Seal of Approval

by Erin Doane, Senior Curator 

There are nearly three dozen embossing seals in the museum’s collection and each one is a unique piece of history. Their purpose was to impress seals on official documents. Government agencies, businesses, organizations, and individuals used embossing seals as their signatures to establish authority and prevent fraud. They are fairly simple machines that were often made to be beautiful as well as functional.

Just a few of the embossing seals in CCHS’s collection

Stamp seals were first used around the 6^th millennium BCE in Mesopotamia. They were carved stone dies used to press symbols into the soft clay of business records at the time. Thousands of years later, the basic concept of the stamp seal remains with some added mechanical technology. The embosser holds a custom die set that produces a raised image on paper when pressure is applied to the handle. The embossing seals in our collection range from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. Most are heavy cast iron with long handles to create enough force to leave an impression. Later seals are lighter metal with mechanical leverage to make embossing easier.

My favorite embossing seals are those made to look like a lion’s head. That seemed to be very popular in the late 1800s. Other examples have decorative floral and geometric patterns painted on the sides. New designs appeared in the early 20^th century offering improvements that made them easier and more comfortable to use but their essential function was still the same. I think they’re all wonderful little machines and want to share some of them with you.

Star Gazette Building Company

Star Gazette Building Company embossing seal

The Star-Gazette Building Company was incorporated in Elmira in 1910. It was created to oversee the purchase of property at the Corner of Baldwin and Market Streets and the creation of a building on the site “to be occupied for publishing purposes” according to the incorporation papers. I’m sure the company’s beautiful embossing seal shaped like a lion’s head, which was patented in 1904, came in handy for all its official business dealings. In 1919, after the building was completed, the Star Gazette Building Company and the Star Gazette Company (publisher of newspapers for whom the building was constructed) consolidated to form the Elmira Star-Gazette, Inc. and the seal became obsolete. 

Elmira Consolidated Ice Company, Inc.

Elmira Consolidated Ice. Co., Inc. embossing seal

In 1924, the Elmira Ice Company, the Crystal Ice Company, and Fell’s Ice Company merged to become the Elmira Consolidated Ice Company, Inc. The company’s embossing seal was simple and functional. It was only used until 1930 when the company merged Hygeia Ice to become the Elmira Hygeia Company. 

Fort Hill Land Company

Fort Hill Land Company embossing seal

W. Charles Smith, who was among the organizers of the Bohemia Land Company in 1902, formed the Fort Hill Land Company five years later for the purpose of developing a summer village along the Chemung River near Rorick’s Glen. I was not able to find out much about the company in my research. I didn’t find mention of it in newspapers after 1907. Smith passed away in 1910 but the company must have continued at least through 1912. That’s when the embosser holding its official seal was patented. I plan on doing some more intensive research about the Fort Hill Land Company in the future.

L.J. Houck & Sons, Inc.

L.J. Houck & Sons, Inc. embossing seal

The embosser used for L.J. Houck & Sons’ official corporate seal has a real industrial look to it with its green paint. It was patented in 1920 and included a latch to hold the handle down when it wasn’t in use. L.J. Houck & Sons Dairy began in 1904 and was incorporated in 1926. They delivered milk on routes through Elmira, Horseheads, Elmira Heights, Big Flats, and Breeseport using horses and wagons up until 1965 when the company was purchased by the Dairymen’s League.

First United Church of Christ

First United Church of Christ

One of our most modern embossing seals, patented in 1955, was used by an old institution. The First United Church of Christ was established in Elmira in 1874. It served German American population in the city and was also called Erste Deutsche Evangelische Kirche. The large stone church constructed at 160 Madison Avenue starting in 1898 still stands but the last service was held there on July 10, 2022.

1955 embossing seal patent

 
Notaries Public

A selection of notary public embossing seals in CCHS’s collection

An important subset of embossing seals are those used by notaries public. A notary public is an official appointed by the state government who witnesses and verifies the signing of important documents to prevent fraud. Anyone interested in taking on the duties of a notary public can do so by applying to the Department of the State, passing the official exam, and paying all necessary fees. New York State does not require the use of a notary seal but a notary public is required to print, typewrite, or stamp certain information on every single document they notarize. Embossing seals speed up this process and are thus still available to purchase (with proof of official status). We have several notary public seals used by local residents in the museum’s collection. 

W.S. Gerity

Notary Public embossing seal of W.S. Gerity

William S. Gerity (b.1847-d.1912) had a decades-long career in the drugstore business. He began as a clerk and went on to be the co-owner and operator of the Gerity Bros. drugstore at 126 Lake Street in Elmira. From as early as 1906, he also served as a notary public. His embossing seal is interesting because it reads “Elmira, N.Y.” All of the other notary seals in our collection read “Chemung County, N.Y.” I wasn’t able to find out why his was different. 

J. Raymond Shoemaker

Notary Public embossing seal of J. Raymond Shoemaker

J. Raymond Shoemaker (b.1882-d.1973) worked for many years for the Hygeia Refrigerating Company. He started with the company in 1906 and was vice president and general manager by 1920. He later became chairman of the board of Hygeia and also served as the director of the Elmira Bank and Trust Company. His notary public seal with a beautiful inscribed leaf or feather design was patented in 1900. 

Anna O. McTiernan

Notary Public embossing seal of Anna O. McTiernan

Anna T. O’Hern McTiernan (b.1880-d.1965) came to Elmira to take courses at Meeker’s Business Institute. After completing her studies in 1904, she went to work in the bookkeeping department at the Star-Gazette. She retired in 1950 after 46 years with the newspaper. She served as a notary public from as early as 1910 through at least 1948. She was Anna T. O’Hern when she began as a notary public. In 1924, she wed Bill McTiernan and had a brand new embossing seal made with her married name.  

Ralph E. Fudge

Notary Public embossing seal of Ralph E. Fudge

Ralph E. Fudge (b.1908-d.2000) holds a special place in our institutional history as he was a longtime member and former president of the Chemung County Historical Society. He worked as a funeral director at Smith-Fudge Funeral home at 1058 W. Church Street in Elmira until retiring in 1972. His embossing seal was patented in 1924. It has a spring-type mechanism in the handle that makes it easier to use, requiring much less strength to emboss paper than earlier models.

Lunch in the Rest Room

 by Susan Zehnder, Education Director

This curious headline from the Elmira Star-Gazette was published on April 27, 1920. Today it conjures up images of late-night comedy sketches, but at the time, its meaning was clear to everyone. It is a good reminder that context is important to understanding history.

The context behind this headline is not a joke but involves a new group hosting a lunch. The group, calling themselves “Mark Twain,” was the local chapter of the New York Home Bureau. The bureau, formed in 1919 by educators from Cornell University, was a state-wide system that provided the latest information to the community on household economics and farm management. It was geared for rural women interested in improving their lives. While much of the country’s economy and day-to-day living still revolved around agriculture, advances in technology were shaping 20^th century farm life to look very different than earlier. The Cornell educators, mostly women scholars, saw a public interest and need for reliable, scientific information and wanted to help.  

That an organization like this came from Cornell University was a natural. Cornell is a land-grant institution, and like other land-grant colleges and universities was created as a result of the first Morrill Act signed in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. The original 69 institutions were financed by the sales of federally owned land, often land the government had seized or acquired through treaty or cession from Native American tribes.

Land-grant institutions used a new approach to educating students. Earlier, American universities relied on a European model that required students to study the classics, often in Greek or Latin. Topics like classical archeology, art history, history, literature, philosophy, and religion were thought to provide students with what they needed to succeed in life.

The new American model of education offered students practical courses in agriculture, science, military science, and engineering. Also in their mission, the new institutions offered university knowledge to the wider community. With this in mind, Cornell educators reached out to rural farmers. Through organizations like the Home Bureau, Farm Bureau and later Cornell Cooperative Extension, they shared the latest information. Today there are 106 land grant institutions throughout the country.

During World War I, a group of Chemung women who were interested in learning about better ways to preserve food formed the Mark Twain chapter of the Home Bureau. By May of 1920, the chapter had over 400 members.

Canning jar from CCHS collection

It was an active chapter which undertook all sorts of projects. Notable among them, with help from Steel Memorial trustees, was the establishment of the Chemung County Library system. This was the first county-wide library system in New York State. Other projects they pursued were improvements in school nutrition, including hot lunches in schools, food preservation, clothing, and crafts. By 1923, Chemung County had 31 Home Bureau chapters.

The Home Bureau doesn’t exist anymore, but Cornell Cooperative Extension continues to have a presence in all 62 New York counties.

So why, in 1920, was the Home Bureau chapter holding a luncheon in a rest room?

The Rest Room in question was not a washroom, but a room where rural women visiting Elmira could rest. It was maintained by the city and county, and located on the 2^nd floor of 120 Lake Street. Designed to be “a comfortable place where farm women could wait until all members of the family were ready to go home,” it was relocated to the Federal Building in 1930.

Just goes to show that curiosity can lead to some odd discoveries.

 

Green (Book) Means Go

 By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

 

For Black motorists in the mid-20^th century, hitting the road could be a dangerous proposition. Travelers frequently had their cars vandalized and could find themselves attacked by whites or arrested arbitrarily by the police. Throughout the Jim Crow south, Blacks were frequently denied service at hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other public accommodations. It happened in the north too. Since 1873, New York has had laws against discrimination in public accommodations, but that didn’t stop some New York hotel and restaurant owners from refusing to serve Black customers.

Enter The Negro Motorists Green Book. Created by Victor Hugo Green, a Black postal worker from New York City, the book provided Black motorists with a list of places across the nation where they knew they would be given service. The lists included hotels, tourist homes, restaurants, night clubs, gas/service stations, beauty salons, and barber shops. An updated version was published yearly from 1936 to 1966. Travelers were encouraged to write in the names, addresses, and kind of business of friendly places they knew about to keep the lists fresh.

The Negro Motorists Green Book not only helped to protect Black motorists in their travels, it helped to promote Black businesses. Black women benefited especially considering that most tourist homes and beauty salons were women-owned. Getting listed was free, but businesses could pay to have their listing displayed in bold or with a star to denote that they were “recommended.” Esso Standard Oil Company, as a major sponsor of the Green Book, became the gas station of choice for Black motorists. A number of Black Essos station owners were featured in the various articles included in each book. Other articles profiled popular black tourist destinations like Idlewild, Michigan; Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts; and Belmar, New Jersey.

While each addition of The Negro Motorists Green Book devoted pages to accommodations in New York City, accommodations for Black motorists upstate were few and far between. Mrs. J.A. Wilson’s tourist home (bed and breakfast) at 307 East Clinton Street in Elmira was first listed in 1940.  Like many of the businesses listed in the Green Book, Mrs. Wilson’s tourist home was a Black-owned business. Almaria M. Wilson began operating her home as a boarding house in 1925 to supplement her husband John’s income. She continued to operate it until 1942. Outside of her work, Wilson was an active member of the Douglass Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and the Topaz Reading Circle.

Green Book, 1940. Courtesy of New York Public Library

Later editions of the Green Book featured the Elmira landmark Greet Pastures, located at 670 Dickinson Street. The book listed it as a tourist home, but it was so much more. Opened in 1932 by Beatrice Johnson, her husband Richard, and her brother Edward Hodges, Green Pastures was a restaurant, bar, and night club which happened to offer lodgings, especially to the traveling musicians who played there. Green Pastures was a happening place. As the only Black-owned night club in the Twin Tiers, it was considered an important stop of the Chitlin' Circuit and hosted jazz and blues bands from all over the country. Green Pasture’s kitchen was known for its soul food, especially their fried chicken, ribs, biscuits, and collard greens. In 1972, the original building was demolished and the club moved to a new location at 723 Madison Avenue. It closed in 2011. 

Green Book, 1955. Courtesy of the New York Public Library

 

By the 1960s, the once popular Green Book was becoming obsolete. Even before the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the work of activists was lessoning the impact of racial discrimination in public accommodation. The rise of the interstate system in the late 1950s was driving back-road Black-owned hotels out of business. By 1963, the editors of the Green Book were struggling to justify its existence. The final edition was issued in 1966 under the new name Travelers' Green Book: 1966–67 International Edition: For Vacation Without Aggravation. No longer focused on Black travelers, the last edition featured a white woman on the cover. Green Pastures of Elmira was still listed though.

 

Green Book, 1966. Courtesy of the New York Public Library

The Retiring Kind

by Erin Doane, Senior Curator

Our newest exhibit, Marking Life’s Milestones: Celebrations, Commemorations, and Cake (on display through May 2026), explores the big events in peoples’ lives from birth to death and the notable happenings in between. To celebrate the opening of the exhibit, I want to share one of those milestones here – Retirement. The concept of retirement is relatively new. In the early 1800s, the average lifespan of someone who had survived childhood was around 50 to 60 years. People simply worked until the end of their lives. As lifespans have increased, people have had to figure out what they would do when they could no longer work and how they would finance their later years.

Residents of the Elmira Home for the Aged, c. 1910s

In 19^th century America, multigenerational homes were common. As parents aged, their children and grandchildren could care for them. Those without families were on their own. In 1880, the Home for the Aged opened at 1526 Grand Central Avenue in Elmira as a home for widows of Civil War soldiers. Its mission later expanded to include other elderly people without families. It operated for 109 years, housing more than 500 residents. In 1989, the building was sold and became the Lindenwald Haus bed and breakfast. 

Whether one lived with family, on their own, or in a group residence after retirement, it all cost money. Private pension plans first started in 1875 with the American Express Company. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company established the first employee contribution plan for retirement in 1880. Other railroad companies soon followed. By the 1920s, 84% of railroad workers were covered by pension plans.

Retirement certificate given to Eli L. McNebb after 36 1/12 years of service in the Elmira Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, January 1, 1927

In 1935, Social Security was enacted to provide federal benefits to those over the official retirement age of 65. The Revenue Act of 1978 established 401(k) plans for individual retirement investment. These sources of post-work income allowed more people to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

Individual Retirement Account checkbook cover from Marine Midland Bank

Healthcare was, and still is, a major concern for retirees. The National Retired Teachers Association was established in 1947 to assist former teachers with health insurance. AARP, which was founded in 1958, evolved from the National Retired Teachers Association. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life for all as they age, to lead positive social change, and to deliver value to members through advocacy, service, and information. Medicare, a federal health insurance program, was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.

Mug Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Elmira Chapter 276 AARP, April 16, 2014

Even with housing, post-work financing, and healthcare all taken care of, some people just want to keep working. In most jobs that’s not a problem, but some professions have enforced retirement ages. Commercial pilots, for example, are required to retire at the age of 65. Other careers with mandatory retirement include air traffic controllers at 56, FBI agents, national park law enforcement rangers, and federal firefighters at 57, and foreign service officers at 65.

Trophy awarded to Glenn S. Banfield by the Chemung County board of supervisors upon his retirement as airport manager in 1970

Retirement is a celebratory milestone in people’s lives. It became a tradition in the mid-20^th century to recognize longtime employees at annual banquets or parties. Local companies like Bendix, Howell, Hygeia, Hilliard, and Conrail gave employees pins commemorating their years of service. They also honored retirees with gifts and cake.

Pins for 25, 30, and 35 years of service with the Star Gazette awarded to Betty Schneck

Betty Schneck, seen here on March 8, 1962, retired from the Star Gazette in 1985 after nearly 40 years of employment.

Eddie Hart received a watch upon his retirement from the Chemung County Building Department in 1977.

Learn how people marked life’s other milestones throughout history and see how things have changed over time in Marking Life’s Milestones: Celebrations, Commemorations, and Cake on display at the Chemung Valley History Museum through May 2026.

  

When National News Hits Home

 by Susan Zehnder, Education Director

In the spring of 1970, students from colleges and universities across the nation were protesting the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War. On Monday, May 4, just after noon, reports of a deadly shooting suddenly hit the national news. In 13 seconds, the Ohio National Guard had fired 67 rounds of ammunition into a crowd of protesters at Kent State University. When it was over, four students were dead, nine others were seriously wounded, and hundreds of people had witnessed the event. In response, the university immediately shut down its campus, and for the next six weeks students had to meet off campus with faculty members to complete their semester.

Historians look at events like Kent State, through primary sources to build understanding and help provide context. In the case of Kent State, in addition to eyewitness accounts, numerous documentary films, dramatizations, writings, songs, music, and prize-winning photographs memorialize what happened fifty-five years ago.

Today it is accepted that what took place that Monday in north-eastern Ohio contributed to changing the trajectory of public opinion about American military involvement in the Vietnam War.

At the time, at least four students from Chemung County were attending the university: Mike Tacka, Jay Williams, William Leggiero, and Steve Saracene. These young men, all in their late teens and early twenties, were the same age as many of those being drafted and sent off to fight. They were also about the same age as many of the National Guardsmen who fired upon the protesters.

The Star-Gazette, May 6, 1970

College life in the 1970s looked very different than it does today. Students gathered information from radio broadcasts instead of social media. There were no cell phones with cameras or instantaneous access to the world stage. Newspapers were common, but campus newspapers were often not published on a regular basis.

Earlier that spring, there had been a call for college students to protest the country’s involvement in the war by organizing strikes to get attention. Many national papers covered this brewing unrest, including those printed on May 4. However, by that evening things had changed. Kent State had closed, and the Chemung County students had already returned home. Two days later they were interviewed by the Star-Gazette.

The young men shared their eyewitness and personal accounts. Imagine how brave they had to be to do this, since no one knew what kind of impact this incident would have, or if there would be backlash for or against anyone.

Mike Tacka declared, “it was just like a war zone.” Bill Leggiero said, “There was just a big pool of blood in the middle of the road.” And about the guardsmen, Jay Williams said that “some of them fired into the air. Others fired directly into the crowd.”

A fourth student, Steve Saracene, didn’t witness the shootings, but heard the gunfire. He noted that “the shootings alienated many students who previously had been middle-of-the-road and had taken no part in demonstrations.”

For anyone who experiences or witnesses events like Kent State, memories will persist. Making sense of what happened takes time. While in the middle of events, it is nearly impossible to see how things connect or contribute to the arc of history. For those brave enough to document their experiences to share with others, we are thankful.

A Case of Measles

By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

 

Earlier in the year, I had a researcher who came every Friday for a month to look at our collection of reports of the Elmira Board of Health. I asked her what she was looking for. She explained that she was an ER nurse and was looking at historical records to see what the hospital might be in for if people stopped vaccinating their kids. “It’s going to be bad,” she said, looking over her notes. “It’s going to be really bad.”

At present, the State of New York requires that all students be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, and chickenpox in order to attend public schools (unless they have a medical exception). Additionally, students in grades 7 through 12 are required to have the meningococcal disease vaccine while kids in day care or pre-k must have haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Any one of these diseases can cause lasting debilitation or even death. Since the measles are in the news again after a series of deadly outbreaks, I’m going to focus on that one.

Measles is a highly-contagious disease which is spread through coughing, sneezing, etc. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, white spots in the mouth called Koplik spots, and a red rash which spreads from face to feet. The symptoms appear within 10 to 12 days after exposure and usually last about a week. Common complications include diarrhea, ear infection, and pneumonia, but some unlucky sufferers can get inflammation of the brain resulting in seizures, blindness, and lasting brain damage. The virus causes patients’ immune systems to reset, making them susceptible to other illnesses, even ones they’ve already had, for several years after. Approximately 2.5 of every 1,000 modern cases results in death.

Looking at the historical record, measles was consistently the most common communicable illness in Chemung County. The exact numbers fluctuated from year to year. In 1925, there were just 49 reported cases in the City of Elmira. In 1949, there were 2,395 cases resulting in 2 deaths. In the days before antibiotics, patients were more likely to die of complications, especially pneumonia. In October 1869, an outbreak of measles at the Southern Tier Orphan’s Home resulted in 14 cases. Two children died. In an interview with the newspaper, the home’s matron said, “It is a comfort to think that these little ones, whose early life had been so darkly shadowed, are now safely gathered in a permanent Home, where sickness never enters, where want and orphanage are unknown, and where they may enjoy all the privileges of heirship in that beautiful land on equal footing with the children of wealth and nobility.” 

 

Elmira Board of Health, Annual Report, 1949

When cases were reported to the local Board of Health, officials would placard and quarantine the homes of patients in hopes of stopping the spread. In June 1897, there was a bit of a mystery surrounding the removal of a health placard placed at the multi-family home at 604 East Water Street. Mrs. Martha Tuttle, originally of North Chemung, was renting rooms there so her 15-year-old son might attend Elmira Free Academy. When he contracted measles, the home was placarded and quarantined. Mrs. Tuttle took her son home to North Chemung to recover and someone at the house removed the sign so the other residents could go back to school and work. The removal of a health placard without the approval of the health department was technically a crime, but no one was ever charged. While it was rare for people to just remove signs, it was apparently not uncommon for people to not report cases so as to avoid being placarded in the first place.

Elmira Gazette, June 30, 1897

The measles vaccine was first approved for use in the United States in 1963. There were subsequent improvements to the vaccine in 1968. A few years later in 1971, it was combined with vaccines for mumps and rubella to form the MMR vaccine. Children must receive two doses to be fully immunized. Thanks to the vaccine, measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but, since then, it has made a resurgence thanks to vaccine hesitancy among certain groups. According to the CDC, as of May 22, there were 1,046 confirmed cases of measles in 2025 across 31 states. 96% of those patients were unvaccinated, 12% required hospitalization, and three have died.

Knowledge of the past is essential for understanding the present. It’s also important for predicting possible future outcomes of our decisions. Most American’s Gen X and younger have never had measles, let alone known someone who died from it. And yet, a quick look at the historical record proves my researcher is right. Stopping vaccination will result in more infections and more death. The good news is, by arming ourselves with that knowledge, we still have time to make better choices.