‘Orphans’ find permanent home in Nichols

Mehitabel and her four brothers, Tod, Seth, Sol and Simon (triplets) recently made their last adventure in travels from Florida to the Nichols, N.Y. Historical Museum. Their caretaker / guardian, Elaine “Laney” Burney had inherited custody of this family of dolls from her aunt, Lois K. (Park) Peppard Brown. In returning to this area, the children finalized an adventurous journey west that began many years ago in upper Pennsylvania to find their grandparents’ home in Millbrook, Michigan.

As explained to Nichols Historian, Kem Hart-Baker, Laney said the “children” told her they wanted a permanent home and thus decided to donate the five dolls along with a multitude of items providing a history of their adventures and many other family related memorabilia. 

The story began with Etta Wolcott Park writing her memoirs of her life’s story.  Etta was born in a log house in Litchfield Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania around 1864. Her great grandfather, Silas Wolcott, had served in the army of the Revolutionary War and had been one of George Washington’s bodyguards while encamped at Valley Forge. He built the house in 1806, where Etta was born.  

They lived there until Etta was three years old, and then the family of eight pulled up stakes and moved to Mecosta County, Michigan. Etta achieved a teaching certificate when she was 14 1/2 years old. Later she met and married a handsome young man named Burt Park. It was for their 14 children that Etta wrote her life story about, filled with trials and tribulations.

One of their daughters, Nettie Ruth Wolcott Park, who was born in Millbrook, Mecosta County, Michigan, had her mother’s memories published in 1968 by Vantage Press, Inc., New York, N.Y. The title of this book was “A Story for My Children”.

From her mother’s original memories, Nettie wrote and published her own book, “Mehitable: Girl Pioneer”, in November of 1946 by L.C. Page & Company, Inc. The book was reverently dedicated to the memory of her mother, whose written story of her life in early Michigan was her inspiration for this book. It is a saga of the death of the parents of five children who became runaways from bondage and their trek through the wilderness areas of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Michigan in search of finding their grandparents who lived in Millbrook, Michigan. 

Nettie graduated from Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art; she studied writing at Columbia University. During her life she was a farmer, factory worker, teacher, fruit tramp, cigar maker, social service worker in a children’s home, and a house organ editor. She wrote many articles and stories and was a member of the staff of the Old Print Shop in New York. 

Following her retirement she resided with her brother, the late Bruce Park, in the “house in the hollow” in Nichols.

Miss Park died at the age of 83 years old on Sept. 19, 1973 at the old Tioga General Hospital in Waverly, N.Y. At the time of her death she had been living at 424 Park Ave. in Waverly since 1967, but had also lived for a number of years in Nichols, N.Y. and in New York City.  

She was survived by two brothers, Claude H. Park of Waverly and Clifford J. Park of Nichols; three sisters, Mrs. Grace Atchison of Smithboro, Mrs. Clara Atchison of Barton, and Mrs. Edith Hock of Waverly. In addition, she was also survived by four sisters-in-law; Mrs. Ernest Park of Hillside, N.J.; Mrs. Curtis Park of Tampa, Fla.; Mrs. Bert Park of Nichols, N.Y.; and Mrs. Bruce Park of Deland, Fla. and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Nettie is buried in Section 2 at the Nichols Cemetery on West River Road in Nichols, N.Y., and near many of her Park ancestors.

The Nichols historian proudly invites the public to stop by the Nichols Historical Museum to see this display along with the cornucopia of documents including both books, a family tree of the Wolcott – Park family, many family obituaries, and a notebook full of other articles written by Nettie Wolcott Park.  

The museum is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., or by appointment. She may be contacted via email to ptownpest@aol.com or via cell phone (text or voice mail) at (607) 206-1581.  

In addition, she would like to express her sincere appreciation to Laney Burney for this wonderful donation to the Nichols Historical Museum.