Lancaster High School - Cayugan Yearbook (Lancaster, NY)

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1 HISTORY OF LANCASTER The town of Lancaster, once a large Indian reservation, was formed from the extensive area called Clarence. In 1803, the first settlers made purchases in Lancaster, then known as Cayuga Creek Settlement. In 1808 a road was cut from Buffalo through Depew and Lancaster and extended east. The Village ofLancaster was incorporated in July, 18493 however, before this time a post office was built and an academy erected. After several years of successful existence, the insti- tution dwindled and was abandoned. Later, Judge Burwell secured the foundations of an agricultural college known as the Oakwood Institute. It soon failed, and the building was used as a barn. In 1849 many wealthy Hollanders settled in Lancaster, founded factories, and contributed to the growth of the village. The Lancaster Glass Works, established by eight glass-blowers from Pittsburgh, burned in 1859, but was rebuilt. Soon afterwards the town progressed rapidly with the construction of several fac- tories, including a tannery, soap factory, iron foundry, two saw- mills, planing mill, two breweries, and a carriage factory. A malleable and iron works, a machine and knife factory, and abrick yard later contributed to the local industries. In 1865 a stock company was organized to sink a well on Plumbotton Creek for petroleum. This attempt, and one later near Como Lake, proved a failure. For many years the only fire apparatus wasa hand engine owned by the glass works. In 1876 a hook and ladder company was organized, and later the Cayuga Fire Company was established. Lancaster faced many perilous fires in the year 1894. llany buildings were destroyed, but were later rebuilt. In 1869 a fire on Central Avenue burned the soap factory, Cushing's block, the stores of J. N. Haute, W. H. Kurtz and Charles Schliebs, the hotel, and other buildings, creating aloss of approximately 345,000. The Bank ofLancaster was incorporatedin 1894. The Depew and Lancaster Water Works was organized in 1893 and established a 'U-tel' SuPP1Y f0I'b0th Villages. In 1867 street lights were intro- duced, and in 1897 an electric lighting system was established. Four important railroads pass through Lancaster, they are the Erie, D. L. 8: W., Lehigh Valley, and New York Central. In 1832 the Presbyterian church was built and in 1852 was remodeled. The .First German Evangelical Lutheran was estab- lished in 1835, the Methodist Episcopal in 1837, the German leth- odist and Trinity Episcopal in 1880-83, and the Baptist in 1896. St. llary's Roman Catholic Church was organized :Ln 1833. The paro- chial school opened in 1874 andwas the first parochial high school in the United States. e

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APPRECIATION The Class of '38 wishes to express its grateful appreciation to Mr. Herman Kling for the support which he has given us in promoting this our first CAYUGAN .

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The public school house was built in 1873. Lancaster High School, instituted in 1897, was constructed in 1902. This building, nowlmown as the School Street Grade School, accommodates six grades. The present high school building on Aurora Street was constructed in 1922 and remodeled and enlarged in 1935. The junior and senior high school anda primary unit are housed in this build- ing. Colfax Heights, another ofLancaster's grade schools, accom- modates four grades. Como Lake Park with its shelters, playground apparatus, facilities for bathing, ball grounds, tables and benches for pic- nics, is a splendid example of the conversion of waste land into a popular recreation center. Henry W. Box started work on the original Como Lake Park in the summer of 1881. All work was completed the next year, and on December 3, 1892 the dam was closed and the next morning the lake filled with water. Many citizens, visiting the lake after it was filled, agreed it was one of the most picturesque in the state. The Sportsman's Club secured ten thousand trees, and with the aid of the Boy and Girl Scouts, a reforestation program was started in lay. Gradually more and more acres were added un- til the park reached its present size. To lr. Fred Gill, superintendent ofthe county park since 1926, is due the beautification of the park and the welcome of the visitors. Soon rustic bridges werebuilt, paths were laid, and ath- letic fields, including tennis courts and two baseball diamonds, were carefully constructed and cared for. Adjoining the park is a all zoo, containing several deer, ducks, raccoons, guinea pigs, pheasants, and other animals. The lake is ideal for boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. Beyond Willow Grove, a very attractive center of the park, are the swimming pool and its beach, very pop- ular with swimmers and visitors from neighboring vicinities. Recently the 'Village Inn' and fire hall were razed, and a telnporary fire house was built to make way for the new cut- off which put Lancaster on State Route 23. In June, 1937, the residents of Lancaster suffered much loss, when after heavy rains, the Como Lake dam overflowed and the water rose over the banks. 7