Town of Newfane Historical Society’s Apple Blossom Times Since 1975 Winter 2020 Inside This Issue Traditions to honor the season From the desk of our President President’s Letter Hello all! Firstly, I would like to extend a massive thank discovered that bayberries Minute History you to everyone who helped support us by participating produce a wax when Recipe Rewind in our Take-Out Food Fundraiser in October! It was a huge boiled, they were made into success, and the support from our community and members has candles that had none of the Member Update been so appreciated. Thank you as well to all of the members unpleasantness of tallow and volunteers who helped out with the event. Your candles. Unfortunately it Donations continued support has kept the Newfane Historical Society takes a lot of berries to running like a well-oiled machine. make one candle, so they Historical Fun Facts were often saved for special occasions, such as Christmas. From Thermopoliums I’d also like to welcome the many, many new members who This made the scent of bayberries something families came to to Pizza Deliveries have joined our society in recent months. We are thrilled to expect every December, making it a tradition that continues to have you, and cannot wait to share everything we love about this day. This small poem explains the meaning of burning a Insects, Killer Mice & our group. Thank you again! bayberry candle: Menacing Snowmen As Christmas music plays in stores and turkeys go “A bayberry candle, Calendar on sale, it’s finally time for the fun part of the year, burned to the socket, everyone! As I write this, Thanksgiving is fast puts luck in the home, approaching, and Christmas is not far behind. I have full faith food in the larder, Minute History that holiday cheer will not be in short supply this year! One & gold in the pocket.” of my favorite parts of the upcoming holidays is partaking in The Buffalo Society of Natural traditions that my family has passed through the So, my friends, this holiday season I encourage you to explore Sciences was formed in 1861. generations. In the Schaeffer household we bake cookies, your families’ traditions, and perhaps make some new ones! After decades of research and put out our stockings out on St. Nicholas’ Eve (Dec. 5), and If you cannot see family this holiday, continuing traditions at growing a large collection of decorate the Christmas tree, among other things. home will bring you closer to them, despite distance or other books and artifacts, the society obstacles. At the heart of holiday cheer often lies family and set to work establishing a My favorite tradition, however, is burning a bayberry candle loved ones. Thank you all and Happy Holidays. 2021, here we display available to the public. from Christmas Eve night into Christmas morning. They come!! In 1929 the Buffalo Museum of remain lit until they are burned completely, to ensure good Science opened, and became luck in the coming year. They also fill our home with a lovely a great success. In its first 18 glow and fragrance for hours. Although there are a few origins Melissa Schaeffer years of operation, over $1.5 on the tradition, the common belief says that bayberry candles million dollars was spent on were once a very valued commodity. Tallow candles were the A reminder: If you would like to participate in the overnight equipment, collections, and most popular to produce in colonial America, made cheaply bayberry candle tradition, please burn your candle responsibly exhibits. It was the first museum from animal fats. Unfortunately they gave off an unpleasant and wisely. in the country to plan its odor, smoked easily, and could go rancid. When it was exhibits like a book, with each of the seventeen halls a chapter Enjoy testing out these wonderful Christmas cookie recipes found in the “Cook Book compiled by the all its own. Original halls Earnest Workers of The First Baptist Church of Newfane, NY”, c. 1913. The recipes are transcribed included Physics, Chemistry, Recipe Rewind exactly as written. Good luck sorting out missing instructions; trust your baking instincts! Astronomy, Genetics, Public Health, and Primitive Art. Fruit Cookies Curly Peters Hermits Sugar Kisses BMOS also boasted an extensive library of materials One and one-half cups sugar, One and one-half cup sugar, Two eggs, one and one-half One cup sugar, one-half which they often loaned one egg, butter size of egg, one-half cup butter, one-half cups brown sugar, one scant shortening, one-half sweet materials to other groups. By one cup sour cherries, one cup sour milk, one small cup lard or butter, one milk, one egg, two teaspoons 1947 the museum averaged teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon soda, two eggs, teaspoon each of cinnamon of baking powder and vanilla, 1,000 visitors per day (closed of lemon, pinch of salt and one-half teaspoon nutmeg. and soda, one half teaspoon soda as large as a pea dissolved soda, one cup chopped raisins, Make as stiff as ginger cookies cloves, two-thirds cup sour in milk, two and one half cups only on Christmas), and hosted flour to roll and cut. and drop. milk, two and half cups of flour, drop on tins, sprinkle events such as lectures, movie flour, or a little more, one cup with sugar. nights, musical programs, - submitted by Mrs. - anonymous raisins, drop batter on tins like classes, and specialized tours. Geo Duncan submission drop cakes. - submitted by Mrs. E. L. Bonesteel Visit www.ScienceBuff.org - submitted by Mrs. Wm. Mead Apple Blossom Times Page 2 Support the Newfane Historical Society Our little non-profit can use support to help us through the many quiet months ahead of us. How Can You Help? • Membership Dues • Renew your annual membership This section is an ongoing record of our amazing members. • Gift memberships to loved ones Special thanks to the following • Become a lifetime member to make a substantial difference for their continued support: • Contribute a one-time financial donation, on our Philip & Judy Baehr The Marx Family website or send to our mailing address. John Burnett Joseph & Nancy Miller • Book one of our properties for a small, private Kristine De-Glopper-Banks Michael V. Miller event. Details on our website. Ron & Cindy Fiegl Mary Ann Miller • Sign up to volunteer your time and help us keep Bruce & Rosemary Garber Rosemary Miller growing! Learn more on our website. Richard Geise Brian & Dolores Mitchell R. Jeanette Hamminga John & Kathy Phillips Visit NewfaneHistoricalSociety.com Karen & Ken Hannah Dennis Schultz Amanda Henning James Wendler We’d like to send many thanks to our volunteer gardner, Peter & Pat Ketch Janice Wiegley Terry Upton, for all his hard work Ryan Keys Virginia Womelsdorf annually tending to the Van Horn Mansion gardens and landscaping. Welcome to our newest members! Your support is very appreciated! The Akron Bugle Cary Marshall Elizabeth Allore Benjamin Martin Historical Fun Facts on Catherine Banks Kathy Mathewson Tom Beilein Ronald Mielke* Morgan Calhoon Jessica Mika Joyce Collingwood Jacquelyn & Brian Minchen Kim Condren Jeffrey Newman Joanne Condren Clare Oakes Hanukkah Kelly Cousins Barbara Page • Hanukkah translates to dedication, and you’ve Tami Deemer Megan Payne probably seen the word spelled a variety of ways, Cindy Dodge Wayne Peters including Hanukkah, Hannuka and Chanukah. Because the word is transliterated from Hebrew, Stephanie Donovan Peter Russell there’s not an exact English equivalent for the sounds Leslie Faux Rebecca & Richard Schweigert* made by the Hebrew characters. Manuel Garcia Christine Smith • Israeli author/politician Avram Burg is said to have the Linda Garneret Morgan Stark largest dreidel collection in the world, counting more than 3,500. Sarah Harrington Douglas & Patricia Stolzenberg • Hanukkah made its first appearance at the White Judson Heck John Syracuse* House in 1951, when Prime Minister of Israel David Marge Hoffman Ann Thering Ben-Gurion gave Harry Truman a menorah as a gift. In 1979, Jimmy Carter became the first American Michelle Irwin George Vail president to recognize the holiday publicly by speaking Stauder James Katie Vorndran at a candle-lighting event hosted by Chabad Shelly Ketch Donna Watterson Lubavitch. Shelley Klumpp Jennifer Wemple • Gelt, the gold coins used while playing dreidel, has popularly been replaced by chocolate coins. Sally Kolkmeyer Jeannie Wodo Using candy began around 100 years ago, and no Michelle Landsheft Constance Worthington one can really agree whether an American or Israeli Carolyn Leibring Laura Wright candymaker came up with the idea. Jessica Linderman Karen Young • In Israel, 17.5 million sufganiyot (a variety of jelly donut) are said to be eaten over the course of Hanukkah. Matt & Margaux Lingle In the 1920s the treat was made the official food of *new lifetime members Hanukkah by the Israeli Labor Federation. Apple Blossom Times Page 3 From Thermopoliums to Pizza Deliveries location, was asked to make and deliver them pizzas. The chef topped the The evolution of food take-aways and deliveries queen’s with mozzarella, tomato and basil, giving birth to the popular Margherita pizza recipe that is still enjoyed today. Every day across the globe, humans eat food. Each time we choose About this same time, a man in British-ruled India, named Mahadeo whether to cook it ourselves at home, or pay someone else to do it Havaji Bachche, developed the Dabbawala meal delivery system for for us. ‘Eating out’ often takes place in cafes, pubs and restaurants. busy metropolitan areas, such as Mumbai. Dabbawalas were delivery Today we’re shining a spotlight on alternative methods which allow us men who took home-cooked lunches directly to work places to feed to eat at home with foods created by others, i.e.