Granville Then & Now – October 6, 2022

Granville centenarian Marge Thomas; Granville-Whitehall wins first game

By Erik Pekar, Town Historian

The Autumn Leaves Car Show returned Sept. 25. The 35th edition of this long-running car show was held at the Granville Little League complex, along with the second annual Autumn Leaves Craft Fair. This year, the parking locations of spectators and exhibitors were swapped, with the shown cars being east of the four baseball diamonds and the spectator parking being to the west of them. Inside the crosspaths behind the diamonds were the craft fair vendors. More than 40 vendors were present to sell their items. There were also food trucks, the Granville Rotary Club’s food stand, and exhibits from NYVTmedia and Saint-Gobain.

For the car show, 174 cars were shown this year, and 741 spectators attended. These numbers were both lower than last year. The weather forecast for the day included rain in the afternoon, which likely discouraged people who would have otherwise attended. The other factor which may have led to a lower number of exhibited cars, higher gas prices, also affected exhibiting numbers at the Penrhyn Car Show back in June.

Despite those concerns, there were still 174 cars shown. These included some of the cars seen last year or in other recent years, as well as others not seen for some time. One interesting pair were two Studebaker Daytonas; one being a ’65, the other a ’66, the final model year for Studebaker.

The car show awards were deliberated and tallied up early to beat the rain, and were handed out early at 1:30 p.m. The rain came through between 2 and 3 p.m., which would have “washed out” the car show. Despite the threat of rain and somewhat lower statistics, this year’s Autumn Leaves Car Show was a success, and many are already looking forward to next year.

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There is another centenarian in the town of Granville. We give belated birthday greetings to Marge Thomas, who turned 100 on Sept. 24.

She was born Marge Dudla, on Sept. 24, 1922, a daughter of Frank and Teresa (Ponda) Dudla. At the time the Dudlas lived on Water Street, in a building owned by her grandfather Andrew Ponda; at one time he had a bar in the same building, which still stands today. Her other siblings were Ann (Braw), Dorothy (Nelson), Frances (Mehevic), Frank, Paul, and Teresa (Niles); of them, only Dorothy and Frances are living now. The Dudlas later moved to Pearl Street.

Marge married Chauncey Thomas in 1941. Some will remember Chauncey and his father Richard Thomas as the managers for Krause’s Garage, the Sunoco service station on Quaker Street. It was located where Allied Auto Parts is now. Together they had three children: Patricia (Osborne), of Granville; John, of South Granville; and Donna (Tessier), of Colorado.

For many years, Marge worked for St. Mary’s rectory in Granville. During this time she helped with anything at St. Mary’s Church, including the food pantry, cleaning, and other work.

Marge has had several hobbies over the years. Gardening was a special passion and when she lived on East Quaker Street, the flower beds along her driveway were a popular sight for those walking about Granville. She also enjoyed horse riding and was an active member of the Vermont Horseman’s Association, and the Rough Riders 4-H Club at Pond Hill Stables, Castleton, Vermont. She helped out other participants as needed and was considered their adopted mom.

Marge has been a fan of hockey for many years, all the way back to the days when the Adirondack Red Wings played at the Civic Center. She has had a season ticket for years and still attends the Adirondack Thunder home games with her jersey. Marge also was a winemaker, and when she went to parties, the first question people asked her was, “Where is the wine?”

Marge now lives with her son John. On nice days she goes out and spends time with the chickens, collecting their eggs, and sharing them with visitors.

For Marge’s 100th birthday, a party was held on Sept. 24 at the Argyle Brewing Company, at the depot in Cambridge. Family and friends helped her celebrate her special day. Reports indicate it was a fun time for all, and we are glad to hear Marge Thomas had a good celebration of her 100th birthday.

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The Route 149 repaving project through the village of Granville was finally concluded the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 15. Pavement markings, including crosswalks, center lines, and edgelines, were painted on Main Street in the evening of that day. Granville was notified of the decision the day prior. On the day of the project, Mayor Paul Labas was on the street by 5:30 p.m., asking people to move their cars, or to park elsewhere if they had driven in to park after he arrived. The parking situation delayed the start of painting the markings until after 7 p.m.

The center lines were the first markings to be painted, followed by the edgelines; around 8 p.m. these were finished. Then came the crosswalks: near River Street, rail trail, across from Post Office, and between North and Church Streets. These were done in halves, as was done by the village DPW in recent repainting of other crosswalks in the village. By 9:15, the markings were fully applied. Main Street was back to its normal nightly appearance by 9:45. The one crosswalk missed by the state contractors, crossing North Street, was painted by the Granville village DPW on Sept. 16.

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It was an exciting time at Sam Eppolito Field on Friday, Sept. 30, as the Granville-Whitehall football team registered a win over Mechanicville-Hoosic Valley, the first for the season, and the program.

The last game of Granville’s Lights Week, it came after a Thursday night bonfire, the first held in Granville since 2019, and a pep rally during school on Friday. Before the start of the game, the senior football players and cheerleaders from Granville were honored, with their Whitehall counterparts getting recognition as well.

A large crowd of Granville and Whitehall locals attended. For those who watched the game, it was one of those things that just happened. The fans always are hoping for the win, and on Friday that win came about.

When the first touchdown came in the first quarter, by Troy Austin, the local crowd cheered. In the second quarter there were two more touchdowns, both by Matthew Barlow, with the first of these being followed by a two-point conversion. At halftime, the score was now 20-0.

When the varsity team left, they passed by the Granville Youth Football players. These youngsters were excited to see their role models and see them with the leading score; they screamed and cheered with as much enthusiasm as the entire crowd. The youth football players were then called to the field to be recognized during the halftime program.

The third quarter may have been the most tense part of the game for both teams’ spectators. M/HV came close to scoring, but G-W kept them at bay. G-W scored one more touchdown in the fourth quarter, by Brent Perry. The game ended with the score at 26-0, for Granville-Whitehall.

The local spectators left with feelings of excitement and happiness. Some stuck around for a moment to congratulate the players, after they came back from a winning pep talk on the field.

Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, will go down as the day the Granville-Whitehall varsity football team gained itself the first win, not only of the 2022 season, but for the newly merged team. It was a historic moment, which will live on in memories for years to come. It goes to show that the merger was the right thing to do; as another local said, Granville-Whitehall football really is greater together. Congratulations to the team on this historic win.

Granville Then & Now – September 29, 2022

Baptist church marks 140th anniversary

By Erik Pekar, Town Historian

This Monday, Oct. 3, the Granville Baptist Church will be commemorating the 140th anniversary of the dedication of its present church building. The congregation first met in 1875, and the church was organized and incorporated in 1876. It initially met at Bardwell Hall, which stood at the corner of Main and Church Streets where the Swanson building stands today. The original church was dedicated in March 21, 1877. It was located on Morrison Avenue. In 1882, the growing Baptist church decided to build a new church, buying a lot on Quaker Street from Otis Dillingham.

An agreement was made with the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church to sell them the old church building upon completion of the new church. The Calvinistic Methodists later moved to a new church on Quaker Street, called the Peniel Church; they later joined the Presbyterian Church. The Morrison Avenue edifice later was occupied by the All Saints Catholic Church. The building burned while All Saints was located there and was rebuilt for the original All Saints Hall. The old hall building is now the Mettowee Valley Senior Citizens meeting rooms.

The Baptists first met for service in the current building in July of 1882; the dedicatory services occurred Oct. 3, 1882. The parsonage on Quaker Street was purchased in 1896 for $3,000, from Mrs. Theodore (Emma Laing) Stevens. Funds were raised in the mid-1890s for the purchase of a pipe organ; a $1,500 specimen was bought, and dedicated with a sacred concert on July 19, 1898. In the 1900s decade, a large addition was built in the back of the church, with a parlor and kitchen. In the 1910s, the 35 stained glass memorial windows were presented, installed and dedicated.

The Baptist Church has had a succession of 21 pastors since the establishment of the Granville Baptist Church in 1876. The list of pastors follows: Rev. L. A. Fish, 1876 to 1878; Rev. C. A. Johnson, 1878 to 1882; Rev. L. S. Johnson, 1882 to 1889; Rev. R. C. Bowen, 1890 to 1892; Rev. E. M. Alden, 1893 to 1895; Rev. L. T. Giffin, 1895 to 1902; Rev. G. S. Beckwith, 1902 to 1914; Rev. Horace C. Broughton, 1914 to 1922; Rev. J. D. Brehaut, 1922 to 1929; Rev. William Barlow, 1930 to 1941; Rev. Ira M. Stanton, 1941 to 1949; Rev. Sam H. Keister, 1950 to 1957; Rev. Lester M. Vier, 1958 to 1962; Rev. Arthur Weisser, 1964 to 1970; Rev. Andrew Dancer III, 1970 to 1973; Rev. George T. Herrick, 1973 to 1974; Rev. Roger D. Blinn, 1975 to 1978; Rev. Glen C. Bachelder, 1979 to 1987; Rev. Andrew Kilpatrick, 1988 to 1993; Rev. James C. Peterson, 1995 to 2020; Rev. Jeff Lamphere, 2020 to 2021.

The 140th anniversary commemoration of the church building will occur on Monday at 6 p.m., and will feature guest speakers Jackie and Harlow Gordon, and Pam Bolton. Dan Nelson will play the pipe organ. The public is invited to attend the event and commemorate 140 years of holding Baptist service in the church building on Quaker Street.

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The crisp, cool mornings are more frequent, as are the rainy days. Gone are the sunny scorchers of the summer. The leaves have started to change color and the area will soon have a colorful palette of yellows, reds and browns, with some green thrown in, all on the trees. Fall is upon us, and there is no denying it.

As September comes to a close, fall decorations are appearing by the score. Corn stalks, leaves, pumpkins, and other items are showing up on area houses. Another group of decorations are making their annual comeback: skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, ghouls and more. A few houses are already decked out with such items. These are all signs that show that Halloween is getting closer.

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Construction on the expansion and remodeling of the Poultney Stewart’s began the week of Sept. 15. This work started with preparing for the addition on the back of the building, which faces Main Street. Work also started for the new restroom in front, as the old one will be gutted to make way for the larger store space. Similar expansions occurred at the Hartford and Whitehall stores. No date has been announced for opening, but given Stewart’s contractors’ steady paced construction, the remodeled store could be ready before the end of October.

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Sunday, Sept. 18, was a banner day in Granville. Helen Macura’s 100th birthday, which occurred on Sept. 16, was celebrated with a drive-by parade. The event was organized by her great-niece, Tanja Mehalick-Guyette. Participants started gathering by 11:40 a.m. at the former Henry Hose firehouse at the corner of West Main and Quaker Streets.

The parade started off at 12 noon. The Granville Police Dept. assisted with traffic control, allowing the paraders to drive off from the launch site. Over 60 cars participated in the parade, passing by Helen’s house on East Main Street. Some had balloons and streamers on their cars, and even more honked their car horns to give their birthday greetings. Cupcakes were also given out. The parade wound down after 12:30 p.m., and family members then gathered to give Helen a birthday party.

Helen is the daughter of Adam and Susie (Strich) Macura; one of 12 children, six sons and six daughters, she is one of two surviving of the family.

Some gave birthday wishes beforehand. Some mailed cards to Helen. Visitors also stopped to see Helen. She remarked that some came to give birthday greetings from across the state, across the country, even as far as Arizona. Paul Labas visited Helen the week prior and sang her a song, “May God Grant You Many Years,” first in Slovak, then in English. Helen was moved by the song, especially the rendition in Slovak.

Sunday’s drive-by parade event was something Helen looked forward to, and she was very thankful and happy with the turnout. Tanja, who organized the event, was thankful for how it went. Thank you to all who participated and helped in making Helen’s 100th birthday drive-by celebration a success.

Granville Then & Now – September 22, 2022

Of autumn: clean-ups and a car show

By Erik Pekar, Town Historian

Sept. 22 is the first day of autumn. The days have already started to feel in line with the change of season: mild days, cooler nights, later sunrise, earlier sunset. The autumn foliage has yet to appear, but leaves are starting to fall. Farmers are starting to harvest the corn, and across the area there is a patchwork of unused fields, cornfields where the corn was already cut and harvested, and cornfields that have yet to be harvested.

Tuesday was a particularly cool day, and it rained for much of the day in the area. It was the kind of rainy, dreary day that would have been welcome to have happened a few times over this year’s dry summer.

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With autumn’s arrival comes the annual Autumn Leaves Car Show. Sponsored by the Granville Area Chamber of Commerce, it will be held this Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Granville Little League complex off Glen Street in the Village of Granville. Entry fees are $5 for spectators, $20 for those showing their cars, and is free for those 15 and under. The craft fair and vendors, a new addition last year, will return this year.

The event has been popular for years; at last year’s event, more than 900 spectators attended and more than 250 vehicles were shown. Those who enjoy classic cars, whether they enjoy looking at them or showing them at car shows, are encouraged to attend.

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There’s a lot of tidying up going on around the Granville area. Several local houses are being fixed up. Some of these have come back to life after years of being empty. Others are the result of their owners deciding it was time for improvements. The village will be doing their fall brush pickup schedule on Mondays; other times can be requested with the village DPW. Thank you to all that are taking care of their homes and properties and keeping them looking nice.

The state DOT mowers have been out mowing the embankments and sides of the state highways in this area. At the end of the Granville bypass, where Quaker Street (Route 149) meets Route 22, this has led to a great improvement in visibility for drivers, and appearance. While not in the Village of Granville, it is the first thing that many drivers will see. First impressions vary greatly between a well-trimmed lawn and a run-down, overgrown lawn. The other “triangle” at Middle Granville, where Route 22A ends at 22, was also mowed by DOT.

The DOT aren’t the only ones concerned with appearance of grass on the highways. Earlier this summer, well before the DOT came over to mow, village ordinance officer Curt Pedone took his lawnmower out to the “triangle” at the bypass and Quaker and mowed it himself. We wonder if someone from Middle Granville will “adopt” that triangle to mow if necessary, as “Curt” did the with the “triangle” near the village. Regardless of any volunteer efforts, the DOT will still mow both “triangles” as part of its mowing cycles.

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Talk of highway appearance brings to mind New York’s Adopt-a-Highway program. The problem of litter strung along our highways has been around for a few decades. Roadside cleanup programs started to form in various states in the 1980s. In New York, the Adopt-a-Highway program was formed when the state legislature passed a law authorizing it in 1990. The premise of Adopt-a-Highway is that organizations sign a contract for a set time and fee. Depending on the state, the section of highway is cleaned by either state employees or volunteers from the sponsoring organization; New York’s program has cleanup done by volunteers.

The first Granville organization to participate in the program was the Border Riders Snowmobile Club. In the spring of 1992, they signed a two-year contract to clean a section of Route 22, from Route 149 at McGuire’s Corners (traffic light) to just north of County Route 23 in Middle Granville. The Border Riders went to cleaning in June. The initial cleanup yielded 40 fifty-gallon garbage bags of trash, and the July cleanup resulted in only 6 bags.

The Border Riders’ club president Dwayne Daigle was quoted at the time, in the Aug. 12, 1992 Sentinel, saying they chose the section of Route 22 near McDonald’s because it was a “well traveled section” and that about “90 percent of the litter is from McDonald’s, Stewarts or Cumberland Farms.”

As the 1990s progressed, more organizations and businesses signed up for Adopt-a-Highway. Scotties signed up in 1993 for a stretch of Route 149. The Granville Masons signed up by 1996 for a section of Route 22 heading south from McGuire’s Corners. A 1994 article also noted that a troop of Granville Girl Scouts were planning to participate; it is unclear from later articles if the troop actually entered the program, or volunteered to clean a part of a local road on an unofficial basis.

In more recent years, other organizations signed up. The Granville Democratic Committee signed up for a 2 mile section of Route 149 heading west from Route 22 at McGuire’s Corners. The former Papillion Boutique adopted a section of Route 22 from near the south end of County Route 12 in Truthville to Upper Turnpike Road in North Granville. George Thomas Excavation adopted the next section to the west end of County Route 17A in the town of Fort Ann. South of the section of Route 22 adopted by the Masons, Green Acres Motor Sales adopted a section ending in Hebron.

With the passing of time, some participants ended their involvement. The Border Riders, the first to start back in 1992, ended their involvement in the late 2010s; the Masons also ended participation around that time as well. Routes 22 and 149 regularly had organizations volunteering to clean up sections of those roads. On the other hand, no organization ever signed to clean any section of Route 22A in the town of Granville.

Clean highways are an asset to any area. At present, the Granville Democratic Committee is the only organization sponsoring and cleaning a section of New York state highway entirely within the town of Granville, a part of Route 149. Hopefully there will be more participation from area organizations or businesses in the future. Any local organization interested in helping keep the shoulders of local highways clean can inquire NYSDOT for further information by calling the Washington County office at 518-747-4727.

The organizations that currently or formerly helped keep local state highways clean are to be thanked for their efforts through the years. Drivers can also help keep local roads clean as well; don’t litter the roads and throw out garbage accumulated in vehicles at the place it came from, or at home.