Residents Recollections — Memories from Middleport

The following memories are from some long-time residents of Middleport. We encourage you to read about life in years past, and add your own memories. Send them to feedback@middleport-future.com.

Down on Main Street

Being a former long-time resident of Middleport, I found the article in the Union Sun and Journal about the Village’s upcoming celebration very interesting. I was eight years old the year of the bicentennial and my parents purchased a derby hat for me for the occasion at Harpruter's store on State Street. (No, I'm sorry, that was Sam's Grocery Store—Harpruter's was on Main Street near Jones Hardware.)

I still have and display the two commemorative plates from 1959 even though I live in Lockport now. I read in the paper that a beer mug and calendar are being offered to the public. Are the plates redone and updated for 2009?

While sitting and writing this letter, I remembered more of the establishments that no longer grace Main Street. There was J & J's, the after school hangout, the Fenton Hotel that my friends and I used to explore, hoping not to get caught. Then there was Germain's Grocery, and the Middleport Theater, which Holy Cross used for services for a few years. Now we can't forget Litchfield's next to the dry cleaners that had been the Middleport newspaper before that. Last but not least, Plowies and Mike's barber shop.

R. Douglas Voelker

Westy’s By the Bridge

In the 1950's and into the early 60's, there a little ramshackle store called "Westy's" that was situated next to the bridge tower. It was run by an old man named Raymond Midaugh. He used to sell candy, cigarettes and in the fall cider, both hard and soft. In the back room (there were only 2 rooms), there was what seemed to be a never ending euchre game being played by some ancient old men. I remember Westy's was the first place to sell Atomic Fireballs candy. This was in 1954. I was 11 yrs. old then. I remember those days like it was last month. I'm now 65.

John O'Stewart, Plaquemine, La.

More About the Lamplighter

My name is John O'Stewart. I grew up on Watson Ave. in the 50's. I well remember the Lamp Lighter boat and it's operator. His name was Art Menzer. He had one eye and lived on N. Hartland Street. He was kind of grouchy but once in awhile he'd let us ride with him. He would even let us steer the boat.

I also remember the "Sterritt Steamer". It was restored for the Centennial in '59 then stored at the pump station by the old Basket Factory log pond. Does it still exist?

I have many, many vivid memories of old Middleport. For instance: the half blind barber in the old Fenton Hotel who had to wear two pairs of glasses at the same time to cut hair. His name was Norm Fowler.

I could write a book.

John O'Stewart, Plaquemine, La.

The Lamp Lighter
By Edwin T. Sheldon

I was born in 1941 at 25 Francis Street. I spent the first 25 years of my life there.

I have been reading over the information on the Erie Barge Canal but there was no information on the old Lamp Lighter.

I remember that in the 1940s, there was a small tugboat parked at the old Basket Factory pond that was used to fill the old kerosene lamps along the canal.

As young boys, my brother, Robert, and I would go there from school to fish. The man who ran the tugboat would let us ride up and down the canal with him while he filled the lamps.

I do not recall the man’s name but he worked for the State of New York, and the tugboat was painted in the State’s colors. They phased out the kerosene lamps later on.

Editor’s Note: In the Village’s Centennial book published in 1959, there it is noted that on April 1, 1875, “village lamp-lighter (Van Spalding)to be paid at the rate of 12 ˝ cents per lamp per week.” And also noted on May 21, 1883, “lamp lighter Charles Armstrong instructed to get his instructions from Trustee Linus Freeman as to lighting lamps on doubtful nights.”

Farming Memories

My Father owned a large farm north of Middleport known as the Mather Farm. My father, Jay B. Mather, farmed what was the old William Van Horn farm on the Stone Road. Stone Road at one time was known as the Plank road. All of this land was purchase from the Holland Land Co. in Batavia.

Before my family farmed it, William Van Horn raised the hay for the mules that drew the boats on the canal there.

The old Mather farm on Stone Road now is owned by the Schaffers. I was born on this farm site and lived there until 1980.

The bricks that were used to build the big house and the carriage barn on the farm were made at a brickyard, which was north of the Van Horn Farm on the Stone Road. The bricks used to build the United Methodist Church also came from that brickyard.

Willis J. Mather is an old Middleport resident and a worked at FMC from 1965 to 1974 when he retired. He now lives in Sarasota, FL.

On the Job in Middleport

We worked on Saturdays too in those days. Someone realized that I didn't have my working papers. I got sent to old Doc Wilmont. He gave them to me and I went right back to work in the machine shop.

In 1925, I began working at Niagara Sprayer as an adult in the sales department. I got a job there because I had helped out on the Niagara Sprayer farm.

George Thompson, who was President of Niagara Sprayer, ran for the Governor of New York State on the Prohibition Ticket. He was an officer in the power and light company in Lockport too.

After Bill O'Shaunessey burnt his legs on steam, he asked me to run the Basket Factory for a while. I worked there for a few months. The steam was used to bend the wood to make baskets. Logs for the baskets came down the canal sometimes. Pretty much after World War I, the logs were trucked in.

From 1951 until 1977, I went into the insurance business with the Jackling and Shaw Insurance Company. We built the building that is now the Credit Union.

In 1951, I built my house on Vernon Street on the first lot available.

In that same year, I was appointed to Secretary of the Middleport Savings and Loan Association. In 1977 I was the President of the Savings and Loan. I retired from that position, but stayed on the Board until I maxed out at age 75 in 1980.

A Dairy in Middleport

Harry Shaw started a milk business from his car. He would load the milk from the family farm on Griswold St. and sell it in glass bottles. He built a little block building on South St. in Middleport for his dairy.

After the milk was processed in Lockport at the Gascoyne Dairy, Shaw would deliver it in the Village of Middleport. He sold homemade ice cream there too. At Shaw's Dairy it cost 5 cents for a double dip cone in the summer. He had chocolate milk in the winter. He sold the milk to the school. The kids especially liked the chocolate.

Shaw's son, Donald Shaw, ran the dairy later on and then sold it to Frank Houseman. Competition was tough and it went out of business.

On the Line

At one time, there were two telephone companies in Middleport, Home and Bell. The Home office was over the drug store, which is now Dan Seaman's building on the corner of Main and State St.

Taking the Trolley

The trolley depot was at the corner of Main and Park Ave. It was torn down to build the post office. The trolley stopped at all the crossroads. The horse shed for the Universalist Church used to be back behind there too.

There were horse sheds behind all the churches. People used them on Sunday and also when they took the trolley to Lockport and other places.

Life in the Village

On Saturday nights in those days, Main St. in Middleport was lined with cars. Farmers came into town to spend the evening. They'd shop at the butcher, go to the grocer, to the saloon or maybe to the Fenton Hotel on the corner. A chicken dinner would cost you 65 cents in 1934.

Middleport High School's Last Play

The Star Theatre was referred to as the opera house. On the second floor was a dance hall. The last play put on by the Middleport High School was performed there in 1924. It was called, "She Stoops to Conquer." I was the manager of scenery for the play.