sheldon historical society

School House Museum

3929 Main Street

Strykersville NY 14139

585-457-3444

LIBRARY SCHEDULE

Tuesday  1– 5 pm

Wednesday 3 –8 pm

Saturday 11 am—2 pm

Sheldon’s Bicentennial Year (1804-2004)

(Yes, we prospered)

On December 22, 1804 the land of the Town of Sheldon, Wyoming County, N.Y. was officially transferred from the Holland Land Co to Oliver Phelps and Lemuel Chipman. In March 1804, Roswell Turner, their land agent, settled at Turner's Corners (routes77 and 20A.).  It would be hard to embrace the true life as it was then; the forests were thick, one had to look up to see daylight, the sounds of the wolves, panthers and other wild prey howled through the nights, and daily existence depended on the toil of the land. These people followed an Indian trail, braved the harsh winters, and extended the territory for the future generations to enjoy. I have grown reaping these rewards, and it is only in my later years that I have come to treasure the efforts of those who had the initiative and drive to settle in my hometown. Many years ago an article was written about the Town of Sheldon questioning if it would prosper.  As we look about us today, Sheldon has flourished beyond anyone’s wildest fantasies.

 Most of us pass the old Pioneer Cemeteries while in a hurry, and our minds are drifting in many different directions. We seldom take the time to really ponder on what those people buried there did to contribute to our daily living. My son and his family live across from the Pioneer Cemetery in Strykersville, N.Y. I often look out of their front window and beyond his beautiful white fence to observe the old graveyard. What a contrast between the flat stone barriers, built from local stone by devoted men around the old cemetery, and his newer white vinyl masterpiece. Progress is great and what we all work for, but sometimes it is good to see what preceded it in the background. We owe the people in the older generations much credit for what we have today. Step by step a community is established, bits and pieces that each generation contributes; toil and labor, trials and errors along with tears and laughter.

 Religion was a very important aspect in the lives of our early settlers; from the first Church meetings in Sheldon Center to the staunch German Catholic settlement in the middle of the 19^th Century. My forebears had a lot to do with the early Church, names like George, Schiltz, Romesser, Meyer, Metzger, Armbrust, and Kirsch. Through their dedication I feel a closeness to this town, and hope to pass this bond down to my children and grandchildren; good solid values from their ancestry to follow, lest they never forget their roots.

The first farmers in the Sheldon area guided their horses on a straight course, the wooden plow turning over the rich soil. As they worked the field, their thoughts no doubt went to how the first settlers had cleared this vast land, spending countless days of toil and sweat in the thick forests. As they worked their fields the horses usually wore blinders to keep them from getting distracted from the task at hand. If the Farmer looked over his shoulder, the horse and plow would have been thrown off course and the furrows would have crisscrossed each other, leaving unsightly rows. I believe it is because our ancestors led the good life and kept focused and formed straight rows that “The Town of Sheldon” thrived to what it is today.

  All future generations should take a few moments now and then to feel the joy our forefathers felt in developing this land. They had a sense of what was good, and we are forever indebted to them. The straight and narrow path is not always easy, but its rewards are abundant. Congratulations to the “Town of Sheldon”; it has been a community effort handed down from many generations to bring us to where we are today. Take a drive out to this magnificent countryside. You will like our town; we all wish you were here!

Mary Ann (Schiltz) Metzger

 August 10, 2004