The Edinburg Historical Society held a board meeting in April.

On Saturday, May 1 at 9 a.m. EHS is looking for volunteers to help clean the floor of the Sandhill one-room schoolhouse and clean the schoolhouse garage. You do not have to be an EHS member to volunteer your time. Trucks and some muscle will be needed to transport some display cases from the school garage to the Rural Museum.

EHS would also like someone to volunteer their time to build book nook or “take a book/leave a book” that will be located at the Rural Museum located next to the Edinburg Volunteer Fire Company. Material costs will be reimbursed.

EHS will not be asking for any membership dues again this year, but a contribution would be appreciated. Current board members whose terms have expired have agreed to continue their duties until the end of the Covid restrictions when the membership is able to meet and vote on the candidates.

TWO SALAD AND BAKE SALES are scheduled for Saturday, May 29 and Saturday, July 10, both from 9 a.m. to noon to supplement the EHS income derived from our two Festivals that have been put on hold due to the Covid virus. EHS maintains two museums, the Copeland site, and the Sandhill one-room schoolhouse.

COPELAND COVERED BRIDGE SHARES have been purchased by Loren Fox in honor of Norma Fox and Donald Fox; and by Eric & Maureen Sweet in honor of Seward and Theresa Sweet and Bruce and Marjorie Hull. These shares help EHS raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the Copeland Covered Bridge. Shares are $25 and the names of the recipients are posted at the Copeland Site.

The Edinburg Historical Society had planned to meet on Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center. President George Blackwood would have outlined our programs for the year and list the projects that EHS would like to accomplish this year. However, this meeting has been cancelled due to the coronavirus situation. We will provide an update as to when our next meeting will be as the situation becomes clearer.

Other updates:

The Sand Hill One-Room Schoolhouse has been completely renovated with a new roof, has been painted in and out by Joey Shield. Heat and air conditioning will be installed in April. The original schoolroom part will be cleaned in the spring and kept just as Roy Pearsall left it with the flag, old schoolbooks, desks, antique stove and the picture of George Washington.

EHS has educational merchandise for sale about the Edinburg. The DVD “Saving the Dream” featuring John Bennis’ photos documenting Edinburg’s history with music by Robin Gaiser and the Mill Run Dulcimer Band was created in a project lead by by past-president Maria Spaeth. It is narrated by Edinburg Town Clerk Denise Ferguson. It sells for $15. “Harnessing Nature: Building the Great Sacandaga” made by the Great Sacandaga Lake Advisory Council with the help of the Hudson River/Blacker River Regulating District, public historians, county historians and people in the community. This DVD sells for $20. The 2019 Taste of Edinburg Cookbook with local recipes may be purchased for $10. The cookbook and DVDs can be purchased at the Edinburg Town Hall on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon at the Town Historian’s office or mailed to you for a $5 handling fee. Please call the Edinburg Town Hall first to be sure a visit is OK given the coronavirus situation.

EHS continues to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the Copeland Historic Site which is comprised of the Copeland Covered Bridge and Carriage Shop. Your donation of $25 will purchase a share certificate for yourself, as a gift, in honor of a loved one or in memory of a loved one. An acknowledgement of your contribution will be sent to the recipient you requested, and the name will be posted at the Copeland Covered Bridge. Send your check and information to the address on the website.

The following have purchased shares in the Copeland Covered Bridge – Carol Fortin; Richard Kernan in honor of Dorothy A Kernan and in memory of Timothy F Leonard; Thomas Simpson in memory of Beulah and Raymond Simpson, Michael Allen and Alice Edel. Richard Muth in honor of Christine Saglimbeni.

We will have a separate post about the passing of longtime member Roger Hoff who — along with his wife Kathy — contributed so much to the Society.

This event has been CANCELLED due to bad weather. We will meet again in April 2020.

========================

The Edinburg Historical Society will hold its annual Pie and Reminiscence meeting on Tuesday, November 19 at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. A social hour will follow with pie, coffee and tea. Members will share memories, family histories, vintage photo albums or bring something to find out what it is.

The Edinburg Fall Festival was the best event yet with a large crowd, great sandwiches, salads, soups and chili. There was a great variety at the bake sale and most of Mrs. McCleery’s pies disappeared before the festival even started. Thank you to everyone that participated in the event. EHS wishes to thank Jackie Nicols owner of the Edinburg Four Corner’s Diner for donating a pot of chili, Alice Frasier for donating handmade quilts, Denise and Joel Ferguson of J&D Percherons for providing Horse and carriage rides, Jesse Jensen, Ony Antonucci and George McCleery for providing musical entertainment. A big thank you to the 20 members who volunteered their time, baked, demonstrated tools and weaving. The Edinburg Historical Museum of Rural Life showed off new exhibits and lighting, a working wood Fanning machine and a doll house donated by Lucille Groat and renovated and filled with period household items by Sharon Ferro. The two winners of the Guess the Weight of the two Pumpkins was Brenda Barton and Sophia Hamburger who won a $10 Stewart’s gift card.

We welcome four new members: Jodi Blydenburgh, Naydene Carmody, Karen Lee and Amy Stewart.

Elections were held in September and George Blackwood was reelected President for a two-year term and Priscilla Edwards was reelected as Trustee for a five-year term. Other members of the Board are Maria Spaeth, vice-president, Claudette Koza, secretary, Marge Ludwig, treasurer, and trustees Andrea Blackwood, Paul Fernhout, Linda Ege and Linda Monacchio.

Claudette Koza received the Volunteer of the Year Award for her dedication to EHS. She bakes, cleans, keeps the minutes, makes signs for events, and writes EHS monthly publicity. Thank you, Claudette, for everything you do!

Christmas is around the corner and EHS has DVDs about Edinburg and the building of the Conklinville Dam. The DVDs are available at the Historian’s office at Town Hall.

The Copeland Covered Bridge had 1,400 visitors this year. You can also purchase a share in the Copeland Covered Bridge for $25 in honor of or in memory of a loved one. The name will be posted at the Copeland Site. Carol J. Fortin purchased a share in the bridge.

The Edinburg Historical Society will hold their monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 15th at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. Joanne Blaauboer, Northampton Historian will speak on “Fish House History.”

Joanne is a retired science teacher. She and her husband moved into the town called Fish House and bought a 200 year old brick house that was a tailor shop and then a doctor’s office. She was intrigued with the history of the area and volunteered at the Fish House Community Center and then organized a history tour of the area in 2009 and 2012. The Historian for the town of Northampton (Fish House is part of that town) asked her to be Deputy Historian of Northampton and concentrate her research on Fish House.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the Edinburg Fall Festival. The Rural Museum exhibits are still a work in progress and hopefully will be finished for viewing next year.

The holidays are a just around the corner and if you wish to purchase any sweatshirts, t-shirts with long or short sleeves, the new EHS cookbook “A Taste of Edinburg”, the CD’s “Saving the Dream” – John Bennis’s photographs documenting Edinburg’s history; “Harnessing Nature: Building the Great Sacandaga” and “Then and Now” – Walter Marz with current pictures of Edinburg. These are available at the Edinburg Town Hall in the Historian’s office Wednesdays 9 am to 2 pm.

All meeting and program are free and open to the public.

On Tuesday, September 17^th the Edinburg Historical Society will hold a Pot Luck Dinner at 6 p.m. and a business meeting at 7 p.m at the Edinburg Community Center. with the collection of dues and election of the EHS Board members whose terms are expiring. It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and enjoy the evening.

The new Rural Museum addition dedicated to fishing, trapping and hunting is almost completed. Painting and putting together the exhibits are still on the list for completion. Construction people were terribly behind this year because of all the rain and we are grateful that André Garand could find time for us.

The Society welcomes everyone to its meetings. You do not have to be a member to attend. But for $5 a member or $10 for a family why would anyone pass up this opportunity. Are you a snowbird? Many of our members are and participate only during the summer. Wonderful programs and new friendships are just waiting to happen. There are many ways to participate in the Society like baking, manning a table or sitting at the Nellie Tyrrell Museum for a few hours during the Festivals, organizing demonstrators of old-time crafts, or help with the Sunshine Chair and send cards to members for all occasions.

Lorraine and William Barry have purchased a share in the Copeland Covered Bridge in memory of Paul and Lucille Schulte. Patricia and Bradley Brownell have purchased a share in memory of Stirling Hall. Shares are available for $25 in honor of and in memory of a beloved one. The funds help EHS preserve the bridge for future generations.

All meetings and programs are free and open to the public.

The Edinburg Historical Society will hold their monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. There will be a brief meeting and nominations will be accepted for President and Trustee positions. After that, members will tell interesting stories of house histories.

All meetings and programs are free and open to the public. Membership is $5 per person and $10 for a family. EHS meets once a month from April to November.

EHS continues to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the Copeland Historic Site which is comprised of the Copeland Covered Bridge and Carriage Shop. Your donation of $25 will purchase a share certificate for yourself, as a gift, in honor of a loved one or in memory of a loved one. An acknowledgement of your contribution will be sent to the recipient you request and the name will be posted at the Copeland Covered Bridge. Send your request to the mailing address here.

Shares in the Copeland Covered Bridge have been purchased by Kim Robinson and Ruth Robinson in memory of Melanie VanEvery; Faye Fraiser in memory of Paul LaPort; Ruth Robinson in memory of Leland C Robinson; Beulah Simpson in memory of Beverly Morgan, Jamie Simpson and LeGrande and Beulah Dimick and in honor of Thomas and Christopher Simpson.

Mark your calendars for the Edinburg Fall Festival on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors are still needed and if you are interested call Andrea and George Blackwood at 518 863-6772.

On Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. the Edinburg Historical Society will have its monthly meeting at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. Bruce Brownell will speak on the Brownell Lumber Round House.

Bruce is the owner of Adirondack Alternate Energy designing and engineering passive solar homes that do not use fossil fuel. After earning a degree in Forestry and working in the family lumber business for several years, Bruce decided to build energy efficient solar homes. He is a 1964 Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering graduate.

Brownell Lumber Company was established in 1933 by Victor and Elizabeth Brownell. In the 60s the “Round house” was built and business expanded into the retail supply of lumber and building products. In 1970 Victor and Elizabeth sold the company to their three sons, Bruce, Ronald and Bradley.

On Tuesday, June 18 the Edinburg Historical Society will have its meeting at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. Gail Cramer and Priscilla Edwards will speak on Osborn Bridge.

Gail Cramer graduated from Northville Central High School and Barrington College and is a photo shop artist and tutor. She is the Historian for Northampton, Fish House and Northville and collects and preserves local history making it available to the public. Gail does genealogy research for those seeking their ancestors and local history. Gail writes a newsletter each month and has published a book “The Diary of Rhoda Barker Duncan.”

Priscilla Edwards was born and raised in Edinburg attending Edinburg Common School and graduated from Northville Central School. She has been Historian of Edinburg over 30 years. She was one of the original organizers of the Historical Society working as an assistant to Nellie Tyrrell the Town Historian. Priscilla is currently a board member of the Society and has served as President of EHS. She researches inquiries on family genealogy, and has interviewed and taped remembrances of people born in Edinburg. She writes monthly articles for the Edinburg Newsletter.

Historic Edinburg Day will be held on Saturday, July 13. The Society will be selling potato and macaroni salads and baked beans along with their annual bake sale. If you would like to contribute baked goods, salads or baked beans call Claudette at 518 863-4844.

Crafters are needed for the Edinburg Fall Festival being held on Saturday, September 28. Applications are available on the web site or call George and Andrea Blackwood at 518 863-6772.

Pat and Bradley Brownell have purchased a share in the Copeland Covered Bridge in memory of Melanie VanEvery. Shares can be purchased for $25 in honor of a birthday, anniversary, wedding or in memory of a loved one.