New York Genealogy

St. Helena was host to many a traveler, and its people were kind to the unfortunate. One figure familiar in the town was “Aunt Eban Noddy,” somewhat demented but entirely harmless. She made annual pilgrimages over the country on foot, dressed in fanciful attire. She was the mother of “Sol Noddy” who made his home at St. Helena and Castile for more than forty years. He, like his mother, made trips over the countryside and was given shelter by many good people when he needed it. Sol died July 2, 1895, at the Wyoming County Home at Varysburg. His mother,…

About 1885 another obstacle presented itself to the people of St. Helena. The state began talking about a storage dam in the Genesee River to furnish a reserve supply of water for the Erie Canal west of Rochester. To the valley farmers this seemed a major catastrophe and many were greatly opposed to it. However, a site for the dam was controversial. If built about a mile and a quarter above the mill dam at Mt. Morris, the natural river bank would form the walls of the reservoir, but the farm lands would be flooded and St. Helena would be…

The little village’s ministers were paid a small salary and by donations. The February 14, 1879, Castilian states that a very successful “donation” was held at the St. Helena schoolhouse. The goodly sum of seventy-five dollars was raised for Rev. Campbell. Well done for so small a community! The donation was an annual event, held in the schoolhouse on an autumn evening when the harvest was in. The gifts were all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meat, baked goods, and money. The affair was such a social success that the guests generally ate many of the donations! The older people visited…

Weekdays, the St. Helena schoolhouse was used for teaching three R’s—Readin’, ’Ritin’ and ’Rithmetic. On the Sabbath day, it became a church house, where a fourth R, Religion, was taught. St. Helena was a charge of the Methodist Protestant Church at Brooks Grove, a hamlet four miles up the eastern hill. The Grove was named for General Micah Brooks, of Gardeau Reservation fame, who settled there in 1832. The Methodist Protestant Church movement started in 1830 and a society by that name was organized at Brooks Grove in 1840. The church was built there in 1844-45 and Rev. Short was…

When homes began to be established in St. Helena, the need for a school arose, naturally. The exact date of the building of the first schoolhouse cannot be learned. However, it is known that the structure was located in the valley on the west side of the northern highway leading toward Castile. The building was used later for a barn. The school district was Number Four, at first, but later was changed to Number Ten in Castile Township. Since the village’s plans were made about 1820, it would appear that the schoolhouse was included. The first school building was used…

St. Helena’s young men responded quickly when their country called for volunteers during the Civil War, 1861-65. Among them were: Charles Buckley, Eugene Buckley, Milton Burnap, Emerson Crowley, George Crowley, Franklin Eddy, George Green, James Green, Fitch Merithew, Hiram Merithew, Philander Merithew, Chauncey Orsburn, Albert Piper, George Piper, Henry Piper, John Piper, Myron Powell, Hugh Skillin, Sherman Streeter, George Westbrook and Emmett Wood. Many of those boys drilled on fields near Portage High Bridge. There were such large numbers of volunteers that the hastily built barracks could not house all of them. It is said that old buildings, used for…