Afton, NY Historian

11/19/2025

😭 Historian's Rant.

As a Historian and a Genealogist. I am constantly 'recording history'.

Here's what bends me out of shape.

I record Birthdates, Death dates, where people lived, where they worked, how many kids they had, etc.

But to me these are only facts and labels.

They do not speak about the person themselves. The WHO they were.

I have heard the complaint "To 'them' we aren't people, we're just another number in their system." Them being many different entities etc.

Thats what I feel like without diary's or people's STORIES.

For example - when I am gone from this earth, my 'data' won't tell you that I have a hobby of cross-stitch, or that I LOVE reading books in moss patches.

'Data' does not show or maintain the WHO of the person - spirit, soul, personality, hobbies etc. Whatever you want to call it.

We will ONLY get that by STORIES.

If I don't get stories - I am to suffer recording people based on only their 'data'.

I WANT THE STORIES !!!!!
I want the REAL information that makes the data human and real. I want to create legacies for the future generations.

So often I have people say "My (ancestor) lived in this house."
Cool.
But what did they 'do' in that house.
Did they love puzzles ? Did they sew sleeping bags for the homeless? Did they just sleep, eat and bath?
Example - when I was a young one growing up on Main Street, there was a woman, Mrs. Brown, who welcomed us kids to visit and she had aquarium tanks, lots of them, full of 'bugs'. Catapillars and everything. She gave me my first butterfly book amd taught me about these 'bugs'. I'm willing to bet if I read her obituary, it wouldn't say anything about her desire to teach about them.

I WANT THE STORIES !!!!!

I want to make History come alive.

I CANNOT do that without YOU.

SHARE your memories of people, your own stories, write your own biography, start a diary, whatever you can do - to make Afton's History come to life and be more than just 'data.'

07/18/2025

I miss seeing the caboose at the end of every train.
What are some things you miss that have changed throughout time ? What may your parents or grandparents mentioned too?

07/18/2025

Women often get lost in history.
Who are some women of Afton's long history that should not be forgotten? Inventors? Authors? Notables? From our towns settlement to now.

07/09/2025

👉 For proper and accurate historical preservation of the people and stories, community help is required.

Sunday, July 6th, 2025, marked the end of an era for our village of Afton with the closing of St. Agnes Catholic Church with the final mass held at 11am.

If you are in these photos or can name people, even if just one, please send me a PM.

Any stories, Memories, etc can also be sent through PM or to [email protected]

Thank you everyone for showing your love to the church on their final day, and helping preserve the churches history.

05/01/2025

🥳 The often asked question of "Aftonite or Aftonian" question has been answered!
👉 Aftonian
😎 1920 Yearbook of Afton School
🧐 The Alma Matter was DIFFERENT !
🧐 The school colors were different
😲 Class sizes were different ! .....Oh what changes in the last 125 years !

Happy Browsing 😎

12/23/2024

Testing.......

08/17/2024

😎 Afton - Still making History 🥰

Grand to have been a pleasure to be an Aftonite through your entire career !

🥳 A recognition fully earned ! 🥳

Cindy initially served as the Junior Varsity coach, building a feeder program that helped the varsity program, led by Jan Conover, to three straight New York State Championship games with the Indians coming out on top twice.

06/25/2024

😎 Afton Fair Advertisement for 1924
👉 100 Years Ago.
🤗 Notice who the Secretary of the Fair was. ....
😎 Mr. Harry G Horton. 😎

06/18/2024

Afton Residents.
If you are in need of a place to escape the heat -
call the Town Clerk at 607-639-1071.

06/11/2024

With the Fair right around the corner, I wanted to share some old photos of our Afton Fair before the mechanical glory of carnival rides. PACKED STANDS ! I can only imagine what else that horse was doing !

The following is a write up that Charles Decker wrote in August, 1994 about the Afton Fair.

"The Afton Driving Park and Agricultural Association held its 100th Annual Fair in 1989. The 79 acre grounds were purchased in 1889 from Levi Johnston. They had been owned at one time by Esquire Zechariah Tarbell, the Justice of the Peace who married the Mormon, Joseph Smith, to Emily Hale upon their elopement on January 18, 1827 at his house which stood near the entrance to the fairgrounds.
A half mile racetrack was laid out and the grandstand was apparently built the first year.
The first officers were: President, J. B. Pierce; Vice President, M. D. Lane; Treasurer, Devillo C. Church; and Secretary, George A. Haven. Directors were A. L. Lilley, George B. Hickox, and James Nickerson. All were Afton businessmen who wished to promote the community.
In more recent years, some of the officers and directors have come from outside the town.
The original organization was a partnership, which in 1919 was faced with a $3800 mortgage and a deficit of $6000. Each of the 15 directors furnished $400 to liquidate the debt and re-organize as a corporation with a capital stock of $20,000. AS a result, the Afton Fair has run consecutively for over a hundred years.
In the early years, the fair was held for three or four days in September in the harvest season. In 1916 and 1917, the time was changed to August, but it reverted to September from 1918 to 1922. From 1923 to more recent years, the fair was held in August. At present it is held in mid-July.
Sulky racing has been an important part of the fair from the beginning. George Tingley, who raced for over half a century broke the track record in 1943 with his horse Marching Dillon. This fact is recorded on the old judge's stand which has now been moved from its position just across the track from the grandstand.
Auto racing was an exciting event as was the climax to the fair on Saturday afternoons for several years. The races were discontinued after several fatalities on the short track. Today, stock car races and demolition derbies bring in the crowds and an inner track has been graded to accommodate them.
Entertainment has always attracted people to the fair. The band of Edwin Francko Goldman, successor to John Philip Sousa, came to the fair two seasons during the 1930's. In 1994, country and gospel music were heard by the audiences. A son of Theodore Roosevelt was once a speaker. Various acrobatic acts astounded the crowds and airplane rides once attracted customers. Bungee jumping was a short-lived thrill attraction.
At least three weddings of area people were performed on the stage which used to be between the grandstand and the track.
All kinds of livestock were exhibited in the early fairs with 42 categories for horses and 106 for cattle. Sheep, swine, chickens, and other poultry all had fewer categories, but many more than today.
Other competitive departments included mechanical, dairy, farm produce, fruits, fine arts, floral, quilts, spreads, etc., culinary, and children's department. In the 1990's each category has fewer sections and some have disappeared entirely.
In some earlier years, the premium catalogs had many advertisers. At other times there were few or none. In 1994, there were many pages of ad which, like those of the past, will be a rich source of information about area businesses. Some of the 19th century businesses were unimagined in 1889.
Changes in communications, transportation and lifestyles have made a great difference in the character of the Afton Fair. It has evolved from mainly agricultural show of a few days to a week-long event with a mixture of agriculture, displays, racing, and thrill shows. Thanks to the foresight of its many officers and directors, it has survived for over a century while the many other local fairs have ceased to exist. "

Thank you Charles for making sure we have that history to look back on today.
Mel. Afton Historian.

06/04/2024

🇺🇸 Afton Memorial Day Parade May 30, 1969
😎 No names - If you have knowledge that should go with these photos, please be sure to share it for the best record keeping of our past we can.