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Valentown Greetings,

Diaries and journals have long been a popular historic interest. 
Not as popular a habit now perhaps, but even today they still 
have the ability to let us see into the past in a special way. 
They let you into the lives of other people who are long 
gone. Samuel Pepys' (1633-1703) diary is an early example of how 
this dutiful daily notation changed to a personal journey.But 
both aspects were seen as a way to find meaning and patterns in 
one's life.

Surely many of the merchants at Valentown kept records of their 
businesses, but they also added things like the weather and other 
elements that influenced their enterprises.Loyal customers were 
noted by name.As time went on they could look back and see when 
and what kind of work they did for someone. They could anticipate 
their customers needs and be ready. At the end of a year they 
could look back critically and see how good a job they were doing.

In historic terms, a/personal journal/ was a way to record 
significant experiences, thoughts and reflections in your life. 

A diary was considered less revealing and personal. This makes 
historic journals very compelling, and they were written not only 
by now famous authors but ordinary people too.They could reflect 
on anything that pleased them or puzzled them. They could even 
comment on other individuals in their lives. This "name dropping" 
has also become valuable information for genealogy about families.

But "diaries" seem to be what people recognize today. All someone 
has to do is say the name "Ann Frank" for us to see how the power 
of a document like this can shakes us to our core. The modest 
writings of most people from the past may have never been 
intended to go beyond family or close friends. But for those of 
us who get to read them, they are a wealth of events and names 
that flesh out those who may now only be noted on a gravestone. 
Historical journals and dairies are great treasures that link us 
directly to the past.

Levi Valentine and other individuals from our collection at 
Valentown wrote journals that they left behind. They have let us 
see the past through their eyes. And we hope that in spite of 
modern media's digital recording of history, that some of us are 
keeping a personal journal in a little book written by hand. 
Wouldn't it be nice to have someone find it in the future and 
wish they could chat with us?
As always, we are your down home, hometown museum.
Kathryn White, President
 

Quote of the Month

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, 
I would still plant my apple tree."
Martin Luther

News and Events
(For other ongoing News & Events, check our web site or our 
Facebook page.)
 

We had company last September!
 

http://www.WoodfordBros.com
<https://www.woodfordbros.com/barn-timber-frame-repairs/barn-timber-frame-repairs.html>*

At the end of September 2018 we scheduled a meeting with a
company south of Syracuse who has hometown start up roots.
Just what we like. Woodford Brothers had humble beginnings
that have grown and expanded over the years and they are
still family run. This was the first exploration for us in
investigating the cost of making the needed repairs to
Historic Valentown Hall. Next month we will post the quote so
you all can see how much the repairs may cost.

This quote, and all our work ahead, has become even more
important because of a recent development regarding the
building and its condition. We have been put on notice that
Valentown Hall does not comply with with the standards of the
town. We are seeking the support and advice from our true
friends within the Valentown community as well as interested
parties both locally and regionally to help. You can find
more information about this most recent challenge we face on
our web site:
http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/repair_notice
<http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=159>*
 

Just a reminder, your Amazon shopping can help Historic
Valentown!
See illustrated instructions on how to set it up? and what to
visually expect in our forums:
How to set up a Smile.Amazon.com Account
<http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=148&fbclid=IwAR09T4sS-p-RyZfgQgU1fyNuhM8aBQpbBp5wlBeL0oZTHmNI5tuWxFpN7W8>;

Please consider becoming a community member
<http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/page.php/communitymemberships>*
of Victor Historical Society and support
HISTORIC VALENTOWN on a yearly basis. Members get to vote
and have other perks as well. 

WEB SITE NEWS

Reminder! A New Poll Is Up on the Web Site

Poll Topic- Planning 2019 Museum Events and Activities: We
would like to know which events you might be interested in
attending during our 2019 season. Please take a minute or
so to take the poll on our web site! In order to best
represent our visitors, we need your thoughts and input!
The poll is public and open to all, so please feel free to
share it as well. http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/polls/
<http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/polls/index.php>;

EVENTS
 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Valentown's Mason Bee Harvest
(Date, Time and Place to be Determined)

If you would like to attend (either to participate or to 
observe), please contact Lynne at 
webmaster at historicvalentownmuseum.org. Spring will be here before 
you know it!

Find Us on Facebook! 
<https://www.facebook.com/Historic-Valentown-157101550971895/>;

Recipes
See /our collection of recipes and hints, tips and substitutions at
http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/index.php?cat=2
 

The very versatile potato is almost the only vegetable
that has literally hundreds of recipes (probably more!) for
every cooking method there is! Baked, boiled, broiled, fried,
grilled, and used as a side dish, in casseroles, soups,
salads and stews... where would we be without the humble
potato? So our recipe this month is in honor of our
wonderful local potato history!

Simple Old Fashioned Oven Browned Potato's

"Ideally this recipe would be made using a cast iron skillet,
but any baking dish or cooking sheet will do. Optionally, you
can improvise with adding chopped onion or minced garlic, or
spices like parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc. This is

just the very basic simple version. It's the browning that
makes them so delicious on their own."

~~~Lynne

Ingredients
6 small potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
2) Clean and cut the potatoes into 1/2"-1" cubes.
3) In a large bowl or zip lock bag, toss the potatoes with
the oil and spices.
4) Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet or shallow baking pan.
5) Spread the potatoes in a single layer in the butter, toss
with a spatula to coat.
6) Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes
are tender. Stir the potatoes once after about 15 minutes of
baking so they brown on all sides.

Serve immediately. ((Serves 3-4))

NOTE: If you want to use larger chunks of potato, either
quarter or halve the potato's, and increase the cooking time
by 10-15 minutes.

Time to dig out some of those potatoes in the root cellar!
 

Potatoes have a rich history in the area around Historic
Valentown. Our local Eastview Mall was a seed potato farm and
the whole area produced seed potatoes for the then growing
market. The Hall at Valentown served as an important regional
center for the Victor regions Grange movement, and played a
role in the establishment of the region's important
seed-potato industry. Seed potatoes were starter potatoes.
They were especially grown to grow and cultivate larger
potato crops.

In 1877 the Valentown Grange sent Charles W. Ford to the
Farmers Alliance convention in Morristown, N.J. The growers
there were having a lot of difficulty keeping potato seed
between seasons. Ford explained that the tubers grown in his
Fishers, NY area were hardy and he offered to send potato
seed to anyone who wanted it. From then on and for at least
50 more years, Ford sent seed potatoes to New Jersey.

Arthur G. Aldridge of Fishers had a warehouse with 50,000

bushels of seed potatoes and his catalogs went around the
world. For years he had a photo of "the world's largest
potato" a spud grown on his farm on Valentown Road the size
of a pumpkin. More interesting facts about potatoes grown
around Fishers and Victor, NY are in Victor's Historian
Articles: https://www.victorny.org/396/Historian-Articles

More local potato history includes an Irish immigrant, John
H. Connelly. John married Fishers NY native Sara Murphy, and
in 1874 he opened a general store very similar to our general
store at Valentown. John tragically died 12 years later after
slipping under the wheels of a train in Pittsford, NY. Sarah
went on to continue running the store, and developed a number
of new potato varieties, such as the "Kaiser" and the "Maggie
Murphy", named for her sister. You can read more about that
on our web sites "Maggie Murphy's Potato Plot"
brief:http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/MurphysPotatoPlot
<http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=32&topic=32&query=murphy#32>;

Potatoes were first domesticated in Peru and parts of Bolivia
between 8000 to 5000 BC. They are related to tobacco,
peppers, and tomatoes even nightshade. And there are more
than 4,000 varieties! Native to South America, they weren't
introduced in North America until European settlements. They
actually got their start as a serious food staple around 1790
when planted by Scott/Irish settlers in Londonderry, New
Hampshire. The whole world now benefits from these potato's
that were cultivated by Native Americans. "All Relatives!"

Levi's "What is it?" Department
Hello Friends,

Well this may be easy for some- so be good and just give out a 
clue if you already know. It does look useful. The General Store 
was full of such items. The latest and the greatest for the 
home. It may not be all there but that could be a comment 
too. Just don't give away the answer right off. We want to 
have some hints first before the big reveal. We think it's an easy 
one. Some things don't change. We hope you enjoy these as much as 
we like finding them for you.

If you have an old time stumper "what is it", consider sending 
it to us, we may use it.

We are your down home hometown Historic Valentown and want to 
keep it that way. Best to you - Levi

Enjoy more conversation about this "What Is It" on our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/ 
<https://www.facebook.com/157101550971895/photos/a.708518075830237/2574458035902889/?type=3&theater>;

Winter Wonders Part IV

The Digervarden Ski

Discovered in Norway's Reinheimen National Park
in 2014, the ski quickly found its way to a
museum where a radiocarbon test at the Beta lab

in Florida dated it circa 750 AD!

Replica pair of the Digervarden ski. Reconstruction by Kjell
Bengtsen.
    

We would love to add a pair of vintage ski's to our
collection at Valentown. Does anyone have a pair they
would be willing to part with? Read more about the
discovery of this ski and Digervarden ski's in
general:https://secretsoftheice.com/news/2018/10/04/skis/

Next Month we will have a Spring Wonder for you.
Yes, Spring is coming!

Still going. Will it ever be solved...?

The "mystery rods"
    <https://www.facebook.com/157101550971895/photos/a.708518075830237.1073741826.157101550971895/2096916816990349/?type=3&theater>;