Woody Proves Popular

Since his arrival at the North Tonawanda History Museum in November, Woody, the wooden Seabee who stood in Raymond J. Klimek Veterans Park as part of the Seabees Memorial until being replaced by a bronze statue in 2008, has been very popular with visitors.  Today, we had a visitor who came in just to take a photo of Woody.  We thought you'd enjoy the photos of Lou  Fronczak, a member of Island X-8 with Woody. 

The Lumber City History Center

 

Artist's Rendering of Restored Facade

by Margaret A Cheeley & Donald R. MacDonald  

This is the facade that is part of our future plans for the museum.  The PDF file describing the full plan can be found on or website under the Lumber City History Center menu.

Rusin Prints Winners

 

The North Tonawanda History Museum announces the winners of the drawing at 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 6 for a framed print (with a retail value of $275) of an original painting by North Tonawanda artist, Len Rusin, of the Cantilever Bridge over the Erie Canal and an unframed print (retail value of $100).  North Tonawanda resident Richard F. Leroux was the winner of the framed print.  John Schmid of East Aurora was the winner of the unframed print.  Leroux's framed print is #2 of a limited edition of 200 prints of the original artwork.  Schmid's unframed print is #3 of the series.

 

In the photos, Museum Director Donna Zellner Neal presents the winners with their prints.

Holly Berry Visits the Museum

On Saturday, December 4, during Winter Walk 2010, Holly Berry returned to offer face painting, tattoos, and balloons for kids.

Cold War Exhibit Grows at History Museum

The North Tonawanda History Museum has been able to expand the new exhibit on the Cold War Era with the addition of some loaned items. 

 

Town of Tonawanda Historian John W. Percy, who is a North Tonawanda History Museum Advisory Committee member, has loaned a dress uniform shirt he wore as a Specialist 3 in the U. S. Army Signal Corps in 1956.  It also has a patch of an Indian head from his service as a reservist with the DeGlopper unit. 

 

Kevin W. Hodgson, Deputy Director, Emergency Management Office of the City of North Tonawanda has loaned a radiological survey meter manufactured by the Victoreen Instrument Company, a Model 107 Professional Geiger Counter, a Rescue Civil Defense  helmet, a copy of the North Tonawanda Civil Defense Manual from the 1950 listing 972 enrolled volunteers participating in the North Tonawanda Civil Defense Commission work in the City, and a copy of the Inter-City Disaster Plan for North Tonawanda from the early 1980s.

 

These items join the previous donations of a quantity of survival food stuffs for those who might have needed to take cover in their fall-out shelters and an oxygen mask distributed to Civil Defense workers, donated by Warren H. Proefrock;  and a radiation detector used by the North Tonawanda School District and later by Walker Bros. & Monroe Jewelers for detecting radium in jewelry, donated by Michael Kalisiak. 

 

Additional memorabilia from that era (1945 - 1991)  are needed as Museum staff continue developing the exhibit.

German Christmas

The North Tonawanda History Museum celebrated a German Christmas on December 3.  Presenting the German Christmas program were members of the Historical Society of North German Settlements in Western New York from Bergholz, under the direction of Wilma Lass.  Wilma Lass tells of the Christmas customs of the Prussian Germans who came to the Town of  Wheatfield in the mid 1800s.

Troop #193 Wins Bike

North Tonawanda Cub Scout Troop #193 which meets at Lighthouse Baptist Church was the winner of the green Avalon Next 6060 Series Aluminum 7-speed Mountain Bike in the drawing at the end of the day on Winter Walk Saturday, December 4.  Accepting for the troop is Den Mother and Town of Wheatfield resident, Pati A. Spoth, and Tiger Cub Scout Khoalr Michael Pietkiewicz of North Tonawanda.