Supplement to the NHS 2026 Historical Calendar
“Growing Up in Nunda and Portage.”

These are the captions of the photographs that appear in the calendar. We thank everyone who shared their photographs with us! Please contact us if you have additions or corrections which we will make on our website, nundahistory.org.

COVER – Dalton Methodist Church Vacation Bible School Group
This photograph was taken at the Dalton Methodist Church’s Vacation Bible School that was held from August 4–8, 1975. The photo contains 75 children and six adults. We have a set of enlarged images of the group on display in the Museum that we are using to make the identification of individuals. If you know some of the identities please let us know! (NHS Collection)

INTRODUCTION

Top Page – Upper Right
Three Children on a Porch Step
This photograph may have been taken by amateur photographer Andrew Phillips, possibly on East Street in the late 1880s or early 1890s. Their identities are not known, but may be siblings. (NHS Collection)

Bottom Left
Picnic Lunch
Joan and Jean McMaster enjoy a picnic complete with lemonade under an apple tree in their Grandparent Holmes’ back yard on Fair Street around 1946. (Shared by Joan Schumaker)

Bottom Page – Clockwise starting upper left.

“Do You Want a Piece?”
This lovely photograph was taken in 1895 by amateur photographer Andrew Phillips who lived on East Street. It is a version of the prize winning “Do You Want a Piece” that earned Phillips first prize in “figure studies” in a contest sponsored by the Harper Company that year. The young lady was identified locally as Mabel Stone and the children all from the Donahue Family. (NHS Collection)

Birthday Party!
This picture was taken in May 1964 on Massachusetts Street at a birthday party for James Roby. He identifies the children as “On the left Barb Thompson, Brenda Thompson, Ruth Seilor, Tina Thompson, standing is Kathy Roby, Portia Barber, me saluting, Steve Haight, Thomas Tallman, Kim Barnes, Dennis Dutton, Lee Anne Gibson, and Randy Russell.” (Shared by James Roby)

Having Dollies to Tea!
Nunda photographer Frank E. Hewitt published this stereoview of his neices hosting a tea party at their home in the town of Portage in the 1890s. We believe all four of Jason Hewitt’s daughters – Rena, Edna, Maude and Miidred – are in the photograph. (Shared by Tom Cook)

JANUARY – What are your memories of winter fun?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Time for Fun in Tuscarora!
This photo was one of many donated by local historian Douglas Morgan. It was taken on the Tuscarora School House Hill circa 1943. Standing from left to right are Mary Morgan, Lou Edick, Les Morgan and Evonna Watts. Sitting, left to right, are Pete Pagano, Billy Watts and Anthony Pagano. The dog is Blackie. (NHS Collection)

Going Sledding!
Little John Weaver Sr is pulling his sled down a snowy sidewalk, perhaps heading to join the other kids sliding down Seward Street. The photograph was taken on State Street, looking south around 1920. (Shared by Cynthia Weaver)

All Aboard!
Phyllis Thompson, daughter of R. Spencer and Lucille Mitchell Thompson, stands behind three unidentified friends on a small toboggan around 1940. That year she was listed as living on “Guys Corner Road” between Nunda and Dalton. She later served in World War II in the Coast Guard. (NHS Collection)

Skating on the School Skating Rink!
According to local folks, there were a lot of places to ice skate in the area including Keshequa Creek, Willett’s Pond, Hunt’s Pond, as well as behind what was then the “new” Central School on Mill Street. The individuals in the photo taken around 1940 by Lena Flynn are not identified. (NHS Collection)

FEBRUARY – There have been many local clubs and organizations in the area over the years. Were you a member of any of them?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Scouting
Scouting has played an important role in many boys and girls who grew up in the area. This photograph shows members of Nunda Boy Scout Troop 77 at the end of a successful paper drive in 1951. Front, L to R: Gil Reischman, David Short, Chad Broughton, Tom Byrnes. Row 2: Donald Paine, Roger Pierce, ___, John Byrnes. Back Row: Mark Reischman, D. Houser, Ron Kennedy, and Rodney Carpenter. Nunda has also supported Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Brownies. (Shared by Tom Byrnes.)

Rancheros (two images)
Many local teenagers responded to this recruiting poster for the local Rancheros Drum and Bugle Corps that dates from the late 50s or early 60s. As it notes, the group practiced upstairs in the village building. This photograph is from 1962. Individual members are not identified in the photo. (Poster shared by Tom Byrnes, photograph part of the NHS Collection.)

4H Club
The Junior Grange and 4H clubs were important to the many farm kids in the area. Here Joyce Thompson of Hunt is shown participating in a County-wide 4H event around 1973. (Shared by Alice Thompson.)

MARCH – Friends have always been a part of growing up in Nunda and Portage. Do you remember who your best friends were?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Just Hanging Out
A group of local kids were hanging out at Miller Bennett’s house on Seward Street between 1948 and 1952. The children are identified as (left to right) David Carney, Bruce Watkins, Annette Kennedy, Charles Couture, Jim DeVinney, Rikki Sylvester, Valerie Watkins, Bill DeVinney, Ronnie Kennedy and Richard Carney. The photograph is believed to have been taken by Mary Bennett Moore. (NHS Collection)

A Little Mischief
Most of us can remember getting into some mischief with our friends. This photograph captures some young boys on Vermont Street finding out that smoking corn silk was not such a good idea! The boys are, from left to right, John Byrnes, Jim Gormel, Roger Twist, Tom Byrnes, with Jim Byrnes the younger boy in front. The photo was taken in the Byrnes backyard around 1946. You can view the short video “The Vermont Street Corn Silk Fad” on the NHS YouTube channel, Nunda History. (Shared by Tom Byrnes.)

Shopping
What were your favorite stores to shop in with your friends? In this circa 1940s photo taken by Lena Flynn, young Thelma Scott and Jean Weldon do some shopping along State Street. (NHS Collection.)

School Chums
Who were your best friends in high school? This photograph shows five school friends on the grounds behind the school around 1955. The girls are (left to right) Dona Colburn, Marilyn Duncan, Dorothy Paine, Sara Donovan and Sharon VanDorn. (NHS Collection.)

APRIL – What were your chores or jobs that you had growing up?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Raking Leaves
Do you remember mowing lawns or raking leaves either in your own or neighbors’ yards? This is young Frank Ryll of Church Street raking leaves around 1918. Back then you could put them in a pile and burn them! (NHS Collection.)

Cleaning House
Nicole Grosse helps do some cleaning in her grandparents’ kitchen in the mid 1990s. What chores around the house did you help with? (Shared by Margaret Grosse.)

First Job
We don’t know who is pumping gas in this photo taken by Roy Gath in the 1960s or 70s, and we are not sure what local gas station it was taken at. But there is a good chance that whoever the young man is, the gas station attendant job might have been his first real job growing up. What was yours? (NHS Collection.)

On the Tractor
Ethan Boss takes a ride on Stu Gelser’s tractor. Stu farmed some land along State Street and offered Ethan a ride around 1998. For farm kids, tractors and other farm equipment played an important role in their lives. (Shared by Ethan Boss.)

(Center)
Gardening
Helping in home vegetable and flower gardens was a common chore for area children. Although we don’t know the identity of this “gardener” or even if it is a young boy or girl, we couldn’t resist including it in the calendar. This may have been taken in the 1890s by amateur photographer Andrew Phillips. (NHS Collection.)

MEMORY PAGE

Wistful Window Shopping!
An unidentified young boy looks longingly at the Christmas candy advertisement in one of Nunda’s shop windows. The photo comes from the late 1930s or early 40s and was taken by Lena Flynn. (NHS Collection.)

MAY – Time for the school prom and Nunda Fun Days!
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Here Comes the Marching Band!
The first two photographs stir memories of the school marching band during the annual Fun Days parade. The first was taken by Roy Gath and shows the band entering the Square in the 1970s. (NHS Collection.) The second shows part of the horn section including Jay Long, taken in the 1980s. The others are not identified. (Shared by Sue and Jeff Long.)

On the Midway!
What were your favorite carnival foods and rides? This photograph, probably dating to the 1970s, shows local families on the midway at Nunda Fun Days. At that time the event was held behind the school on Mill Street. (NHS Collection.)

Remember your prom?
One spring tradition has long been the Junior Prom. These two images are from Keshequa Yearbooks. The lower left is from the 1984 prom “The Best of Times.” The King and Queen were Tom Strain and Chris Blue. The royal court consisted of Jerry Cox, Glenda Borgus, Paul Wildrick, Jackie Buchinger, Ken Weaver, Jackie Johnson, Mike Smith, Chris Pragle, Sam Vogt, Mary Beth Isaman, Jim VanSickle, Lisa Dudley, Chris Pero, Carmen Sanford, Norm Nichols, Julie Gustavson, Mike Bonadonna and Cathy Cartwright. The center photo shows King Jeff Howe and Queen Marsha Fusco at the Junior-Senior Prom held in 1988 whose theme was “In the Air Tonight.” (Both yearbooks are in the NHS Collection.)

JUNE – School’s out and summer begins!
(Clockwise, from upper left)

A New Bike!
What better way to start off the summer than getting a new bicycle? Lyle Weaver shows off the new bike that he got from the Western Auto Store on State Street in 1958. His dog Tipper is also in the photograph. (Shared by Lyle Weaver.)

Summer Soccer at Kiwanis
The end of June begins the start of the summer soccer and baseball leagues at Kiwanis Field on Portage Street. Here is one of the youth soccer teams enjoying a treat while posing with their coach, Chriis Sullivan, in the mid 1990s. Top Row L to R is _____, Ethan Boss, Angela Columbo, ____, Crystal Giles, Dylan Swan, and Tori Underwood. The five players in the first row are uncertain. Please help us identify them! (Shared by Ethan Boss.)

Dalton Olympics!
A notice in the June 4, 1981 issue of the Nunda News stated that “Balloons will fill the air, a parade will march and the torch will be lit to signal the start of the second annual KCS Olympics at Dalton….” This photo taken around 1990 shows Mrs. Martello’s team preparing to compete for ribbons. (Shared by Ethan Boss.)

Graduation Day!
One highlight of June is, of course, graduation. The last two photos show examples of a “first” and “last” graduation exercises that generations of students have experienced at the Dalton and Nunda School buildings. The lower left is the “first” – some of the Dalton Kindergarten graduates of 1998. The boys are L to R Randy Maksymiw, Jesse Craft, Tyler Cobin, Josh Perham, Ethan Boss, and ____ (Shared by Ethan Boss.) The center image is the commencement processional of two members of the Class of 1953, Donald Dewar and Maxine Jackson. (NHS Collection.)

Calendar Page – Shooting hoops at Kiwanis Park, 2004. (Shared by Ethan Boss.)

JULY – Lots to Do! What were your favorite summer activities?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Nunda Pony League Baseball
The Pony League, sponsored by the Nunda Rotary, was for the older boys who had “graduated” from the Little League Teams. This photo, taken by Dr. John Weaver, is dated about 1955. The individuals are back, L to R: Harold (Rog) Piper, Jim Cromwell, Dick Mattice, Terry Lowell, Larry Moore, Paul Youngblood, Tink MacVean (Coach). Front, L to R: Tom DeVinney, Chet Harrington, Bob Yaw, Greg Carpenter, Earl Snyder. (NHS Collection.)

Backyard Ball
Neighborhood baseball, football, basketball and soccer games predated the organized summer sports and were popular through the 20th century. This photo, taken around 1930, shows Al Conrad at bat with John Weaver catching. Behind them was one of Nunda’s village streets. (Shared by Cynthia Weaver.)

Let’s Swim!
Whether it was in a pool, a local creek or pond, or someone’s hot tub, splashing around was always fun! Here (L to R) Ryan, Hunter, Kyle, Nathan, and Nichole Grosse enjoy some fun at their grandparents’ house in the late 1990s. Sampson was the dog. (Shared by Margaret Grosse.)

Summer Treats!
Remember how good ice cream or a snow cone tasted on a hot summer day? This photo was taken around 2010 showing the Long grandchildren – Jeff and Keegen Long, along with Maddie Hyzer – enjoying snow-cones and an ice cream sandwich under a tree in Letchworth Park. (Shared by Sue and Jeff Long.)

Calendar Page – Three unidentified youngsters wading in the creek, circa 1900, attributed to photographer Jason Hewitt, Portage. (Shared by Tom Cook.)

AUGUST – More Summer Fun!
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Gone Fishin’
Did you like to fish? Gerald Thompson did – here he is along the Keshequa Creek with his fishing pole and faithful dog, Sampson. The photo was taken around 1940 by Jason Hewitt. (Shared by Alice Thompson.)

Camping Out
Camping trips have always been a favorite summer activity – even if you pitch a tent in your own yard! Two young boys have done just that around 1910! The boys, wearing what appear to be early Boy Scout uniforms, have been tentatively identified as George Ricketts (standing) and William Denby (sitting). Behind them is Mill Street, where George was living at the time. (Shared by Kelly Denby.)

He Scores!
Ethan Boss and his teammates celebrate a goal during a summer soccer game at Kiwanis Park in the mid 1990s. Whether it was unorganized or neighborhood games like hide and seek or kick the can, there was a lot of fun to be had! (Shared by Ethan Boss.)

Swinging on a Summer Day
Whether you lived in town or out in the country, there was a good chance you grew up with a swing set somewhere nearby. This one belongs to the Long Family. Julie Long and her brother Jeff are having fun on their family’s swing set. Older folks remember using a rope, a tree limb, and a board to swing on! (Shared by Sue and Jeff Long.)

SEPTEMBER – School Days!
(Clockwise, from upper left)

In the Bus Circle!
The school band is loading (or unloading?) in the bus circle on the east side of the school in the late 1970s or early 80s. Generations of students have begun and ended the school day (and field trips) there! (NHS Collection.)

Class is in Session!
What classes stand out in your memories of school? This one was taken in Mr. Zeck’s History class and appeared in the 1955 yearbook. The students are listed as (l to r) B. Maker, D. Lindsay, L. Moore, E. Johnson, J. Cox, R. Kernahan, S. Crane, L. Fox and K. Cartwright. (NHS Collection.)

First Day of School
Do you remember the first day of school? Many families documented this important moment with a photograph like this one. Kindergartener Jeff Long comes home from his first day on the “big yellow school bus” followed by his big sister Julie who started the 3rd grade. (Shared by Sue and Jeff Long.)

Yesterday’s Classroom
This photograph of the inside of a district school house in the town of Portage is around 1910. Few can remember the old one-room schools, but they were an important part of growing up in Nunda and Portage for more than a century! (Shared by Jane Schryver.)

The School Logo
Although the school district recently adopted the new Wildcat mascot to meet a State mandate, generations of local students remember calling themselves Nunda or Keshequa “Indians.” This photo shows the last of many renditions of the school’s logo. (NHS Collection.)

OCTOBER – Animal Friends – Growing up in Nunda and Portage meant sharing your world with animals. What “animal friends” stand out in your memories?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

“Gerald and Rose”
This 1940 photograph from the Byron and Elizabeth Thompson farm in Portage is labeled simply “Gerald and Rose.” For many farm families, animals were part of the daily rhythm of work and play. (Shared by Alice Thompson.)

A Boy and His Dog
This 1906 real photo postcard from Nunda shows young Albert Blood taking his dog for a walk — in a baby buggy. The dog’s name isn’t recorded, but his calm expression suggests he was a steady and patient companion, happily going along with whatever adventures his young friend planned. (NHS Collection.)

A Lamb in the Kitchen
Grover and Julie Grosse enjoy a young lamb that was brought into their farmhouse kitchen for warmth and special care. What memories of young animals, whether farm, domesticated or even in the wild, do you remember meeting? (NHS Collection.)

Life Lesson from a Lamb
The name of the lamb posing with young Gerald Thompson has not been preserved, but Gerald likely helped raise it. In doing so, he learned about caring for another living creature. For many youngsters, animals were a daily presence that shaped both chores and play. (Shared by Alice Thompson.)

John and his Cat
In this 1920s image, young John Weaver holds his kitten while standing beside the family car. For children who didn’t grow up on a farm, pets like cats and dogs offered their own kind of friendship—teaching gentleness, care, and the comfort of a loyal companion close to home. (Shared by Cynthia Weaver.)

Note: We didn’t leave out horses! See the back cover for the Bennett family horses. Their story is inside the back cover.

NOVEMBER – Family
Most of our childhood is shaped by members of our nuclear and extended family, especially parents, siblings and grandparents. Do you remember special gatherings of family members?
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Brothers & Sisters
The children of Kitalena and John Walker pose in Elsie Sphoon’s photographic studio around 1917. They were (left to right): Olive, Ruth, John William, Rose and Robert. There is no doubt that the Walker kids, like other siblings, carried many shared memories through their lives. What memories do you have of your siblings when you were young? (NHS Collection.)

Generations
Members of several generations of the Boss Family pose at Easter time outside of the family home on Fair Street in Dalton circa 1986. Left to right: Ila May Smith, Mike Boss, Josh Boss, Troy Damon, Jim Boss. (Shared by Ethan Boss.)

Thanksgiving Dinner
This traditional Thanksgiving Dinner was held at Leslie Morgan Sr’s home in Tuscarora circa 1949. Gathered around the table were (left to right): Mary Morgan Edick, Richard Edick, Louis Edick, Ernestine Douglass Morgan, Carolyn Morgan Fagan, Leslie Morgan Sr (owned the Tuscarora General Store with his wife Ernestine and was Tuscarora Post Master until 1958); Miriam Rider Morgan; Barbara Morgan Newman, Leslie Morgan Jr, and Francis Morgan. Doug notes that “All have passed on except Richard Edick and Miriam Rider Morgan (97 years old) and Barbara Morgan Newman.” (Shared by Douglas Morgan.)

DECEMBER – Christmas Memories
(Clockwise, from upper left)

Christmas Morning!
This undated photograph of Christmas morning at the Colton house in 1914 captures the joy of Christmas morning as experienced more than a century ago. A young boy and his little sister sit on a brand new sled. Behind them the family tree is decorated with toys and homemade popcorn strings. What are your Christmas morning memories? (NHS Collection.)

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree
Although artificial trees are common today, the family trip to bring home the “perfect” tree is a special memory for many. In this photo from the 1980s, members of the Long Family drag home a freshly cut tree from south of Dalton. (Shared by Sue and Jeff Long.)

Gathered by the Christmas Tree
The Cutler Family of Nunda gather around their Christmas tree at 19 Seward Street in 1933. Shown are Carrie Childs Cutler (1886–1958), her husband Jay (1879–1956), and son James (1918–1996). Do you remember helping to decorate the family Christmas tree? (NHS Collection.)

Christmas Pageant
Area churches have long held special pageants and services at Christmas time. This one was held in the Nunda United Methodist Church around 1946. Participants, as listed on the back of the photograph, are Bert Lowery, Bob LaFollette, Anna Bunting, Edith Henry, Melva Yueckstock, Dick Walker, Marlene Tapp, Lorma Schneckenberger, Mary Ellen Graves, Helen Piper, Beverly Walker, Kenneth Stewart, Ruth Hamer, Jim Briistol, and John Monteleone. What other community events do you remember as being part of the local Christmas season? (NHS Collection.)

The Growing Up in Nunda and Portage Exhibit
The Growing Up in Nunda and Portage Exhibit will open in March 2026 at the Nunda Museum, 24 Portage Street in Nunda. The exhibit will include more photographs, along with local children’s memories submitted over the past year. Watch for several special programs and activities on the topic throughout the coming year!