Historical programming now available on YouTube

By Ed Nizalowski, Bement-Billings Farmstead Director —

The Newark Valley Historical Society presented a number of programs back in the 1990’s that were videotaped. These VHS format tapes have now been digitized. Several deal with the Herrick Barn project, a number of Society events from that time period, and a variety of oral history nights.

The Herrick Barn project was an effort to bring an English threshing barn to the Farmstead. It spanned a five-year period from 1995 to 2000. The entire process was videotaped by Robert Kuzia.

In the “Herrick Barn – Disassembly Phase” you will see the entire structure being taken apart and what can be learned about its history in the process. The barn was originally on West Creek Road and was donated by Ed Bruce.

In “Herrick Barn – Rebirth” the process of repairing the frame is documented, a synopsis of the raising ending with hanging the doors.

“The Raising of the Herrick Barn” is an 80-minute version of a traditional barn raising that took place June 12 and 13, 1999.

This writer made the claim at that time that this was the most complete documentation of a traditional barn raising that had yet been done. No one ever challenged that statement, and I have searched in vain on the Internet for anything that comes close.

For those of us who love old barns, these three programs will be like taking a barn history course. There is also a kind of art film available entitled “Barntasia.”

A number of oral history nights were done in this time period. These include “The Flood of 1935” (done on July 8, 1995, the 60th anniversary); “Memories of Flemingville and West Creek Road” (1996); “The Ladies of Northern Tioga County,” and “Changes in Dairy Farming” (1999).

One program of special interest is “The Rollie Noble Flag.” Rollie Noble was a very respected, almost revered, individual in Newark Valley. In his declining years, and in spite of uncertain health, he did the bulk of the restoration work and development of the Farmstead until he passed away in 1983. He was a veteran of WWII, and he and several of his army buddies had a flag made, which was displayed from a window at midnight on May 9, 1945, in Linz, Austria.

General Patton came by in the morning and remarked, “This is likely the first flag to fly over Europe on V-E Day.” The flag is now at the Infantry Museum in Fort Benning, Ga. A re-dedication of the flag was done on May 9, 1995, in the hall of St. John’s Church in Newark Valley.

Other programs of interest include “Plowing Day for Draft Horses and Oxen” (1991); Depot Days (1995); Apple Festival (1999); and the Wood Shop project (1995). The Wood Shop at the Farmstead was built by the high school construction class, with Jim Benner as advisor.

For over 40 years this writer has been doing research and giving tours to a “reputed” Black burial ground in the Oakley Corners State Forest. Last year, Vera Scroggins did some videotaping. There are two programs with the words “Black Farm Hands,” one is this writer’s presentation given in the Welcome Center, and the other is the actual hike in the state forest.

To access these programs, go to the Society’s website at https://www.nvhistory.org/#/, and scroll down to “Links you may find interesting.”

You can reach Ed Nizalowski at ed.nizalowski@gmail.com.