Question: Take a good look at these five items — three for the house and two for the sportsman. They were made in Baldwinsville. Do you know what they are made of? The firm was located in a prominent location that many of us pass almost daily. Do you know what the items are, the name of the firm and its location?
Last week’s answer: The answer is yes! Tanneries were a necessity and therefore numerous. The old fashioned way of making leather was a slow process. Rawhide without treatment is unsatisfactory because it gets hard and rots. Through the process of tanning, the skins are changed to pliable and lasting leather.
A tannery wasn’t the most pleasant place to work in or be near. The hides often came salted, and were smelly upon arrival. The wastewater gave off a terrible odor. There were many flies in the summer and rodents throughout the year.
The tannery in question stood at the corner of what is now East Genesee and Albert Palmer Lane. Its early owner (early 1800s) was a family by the name of Jerome. Aaron Jerome, who operated it, was a relative of Sir Winston Churchill, whose mother was a Jerome.
The tannery had several owners over the years. An 1879 Gazette article described it as old and dilapidated. It fell down in 1880 and was sold at a sheriff’s auction for $1,000. In 1884, the Baldwinsville Creamery began operation on that site.
More about Tannery Creek. It is a notorious creek that has been a frequent pain to the inhabitants along its banks. It runs north and south from the Seneca River to the northeast. Early history called it Baldwin’s millpond. It brought floodwaters to fill the basin, which many years ago held a reserve supply for running the first village mill at the mouth of the creek. Depending the amount of water runoff, it was either a pleasant peaceful place or a raging torrent. Every so often it comes to life again.
So now you know where the name Tannery Creek comes from.
Your historians are always looking for new History Mysteries. If you have something you would like to know about just leave a message at the Museum at the Shacksboro Schoolhouse for Sue McManus or the Baldwinsville Public Library for Bonnie Kisselstein.
Contact Editor Sarah Hall at [email protected] or leave a message at (315) 434-8889 ext. 310 with your guess by 5 p.m. Friday (please leave the information in the message; we are not generally able to return calls regarding History Mystery responses). If you are the first person to correctly identify an element in the photo, your name and guess will appear in next week’s Messenger, along with another History Mystery feature. History Mystery is a joint project of the Museum at the Shacksboro Schoolhouse and the Baldwinsville Public Library.
