Wells College - Cardinal Yearbook (Aurora, NY)

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and proud enough the townspeople were of it-it was the first lodge in New York State. Masonic meetings are still held in the upper story. Sometime you may have ascended the narrow stair- case, and under the leadership of Mr. Hitchcock have been con- ducted about the dim, mysterious regions above the store. On the walls of the passageway which surrounds the meeting-room hang the swords of the Knights Templar, which have been carried often and effectually in various theatrical performances at the col- lege. DIn connection with public buildings it may be of interest to mention the Aurora churches. The earliest of these is the Pres- byterian. The first church edifice was erected in 1818, but the building which is the object of our weekly pilgrimage dates from 1860. In early times the church members bought their pews outright instead of renting them. When the latter fashion arose, it met with violent opposition from the conservative faction, so the story. goes, and a party broke off from the main body of the church. They began to hold meetings in the lower story of the Masonic Lodge, until finally, when their funds became sufficient, they erected the Episcopal church. Across the street from the Presbyterian church stands the old, brick Military Academy, silent and deserted since that memor- able day in 1899 when the self-important, blue-coated little Cad- dicsl' bade farewell to Aurora. In 1799 the first academy build- ing was erected. In 1802 Major Ledyard 4' conveyed to the Trustees the present academy lot, with the buildings then stand- ing upon it,'7 we read in the History of Cayuga County. This property was always to be used for educational purposes. As early as this, Aurora was dedicated to the cause of education. The first academy building was burned, a larger was then erected and used till 1835, when the present building was put up. The second building is now used as a Methodist church. It is only within recent years that the Academy has been a military school. It was originally an Academy for both boys and girls, then became a boys, school, and then once more a school for boys and girls. It is interesting to imagine what this school must have been like in the early part of the century. We can, I suppose, picture to ourselves a school-room such as we read of in histories of early New England. Rows of benches, hacked by industrious jack-knives, and dog-eared books scattered about. In winter a huge ire would roar up the chimney and the shivering little girls, who had had a long tramp through the snow to school, 30

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the stat1on, we1e both buxlt befo1e 1820 The H1St Whe1e the College DllGCtO1 ot Musle ln es, was e1eeted by Mr Avery, the father of Mrs R1eha1d Morgan The second was bullt by Judge Shepa1d, but was late1 oeeup1ed by an eeeent11e,11ase1ble man P6t81 FO1l3, who now 1ests 1n a tomb a sho1t dlstance beh1nd the house Thls old man used so people say, to s1t 1n an uppe1 1oom of the house, and 1ead aloud W1th g1eat emphas1s f1on1 the open Blble lylng befole hun These peuods of rel1g1ous fe1vor WSIB mterrupted now and agam by its of bad tempe1 and p10 famty, 1esult1ng f1om PClJ617S too fond compamonshlp with the 1ed, red W1ne Soon, hovvevel, Mr Folt would return to h1s B1b1e, readlnfr as enerfretleally as before Pete1 Fort b1ought w1th h1m to the v1lla0fe one of Aurora s famous eha1aete1s Mr Sehney, who 11ved w1th the old gentle man fO1 seve1'1l yea1s as a eomblned valet and butle1 Then W1Slll1Dg' a more mdependent oareel, Mr Sellney opened a llttle eabmet shop 1n the bulldmof now oeeupled by M1 H1tehcoek's store He was noted throughout the v1llage for h1s gentlemanly 1nanne1 and kmd, open hea1t The old Wells gnls cannot say enough of h1s gene1os1ty, fol he contmually showe1ed upon them offermgs of grapes and apples drawn from the supply of frult he always kept on hand 1D hls sto1e It was not untll after hls ma111age that M1 Sellney masteled the a1ts of readmo' and w11t1nff The httle home Where he llved wlth h1s Wlfe had been the ii1st ff Morgan s sto1e 7' befo1e 1Bf61 1ed to On the eleetlon of a new sto1e the torme1 bu1ld1ng had been moved f1om beslde the 1av1ne and set up across the street at a sho1t dlstance to the south After 1ts ooeupat1on by the k1ndly furn1tu1e deale1 1t was always known as the 4'Sel1ney house ' It IS standmg to day, an oblong, yellow structule, 18 marlxable 1n W1nte1 f01 la1ge sto1m dOO1S of verdant hue, whlch enclose nea1 ly the Whole po1eh, and have somethmg the effect of Wmdow bllnds ln speakmv of Mr belmey and M1 H1tohcock,we a1e blought naturally to Mr I-11tohc,oek's sto1e Every Wells gul 1emembe1s he1 61 st v1s1t to th1s remarkable eur1os1ty shop, 1n the mad lush fo1 furn1tu1e upon he1 a111val as a Freshman How Sl11p1lSC-Bd she was, on reaehmof the la1ge, oddly shaped, wooden blllldlllg, p1esent1n0 to the s1de walk a facade omamented Wlth plllars and ea1v1ngs, to be told that th1s was a store' The peeul1a1 a1eh1tee ture 1S due to the fact of the bu1ld1ng havmg been erected as a Masome Lodge In 1819 DeW1ttCl1nton lald ILS comer stone 29 . - , , . . , ' 9 .1 I . .1 'I , . ' ' . i. .1 . 7 . . . V I 1 ' ' . . . i 0 9 g 'U . D I i . . T . 1. . . ' . . 1 l ' - I 1 4 I I u 1 I , . u . i i . . . P: C ' . . - 7 . . O . . . . . , 1 1 Q ' V f u , . . . . . . . . . . . ' . C ' . . I . u .1 , . . . . . . . . ' I . . . . N. D . ' ' - . .. . . . - . u . o ze' . 7 . -, - .- za . . . . . . . . . 1 . 1 . 7 , . 7 . ' - . .- 'V ' . 1 I I I i - 1 I ' . ., . . 1 . - I o ' l Q 'I h I 1 1, . . . h . 1. . I . . . . . . .. . . . in - ' I , io . 1 . , ' ' ' D u 1' I I ' .1 1 - . - f . . . . ' .

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grandfather of Mr. Henry A. Morgan. Up to that time, he and his wife had lived over 'fthe store,7' an oblong,wooden building situated on the edge of the ravine before mentioned, and not on the site of the f4Morgan's Store we know so well. It was in this building that Colonel Edwin Morgan, the benefactor of Wells College, was born. It was not until after his marriage that Col- onel Edwin made his home in the present Zabriskie home. That stately stone mansion, guarded by two lions, which we know as the Preparatory School,was erected by Henry Morgan, a brother of Colonel Morgan's, and part of his bachelor days were passed there. John Morgan, another brother of Edwin, owned a large farm in Aurora, and built for himself upon it that long, dignified, grey frame home facing the lake, where the Professor of Bib- lical Literature now lives. The college grounds and the 'fWells Placel' were also originally included in this farm. While speaking of the Morgans, the story of old Johnny Locke occurs to me, simply because of the kindness the family always showed the poor fellow. Where this odd character came from, nobody knows exactly. He was born somewhere Uout in the country, and wandered down into Aurora, lived and died here. His mind was somewhat deranged and he led much the life of an animal, but was a faithful creature. It was a strange, unsettled life, that of Johnny Locke. Day after day he wandered up and down the street, always restless, always hungry. He knew, how- ever, where he wouldi find a hot breakfast-three of them in suc- cession if he wished-and inside what cellar or barn door, left hospitably ajar, he would find a buffalo robe spread down for him to rest upon at night. He had his virtues, poor Johnny. He was a faithful watch-dog in Mr. Morgan's store, and no one could equal him in running errands. He would absolutely refuse to deliver a note to anyone but the person to whom it was ad- dressed-even to the nearest relative. At last his health began to fail as the result of his unsettled life. He grew feeble and ill, but was cared for tenderly by the town and by certain families who had always befriended him. When he died he had such a funeral as might have been an honor to the memory of one far above him in station. In Morgan's store you may .see his por- trait painted by the artist Elliot. The face has a vacant, dazed expression that was characteristic of poor Johnny Locke. But to return to the houses of Aurora. The two large frame houses, one yellow, the other brown, that stand on the hill facing 28