#39
The Rongovian Embassy (the “Rongo”) was a famed music venue and restaurant in Trumansburg. The rather formal initial announcement in the 1973 Interlaken Review read “Mr. and Mrs. Alex Brooks of Washington St. have purchased the Barnes Block of Main St., Trumansburg and are making definite plans to open a European type Coffee House, this spring. It will be called ‘The Rongovian Embassy.’” It became known as a welcoming place and community center. Many local bands, such as Donna the Buffalo and The Horseflies, played on its stage. Alex “Brooksie” Brooks sold the business to Eric and Mary Ott in 1987 and they passed it on to Mike Barry in 2004. In 2014 there was an attempt to revitalize the Rongo under the ownership of a consortium, but it unfortunately closed for good in 2016, leaving behind decades of fond memories. UHS is now the caretaker of the colorful map that once hung inside the bar and that has been carefully restored by art conservationist Kasia Maroney.
Rongovian Embassy Map
#40
Chain Water Pump Case from Biggs Company
The chain pump is type of a water pump in which several circular discs (or small buckets) are positioned on a loop of chain. One part of the chain dips into the water, and the chain runs through a tube, slightly bigger than the diameter of the discs. As a person turns a crank, the chain is drawn up the tube, water becomes trapped between the discs and is lifted to and discharged at the top. The maker of this case was the Biggs Company, a large hardware store located in the building where the Gemm Shop is now and the original home of Silver Dan, our full-size horse model. When the proprietor, William P. Biggs, passed away in 1947 all stores in Trumansburg were closed for the funeral.
#41
Soapstone Bed or Foot Warmer
Soapstone is known for its ability to retain heat and in the Victorian era these slabs of soapstone were warmed on the stove and either slipped under the bed covers for a few minutes or put into a sleigh on a cold winter day to keep your feet warm. Other warmers were tin-sided boxes that held hot coals or stones, and a ceramic “pig” that would be filled with hot water.
#42
The First Published History of Trumansburg
Trumansburg newspaper notices of the 1880s reveal a new trend: there were an increasing number of large family reunions and reunions of Civil War regiments. It had been almost 100 years since an influx of white pioneers established towns and villages in central New York and the soldiers of the Civil War were moving into middle and old age. The rapid industrialization of the economy was transforming American society. There was perhaps a feeling of nostalgia about days gone by and pride in all that had been accomplished. In 1888, the Trumansburg Free Press wrote a history of Trumansburg, covering its early settlers, churches, schools, government, and notable citizens. It was printed in installments in the newspaper over the span of a year and then published in 1890 as this 115-page book, the first known such history of the village. It may have served as inspiration for a reunion of “Old Trumansburghers,” organized for 1897 as an unofficial centennial celebration.
#43
Native American Adze
While much of what is in our collection explores the lives of early European pioneers and their descendants, it is important to remember the inhabitants who were here long before the establishment of Trumansburg and other towns. For more than 10,000 years prior to European arrival, the Finger Lakes region was home to the Haudenosaunee, a group of Native American tribes also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. Their tools and weapons can still sometimes be found in the fields and forests. This adze was found in Ulysses and donated to UHS by Marion Hoffmire. An adze is similar to an ax, but the blade is set into the handle more like a hoe and it was used for trimming and smoothing wood or bark.
#44
Mail Delivery Wagon
The unofficial post office motto of “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” is exemplified in this small, horse-drawn mail delivery wagon from the early 1900s. When snow fell, the wheels were replaced with sleigh runners and, one hopes, a source of heat supplied for the driver. This wagon was used by Charles Crippen to deliver mail in Trumansburg in the 1920s and was assembled from a kit ordered from the Lewis and Neville Manuf. Co. of Goshen, Ind. It was donated to the Society by the family of his daughter, Mabel King.
#45
Historic Maps
Detailed maps of the Ulysses area began to be produced in the mid-1800s and are incredibly useful for researching the history of your home. At the time, rural roads did not have official names and houses were not numbered. Instead, early maps, such as this 1853 one, include the name of the homeowner, which you can then use to find census records or old property deeds. The detailed Sanborn maps (only available for more urban areas) were made for fire insurance companies to assess their liability and are useful for finding the shapes of buildings, the construction materials of a house and roof, the uses of outbuildings, and even the location of an oven in a bakery. Comparing them over multiple years can help pinpoint when additions or outbuildings were added or removed.
1898 Sanborn map of a section of Trumansburg
#46
Brass School Bell
This brass school bell might have been used to call students in from recess at a local one-room school in the early 1900s. This is also an object that demonstrates the importance of provenance. We know what it is and that it was donated in 1998 by Mary Louise Enos Bicksler, but nothing else. Research can reveal some potential clues, or at least tell a fuller story about the donor. Mary Bicksler (1917–2009) grew up near Penn Yan. In 1990 she moved to Lower Covert Rd. and set up a care home for the elderly: The Bicksler Home. Did the bell come from her family or from one of the people she cared for? Unless we uncover more information in the records as we conduct an inventory, we may never know. Historic items are interesting by themselves, but it is the stories of the people who owned them that make them truly special.
#47
1857 Gertrude Boardman Wedding Gown
This lovely blue and gray striped wedding dress was worn by Gertrude Boardman (1837-1904) when she married David Arnold (1834-1893) on December 22, 1857, in Covert. It has a detachable collar of pleated edging with a medallion on the back, a full skirt with inverted pleats, pagoda sleeves trimmed with lace, and lace covered buttons. It would have been worn with multiple layers of petticoats or perhaps a hoop skirt to create a wider skirt. White wedding gowns began to gain popularity after the 1840s, but it was still common to see color fabric throughout the 1800s. It was also more economical as a bride might simply wear her best dress or make (or buy) a gown that also could be worn on other occasions. The clothing in our collection spans approximately 175 years of fashions.
#48
Peafowl Spatterware Tea Set
This lovely tea set belonged to the Treman, Kelsey, Aiken, and Stone families and consists of a teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, and cup and saucer. Originally, there would have been additional cups and saucers. Spatterware (sometimes called spongeware) is a category of ceramic named for the decorative pattern blown or sponged onto the clay before firing and was developed in Staffordshire, England, in the late 1700s. In addition to the pattern, a hand-drawn illustration was often applied – a peafowl was a common design. Spatterware was most popular from the early 1800s to about 1850 and was considered a common, utilitarian ware.
#49
Stereoscope: Early 3D Pictures
A stereoscope looks a little bit like a modern virtual reality headset and offers a Victorian era version of 3d imagery. In the late 1830s a scientist discovered that two 2D drawings, viewed one through each eye, would be reassembled by the brain into a 3D image. With the development of photography, this new entertainment exploded in popularity. The stereoscope was an affordable item to have at home and people could purchase stereograph photos of faraway places or local sights, or have their own cards made in a photography studio. The image in this photo shows the miraculous (and fake) 1879 discovery of the Taughannock Giant, a full-size replica of which now rests across the street from the Farmer’s Market.
#50
Silver Dan: The Horse in the Window
Our loyal mascot, “the horse in the window,” first came to Trumansburg in the 1890s. Silver Dan, also known as Truman, was made of paper-mache in France, shipped to New York City, and purchased for $90 by William P. Biggs, who owned the Biggs Company hardware store at 17 West Main Street, where the Gemm Store is now located. Silver Dan earned his keep modeling harnesses sold at the store and can be seen in the second floor window in early photos. For a time he wandered his way to Cornell University’s Big Red Barn, but thankfully returned home and now resides in our window, in a spot saved just for him when the building was designed.
The Biggs Company Store with Silver Dan in the upstairs window.