How Kendall Got Its Name

 

How did Kendall get its name??  Have you ever wondered??  We have heard that the town was named after Amos Kendall.  Why?

First, let’s get to know the many faces of Amos Kendall.   He was born in 1789 in Dunstable, Massachusetts.  He graduated at the head of his class from Dartmouth College in 1811.  

According to Wikipedia, Amos Kendall "was an American lawyer, a journalist and a politician. He rose to prominence as editor-in-chief of the 'Argus of Western America', an influential newspaper in Frankfort, Kentucky. He used his newspaper, his writing skills, and extensive political contacts to build the Democratic Party into a national political power". 

Following Democrat Andrew Jackson's election in 1829, he went to Washington, D.C.  He became fourth Auditor of the Treasury and was the President's intimate adviser.  He proved an able administrator and became the United States 8th Postmaster General in 1835 holding office until 1840.  Being that he was such a supporter and friend of President Jackson, Amos wrote most of the President's annual addresses and produced newspaper material that appeared throughout the country to build support for Jackson's programs. 

 Amos Kendall invested heavily in Samuel Morse's new invention, the telegraph.  In March 1845, Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail hired Amos Kendall to be their business manager.  Amos Kendall agreed, and received a 10 percent commission on all patent licenses he was able to obtain. Two months later, Amos Kendall incorporated the Magnetic Telegraph Company to own and operate a telegraph line between Washington, D.C., and New York City. It was the first privately owned telegraph line in the nation's history.

Amos Kendall went on to co-found the Gallaudet University in 1857, which is the first higher education institution for students who were deaf.  He donated his home and 2 acres of land at Kendall Green for the school's use. On February 16, 1857, Congress passed legislation giving the Kendall School a charter as the Columbia Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. Three months later, Amos Kendall hired Edward Miner Gallaudet as the school's first superintendent, while Amos Kendall assumed the presidency of the institution's board of directors.

 Amos devoted himself to religious study. Calvary Baptist Church was founded in 1862. Although Amos Kendall was not a member of the church, he had a high regard for its pastor and donated $90,000 toward construction of the church. The congregation built a luxurious $115,000 house of worship. Amos Kendall was welcomed as a member of Calvary Baptist Church in 1865.  The church opened its doors in 1866.  It’s about the same time that Amos Kendall was made a senior deacon in the church.  But within 18 months the building was consumed by fire. It was insured for just $50,000.  Amos Kendall donated another $15,000 to rebuild the edifice.

Amos Kendall died at dawn at his home in the Stickney Mansion on Friday, November 12, 1869, and was interred in Glenwood Cemetery in Washington, D.C.  It was more than likely liver or stomach cancer that ended his life.  He was 80 years old.

Now you know who Amos Kendall was.  Why is Kendall named after him?   Two men by the names of Webster and Peasley, who were area merchants at the time, suggested the name.  They were active Democratic politicians, and largely instrumental in securing the passage of an act in the State Legislation for the formation of the town of Kendall.  (keep in mind prior to 1837 we were known as North Murray). In April 1837, Kendall became established from the northern portion of the town of Murray.  This act gave Kendall an area of 19,994 acres of land.  In the same year, a town meeting was held in a local tavern and the town officers were elected.   Alanson Whitney became supervisor and Theron Soule was elected town clerk.  Kendall was established in 1837.  (a side note:  the signs that say Kendall was established in 1812, in actuality is when the first pioneer became "established")

Devil's Nose

 This photo of Devil's Nose was taken Thursday, February 16, 2017 from Banner Beach Road.  The temperature was in the 50's.   Notice how there isn't any ice build up at all on Lake Ontario.  This is another mild winter.  For comparison's sake, I dug up some other photos of Devil's Nose.  It shows how time changes all things.  Enjoy.

2001

1920

1909 

This photo was taken near the Ontario House in Morton.

The History of Memorial Day

 

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.  This originates from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags from those lost during the Civil War.

On 5 May 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance in the month of May. “The 30th of May 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as General Logan called it, was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle.

During that first national Decoration Day celebration, former Union General and Ohio Congressman James Garfield (also our 20th president, I might add) made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery where 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.  (On a side note.  Our Kendall 8th grade students went to Washington, D.C. this month.  One of their stops was to Arlington Cemetery.  A quote was " I can't believe how may grave stones there are!"" Wow.  It's so beautiful.").  The decorating of Arlington Cemetery is still a tradition today, with also putting a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier by the president or vice president of the U.S.

The first Decoration Day event was inspiring.  Local observances took place in several towns and cities throughout America in the three years after the Civil War.  Its not exactly known where but in 1866, the federal government declared Waterloo, NY as the official birthplace of Memorial Day.   Waterloo was chosen because on 5 May 1866 it hosted an annual community wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.  By 1890, northern states observed Decoration Day and declared it as an official state holiday.  Many  southern states, however, continued to honor their war heroes on separate days.  It wasn't until after World War I where Memorial Day became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars.  In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be celebrated on the last Monday of May.  It created a federal three day holiday that kicks off the summer season.

Here are some ways to commemorate this Memorial Day.

1.  Traditional observance states on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon.  It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.  The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service to their country. At noon, their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.

2.   Put flags or flowers on the graves of men and women who served in wars.

3.   Visit monuments dedicated to soldiers, sailors and marines.

4.   March in a parade.  There will be a march to the Morton Union Cemetery at 7pm.  It will start from Curtis Memorial Soccer Field on Countyline Road in Morton. 

5.   Encourage others and participate to pause in a moment of silence for one minute in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time.  Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place.

6.  Wear or plant some red Poppies.   The practice of wearing poppies takes its origin from the poem  "In Flanders Fields" , written in 1915 by John McCrae.


*Always remember that Memorial Day is a day for remembering the men and women who died while serving our country.   Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, especially the living!*


Take a walk into town hall.  I have Memorial Day displays up.
 Pause to remember.....

                                               

                                                   The Missing Man Table

What do you think Kendall is Known For????

This question was posed to me today.  When someone asks you, "What do you think Kendall is known for??"  What would you say in return?? I am curious as to what my readers think.  Is Kendall known for its agriculture or would the railroad, "The Hojack", come to mind.  What about Kendall being the first to have a Norwegian colony in the United States.  That is something that should be well known about our community but isn't.  Kendall had a great community where if a farmer was down on his luck his neighbors were right there to help.  It didn't matter if they had their own work to do still.  Tell me what you believe Kendall is known for.  Post your comments below or email me with what you think.  I would love to hear from you.  Thank you.

Interesting Kendall Tidbit

Here is an interesting find to share with y'all.  Do you know what a Gandy Dancer is?  Kendall had them here in town in the years 1875-76.  Anyone familiar with the railroad would know the term well.  

A Gandy Dancer is the name given the men who had the job of laying railroad tracks.  What's interesting was a farmer's wife who lived in West Kendall.   Mrs. Absalom Harradine prepared one hot meal a day for these men and in doing so made enough money to make a down payment on a farm.  The meal consisted of roast beef, potatoes, gravy and one vegetable.  This required an entire cow per week!  She would pack the food in wash tubs, load it in her wagon and deliver it to the men at lunchtime.  As a result of the back breaking work by these men, the track was completed and the first passenger train went through town on 12 June 1876.  The railroad line was known as "The Hojack Line".

 

For the sake of saying, the last revenue train on the Hojack Line ran on 31 March 1978.  The Hojack was alive for 102 years.

The Evolution of The Old Kendall Town Hall

 If walls could talk, the old Kendall town hall would have a story to tell.  Her story begins here.

Kendall had a Universalist society of about 70 members in 1832.  (mind you, Kendall was charted in 1837, so prior to 1837 we were called North Murray).  They were in need of an edifice to call home for their church services.  They typically would take turns having services in different homes of the members.  Alanson Whitney was a stout Universalist and a trustee of the church.  He donated his land east of Main Street in 1855.    The Greek Revival church was built by Carlton Bridgeman for $2300.  Hitching sheds were built to the north of the building, which stood for a century and then were torn down.

(This is the only picture found so far of the old town hall with the steeple still attached.  Photo was taken in 1907 after a freakish wind storm hit.)

    *A side note about Alanson Whitney.  He was our town's first supervisor in 1837.  He died in 1855.  He never got to see the completion of the church.  His widow and heirs in 1856 deeded to the trustees of the Universalist society the lot on which the church edifice stands.  The deed was recorded on 2 April 1859 in Book of Deeds 53 on page 189.*

The Universalists, a few years after 1874, did not utilize the church anymore.  The German Lutherans in 1887 decided to rent the church for $40 a month and did so for about three and half years until their church, the Concordia Lutheran was built. 

 After the Lutherans, the building sat vacant until the late 1890's when the town acquired it for use as a town hall.  No longer would town council have to conduct business in private homes and business locations.  The building was used for town meetings, was a voting place, the Farm Bureau would hold shop classes here, and was also used for storage.  I believe it wasn't till the 1950's-60's that because of the deteriorating nature of the building, council would once again start conducting business in private homes, the Kendall Fire Hall, and the Town Highway building.  The building did not have plumbing or heat.

This photo was taken in 1917 inside the old Town Hall.  This is the Kendall Home Guard (WWI).

The next series of photos shows the evolution of Town Hall before it becoming dismantled for its new home in Childs, NY and becoming part of the Cobblestone Museum as Farmers Hall.  The location of the building was between the Kendall Fire Station and the current Town Hall.

                                  This is photo shows the old town hall being dismantled in 1978.

              The old Kendall Town Hall as Farmers Hall in Childs, NY as part of the Cobblestone Museum.
                                     www.cobblestonemuseum.org/content/historic-buildings

                      The new Kendall Town Hall was built in 1975 and remains the central hub of Kendall.

Imagine This.....

How different life would have been if Kendall had a nuclear power plant.  Imagine Kendall and how divergent everyone's lives would have been??  What kind of business' would we have?  What about a housing boom?  Would some of our farms still be in existence and grow as big as some are today?  Some of us, including myself, would not have a home where we do today.  How different would your life be??  It makes one stop and think hmmm.......  Interesting article.