Ray Hylan— AVIATION PIONEER by Adriana Natali

Ray Hylan— AVIATION PIONEER By Adriana Natali

ay Hylan was born August 7, 1906 and died May 27, 1983 at the age of 76. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery with a mausoleum erected in his memory. His mausoleum in Range 10, Lot 5, is a large, modern-style structure with personal- ized decorations, showing that those who had erected the monument cared

e Ray Hylan mausoleum is in Range 10, Lot 5. Flanking the HYLAN name are engravings of commercial airplanes Hylan operated in his pioneering airfreight service.

home at the age of 14. Early in his Ray Hylan as one of the pioneers of career, Hylan established himself as aviation. The land for the school was a skilled pilot. In fact, Hylan has been purchased from about six farms, and described by his associates as one of approximately 100 acres of the real the best pilots they had ever known. estate was marshland. The Hylan As shown in the accompanying photographs, his monument was erected Ray Hylan at age 70 years. with commercial airplanes as the central focus, which serve to preserve Also in this issue… about preserving his memory. Flank- his memory as an aviator. k Arsonist Burns Frederick ing the HYLAN name on the front of Douglass House and Barn the mausoleum are two commercial As one of America’s early aviators, airplanes, reflecting his pioneering ac- Hylan founded the Ray Hylan School k Comments On Last Issue’s complishments in American aviation. of Aeronautics on a 215-acre plot Time Line: “Mount Hope south of Rochester, which is now Cemetery’s First 134 Years” Ray Hylan was born in Fitchburg, Marketplace Mall. The school became k Why Does Dewitt Clinton Massachusetts, but ran away from one of the first aviation schools in the Get All the Credit for country, making a name for the Erie Canal? airfield was complete with three grass and Peters dead. This, however, was by following railroad tracks. Hylan and runways and a few small buildings not the end of Hylan’s flying career. James Wilmot were also partners in located on the west end of the prop- After recovering, he continued to owning the Lafayette School of Aero- erty. The airfield was home to flying teach at the school for aeronautics nautics, which was a primary school lessons for civilians and World War until it was moved to the Rochester/ for Air Force cadets. During his flying II civilian pilots. When property taxes Monroe County Airport. days and business ventures with were raised in 1971, Hylan could no James Wilmot, Hylan also became a longer afford the operating costs of During his years as an aviator, Ray close friend of Gerald Wilmot. the flying school at Jefferson and Hylan West Henrietta roads and Gerald Wilmot and Ray Hylan be- moved it came business partners, and they worked on many real estate ventures together. One of their most notable business ventures was the building of Marketplace Mall in Henrietta. In addition to Marketplace Mall, the two partners also invested in the Pittsford Plaza Shopping Center, making quite the name for themselves in shopping became mall ventures. In addition to his proj- a close friend of the Wilmot ects with Wilmot, Hylan also invested family. Teaching the young James money in the Genesee Brewing Com- Vehicle plate for Hylan Airport,to the Rochester, Roch- N.Y.Wilmot how to fly, Hylan left James pany. Hylan did, however, miss out on ester/Monroe County Airport. with many memories. One in par- a few investment opportunities. For Hylan, however, eventually left the ticular was how during their lessons, example, Hylan wanted to buy stock flying school to work on the develop- Hylan would often go to sleep and al- in Xerox, but his offer was declined. ment of Marketplace Mall, with his low James to take over control of the Claiming he didn’t see a need to ask business partners. aircraft. James stated that he would twice, Hylan did not pursue the issue. occasionally have to wake Hylan up Initial investors in Xerox, of course, During his days of teaching aviation to avoid getting lost. Being the skilled became rich. Nevertheless, his invest- skills, Ray Hylan experienced a few aviator that he was, Hylan was able ments and business ventures left hardships with students, with a barn- to get the plane back on course, often him a very wealthy man at the time storming accident as possibly one of the most detrimental. At the age of 21, Hylan was teaching a flying lesson to 18-year-old Stephen Peters, Jr. The student was said to have had an appetite for adventure, and to satisfy this hunger, Hylan attempted a tailspin on one of their lessons. However, he was unable to maintain control of the aircraft, causing the plane to crash and leaving Hylan severely injured

Commercial airplane at Hylan Airport, located on 215 acres that is now Marketplace Mall. c 2 c of his death, with a financial worth of between $20 million and $30 million. In addition to his business ventures, Hylan also donated a lot of money anonymously to different groups, meaning that his name did not come up often in stories or interviews in- volving local fundraisers. He indicated that he did not want to be solicited to donate money, pointedly telling inter- viewers “It’s my money, I’ll do what I want with it.” One of Hylan’s notable contributions was the donation of several hundred acres of land off Jefferson Road to A Boeing F4B4, a bi-winged Navy ghter, was restored by Ray Hylan and now rests at the the Rochester Institute of Technol- Air Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is the only F4B4 known to still exist. ogy (RIT) in the 1970s. In addition to RIT, Hylan also made contributions to Navy fighting plane, to the Smithson- health, Hylan entered Strong Memo- the University of Rochester. With his ian in the 1960s. The plane is the only rial Hospital Thursday morning, May contributions, he became a mem- one of its kind known to still exist and 26, 1983 and passed away the next ber of the University of Rochester which has since been moved to the day on May 27, 1983. President’s Society, and the university Air Space Museum in Washington D.C. Ray P. Hylan ran away from home in Fitchburg, (Editor’s Note: The author, Adriana Natali, is Massachusetts a student at the University of Rochester and prepared this essay as part of the course to settle in Roch- requirements for Religion 167, Speaking ester. As one of Stones, which is taught by Professor Emil the pioneers of Homerin, who is also a trustee of the Friends aviation, Hylan of Mount Hope Cemetery.) touched the lives of many people as Piper Cub airplanes were utilized to train a flying instructor. pilots at Ray Hylan School of Aeronautics. He also was successful in many of his named a building on their campus in business ventures, building an empire his memory. In addition to these gifts for himself in Rochester. Rarely seen to universities, Hylan also donated his without a baseball cap or cigar in his Boeing F4B4, which was a bi-winged mouth, Hylan left a lasting impression on the people around him. Toward the end of his life, Hylan was battling

cancer for nearly two years. In poor c 3 c By Richard Reisem infant who had been sleeping in a crib were burned. Losses were estimated in Rosetta’s and Nathan’s bedroom. at $7,000, a substantial figure in t about 1:00 o’clock in the morn- The child, however, suffered smoke 1872. Insurance paid $2,750 on the ing of June 3, 1872, Rosetta Douglass inhalation and nearly suffocated. Na- house, $750 on furnishings lost, $250 Sprague, daughter of Frederick Dou- than then hurried glass, was awakened by the smell of to the barn to save smoke in the house, which was home the horse and cow. to Frederick Douglass, his wife Anna, He managed to and their daughter, Rosetta, as well get the horse out as her husband, Nathan Sprague and safely, but the cow their three children. All of them were perished in the at home sleeping, except Frederick blaze. Douglass, who was in Washington, Someone, perhaps D.C. on business. a neighbor, ran to Out of the window of her bedroom, Fire Box 17 and Rosetta saw a bright light that she sounded the fire quickly realized was coming from alarm. Lack of the nearby barn, just a matter of water at the site feet away. It was totally engulfed in prevented the fire flames. On waking her husband, Na- trucks themselves than, and their three children, Rosetta from being useful immediately realized that the house in putting out the in which they were standing was fires. But the fire- also burning. men were helpful in saving some The Douglass house stood at what is contents of the Frederick Douglass bronze statue stands in Highland Park, Roch- now 999 South Avenue, site today of house. ester. It is the rst statue of a black man to be erected in America. the James P. B. Duffy School No. 12. on the barn, and $250 on its contents. In 1872, it was the southern edge of The barn had apparently been set The arsonist was never caught. the city, and the Douglass house had ablaze first, so the fire there advanced a barn and outbuildings, with a horse ahead of the one in the house. The When Frederick Douglass arrived and a cow housed in the barn. carriages, sleighs, farming imple- home in Rochester from Washington, ments, harnesses, and such were all D.C., it was late at night. His family, Nathan Sprague managed to get Anna destroyed. he had learned, was being accommo- Murray Douglass (who was 59 years dated at the residence of Mrs. George old) and the two older children, all of Neighbors, who arrived before the Huntington Mumford at 266 South whom had been sleeping in upstairs firemen, removed the piano from the Avenue. Ann E. Mumford’s husband rooms, out of the house safely. Then, house and with the help of firemen had died the year before in 1871, and he rescued the youngest child, an a little later, managed to save the bulk of Frederick Douglass’ extensive she welcomed the Douglass/Sprague

and valuable library. Some important

documents and papers, however,

c c 4 c family to live with her after fire de- about the fire, the hotel clerk then was a college-educated white woman stroyed their house and until suddenly asked, “Are you Frederick of 46, he was 66. In 1889, President permanent living arrangements could Benjamin Harrison appointed Doug- be made. Douglass?” With an affirmative an- lass U.S. minister and consul-general swer from Douglass, the clerk quickly to the Republic of Haiti. He and Helen Frederick Douglass, born of a black discovered that there was indeed a moved there and became popular slave mother and a white plantation room left that Mr. Douglass might oc- with the Haitians, who had estab- overseer father, however, thought it cupy. But Douglass had had enough. lished the first free black republic was too late to impose himself on Saddened by the glaring rejection in the western hemisphere. The Hai- Ann Mumford’s hospitality at that from two hotels in his hometown, tian government appointed Douglass hour of the night, so he decided to the internationally famous leader of as Haiti’s commissioner at the World’s find a room in a downtown hotel. America’s first civil rights movement, Columbian Exposition in Chicago He first went to Congress Hall where the abolition of slavery, walked out. in 1893. the night clerk told him that all of the rooms were occupied. Douglass then In reporting this event, the Rochester On February 20, 1895, Douglass asked if he could be furnished a cot Daily Union and Advertiser concluded: attended a meeting of the National and sleeping space anywhere in the “We can scarcely believe that any Council of Women in Washington, hotel until morning. The clerk then hotel proprietor of Rochester would be D.C.. When he returned home a little said that Douglass should know better guilty of such meanness and injustice after 5:00 p.m., he collapsed and died than to ask for any accommodations in this situation.” of a heart attack. He was 77 years old. in that hotel. After leaving the Waverly House, Dou- Frederick Douglass had been a glass walked down South Avenue to resident in Rochester since 1847. He No. 266, and awakened the sleepers was very soon known to the 30,000 inside. Douglass moved his daughter (Note: Frederick Douglass, Anna Murray Dou- glass, and Helen Pitts Douglass are buried in people living there and made a posi- and son-in-law and their children to a house he bought in the South Wedge Mount Hope Cemetery, Section T, Lot 26. Na- tive impression on the community and than Sprague and Rosetta Douglass Sprague was highly regarded by the populace at 271 Hamilton Street. Douglass and are buried in Range 2, Lot 200. George for his antislavery efforts. It was hard his wife Anna moved to Washington, Huntington Mumford and Ann E. Mumford are buried in Section V, Lot 38.) to believe that a local hotel would re- D.C., in anticipation of his receiving a fuse him a room in his own city where government appointment. he had lived and worked with such In 1877, President Rutherford B. distinction for 25 years. Hayes appointed Douglass United Douglass then proceeded to the Wa- States marshal for the District of verly House to ask for a room there. Columbia. In 1881, President James Again, the night clerk informed him Garfield appointed him recorder of that there were no rooms available. deeds for the District of Columbia. In Douglass told the clerk that his home 1882, his wife Anna––a fine home- in Rochester had burned, so he had maker, mother, and supportive wife no place to return to. Having read for 44 years––died. In 1884, Douglass married Helen Pitts, his secretary in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds.

Pitts was born in Honeoye, south of

Rochester in Ontario County. She

c c 5 c West Main Street was where Colonel 1870: The wooden observation tower Nathaniel Rochester, founder of our on the pinnacle of the Section I has city, and other early pioneers were been removed. buried until 1859 when their bodies e observation were transferred to Section R of tower, known as Mount Hope Cemetery. the Fandango, stood at the top of Section I, near the What we failed to point out was that Gideon Cobb obe- in 1851, Nathaniel Rochester’s fam- lisk. Although it ily purchased a lot in Mount Hope was made of wood, its surface was Cemetery and moved his remains to scored to look like Section R. In 1859, the other burials blocks of stone. in the Buffalo Street Cemetery were removed to Section W of Mount Hope This observation tower was known Cemetery. When Jonathan Child died as the Fandango. It offered an un- in 1860, he was buried directly in Sec- obstructed view of Rochester, Lake COMMENTS ON LAST tion R of Mount Hope to lie beside the Ontario, Bristol Hills, and surrounding ISSUE’S TIME LINE: Rochester family. Child had married a farmland and was highly favored as a daughter of Nathaniel Rochester. By destination for a leisurely walk. Mount Hope 1860, the Buffalo Street burial grounds Cemetery’s were completely gone to be replaced First 134 Years by the first city hospital. 1865, August 24: A commit- In the Summer/Fall issue of the tee chose, submitted, and approved Epitaph, we published a year-by- between half and three-quarters of year series of newspaper articles an acre known as the Grove for burial of soldiers. Also, a repair fund not to Although the rst Mount Hope Avenue about Mount Hope Cemetery’s first railway opened in 1862, this photo was exceed $50,000 to be set up and used 134 years of its 175-year existence. taken aer the stone gatehouse at the north forever for the repair of the cemetery. entrance was built in 1874. e gatehouse is Readers clarified some of the en- Discussed and sent to Charter Amend- seen in the background. In the days before tries, which we explain below. Origi- electricity, trolleys were pulled by horses or, ment Committee. in this case, a donkey. nal statement in black, comments in color. Friends president, Marilyn Part of this plot of land in Section BB Nolte, provided early photographs of became known as the Grand Army of the Mount Hope Avenue railway trol- the Republic (GAR) lot, and another part became the Civil War plot. ley and the 1931 Elmwood Avenue entrance gate. 1870: Water pipes have been installed so that cold spring water 1844, November 12: Western is carried to all of the then existing In 1931, the Elmwood Avenue gate to the Cemetery on Buffalo Street has be- parts of the cemetery. cemetery was completed. e photograph come a pasture for cattle. The sexton was taken soon aer construction was complete, evidenced by the presence of construc- takes no care of the land. This tion debris. In the distance is the University 3½-acre graveyard on what is now of Rochester library, visible because the trees in the cemetery are still too young to block

the view. c 6 c WHY DOES DEWITT CLINTON GET ALL THE CREDIT FOR THE ERIE CANAL?

merican school children continue in America when Myron Holley went its construction? Here was the man Ato be taught that DeWitt Clinton, off to college in 1795? Did you know who was pretty much in charge of governor of New York State, built the that Myron Holley and Frederick everything. It is a fascinating story. Erie Canal. Schoolbooks contend that Douglass were taught oratory by the What were the Freemasons doing it was called “Clinton’s Ditch”, which same teacher? that Myron Holley strongly felt was indeed it was. But it was a pejora- Did you know that Ontario County, destroying democracy in America? tive that many folks opposed to the when Myron Holley became its county And what did Holley do that resulted canal applied to the finished product. clerk, encompassed an area from in reduced Masonry membership by However, a new book published by Lake Ontario to the north, Pennsylva- 82% in Ontario County and similar the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery nia to the south, Seneca River to the results statewide and nationally? It is challenges the schoolbook assertion east, and Lake Erie to the west? a dramatic story. and tells the illuminating story of the man who did more than any other How could a murder end Myron Hol- Why did Myron Holley and a few of his person to promote, plan, and con- ley’s law career? friends found a national political party that scared the wits out of the Whigs Do you know why the and Democrats? And what was it fledgling United States that Myron Holley accomplished that went to war against caused Frederick Douglass, when he powerful Great Britain moved to Rochester in 1847, to honor and how it won the War him with the statement: “The ground of 1812? Do you know here has been prepared for me by the what happened to the labors of others, notably by the Honor- hundreds of American able Myron refugees when the Brit- Holley.” ish burned Buffalo, Black Rock, Lewiston, and You will be Youngstown? rejuvenated and reward- Did you know that Myron ingly informed Holley was elected to the by reading New York State legis- this biography, lature to persuade the Myron Holley: state to finance a canal Canal Builder/Abolitionist/Unsung John Holley, standing, a descendant of Myron Holley, and across the state? Did his wife, Christine, ew in from New Mexico to attend the Hero. It is $20 well spent and is for launch of the Myron Holley book and meet the author, you know that he was sale at the Landmark Society, at the Richard Reisem, at the book signing in Rochester, N.Y. appointed one of four Mount Hope Cemetery office, and at commissioners to plan www.fomh.org. struct the Erie Canal. The book and accomplish the Erie Canal, and answers many other questions as then was made the treasurer and

well. What was higher education like superintendent of c 7 c The Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery P.O. Box 18713 Rochester, NY 14618-0713

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Call 585-461-3494 for a supporter application. c c