The Constable's Daughter

This year The Alice celebrates a significant event in our museum's history, a sesquicentennial! Alice Trainer Miner was born in Goderich, Ontario on September 23, 1863. She was the youngest daughter of twelve (surviving) children born to Louisa Saunders Trainer and Bernard Trainer. Bernard was a carpenter, and also served as Chief Constable of Huron County, which included the town of Goderich.

Alice Trainer, ca. 1878

Early in 1870 Louisa Saunders Trainer died while giving birth to twins (who also did not survive), leaving Alice and her siblings to be raised by their father - with help from his oldest daughter, Matilda. Just nineteen when she took over raising the rest of the children, Matilda (also known as Tillie) had begun teaching school at the tender age of fourteen. At the time of their mother's death the children ranged in age from seventeen (Ephraim) to age four (William). Despite her new role as surrogate mother Tillie apparently kept her teaching job. She is listed in the Province of Ontario 1871 census as "teacher, common school".

Matilda Trainer, ca. 1878

Bernard Trainer was Chief Constable and often quoted in the local press. Trainer played a role in a notorious murder case in Canada and is mentioned in the book Double Trap: The Last Public Hanging in Canada written by John Melady (incidentally a relative of the accused in this case). The museum does not possess photographs of either of Alice's parents, although we have a handful of wonderful portraits of Alice, some of her siblings, and their maternal grandparents James and Jane Saunders.

James Saunders and Jane Woolocott Saunders, ca. 1852

In 1876 Bernard Trainer passed away at the age of 49. In 1887 Tillie moved the girls and their youngest brother William to Chicago, Illinois so they could live nearer to older brothers - James, (listed in the same 1871 census as a law student at the age of 16) and Louis. The brothers had immigrated to Chicago in 1881, and the sisters (Matilda, Bertha, Louise and Alice) with young William joined them later. 

James S. Trainer, ca. 1925

Some time around 1893 Alice Trainer met railroad entrepreneur and inventor William H. Miner. And this is where I leave the story of Alice's youth... I hope to write more about our founder in the next few months leading up to her birthday on September 23.

Alice Trainer, ca. 1893

American Indian Objects in The Alice Collection

As we finish renovation of a third floor room this month we are adjusting to the closure of the Lincoln Library and the four rooms adjacent to the library while paint dries. Because of the closure of these spaces I have placed some collections in other areas of the museum. One of these temporary exhibits is of select items from the American Indian collection. I simply could not allow tour participants to miss this wonderful group of objects while the room is off limits.

Alice T. Miner collected a wide variety of wonderful American Indian objects between 1910 to her death in 1950. Unfortunately, the museum does not know the provenance of most of these objects. We do hold a large number of stone implements donated to Alice for her museum by Lynn, Massachusetts mayor Ralph S. Bauer in the 1920s. It is likely that Alice Miner already possessed the wonderful baskets, pottery pieces, dolls and beaded works by the time she received the Bauer Collection.

This new exhibit offers a sampling of pieces for visitors to learn about and enjoy, including; a group of spear and arrow points, four baskets, a basketry women's cap, a beaded Plains Indian doll, a clay pipe stem, two southwestern pottery pieces, a northwest coast Indian dance rattle (written about previously in this post - The Rattle Connection), a beaded tobacco bag, a small bow with eight arrows, and a Nez Perce woven bag.

The Plains Indian doll is sixteen inches tall and comprised of a leather body, head and clothing with beaded decoration and bead & metal jewelry. The face has some application of red pigment on the cheeks with eyes created from beads. 

The baskets in the exhibit are Klickitat, Hupa and Yurok-Karok in origin, therefore all were made in California, Oregon and Washington states. The Yurok-Karok and Hupa baskets are similar to each other and were likely made by related peoples in California. They are made of woven willow, pine root, bear grass and maiden hair fern - with a weave so tight and fine they are said to hold water. The Yurok-Karok cap is made in a similar way with the addition of a fabric lining. 

Yurok-Karok woman's cap

Hupa cooking basket, ca. 10" tall - food was boiled in the basket using hot stones from the fire

A Klickitat basket - ca. 13" tall

Klickitat Brave, 1899

The Klickitat baskets are large burden baskets woven of red cedar root, cattail leaf, or beaver grass with geometric designs and rawhide straps. The Klickitat, or Qwu'lh-hwai-pum (prairie people), lived along the shores of the Colombia River between the present day states of Washington and Oregon. 

The Nez Perce cornhusk bag is woven from dogbane or silkweed and decorated with colored fibers. Later yarn and corn husk were also incorporated in weaving these utilitarian bags or baskets. The addition of a rawhide strap made for easy carrying. The Nez Perce were also inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. 

The two pottery objects included in this exhibit are from the southwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico. They are both polychrome decorated vessels with geometric designs.

The pitcher was made at Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico using both mineral and vegetal based paints. The design uses a characteristic white background allowing Acoma potters to produce crisp black and polychrome designs. This pitcher is nine inches tall. Acoma Pueblo has been occupied by descendants of the Mogollon and Anasazi people for over 800 years, making it one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the U.S. I could not resist including this wonderful photos of one of the houses at Acoma today.

A house in the Sky City of Acoma Pueblo

17 November 2012, by Beyond My Ken

The other pottery piece is a wonderful little polychrome pottery bowl made by Indians in the Casas Grandes region of Northern Mexico, in the modern day state of Chihuahua. Casas Grandes, also known as Paquimé was settled by people descended from the Mogollon. It is only about 4.5 inches tall and has holes pierced in the top for hanging or carrying. 

A Man Named Zebulon

Last December some intrepid souls braved frigid temperatures to mark the 200 year anniversary of Pike's Cantonment in Plattsburgh, New York. Re-enactors held skirmishes and placed a wreath at the old post cemetery. Although the day was cold it was broken up by breaks inside warm buildings to listen to lectures and enjoy refreshments.

Warmth was generally not available to the original soldiers who camped out with Colonel Zebulon Pike in the winter of 1812. No winter preparations had been made for these men and they were forced to live in canvas tents with just blankets, small fires and cut pine boughs to keep them alive in the cold until they finished building shelters.

Outside of the Plattsburgh area most people know Zebulon Pike (January 5, 1779 - April 27, 1813) for the exploration he led of southern portions of the Louisiana Purchase in 1806-1807. In their reconnaissance Pike's Expedition discovered Pike's Peak in Colorado, the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, crossed over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico, and were even arrested by Spanish troops in what is now Colorado and brought to either Chihuahua or Santa Fe (depending on your source) for questioning by the Governor.

But it was during the War of 1812 that Pike made his mark here in the north country. He commanded between 2,000-3,000 men as they built winter quarters - not completed until December. It is said that over 10% of soldiers under his command died during the first winter in the cantonment. They quartered in Plattsburgh until spring of 1813, and the British later burned the cantonment down. It's location was subsequently forgotten, until recently. In the last few years, through the dogged research of local historian, Keith Herkalo, the site has been rediscovered and archaeological digs have been undertaken.

On January 12, 1813 Zebulon Pike wrote a letter from Plattsburgh sent to Colonel Learned reporting on the state of military affairs in Plattsburgh and asserting that he had collected all available men and taken possession of all public property. This letter is in the collection here at The Alice T. Miner Museum.

Just three months after this letter was written newly promoted Brigadier General Zebulon Pike lost his life in the successful attack on York, Canada (now Toronto). He was just 34 years old - but you wouldn't guess it by reading his impressive resume!

A Trip to Williamstown

One of my roles as a museum director is to oversee the process of conservation of the Alice's collection. This requires looking at priorities designated by a conservator who surveyed our objects years ago as well as heeding the recommendations of our collections committee in light of the inherent value of the objects to the museum. "Value" can be a very subjective term, so I'll clarify that by saying we decide what to send for conservation based on what is valuable and necessary for telling the story of this museum, it's founder, and it's wonderful collection.

(All photos courtesy PHOTOPIA/Shaun Heffernan)

the furniture conservation studio at Williamstown

We recently delivered two tables from the collection to Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Williamstown, MA. Although it requires a very long day of driving, I really enjoy this aspect of my job. The drive is lovely and what awaits in Williamstown is always interesting and stimulating. Unless I am in a hurry to get back on the road home I always happily accept a tour of the conservation rooms. I find it really exciting to see the works of art being gently and painstakingly cared for by skilled and patient professionals.

highly skilled furniture conservator Hugh Glover points out a music bench currently undergoing conservation

detail of the music bench

Included in the many pieces currently in process in the furniture conservation studio is the ornate music bench pictured above. The work that furniture conservator Hugh Glover is doing on the bench is very detailed. The inlay was damaged in several places and  the ivory-monogrammed initials of the original owner had for some reason been crudely gouged out of the piece.  Hugh was able to obtain a cast made from a companion piece but subsequently found it was slightly too large. He will need to work to make a new one the proper size and will then carefully affix it in the original place.

At Williamstown it never fails that I will see pieces by artists familiar to me. This time the paintings conservators had about half a dozen George Inness works in their studio. They are in the midst of conserving the pieces for the Clark museum, which is affiliated with the art conservation studios and is located on the same campus. Inness (1825-1894) was an American landscape painter whose influences included the Hudson River school.

one of a group of George Inness paintings in the conservation studios

Hugh Glover explains work in progress on a mirror in the furniture conservation studio

Hugh and I examine the drawers from one of our objects brought for conservation

The two tables I left with Hugh for conservation will likely be at Williamstown for months as they undergo treatment. The museum will get a detailed report on the work completed as well as before and after photographs taken at the studios. Later this year I will drive back to see what new works are in progress and to usher our collection items back to their home in the North Country. Hopefully I will have time for another tour. Aside from the variety of wonderful artwork, furniture and objects in progress at Williamstown, the studios are the envy of any serious artist or craftsperson. The recently erected facility has very well planned studios with state of the art lighting, ventilation, storage and workspace - so much wonderful space! As an artist I dream of having just a portion of one of these wonderful studios within which to do my printmaking, drawing, painting and dreaming!

a sculpture from the New York State art collection

Portraits Abound

Now that the museum has closed for the season, we have turned to the job of preparing the lone remaining 3rd floor room in need of renovation - the Lincoln Library. The work will include having the 1950s era wallpaper removed, repairs done to the plaster walls and ceiling, and painting of the ceiling, walls and floor. This means carefully storing our Civil War exhibit objects. It has also required some major furniture relocation with the help of our docents and staff.

The Lincoln Library is one of my favorite rooms in the museum. It has a high domed ceiling and a huge Victorian converted gas light chandelier, circa 1864. The room was named by Alice and holds the collection of President Lincoln objects, letters, books and photographs that she gathered for the museum and for her husband, William. Other interesting pieces include a custom-built case holding World War I era commemorative medals, and a beautiful late Federal mahogany Ladies' secretaire bookcase. The bookcase, or desk, holds many interesting smaller objects and is always fun to look through during a tour.

Among the Lincoln associated objects in the collection are two I want to provide more detail about. One is a Hanley Staffordshire pottery plaque, "Portrait of Abraham Lincoln" modeled in 1909 from a portrait taken in 1864, and made by Sherwin and Cotton Eastwood Tile Works. The tile is an amazingly lifelike image of Lincoln that was probably transfer-printed onto the porcelain before glazing. The glaze is similar in tone to a sepia photograph, and the porcelain itself is subtly shaped, or raised, to represent Lincoln's facial features. This piece was produced and sold in honor of the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth - February 12, 1909.

Lincoln was the first United States president photographed while in office. There were over 100 photos taken of him during his lifetime. The inscription on the back of the tile claims the image was created using "the only untouched negative in the United States", later this photograph was reproduced in another wonderful object in our Lincoln collection. The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln, 1911, compiled by Frederick Hill Meserve, contains a chronological record of all of the photos taken of Lincoln in his lifetime. Incidentally, the earliest known photo of Lincoln was captured circa 1848 when he was a Representative in Congress from Illinois.

There were just 102 copies printed of the first edition of the Meserve book - with a listing of recipients in the front. Our copy, signed by Mr. Meserve, is number 96. According to "Supplement Number One" published in 1917 - our copy first belonged to Mr. William C. VanAntwerp, who worked for stock brokerage EF Hutton. Frederick Meserve (1865-1962) was likely inspired to collect Civil War era photographs (at a time when mot people did not significantly value them) partly due to the fact that his father, Willian Neal Merserve, was a soldier of the Civil War and was wounded in battle at Antietam.

When we open again for tours in the spring the Lincoln Library will be an even more wonderful room to visit. The Civil War exhibit will again be on display for all to enjoy. Until then, one can visit the museum to attend events and perhaps peek through the door at the renovation in progress.

Happy New Year!

In Lincoln's Hand

With the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in full swing there are myriad ways to relive and learn more about that tumultuous time for our United States. One such way I am excited about is going to see the recent Spielberg film "Lincoln" which, somewhat surprisingly, covers only the final four months of President Abraham Lincoln's life. Here at The Alice we have an exhibit that highlights collection items related to that tragically bloody chapter in our young nation's history. It includes carte-de-visite photographs of many things from that era including soldiers from the 16th New York Infantry Regiment, ironclad ships, and famous generals of the time. Also on view are engravings of Lincoln and other then-current objects.

The museum collection includes some very unique pieces, such as letters written by three of William Miner's uncles who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, along with other letters included on our website for your perusal. This website letter archive was written by a Plattsburgh soldier named Charles Moore. Read them here, http://www.minermuseum.org/ by clicking the button made from a photo of President Lincoln. Or go directly to the letters by following this link, http://www.minermuseum.org/ALICELETTERS/museum_letters_intro.htm

What may surprise you is that we have two documents in this exhibit that were signed by Lincoln himself! Like the new Spielberg movie, both date from the final months of his life. I will tell you more, but you owe it to yourself to come to the Lincoln Library and view them in person.

On Tuesday, November 8, 1864 President Lincoln was elected for his second term in office. The following Monday he wrote one of the simplest and smallest job recommendations I have ever seen. This little note is in the collection and on display in our Lincoln Library. It is about the same size as a business card. Hand written and signed by the president the card reads, "I shall be glad if any Department or Bureau can give this woman employment. A. Lincoln Nov. 14, 1864". We will likely never know who she was or why Lincoln wrote the recommendation, he apparently wrote many over the years. Hopefully, it was enough to land her a job! 

Two weeks after the recommendation was written a young Union Captain named George E. Gouraud (1841-1912), along with 5,000 troops under the command of Maj. Gen. John P. Hatch, entered into the Battle of Honey Hill, SC. Further details can be found by searching the internet, but I will say that it was not a positive outcome for the Union troops. 89 Union soldiers were killed, 629 were wounded, and 28 men went missing, while the Confederate casualties amounted to 8 killed and 39 wounded during the battle, which took place on November 30, 1864.

Gouraud was awarded the rank of Major, "by brevet... for gallant conduct on the field of battle in the engagement at Honey Hill, South Carolina..." His military rank certificate is in the Civil War exhibit here at The Alice. The document was signed by Secretary of War, E.M. Stanton and by Abraham Lincoln, President, and dated March 22, 1865. Gouraud was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Honey Hill. (Incidentally, George Gouraud became famous in 1888 for introducing the Edison Phonograph Cylinder to England.)

Just days after the Battle of Honey Hill, on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted outlawing slavery and involuntary servitude. On March 4, 1865 Lincoln was inaugurated for his second term as President. A few weeks later, on March 22nd, he and Edwin M. Stanton signed the military rank certificate for George Gouraud. Less than a month later Lincoln lay dead from the assassin's bullet. It was Stanton at the president's bedside who uttered the famous quote, "Now he belongs to the ages."

The Making of a Country Doctor

When Dr. George W. Clark III (George Warren) was born in Chazy in 1920, he was quickly and happily swept up into a large extended family of hard-working locals - many of whom did not have children of their own. George Warren’s aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents were fixtures in Chazy and Mooers, New York. Familiar faces one would see daily – like the Postman, the Schoolteacher, the Builder and Telegraph Operator. Many of them were born in the area and spent their entire lives here, just like George Warren. Dr. Clark’s father, George W. Clark II (1882-1934), was a rural mail carrier for Chazy and his mother, Harriet McDowell Clark (1891-1960), was a schoolteacher in Mooers, Chazy, Champlain and Altona – all part of rural school district #1 during her years of teaching. George Warren was passed around between loving aunts and uncles at gatherings, one of very few offspring in his generation. The two families united by the marriage of George Warren’s parents were the Clark family of Chazy and the McDowell family of Mooers.

George Warren Clark II - your local Postman

Clark Family

By the time George Warren was born the Clark family had been a part of Chazy life for over 80 years. Dr. Clark’s great, great grandfather Henry owned the Fillmore Hotel in Chazy, selling it to his son, Harry S. Clark (1809-1885) in 1866. Harry lost his leg in the Civil War before returning to Chazy and buying his father’s business. He soon changed the name to Clark’s Hotel. Eventually Harry’s son, George W. Clark I (1834-1908), ran the hotel and raised his children there, including George W. Clark II, George Warren’s father.

The Clark Sisters

George W. Clark II was the youngest of seven children, and a favorite of his four surviving sisters - Caroline (Carrie 1863-1953), Marion (Mame 1866-1948), Helen (Nell 1867-1953), and Martha (Mattie 1881-1960). Their sister Alice (1871-1880) died at the age of nine. Nell married James A. Yale (1865-1936), head of Customs & Immigration in Rouses Point for many years. Carrie’s husband John H. North (d.1929) was a prison guard, Mame married Orrin E. Minkler (1864-1929), and Mattie was married to Henry Swenson, a bank employee in Wellesley, Massachusetts. They also had a brother who was a telegraph operator, William H. Clark (Will 1876-1944) who married Jessie Boyd (d. 1941).

Harriet McDowell (in carriage) with her parents and sister Leona

McDowell Family

Harriet McDowell Clark had six siblings. Her father, Julius McDowell  (d. 1908), was born in Canada and settled in Mooers – making his living as a builder. Harriet had two sisters she kept in touch with and who lived in Clinton County - Leone and Kate (d. 1945).

Kate McDowell Oliver

Harriet was very close with her sister Kate, who lived in Plattsburgh. Kate married Grover C. Oliver. Grover owned Oliver Lumber Company, a building and roofing material business in Plattsburgh. The Olivers owned the lighthouse on Point au Roche Road in Beekmantown. Kate and Grover often wintered in Florida, taking Harriet along with them after her husband, George W. Clark II passed away in 1934.

In 1915 these two families became intertwined when George and Harriet married and settled down in Chazy, New York. They were overjoyed when their son George Warren Clark III was born in 1920. This story continues! 

To learn more about Dr. George Clark and his family stay tuned to this blog. We are also preparing an exhibit, "The Making of a Country Doctor" that will open at The Alice in October 2012.

Making House Calls

In 1948 young Dr. George W. Clark returned from a stint in the Army in California (checking in military men before their discharge from the Army) and then in Europe (working for the Quartermaster Graves Registration Service - caring for deceased military personnel interred outside the continental limits of the United States) and his physician's residency in Stamford, Connecticut to start his Chazy practice in the old Fisk tannery. The tannery was a stone building next door to his family home, where the Little Chazy River flows between the office and Route 9. His mother and uncle had spent hours renovating and cleaning up the interior to make it suitable for the new doctor in town.

George Clark with his uncle Henry in 1945

In those days Dr. Clark's daily schedule consisted of office visits in the old tannery from his patients in the morning. After attending to them he would usually set out on his house call rounds. Remember, during this era there were very few nursing homes, so most people were being cared for at home by their families. 

Dr. Clark brought along everything he might need for these house calls, including the medicines for patients of all ages. First, he would visit the homes in Chazy, then, depending on the day of the week, the towns beyond - Chazy Landing, Coopersville, Rouses Point, Champlain, Mooers, Mooers Forks, Ellenberg, Altona, West Chazy, then on to Plattsburgh to care for his patients in the hospital. Every two weeks or so he would also be the attending physician in the emergency rooms there, finding Saturday to be the roughest night to work!

The practice of making house calls has virtually disappeared for many reasons, not the least of which is modern medicine's increasing reliance on sophisticated technology to assist doctors in diagnosing illness. Large machines simply don't fit in the doctor's bag - consequently, if the physicians have not been trained to diagnose problems without the use of this technology, they are frequently unable to help a patient at home. For George Clark,  and most doctors of his generation however, visiting one's patients in their own home was an important part of their practice. In fact Dr. Clark regularly put approximately 38,000 miles on his cars each year. He said that no one ever taught him how to do house calls, so when he first started his practice he did not know what to bring with him on the first house call! He soon figured it out:

~ a stethoscope
~ a sphygmomanometer (blood pressure meter)
~ an otoscope to examine ears
~ thermometers
~ tongue depressors
~ sutures, bandages
~ alcohol, eye wash, local anesthetic
~ myriad bottles of tinctures and drugs for all ages

The bottom of the bag held the medicines, plus all the little envelopes to put them in for each patient. His nurse would keep the bag filled and in the same place always, so he could grab it quickly when a call came. Dr. Clark cared for each patient until they recovered, frequently returning to their homes several times to treat the same malady.

As Dr. Clark aged so did his patients. After delivering babies for the first 25 years of his practice insurance became too expensive and this role was taken over by specialists. He said he missed delivering and caring for the newborn, but did not miss the disruption of the usual doctor routine while attending to births! Eventually the majority of his patients were of the geriatric variety, whom he always seemed to enjoy. He often found himself visiting over 100 patients in nursing homes throughout the area. 

One of Dr. Clark's bags

Finally, after 56 years of service to the local community, Doctor Clark retired in 2003. He felt 'sinful' for the first six months of retirement not having the responsibilities and ties that had precluded him from doing the travel he had always longed to do. After an adjustment period, however, he settled into a comfortable and relatively care-free retirement. After providing care to so many families and delivering so many of their babies into this world, and gently ushering many back out, time had come for George to just be himself and enjoy his golden years. 

Dr. George Warren Clark passed away in May 2009 - leaving hundreds of wonderful photographs and family documents to The Alice for safe keeping. We are currently preparing an exhibit about his life that will document the more than 100 years his family lived and worked in Chazy and surrounding areas. The exhibit will open in late October. 

The Old Country Doctor

While passing through Chazy recently I saw something that caused my thoughts to turn to a dwindling breed of individual. I'd passed the Riverview Cemetery and had spotted a large headstone with the name FAIRBANK carved in the face. I was moved to research Dr. Alexander Fairbank and found he had served the community of Chazy as a family physician for many generations - beginning to do so directly upon graduation in 1874 from Albany Medical College. Not only did Dr. Fairbank care for and heal many of his neighbors, he also helped inspire at least one youngster, George W. Clark III, to pursue the medical arts.

A young George Warren with his father George Clark II, ca. 1930

George W. Clark III was the son of a rural mail carrier and a school teacher, but he had dreamed from an early age of becoming a doctor. George Warren (as they called him in his youth - probably to distinguish him from his father and grandfather) wrote an essay in his last year of high school about his desire to become a doctor. Even as a teen he knew about the different disciplines from which a medical student could choose. He knew he could make more money as a surgeon or specialist, but George Warren wanted to help his community by becoming a Country Doctor like Alexander Fairbank. In the essay about his future he states that he chose this profession "long before" he entered high school.

After graduating from Chazy Central Rural School in 1938 he went on to Union College in Albany, eventually transferring to McGill University to study medicine. In college he began signing his name as George W. Clark. His father had passed away years before and George was now becoming a man.

He did very well in college, all the while keeping in close touch with the Chazy community and his mother Harriet. There were likely influences other than Dr. Fairbank that inspired the young George Warren to become a family doctor. After all, he had lost his father to an un-named illness when he was just a teen. But what young person in a small town does not dream of being admired by all? In his high school essay George Warren states, "In our own town Dr. Fairbank will always be remembered as a good citizen; always helping, always encouraging, always working for the good of the town."

Dr. Alexander Fairbank was an admirable citizen - aside from serving as healer, Dr. Fairbank did much for his community. In Nell Sullivan's A History of the Town of Chazy, she says he "contributed to the success of many organizations in Chazy, including the school and the library." Young George Warren Clark wanted to be admired, and he really wanted to help his neighbors.

George Warren with his mother Harriet McDowell Clark, ca. 1933

These days it is becoming more and more difficult to convince medical students to study family medicine. With huge debt accruing, most choose more lucrative specialities like surgery, oncology, or dentistry, etc. One study asserts that only twenty percent of medical students choose to enter into family medicine. Chazy itself is no longer home to a practice specializing in family medicine. This is true of many communities.

Whether in his little office, or through the virtually lost act of making house calls, Dr. George W. Clark was, for the time being, the last of the breed of community servants who healed generations of Chazy families through a general family practice. Let us hope others come along to revive this legacy. Hail to Dr. Clark and Dr. Fairbank!

The Marquis is at The Alice

When Alice Miner planned her Chazy museum, the initial architectural sketches revealed an environment resembling a gallery with skylights and a very open floor plan. The design she finally chose, however, was akin to the layout of a wealthy Colonial home. That decision was likely significantly influenced by the nationalistic ideas flourishing in the early 20th century. Her collecting was also a product of her era. She acquired many of the hallmark items of what is now referred to as the Colonial Revival Movement; objects and documents associated with our founding fathers and notable citizens, American-made decorative arts, engraved representations of the American Revolution and its keys players, needlework, textiles, memorabilia and more.

There were a few individuals who were particular favorites of Alice and her husband William, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Ulysses S. Grant. Along with fascinating letters and other assorted pieces associated with those luminaries, Alice gathered a collection of objects associated with Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette. Our second floor hallway holds portraits, miniature portraits, a bust, transfer-printed pottery, and even a pair of French polychrome bisque figures representing Lafayette and his wife Adrienne.

Lafayette Memorial Ribbon, 19th Century

It seems obvious that Lafayette was a hero to Alice and William, and books about his life are abundant in their personal collection. In all there are over 30 objects or documents in this Lafayette collection, not including books. They range from a lovely pair of ladies kid-skin gloves transfer-decorated with an image of Lafayette and the words "Welcome Lafayette", to a fragment of hand embroidered French fabric from a dress worn by a Mrs. Prescott of Boston at a ball given for the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. In The Alice archives we have a letter that General Lafayette wrote in his later years from La Grange, his mother-in-law's estate. He wrote to a Citizen Armand, or perhaps Arnaud, in Paris, attempting to gain restitution for some property or paintings lost from his father-in-law's estate. The letter is undated but was probably written in the early 1800s.

Clews Pitcher, Landing of General Lafayette, Blue Transfer Print, Circa 1825 (front)

Framed Tinted Lithograph, Published by Villian, Early 19th Century (back)

One of my favorite Lafayette objects in the collection is small, in very worn condition, and easy to overlook. Like the letter written by him, Lafayette may even have held this object in his hands at one time. It is a very well-used silver watchcase delicately engraved on the inside and back. The object is also interesting for it's association with another hero of the American Revolution and later Secretary of War, General Henry Knox. The engraving says, "Presented to General Knox by DeLafayette 177..." with the last number obscured. There is also engraving on the inside front that is partially obscured. All that can be read is "DeLaFa... A Paris", engraved below a diamond and some numbers that may be a maker's mark.

On the second floor of The Alice, one can also find five miniature portraits of Lafayette at various stages of his life. Some show him as a young man with a powdered wig, and two are more life-like images with dark hair. One of the two is a very small and delicate engraving depicting the Marquis in his later years - as he probably looked when he visited the United States in 1824, at the age of 67.

When he returned from France in 1824 to visit the land he felt great love for, the Marquis de Lafayette strongly stirred American sentiment, finding his way into the hearts of the citizens of a fledgling United States. Many of the objects in The Alice collection would never have been created if it weren't for the sentimental journey Lafayette made through the young states. We have some beautiful blue and white transferware commemorating his visit, including a large Clews pitcher showing the "Landing of General Lafayette at Castle Garden, New York, 16 August, 1824". The handle is decorated with the fleur-de-lis, in honor of Lafayette. Another pattern is a blue transferware image of Lafayette standing before the tomb of Washington, and yet a third shows him at the tomb of Franklin, a true hero of many French citizens.

Miniature Engraved Portrait of Lafayette, 19th Century

The majority of these Lafayette pieces are on display in the second floor hall of the museum, where the letter written by the Marquis is also occasionally exhibited. In order to view this wonderful collection within a collection you will need to wait until our museum tours start again. We will be closed for tours for the months of January, February and March, with tours in April by appointment only. Keep an eye out for upcoming event announcements though, including an astronomy lecture this January 19th at 7:00pm.

Happy New Year!

A Sampling of Platters

As Thanksgiving and other holidays fast approach many of us are well into planning our holiday meals - either by purchasing the myriad ingredients or by deciding which dinner invitations to accept. Whether cook or guest, our holidays often seem to be centered around the feasts we are all so fortunate to partake in. I am one who loves to cook, especially the elaborate preparation of a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings! I enjoy all aspects of the meal, from going out to purchase the ingredients, to the preparation and coordination of the meal itself, mulling over how each element will be prepared, and finally, how to serve it all in a pleasing way.

Since I prefer to let the food speak for itself, my style of hosting does not require a lot of fancy presentation, but it is really helpful to have access to the proper tools! Occasionally I look around The Alice ballroom and think how fun it might be to utilize a few of the objects exhibited there to assist in serving a fabulous meal... Now that is the sort of collecting I could sink my teeth into!

Recently I was studying a Staffordshire blue and white platter with a very clever gravy-well design. There are a few platters at the museum with this smart design - clearly created with the chef in mind. When I did a search for "platters" in our catalog I found that The Alice holds more than 20 ceramic platters! When I study the age and history of the pieces I can't help but wonder if they were ever actually used, and if so, how did they survive the meals they held over the many years before coming to reside at The Alice? Now that they're here, they are all safe from the wear and tear of use in a kitchen like mine! I'll tell you about a few of my favorites.

Most of our pieces are transferware - made by transferring an engraving onto the pottery from a printed sheet of tissue paper... one of Alice's platters, however, is a fine example of sponge ware - created, as you may have guessed, by applying the pigment design directly to the pottery with a sponge. This particular sponge ware platter was created in England circa 1840, and it also has a transferred design in the center depicting a spread eagle and colonial shield. The sponged border is blue while the transferred design is a grey pigment. The simple decoration of this platter contrasts with the rest of the pieces, which are usually covered in bucolic scenes with floral borders. These ornate designs are clearly meant to be displayed (when not covered by a sumptuous turkey or roast!)

One such fancy design was made by Enoch Wood & Sons between 1829-1846 and printed with a scene familiar to most of us. Our early catalog of the porcelain collection, written by Emma Hodge in 1917, describes the piece: "Platter. Medium size. Decoration, central medallion in blue transfer of 'Niagara Falls, on the American side'. Heavy woods to the left of the falls. Figures in the foreground viewing the landscape. Shell border around rim."

Another transferware scene is on the piece I referred to previously with its handy gravy-well shaped into the porcelain. It is a Staffordshire blue and white chamfered rectangular well and tree platter, also decorated with a bucolic view. This octagonal Stubbs piece was made circa 1825 and has a romantic landscape with ruins, cattle and sheep in blue transfer print.

Along with the sponge ware platter, another piece stands out from the many blue and white transferware objects. It is a lovely Swansea or Cambrian Pottery platter of heavy porcelain with scroll motifs and isolated transfer decorated flowers in enamel colors. Emma Hodge described it: "Swansea porcelain 5th period 1825. Platter. White porcelain. Medallions in low relief, in which are bunches of flowers in polychrome. Irregular edge finished off in gold, circa 1815."

There are hundreds of wonderful pieces of pottery in The Alice collection for you to experience. If platters per se don't exactly float your boat, we do have gravy boats! ~ along with creamers, tea cups and saucers, plates and pitchers, as well as many other forms of decorative arts collected by Alice Miner in the early 20th century. The Alice is open through the end of December - Tuesday through Saturday - with the exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve. Come in for a tour and gather ideas for your holiday entertaining!

Lena's Crazy Quilt

Over the 87 years The Alice has operated as a museum there have been times when interesting objects and letters came into the collection as donations or bequests. In fact, a few weeks ago we happily accepted the personal correspondence and photographs from Dr. George W. Clark's estate here in Chazy. The museum has become a repository for genealogy and local history information as well as for some objects and textiles donated by local families. It is a wonderful textile I will focus on in this article.

In 1983 the Blow family lost their matriarch, Lena. Lena M. (O'Lena) Blow was born in Chazy, NY on November 12, 1896 - the daughter of Napoleon and Eliza O'Lena. She went to school in the little red school house that William Miner attended, and lived in the area her entire life. Around 1916 (the year her wedding dress was made) she married Edward Blow and started a family. She was an accomplished seamstress and made her and her six children's clothing as well as many beautiful quilts, employing sewing and needle craft skills she learned early in life.

On November 21, 1983 Lena passed away and soon after her children donated a few of her possessions to The Alice to be kept and enjoyed by future generations of visitors. The two objects donated in 1983 are Lena's wedding dress and slip. The garments joined two other textiles previously donated to the museum, both are blankets made by Lena Blow. One of these she started making when she was just nine years old, a diamond popcorn stitch bedspread. The other is a colorful crazy quilt with voluminous embroidery stitching and writing.

The crazy quilt is signed "LO" and "Apr. 10, 1908 Sciota, NY". Like most crazy quilts it consists of a quilt top mounted directly to backing with no batting in between. The backing in this case also serves as a ruffle on three sides of the quilt and is a solid rose colored cotton. The pieces consist of a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and patterns - and appear to be made up of mostly silk scraps. The scraps were pieced together into nine blocks of similar size and then sewn together along with a long narrow block running the width of the blanket at the bottom. This quilt top was then backed with the rose colored cotton.

Lena's crazy quilt is a striking piece and draws the eye as soon as you walk into the Sheraton Room where it is exhibited. But it's the detail in stitching that brings you in for a closer look. Lena used a large number of different embroidery stitches joining every piece. She also wrote a few messages, including "May You Be Happy" and embroidered flowers and birds. Perhaps her mother saved pieces from various sewing projects over the years and finally handed the scraps over to Lena to create something for her bed. My grandmother made quilts consisting of pieces that I could recognize from clothing she sewed for me and my siblings over the years. It's fun to look closely and see a familiar color and pattern that reminds you of the past. I imagine Lena lying in bed and tracing her family history through these bits of fabric.

This weekend is the Champlain Valley Quilter's Guild Show with hundreds of hand made quilts and wonderful craft items to enjoy. To experience a wide range of amazing fabric art made by local people, this is the show to see... Who knows, there may even be a few crazy quilts there! It's at Bailey Avenue School in Plattsburgh this Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm. If you want to see the true details in Lena Blow's quilt, come to The Alice for a tour soon.

And may you be happy!

A Legend in the Collection

There were many distinguished visitors who came to enjoy the tranquil setting Alice and William Miner created during the heyday of Heart's Delight Farm in Chazy. Many of these visitors signed guest books with eloquent messages. One such visitor was James Buchanan Brady. Perhaps you will know him better by his nickname, Diamond Jim.

Diamond Jim Brady was a salesman extraordinaire. He started out as a poor Irish boy in New York City working as a bellboy. Perhaps utilizing his charm and tenacity he secured a job in the railroad business, eventually selling railroad equipment, including Miner equipment. Fortune Magazine called him the "greatest capital goods salesman in American history" fifty years after his 1917 death. Clearly he was a great salesman, and a savvy investor in the stock market, relatively rapidly becoming a very wealthy man, estimated at one time to be worth at least twelve million dollars!

His penchant for jewels is what gained him the nickname Diamond Jim. One of his signature pieces of jewelry was a large ring with the image of a horse surrounded by diamonds. He also prided himself in dressing well and believed that one need look good to be successful, "If you're going to make money, you've got to look like money..." was an oft-quoted Brady axiom.

He was literally a larger-than-life figure in the Gilded Age. There are so many legends surrounding Diamond Jim that it is clear he really caught the public's imagination. He was called a gourmand for his incredible appetite. The legends about the volume of food he would eat at a sitting are truly amazing, and perhaps not totally accurate. Another story about Diamond Jim illustrates how he whole-heartedly embraced the new "safety" bicycles popular in New York City by ordering a dozen gold plated bicycles with diamond-encrusted handlebars for himself, his friends, and his longtime confidant, actress and singer Lillian Russell.

Diamond Jim loved to bet on the horses, and was a regular at Saratoga, New York raceways. Perhaps it was his trips to Saratoga that eventually brought him north to visit his friend William Miner at Heart's Delight Farm in Chazy. Legend has it that William played a little trick on Diamond Jim by hiding a canteen of orange juice (Jim's favorite drink), along with a few fancy glasses in the crook of a tree, which they "found" as Will led Jim on a hike about the farm on a very warm day. Will lured Jim into a chat about how nice it might be to have something cold to drink... when Diamond Jim concurred, Will reached around the tree and poured him a glass of orange juice!

William Miner and Diamond Jim both traveled the railroads for endless days selling railroad gear. William sold his own inventions, and Jim sold for others as well as for William. They became good friends along the way. Perhaps they crossed paths at the World's Colombian Exposition in 1893, where Diamond Jim and Lillian Russell turned heads with the sheer amount of corn they consumed! Diamond Jim was a very generous man, showering gifts on friends and donating a large sum to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he had once been treated. There are even a few wonderful objects in the collection at The Alice that Jim gave to his friend Will.

In the Miner Room on the third floor are displayed two matching American silver-overlay green glass decanters with stoppers. Made by the Gorham Manufacturing Company around 1895, the silver overlay is a scrolled Art Nouveau design with a monogrammed "WHM". With matching monograms, the other pieces consist of a four-piece set of men's hairbrushes made of silver. They are not the overly ornate gifts of legend, just handsome pieces suitable for a less showy person like William Miner. Wouldn't you have loved to be a fly on the wall during Diamond Jim's visit to Heart's Delight Farm? Oh, the meals they served, and the enjoyment they squeezed out of life!