sayles, Victory's town historian, said the historical center is “Victory's best kept secret” and that open houses such as the one this past weekend helps bring attention to the wealth of knowledge and heritage that it stores.
“We may be the smallest town in the county, but we have just as rich a heritage,” she said as people filled the building, walking from display to display.
Sayles praised the generosity of all those who donated items and funds to the center. She said that keeping everything organized was a large task and one that she couldn't do without tireless volunteers.
The small building on Route 38 holds a great deal of history and endeavors to keep it alive for Victory residents and visitors.
The sounds of bluegrass accompanied this showcase as all in attendance marveled at their shared past.
The Historical Center is housed in the building that was once the Victory Four Corners Grange and was founded to preserve the town's history. It provides a place for residents to come and see the history of this little recognized corner of Cayuga County.
There were displays of pictures of past Victory residents, such as Hamilton Wetherby, a drummer boy in the Civil War who died in the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864 and Jean A. Bates, a tree mover who planted mature trees in the 1950s at former President Eisenhower's ranch in Gettysburg, Pa.
Artifacts from different time periods were also displayed, from old dolls and a baby bed to textbooks used at the one-room schoolhouses.
All of these were donated to the center by residents or their families and helped to make some history come alive that most only hear about in school.
A large amount of information was also held in binders and of special interest to some at the open house were the ones with information about Victory's veterans of the armed services.
Within these was a plethora of history; from information about World War II veterans, to rubbings of the names of Victory residents who are forever memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Beverly Coleman Sayles, Victory's town historian, said the historical center is “Victory's best kept secret” and that open houses such as the one this past weekend helps bring attention to the wealth of knowledge and heritage that it stores.
“We may be the smallest town in the county, but we have just as rich a heritage,” she said as people filled the building, walking from display to display.
Sayles praised the generosity of all those who donated items and funds to the center. She said that keeping everything organized was a large task and one that she couldn't do without tireless volunteers.
The small building on Route 38 holds a great deal of history and endeavors to keep it alive for Victory residents and visitors.
The sounds of bluegrass accompanied this showcase as all in attendance marveled at their shared past.
