CAMP members gathered on 5-21-19 to spruce up the outside of the Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building in preparation for Memorial Day. CAMP will lay a wreath on the door of the Memorial Building during the Little Valley Memorial Day Parade on Monday morning, May 27, 2019 in memory of the almost 3,500 Cattaraugus County Soldiers and Sailors who served during the American Civil War. All photos courtesy of Nancy Bargar.

Wreath Designer Gail Bellamy with the Memorial Day Wreath that will be Placed on Memorial Day

Gretchen Taft Takes a Break from Work

Jim Ried Takes His Turn at Mowing the Memorial Building Lawn

Jim Taft Taking His Turn at Mowing the Memorial Building Lawn

Juanita Ried and Nancy Bargar Preparing to Garden at the Memorial Building

Juanita Ried Sweeping the Entrance to the Memorial Building

Tom Stetz, Jim and Juanita Ried and Gail Bellamy Resting in the BOE after a Hard Days Work!

CAMP President,Tom Stetz, Untangling String for a Memorial Building Display

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE 154TH DESCENDANTS REUNION AT CAMP’S MEMORIAL BUILDING IN LITTLE VALLEY 

Mark Dunkelman’s 33rd Annual Descendants Reunion of the 154th “Hardtack Regiment” was hosted by CAMP on its Memorial grounds. It took place under a large tent at 2 PM with seating provided for 100 but, with the large turnout, many descendants were standing outside the tent in the beautiful weather provided by CAMP.

Period music was provided by Scott Frank. Mark Dunkleman was the “Master of Ceremonies” and after opening remarks introduced Karen Whipple Thomas who spoke about two Dedication Ceremonies; the 154th Gettysburg Monument and the Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building, at which her Great-Great Granduncle James S. Whipple was the main speaker.

Mark also introduced Gettysburg sculptor Gary Casteel who talked about his recent replica of the 154th Monument. Gary has offered a portion of the sales of his replica monument over the next year as a donation to CAMP and had the replicas available for purchase.

CAMP President, Tom Stetz, thanked the descendants for their support and efforts in saving the Memorial Building from demolition by Cattaraugus County and that recognized without their efforts from day-one another historic site would have been lost forever.

Special guests Ulysses S. Grant (Ed Brodbeck) and President Abraham Lincoln (Dave Kreutz) addressed the descendants with a few appropriate remarks. “President Lincoln” gave a moving reading of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to the audience.

The Reunion concluded in the traditional fashion with the attendees introducing themselves and speaking about who they were representing at the reunion. All attendees received a white Reunion Ribbon from Mark Dunkelman and an information magnet from CAMP.

A large group photo was taken in front of the Memorial Building in an attempt to re-create a photo similar to the original 1914 Dedication photo.

CAMP members handed out information brochures and CAMP magnets. They explained CAMP’S preservation efforts for the Memorial site and collected donations which totaled a truly remarkable $1,627.

Several CAMP members personally thanked Juliet Mason Hornburg, who was in attendance at the event, for her recent generous donation to CAMP.

As part of the Little Valley Bicentennial, CAMP provided a peek into the past with a look inside the open Memorial entrance door and with Civil War re-enactors and displays on the grounds. Tom Place, CAMP member and the curator of the “Echoes Through Time” Learning Center and Civil War Museum in Springville, NY, recruited the living historians which included: Ed Brodbeck (as Grant); Dave Kreutz (as Lincoln); Henry Pogodzinski (as a hospital steward) and soldiers, John Stengel,  Darin Everdyke, Thomas Hawkins, Jeffery Snyder, Ralph R., Mike Lavis, and Matt Lavis (sorry for the spellings). A special thanks to all these guys that volunteered to help make these events enjoyable.

The Little Valley Bicentennial events started earlier that morning at 8 AM with craft and food vendors set up in the Bicentennial Park area. Included were knife appraisers and the Ellicottville Brewing Company selling its special beer “1818” to celebrate the Town’s Bicentennial and brewed in its recently opened Little Valley brewery. (EBC employee Todd Fuller selling the beer).  Music at the gazebo in the center of town and hot dogs at the Library were available through out the day. Brad Lockwood conducted  tours of the Town’s historic homes, buildings and sites via a trolley ride with a stop at CAMP’S Memorial site included on the tour. The Little Valley Fire Department held a dinner and “Comedy Night” at the Fire Department Saturday night. The Hughes Hotel and Bear Brick provided live bands at their establishments for late night entertainment.

The people gathered at the Memorial Site for these two events was most likely the largest crowd assembled at the Site since the Dedication Day ceremonies on September 7, 1914.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE 154TH DESCENDANTS REUNION AT CAMP’S MEMORIAL BUILDING IN LITTLE VALLEY 

2:00 PM, Department of Public Works, Little Valley, NY

Great News!!!! CAMP has won the bid for the Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building! All that is left is for the Department of Public Works Committee to approve the sale on July 19, 2017 and then the County Legislature has to vote to approve the sale during the regular meeting to be held on July 26, 2017. It has been a very long journey for the members of Citizens Advocating Memorial Preservation. We are extremely pleased with today’s outcome. Thank you to all who have supported our cause with your donations and time volunteered. We could not have come this far without you. Now the real work begins. Upward and onward!

6-9-17 by John Scarano, CAMP Webmaster

The video of the CAMP 2017 Memorial Day Ceremony video has been posted. You may view now by visiting the CAMP Video Page.

04-09-17 by CAMP Webmaster, John Scarano

The members of a joint committee session held on Wednesday 04-05-17 between the Catt Co Department of Public Works and the Catt Co Strategic Planning Committee approved a plot plan for the sale of the Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building. The plot plan will now be forwarded to the Catt Co Engineering Division for legal drawing. This positive step forward by Cattaraugus County has triggered a need for a meeting of the members of CAMP to discuss the possible purchase of the Memorial Building by the CAMP organization and its ramifications.

This critical meeting that is open to all CAMP members will take place at 3:00 PM on Monday, April 17, 2017 in the small meeting room located inside the Salamanca Library which is located at 155 Wildwood Avenue, Salamanca, NY 14779.

Please let us know if you are a CAMP member and can attend or wish to become a CAMP member and attend by Clicking Here.

There will be a meeting for all CAMP MEMBERS on THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 AT 3:30 PM.  The meeting will be held at the WILDWOOD GRILL, 53 WILDWOOD AVE., SALAMANCA, NY 14779 (phone: 716-244-6886) .  Issues facing CAMP early in 2017 will be discussed.

Citizens Advocating Memorial Preservation, in conjunction with the Landmark Society of Western New York, will hold a workshop on October 26, 2016 at 1:00 PM . The meeting will be held at the Little Valley Fire Department Banquet Hall located at 101 3rd St., Little Valley, NY 14755. The meeting is open to all CAMP members. Your attendance is crucial in the preservation of the Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building and the development of its future use.

The following is the agenda for the meeting:

Cattaraugus County Memorial & Historical Building Workshop

October 26, 2016

Workshop Goals:

• Brainstorm ideas for end-uses for the Memorial Building
• Provide CAMP with a better understanding of ideas are likely to work/not work in their community
• Provider CAMP with a better understanding of what it will take to bring these ideas to fruition
• Narrow end-uses down to 2-3 options that can be further examined through feasibility study

AGENDA

1. Recap: How did we get here?

CAMP leaders & Landmark Society staff

1. Panelist Introductions (approx 10 minutes each)
   1. Clinton Brown, FAIA, Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc
   2. Roxanne Kise, Roxanne Kise Consulting
   3. Pilar McKay, Rural Arts Weekly & Shake on the Lake
   4. Frances Gubler, Preservation Association, Preservation League of New York State

• Break into groups for discussion/brainstorming. Each group will be lead by one of the panelists

1. Each group presents their ideas and conclusions

CAMP has announced the date and details for its Annual Member Meeting. The event will begin with a barbecue at 12:30 PM on July 28, 2016. All CAMP Members are invited to attend. For more detail and to RSVP visit: Meeting Notice Page

Non-members can also join and RSVP on the Meeting Notice Page.