The goal of the Rochester Historical Society is to preserve as much of the town’s history as possible and to share it with the community. At the museum, we have historical items, many, many documents and pictures. I often think that it is the pictures that do the best job of taking us back to the past and of depicting the changes that have occurred over the centuries. The two pictures accompanying this article are a case in point. One shows us the Hartley Sawmill in its heyday when it was the town’s biggest employer. The second picture shows the mill office, which is all that is left today. No big trucks, loads of logs or busy workers.
On April 20 at 7:00 pm at the museum at 355 County Road., we’re planning an evening of pictures brought by attendees and scrapbooks that will take us into the past. We hope to see pictures of babies, ancestors and places that have changed or disappeared over the years. Once we have put out the pictures, we will try to match them with the people who brought them. I am sure the evening will prove that a picture is really worth a thousand words. If you have any questions about the program, you can contact me at eshbach2@aol.com.
By Connie Eshbach