Question: In 1836, Baldwinsville was a collection of modest log-and-frame houses, mills, businesses, schools and a church. That year, the nation noted the deaths of Betsy Ross and James Madison, and Baldwinsville saw the dawn of a new age. Construction of the massive stone building seen in this photo marked the beginning of the end of pioneer days. Can you identify the building by name, location or purpose?
Last week’s answer: The items in last week’s photo were all made of bamboo and produced in Baldwinsville. The firm began in 1888 in Syracuse and was known as Syracuse Bamboo Furniture. In 1891, its stock was worth $80,000 ($2 million by today’s standards) and the owners sought more space. Since Baldwinsville already had many flourishing industries with a good reputation, they found a desirable location between the paper mill (Paper Mill Island) and the cemetery at the end of Canton Street. Remember at that time, there was no Barge Canal and Water Street was much wider than it is now.
A wooden frame building two stories high, measuring 150 by 54 with a height of 54 feet was erected. It was well lit with many windows. An article from The Gazette & Farmers’ Journal of June 1891 states that when finished it would be the largest firm of its type in the country. Electricity was furnished by the paper mill. Transportation was made convenient by the construction of railroad tracks to the building. These crossed the river and ended at the Baldwin Canal, where the present parking lot east of Baldwin Canal Park is now. This made the shipping of materials to and from the plant economical.
The firm made the highest quality bamboo furniture, as well as fine fishing rods and tackle. The raw material came from Calcutta and Japan. The items in the photo show a bedstead, magazine rack, cabinet, fishing rod and fluted spoon hook.
For the first year and a half, business prospered and employees often worked overtime. Then there came a sudden lull, which put the company into bankruptcy. The property was sold at auction for $5,200. It was then bought by Messrs. Mack and Miller, who turned the building into the Mack-Miller Candle Factory.
If you want to know more, check out several Sketches of Yesterday articles by Tony Christopher and a booklet compiled by Robert Nostrant titled “Syracuse Bamboo Company.” The booklet has a large sketch of a living room with many pieces of furniture; unfortunately, it did not reproduce well, so is not in this History Mystery. All are available at the Baldwinsville Public Library.
Contact Editor Sarah Hall at [email protected] or leave a message at 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.
