TOWN OF CLAY RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE CLAY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Partners to provide programming at the Town of Clay Historic Park, 4939 Route 31, Clay

Recent News: to view the Fall Festival Slideshow click here

The Clay Historical Association was the brainstorm of Jim Gulnac, Director of Recreation and Human Resource for the Town of Clay.  It held it's first meeting on April 10th, 1974, with a mission of educating people on the history of the culture and residents of Town of Clay.  In recent years the Town of Clay assigned 2.8 acres of land they own on Route 31, west of the railroad tracks in the hamlet of Clay to be known as Clay Historical Park.  This parcel of land that is the Clay Historical Park holds some of the Town of Clay's Historical Buildings.  It is the Town of Clay Recreation Department and the Clay Historical Association's responsibility to promote and present programs in the buildings in the Town of Clay's Historical Park.

The old Cigarville Railroad Station houses the museum that provides visitors with a view of life during the early years in the Town of Clay.  In addition to the railroad station, there is the Sellen-Weller barn that dates back to 1840, a replica of one of the first log cabins built in the Town of Clay's Historical Park in May 2005, we also had the Grand Opening of the new 'Welcome' Center the Town added, which houses the rest rooms, a gift shop, soon to be kitchen and an assembly room with a platform stage for Town of Clay Recreation Department and CHA society programming.

Activities by the Town of Clay Recreation Department and the Clay Historical Association are held through-out the year for visitors to see the buildings open.  Group tours are also available at the Town of Clay Historical Park through-out the year.  Many cub scout groups go through to earn merit badges.  School groups are shown through to learn early American History.

The Clay Historical Association owns the old School House of District #5 (pictured below) on the corner of Grange Road and VanHoesen Road.  This now serves as the Clay Historical Association's home office.  This building is available for renting to small groups.

With the responsibilities of preserving the past for the future, Clay Historical Association is always looking for new members to join the Association.  Meetings are on the fourth Monday of the each month at 6:30 PM at their old School House.  Programs of historical interest are presented to members and guests.  The membership fee is $5.00 per person each year.

Application: Mail to Clay Historical Association, c/o Carl Lepinske, 4894 Grange Road, Clay, NY 13041:

Name (s): _________________________________________________

Address (complete): ________________________________________________

Phone #: ________________________________________________

Email: ____________________________________________

Program information is listed below and updated as new programs are added.

Pictured Old #5 School at 8591 VanHoesen Road, Clay, NY.  Home of the Clay Historical Association home office.

For further information regarding the Clay Historical Association, you may contact: Cheryl Parsons, President – 315-708-9997 or myhistory@twcny.rr.com, JMary Benscoter, Vice-President-315-652-1482, Barb Williams, Secretary-315-699-6680, Carl Lepinske, Treasurer - 315-699-3911

Town of Clay Co-Historians: Dorothy Heller-315-695-2540 and Harold Baker-315-699-5197.

Email: Historian@townofclay.org. 

 2009 Clay Historical Association Calendar  

Meetings are held the 4th Monday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Clay Historical Association old School House on VanHoesen Road in Clay.

January 26th, 2009-History of Bayberry on DVD will be shown.
February 28th, 2009-'From the Attic'-bring a treasure from your past and share it's story with the Association.
March 23rd,  2009-'The Story of the Quilt-the Underground Railroad'-Mary Benscoter & Barb Williams presenters.
April's meeting TBA
Plans for the future: A Spring Open House at the Town of Clay Historical Park; A History Camp through the Town of Clay Recreation Department at Town of Clay Historical Park and Sunday Tours.

SUMMER TOURS: July 12th, 26th, August 9th, & 16th, 2009-noon-3:00 PM first three dates; noon-5:00 PM last date.

Sept. 19th, 2009-Fall Festival-noon-4:00 PM.-[see below 'Support the Troops' most wanted items to bring to the festival]

The Public is welcome to all activities - for information for Clay Historical Association, contact 708-9997 or 727-7665 - for Town of Clay Recreation Department programs and information on the Historical Park, contact the Recreation office at 652-3800 x 139.

SUPPORT THE TROOPS -  MOST WANTED ITEMS TO BRING:

Food: breakfast bars, gum, hard candy, small packs of cookies and crackers, snack food (no chocolate-melts).

Toiletries: razors, shaving cream in tubs, Q-tips, feminine hygiene products, cotton balls, tooth paste and tooth brushes, combs and hair brushes, nail clippers, breath mints, cough drops, individual tissue packs, shampoo, band-aids, deordorant, bug repellent, anti-itch powder, cortisone cream.

Entertainment: playing cards, frisbees, travel size games, comic books, disposable cameras, pens, mechanical pencils, envelopes & stationery paper, paperback books, batteries-AA & C.

Other: duck tape, freezer baggies, flashlights, fly swatters, t-Shirts for hospital use, plastic utensils and paper plates, toys & school supplies for children, sun glasses, prepaid phone cards-AT&T long distance preferred, white or black cotton or wool socks.  NO GLASS BOTTLES.

   ~THE TOWN OF CLAY HISTORIC PARK~

The Park is located at 4939 Route 31, Clay, NY, behind the Immanuel Lutheran Church. It is located on the west side of the railroad tracks. It currently has the Cigarville Railroad Station, the Hamlin Log Cabin, the Weller Barn, and a new Welcome Center.

The Clay Historical Park buildings can be seen by appointment.  

Pictured the Cigarville Train Station Museum.

The 2008 Fall Festival

Click the image below to view the slideshow

LOCAL HISTORY LESSON:

The Town of Clay was originally a part of the Town of Cicero.  On April 16, 1827 the western portion of Cicero became the Town of Clay.  

Prior to that time the first white settler, Patrick McGee, in the town had taken up residence in what is known as Three River Point.  Three River Point is located in the north western corner of the town where the Oneida River, The Seneca River, and Oswego River.

This area had often been used by the great councils of the Iroquois Confederacy, and here the great chiefs addressed the braves of the Hurons, Adirondacks and Abenaquis.  The French and English met with the Chiefs, orators and diplomats, equal to themselves to discuss the pertinent issues of the day.

Patrick McGee first saw Three River Point in 1780 as a prisoner of the British.  He said that he selected the site while tied to a tree during the Revolutionary War.  They had stopped there to camp on the way to Canada.  He was charmed by the beauty of the area and was determined to return.

After the war he came back to the place he remembered and built a log cabin in 1793.  He spent the rest of his life and was buried on the spot.

By 1810 when DeWitt Clinton passed through the area looking for the best location for the proposed canal there was a house that served meals and provided lodging.

In 1815 Mary Eno had a store and hotel that supplied traveler for years.  Both camping and permanent residents settled in the area and in 1852 a post office was established with Joseph Warren Williams named as the first Post Master.

Fred Barnum established Barnum's Hotel in 1889 which became a popular attractions for people from all over Central New York.  People came by all modes of transportation including boat, horse and carriage, train and for ten cents fare, they could make a round trip on board the steamer "Bessie Lang" between Phoenix and Three Rivers.

After many owners and changes to the building's use and prohibition and the depression the building became the "Three Rivers Inn".  With "Dom" Bruno as the manager it became the popular entertainment center, which featured well-known artists of stage, screen and radio fame.  On December 19th, 1973, the Three Rivers Inn burned.

Since that time little activity has been happening in the Three River Point area.  The Town of Clay gained access to the property and is currently planning to develop it for more park and recreation area along the point.