progress

A message from our President, Ann Laing:

The Quincy Square Museum Association held its annual meeting, January 21, 2996 at the
Earlville Free Library. Our treasurer, Colleen Buchta gave a report of our current financial status,
as well as a year-end report and a proposed 2006 budget. The various committees presented an
overall view of 2005 accomplishments, which will be summarized in the following annual report of
the president:

Although the 2005 museum program season was delayed in starting, the association volunteers
soon made up for lost time. In March, the museum was appointed as the Village of Earlville
Historian. Inquiries for historical and genealogical information on Earlville area families,
businesses, and dwellings may be directed to the president, who will then assign them to various
volunteers for research and response. Rose Wellman and Dick Eades have been eager to
complete these queries. In 2005, we obtained information on Mr. Wickwire, a photographer,
which will appear in a book on the Chenango Camera Club of the past. Research was also
completed on the Chapin gunsmith who once occupied the site of the present day museum. A
query was answered on the Dowell house. Dick and Rose are now researching the life of Charles
Sussman, a well-known area painter. Anyone with information about Mr. Sussman is invited to
contact us. We are planning to have a future dedication and showing of two of his paintings
which were recently donated to the museum.

March also marked the association's jump into the computer age. With the donation of a
computer and purchased accompanying devices, we can now make copies of requested
information for our visitors, catalogue our inventory, and upgrade our displays. Dick has spent
countless hours inputting data, while the rest of us have tried to keep the numbering system
straight. We expect that this project will continue for sometime, but will be invaluable to
volunteers and visitors alike. Mike has vigilantly kept our website going and we hope to expand
it this year.

In June, our special grant writer, Milly Palmer, began the arduous task of preparing an
application for a grant from the Mid-York Foundation. We appreciate all her hard work on this
successful project, and thank all those who offered her assistance in this endeavor. Milly was
also responsible for the new Tribute to Veterans display, and for obtaining photos, memorabilia,
and the Parson's Wagon from the Earlville Firemen for use at the museum. Milly, we need you
here all year!

After many work days to move the displays, our contractor was able to complete the interior
painting. The clean, white walls show off museum items. Everything looked so nice that we
decided to replace the yellowed Plexiglas on the windows with a new generation polycarbonate
covering. You must visit us to see what a difference these changes have made.

Due to these renovations, our first program was delayed until July 16, when Dr. Jerry Hayes
presented his findings from the excavation of the Peteroboro Indian Longhouse. Our next
program, July 16, The History of American Cemetery Art was presented by Frank Calidonna of
Rome, NY. September 10, our own Rose presented the History of the Earlville Opera House, with
the assistance of Patti Blaise-Lockwood, the current director. All of our speakers demonstrated
their hours of preparation and their consuming interest in their projects. The association is
grateful to each speaker and to each attendee.

Our season wound down with the Madison County Fall Festival. We had a gorgeous day to
display Derek Wilson's old car/truck and the Earlville Firemen's Parson's Low-Down Ladder
Wagon. We had a bus load of visitors - now there's a sight you don't often see in Earlville.

The September membership drive netted 99 members, a number that remains relatively stable.

2005 cannot be summed up unless you mention broken water lines, a new toilet, ants in the
rafters, bats in the crevices, and overhanging tree limbs. All of these annoyances were quickly
overcome by the swift attention of the building committee, overseen by our vigilant treasurer,
Colleen. We also had a new front door threshold and lock installed. If we can now find a cost
effective method of heating the museum, we will be to go.

We are in the process of developing some exciting fund raising projects, including some more
local history booklets to sell. Wilma and Colleen are working on the history of Earlville
businesses; Rose hopes to continue the story of the Earlville Opera House. She also wants to
develop a booklet on John Parsons. Dick has begun a new filing system and wants to complete
the indexing process this year. We are all planning future displays including: Catastrophic Fires
of Earlville, Earlville School. a new farm/home display, and historic Earlville homes and churches.
We will be included in the History Trail Project for the Bicentennial in October.

Officers for 2006 are: President, Ann Laing; Vice-President, Gordon Dresser; Treasurer, Colleen
Buchta; Recording Secretary, Wilma Washburn; Corresponding Secretary, Liz Davey; Trustees,
Milly Palmer (2007), Dick Eades (2008), and Rose Wellman (2009). Please join us for our next
meeting, Monday, February 6, 2006, 1 PM, at the Earlville Free Library Conference Room. For
further information on Quincy Square Museum, please log unto our website:
www.quincy.earlville.net