×

‘Impressive’ year buoys city group

Historical Society looks back, ahead

On Aug. 28, the Dunkirk Historical Society observed the 75th anniversary of Dunkirk-to Dunkerque Day, which received international attention after World War II.

As great-grandson and namesake of Paul Weiss (1865-1941), who served as mayor of Dunkirk 1928-1931, and on behalf of our members, staff and volunteers, thank you for your support and interest in the Historical Society of Dunkirk & Dunkirk Historical Museum. Working together, we achieved an impressive series of successes, despite the challenges of these past two years.

On Aug. 28, the community turned out to proudly observe the 75th year of our city’s 1946 Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque international relief effort, which united distant peoples in the cause of World Peace. The work of all those who made this once-in-a-lifetime event possible cannot be summarized here, but the occasion was acknowledged by fellow citizens in Dunkerque, France, and we salute the original participants from the World War II era who have all but passed away.

Some facts about our museum, exhibits and collection:

¯ While our not-for-profit organization was founded March 12, 1973, the Museum came to be in 1980 when the city of Dunkirk generously made available an historic building suitable for our needs, which since then has become a repository for our collection, exhibits and archives.

It is now a jewel of the Washington Park neighborhood, and an icon of Dunkirk’s resilience.

¯ Generous funding from the city and Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation has helped us maintain the 1930 architecture of our 513 Washington Ave. home. This is most apparent in our facade, with repainted signage, repaired brickwork, reglazed windows and refurbished doors. The renewed landscaping is now grown-in and still reminds us of the talents of Sam Mancuso, and Mary Rees of Revitalize Dunkirk’s Beautification Committee.

¯ Our permanent collection of ALCO-Brooks Works and rail artifacts in the Museum tells an important story about the growth and times in our early community, and is among the finest in the state. Roy Davis and Roger Schulenberg, along with Scott Symans, help preserve our rail legacy with upkeep and operation of the Brooks Fairground Exhibit & Museum Display. While the entire basement exhibit is being refreshed for an even more impressive display, we took the opportunity to install new flooring and repaint the walls, funded by an NCCF grant.

¯ It would not be an exaggeration to say that our much-needed backyard storage garage, funded in large part by member donations, has helped free up valuable space in the Museum, and has led to the reorganization of archived material, plus the rediscovery of a few “buried” artifacts.

¯ We were thrilled to receive the donation of a very large historical cabinet filled with Cliffstar company artifacts from Stanley Star, whose family’s long-time civic legacy as entrepreneurs, employers and benefactors is virtually unmatched in this community. Thank you, Stanley!

Funding, grants, dues and donations:

¯ Along with funds received through the city, a major funding source has been the Community Development Block Grant program, administered through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. Add to this the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, where our Robert Harris Endowment generates investment income. We also thank KeyBank and Lake Shore Savings Bank, and member donor appeals have been met with success as well.

¯ Members and donors can pay with PayPal, and more of our new members now join and pay online. A goal is to add our Gift Shop to our website with digital images from our collection. Members get access to Time Travelers (https://timetravelers.mohistory.org), a free reciprocal membership network for history museums, sites and societies in the U.S. including over 300 venues across the country. This alone is worth the cost of your dues, offering many exclusive benefits and privileges such as reduced admission and gift shop discounts at other museums.

Officers, trustees, staff and volunteers:

¯ We commend the talents of Executive Director Jane Babinsky, Administrative Assistant Lynn Kovach, Curator Ellen Bailey, Archivist Wayne Mori, Photo Archivist and City Historian Diane Andrasik, Researcher Denise Griggs, Bill Meister and Joe Andrasik in building maintenance, multi-taskers Al and Judy Hollander, Peter Komada, Jr. who digitizes the archives, Victoria Johnson in cataloging, along with our other team-players. Their important work never ends.

¯ As I conclude my tenure on the Board after four years, I would like to recognize the service of fellow outgoing members, Vice President Frank Beach and Brandon Katta. Thank you as well to Treasurer Magaly Myers, Secretary Sally Graves, trustees Mary Carney, Wayne Mori, Raymond Rushboldt and Sharon Perdue, joined this past year by Beverly Slichta-Cusick and Roger Orcutt. We still have a few open seats, and to learn more about this rewarding role and the opportunity to help preserve Dunkirk’s history, email: dirdunkirkhismuseum@gmail.com.

Looking forward to 2022, and beyond:

¯ While the Museum’s original electrical system has performed well considering it is over 90 years old, the time has come for a modern upgrade that can handle additional loads from our high-tech electronics, plus our staff’s desire for A/C during Dunkirk’s warm summer months. If you wish to donate, fundraising is underway to subsidize the cost of the electricians’ labor.

¯ Taste of Prohibition II will feature two prescription-only “medicinal” whiskeys, plus auction of a rare quart bottle of 100-proof government-authorized 1933 Prohibition whiskey. Future events may include: Walking Tour of the Washington Park Neighborhood, resumption of our Tour of Historic Homes, Mobile Pub Crawl of Historic Tavern sites and new special exhibits.

¯ Visiting the now-reopened Museum is a way to reconnect with your community, and we look forward to seeing you. Hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays; phone 716-366-3797. Visit our improved website and Facebook page for events, news and updates.

Thank you everyone for caring about Dunkirk’s history and supporting our mission to preserve it.

Paul Scheeler was Dunkirk Historical Society board president for 2021.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today