Along The Mohawk #15

 For the Mohawk Valley, Central New York region. 

Along the Mohawk features local music and interviews with musicians, storytellers, restaurateurs, and manufacturers and also features Soundscapes with local naturalist Matt Perry. The show will also include a short weekly old-time radio serial, Annie and the Loomis Gang, written and produced by Sharry Whitney and performed by a cast of local voice actors. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_10 0:01

Steve Ponty Chevrolet and Herkimer, your local family-owned and operated Chevy dealer, presents Along the Mohawk.

SPEAKER_04 0:10

Come with me as we travel along the Mohawk, sharing the stories of the people and places where we belong.

SPEAKER_10 0:21

Good morning, and thank you for traveling with me today along the Mohawk. On today's show, we learn about local soil on Maggie's Minute. And our curious shopkeeper is Joanne Rosselli at Pattywex in Clinton. But first, we talk with Wade Lawyer at the Clinton Historical Society to learn about the Waterville, New York native who created Kodak.

SPEAKER_12 0:44

George Schiesman was born in 1854 in Waterville, and I just happened to live in Waterville, and I go by where he used to live every day. The thing that he did was invent a dry plate. Before you had to get your glass plate, you had to put chemicals on it, you had to do the exposure, and then immediately develop it. And you had to take about 100 pounds of equipment to wherever you were going to take a picture. That's why there's most like portraits. You don't see a lot of pictures of the outdoors because it was such a cumbersome thing. And then a lot of people remember the Brady photos of the Civil War. All those photos were staged. That was not live action. So George wanted to make that smaller. So he first developed a dry plate so you didn't have to have all those chemicals. It was all set just to go in the camera, and then you could take it back anytime you wanted and develop them. And then he thought, well, let's make it even smaller. So he developed the first camera using paper film with his emulsion on it. You put it in the box, you had a hundred exposures in it. You take all your pictures, and then you send the whole box, the camera, back to the Kodak factory, and they would develop your pictures, put a fresh roll of film in it, and send it back to you for all for 26 bucks.

SPEAKER_10 1:53

So it wasn't just a great idea for convenience, it was also a great business model for customers.

SPEAKER_12 1:58

Yes, it's the old razor and blades theory where you sold the handle cheap and then you sold the blades that go in it. So you made the money on the blades and not the handle, and the same thing with cameras. That's how he made his money, because he pandered to the masses. So before it was a you had to be a professional and a chemist to take a photo. Now you can take your own photos. And he just kept refining it and refining it.

SPEAKER_10 2:21

And as a historian, this must be amazing having everyday people take everyday pictures.

SPEAKER_12 2:26

Oh, yes. If you went on vacation, you didn't take a picture, you really didn't go on vacation because you couldn't bring it back and say, hey, look, Joe, this is this is me at the Niagara Falls. Had a Kodak moment, you were taking a memory, and you're bringing it back.

SPEAKER_10 2:40

What was his background that allowed him to develop this?

SPEAKER_12 2:43

He was working at a bank. He had to save enough money to go to a trip to Santo Domingo. And his friend says, Why don't you take photos of that? So he bought this big set, had no idea how to run. He had to hire somebody to teach him to do it. And he saw all the problems with it, and so he wanted to make it better. He would try his formulas in his mother's sink at night. Sometimes he would sleep on the floor because he was so engrossed in photography. And he finally came up with a dry plate and that set him off. That's when he started making money. So he quit the bank.

SPEAKER_10 3:12

He was born in Waterville. Was there any ties to his birthplace after the fact?

SPEAKER_12 3:17

Well, yes. Well, he left Waterville in six years old. His father had a nursery, he uh grew trees, fruit trees, and roses. And once he went to Rochester, that was his home. But in the late 1920s, he heard that Waterville was building a new school, so he donated $50,000 for a new auditorium, and that there'd be a plaque dedicated to his parents. That's why uh today you go into Waterville and you look on the old school building, you'll see Eastman over the door.

SPEAKER_10 3:43

Now, do you know how the Eastmans first came to Waterville?

SPEAKER_12 3:46

They're farmers, Maria and uh his father, George Washington Eastman, and uh they settled in the village of Waterville. So he always had the love of plants and farming. His estate is covered with uh greenhouses. He has a conservatorium, and it's all in Rochester. And if you ever have a chance to go to the museum, it's well worth the trip. He loved music. Uh he had one of the largest private organs in the country. It was like a thousand pipes.

SPEAKER_10 4:10

Now, are there lots of photographs?

SPEAKER_12 4:12

Oh, there's tons of photographs. Oh, yes. That's one thing I love about George Eastman. It was easy to find a lot of photographs documenting his life. Yeah, and he had a lot of contemporaries that he knew, like he knew Ford, he knew Dettison. Of course, he had a partnership because all the motion picture cameras that he invented use Kodak Film.

SPEAKER_10 4:31

And where is Kodak today?

SPEAKER_12 4:33

Kodak filed bankruptcy in 2011. In 1976, it was worth billions, and then uh it was nothing. The irony is that they invented the digital camera. And then when the guy, 75 in the research development, said, Well, okay, we got this digital camera, it doesn't use film. Everybody says, bury that, because they were selling billions of dollars worth of film, and you made 80 cents on every dollar film. So it was very profitable.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Attention, listeners, your Mohawk Valley time travel experiment is about to commence. Stand by as we recalibrate the decades.

SPEAKER_15 5:21

Welcome to Cooperstown, June 12th, 1939. The air is buzzing, cars line the roads for miles, trains have been arriving all morning, and an estimated 20,000 people have poured into this small town. Why? Because today, baseball becomes history. Straight ahead, crowds are gathering outside a brand new building, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, officially opening its doors for the very first time. This isn't just a ceremony, it's a pilgrimage. And look who's here. There's Babe Ruth, larger than life, smiling for the cameras. Over there, Mel Ott and Hank Greenberg are shaking hands with fans. And yes, that's Dizzy Dean cracking jokes as flashbulbs pop. It feels like every hero of the game has come back to where it all began, and in a way they have. This is baseball's centennial celebration, 100 years since the game was said to be born right here in Cooperstown. Even Major League Baseball has paused. Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis ordered that no games be played anywhere in the country today. All eyes, all attention are right here. Later there'll be an exhibition game. Cheers will echo across the fields. But right now, in this moment, you can feel something bigger. A game becoming legend, a town becoming sacred ground, and a story, America's story, being written into history. Cooperstown, June 12th, 1939. Well, now it's time to get back to the future.

SPEAKER_10 7:20

After the break, Maggie's Minute and our curious shopkeeper, Joanne Rosselli of Paddywax in Clinton. Hear some music from local favorite singer-songwriter Mark Wurchowski presented by Big Apple Music in New Hartford.

SPEAKER_06 7:48

Let's put down just around the corner. Loyalty is something you can't tell. Not something that's definitely wishing well. Look at the clock, the time is now. Tomorrow's no problem. Anyhow, take care of your friends.

SPEAKER_14 8:32

From the arts and education to community development and human services, we're proud to contribute to the hearts of our community. We're proud to support the place we call home.

SPEAKER_15 8:43

Bank with Utica. Big Apple Music in New Hartford has served Central New York and the best musicians since 1979. Guitars, amps, drums, sound systems, digital pianos, and school instruments. And providing sales, rentals, repairs, and musical instrument private lessons. Got an instrument that needs a little love? Let Big Apple Music repair it for you. Check us out for Sound System installs and repairs. The best brands for the best bands. Shop local, shop smart, shop Big Apple Music in New Hartford. Loving people for over 46 years. Check us out on Facebook and our website.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Since 1917, NGMs Flooring America has delivered quality floors and expert installations.

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Investing for retirement, college, thinking about your legacy. We've spent most of our adult lives giving you straightforward answers for your financial decisions.

SPEAKER_13 9:55

We pride ourselves on being local, prudent, and trustworthy for you. Van Meter and Van Meter, with three offices to serve your financial future.

SPEAKER_10 10:11

So you want to add some native plants to your yard to attract some pollinators. Maggie Riley in New York Mills gives us some advice on the first step.

SPEAKER_17 10:22

Hi Maggie, how are you? Hi Sherry. Doing really good. We've got so many plants blooming. It is June. It is June, my favorite month of the year, I have to say.

SPEAKER_10 10:34

We're gonna talk a little bit today about if we're gonna plant something in our yard. One of the things we need to know about is the soil.

SPEAKER_17 10:41

Soil is something that people kind of forget about, but it is extremely important to know what kind of soil you have. We in this area have a lot of alkaline soil, we have limestone. Some of us live in suburban areas and urban areas where we don't have the native soil because we know it was either stripped or they brought fill in. If you have native soil and you can, you know, look back, see what's happened in your area. You can plant your native plants right in that soil. Well, how would I know what my soil is? Is there a way to find out what my soil is? Sure. There are some things you can do yourself, you know, to see if you have clay, if it's wet and you hold it in your hand and make a fist, it's gonna stay that shape. But you can have your soil tested. You can go to Cornell Cooperative Extension, they have little kits, you pick up your soil, you know, in different areas of your yard, give it back to them, and they will tell you exactly the type of soil, and they can give you lots of info.

SPEAKER_10 11:41

So if I find out I have clay soil or alkaline soil, what do I do if I want to plant something that doesn't like that?

SPEAKER_17 11:47

Or I tell people I do compost myself here, and I do like to add some nitrogen and fix up my soil because I do live in suburbia. I don't have native soil. So once in a while I will throw a handful of compost when I'm planting stuff, or you know, if something doesn't look quite great, I'll throw compost. But the one thing I want to warn people of is pick the plant for the condition, don't change the condition that you have. So if you have a wet area and you're like, I'm gonna fill this in, I don't want to plant in a wet area, there are some beautiful native plants that thrive in wet areas. Just like if you have rocky, gravelly soil, there are a lot of plants that don't like rich soil. You know, we gotta pick our plants for the right place and not change the condition. And there are so many plants that you have lots of choices.

SPEAKER_10 12:42

Well, speaking of many plants, I see all over the place columbine. Tell us a little bit about the happy columbine here.

SPEAKER_17 12:50

We have the wild columbine, which is Agualegia canadensis. It's a red and yellow columbine. The hummingbirds love it, long-tongued insects love it. And when I planted it in this really nice garden with good soil that had an outline of rocks and had gravels in front of it, the plant, as I say, jumped out of the bed and seated itself in the gravel. I'm like, what is wrong with this plant? Why can't I grow it in the bed I would like it in? Because it doesn't like rich soil, it loves gravelly stone. And this native columbine can grow in shade, part shade, full sun. It's a long bloomer, and it is seeding itself everywhere in the cracks of my walkways and all over the sides of the beds. But it's not something that you have to worry about spreading. Oh no, actually, I love it. I love seeing wherever it pops up, and I'm just gonna take the seeds this year and just throw them around and see where they come up.

SPEAKER_10 13:58

To learn more about native planting, visit our website along the mohawkradio.com. One of my favorite places to pop in is Pattywax and Clinton. It's a great one and done place to grab a thoughtful gift that can be wrapped and ready to go in no time. But you don't need an excuse to browse and get lost in the fun of Pattiwax. Hi Joanne, how are you? Hi, Sherry. Pattywax has been in Clinton for a long time. How when did it first open?

SPEAKER_16 14:28

Uh, 35 years ago, believe it or not. I was quietly involved for 10 years, and then after 10, I bought the business from my friend Felicity, and I've owned it for 25. I loved the name, so of course I would not change it. I really don't know the story behind it. It was a former boyfriend of hers, Englishman, that came up with the name. It has evolved. In the beginning, it was a little more European, and then as we went along, we picked up a few more necessities, but kept the whimsical feel to it. Well, speaking of whimsy, how would you describe this store? Um, a little magical. I think it's non-serious, entertaining. I don't know. I feel like it brightens your day just to browse around the store. Definitely.

SPEAKER_10 15:25

I mean, there are things for children here, but it almost feels like a toy store for adults.

SPEAKER_16 15:30

Exactly. And part of that is is me when I am searching for new items or old items. I if I see something that reminds me of my childhood, I'll go a little further. And if it fits with the store and tells my story. So you have a Peter Pan complex.

SPEAKER_10 15:51

I like Peter Pan, but I'm thinking more Tinkerbell. One of the things that is a draw for me personally, and a lot of people I know, is your cards. Thanks.

SPEAKER_16 16:00

The cards. In the beginning, we had a few large companies and did semi-standard cards and did well. Those companies then grew and wouldn't supply to the smaller venues. So we had to go out and seek other sources. I love my cards. I pick every single one, and they're all small companies. They could have a 15-card line, a 12-card line, individual artists, but I think it shows in the selection. Joanne, give me a little overview of the range of products you have here. Well, you can find anything from beautiful candles, a little bit of food items, cards, of course, a little jewelry, soaps, toys. A lot of I don't want to say gag gifts, and I don't want to party favors in a way. I think that's really how we started making our own items. Some of the paper products are housemade. We'd have customers asking us to make a few party favors for an event, and we enjoyed it enough that we said, well, let's continue and make a few more for the store, and it kind of grew from there.

SPEAKER_10 17:16

Not to encourage procrastination, but if you're heading someplace and you need a gift, you can find it here.

SPEAKER_16 17:23

I think so. I hope so. That pleases me, but I am all for the person that wanders in and just spends ten minutes enjoying themselves looking at all the different items and put a smile on their face and off they go. I think, you know, 35 years of friends coming to the store. And as you said, if it's a last minute item, stop in. I think you would find something that you not necessarily need, but that you want.

SPEAKER_10 17:54

How many years you got before you retire?

SPEAKER_16 17:57

That's the question of the hour. I remember when I got involved, I said I'll let my kids run through school, and then it was through college, then it's through marriage, and now I'm a grandmother. I don't know. I have to hit a milestone at some point.

SPEAKER_10 18:12

Well, it is a happy place. A happy place to be.

SPEAKER_16 18:15

Yes, yes. And I do enjoy just coming in and working on a project and greeting friends and new friends. Well, thank you very much. Thank you, Sherry.

SPEAKER_10 18:29

Pattywax is located on West Park Row in Clinton. Pop in and say hi to Joanne. After the break, chapter 13 of Annie and the Loomis Gang, an MV Soundscape with Matt Perry. Here is more music from Mark Wurchowski.

SPEAKER_06 18:47

No goodbyes for the rest of us. Best friend both and your mother said you would go. Melanie, we've gone. Let's do the town grandpa. We got a town drill, let's go. Well, graduate and let's do it in the top bucket of the mind with the tail with the back.

SPEAKER_14 20:09

From the arts and education to community development and human services, we're proud to contribute to the hearts of our community. We're proud to support the place we call home. Bank with Utica.

SPEAKER_15 20:24

Big Apple Music in New Hartford has served Central New York and the best musicians since 1979. Guitars, amps, drums, sound systems, digital pianos, and school instruments, and providing sales, rentals, repairs, and musical instrument private lessons. Got an instrument that needs a little love? Let Big Apple Music repair it for you. Check us out for sound system installs and repairs. The best brands for the best bands. Shop local, shop smart, shop Big Apple Music in New Hartford. Loving people for over 46 years. Check us out on Facebook and our website.

SPEAKER_13 20:57

You work hard here in the Mohawk Valley. You make a difference. You leave your mark. You deserve a financial advisor who works hard to make a difference for your future.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Investing for retirement, college, thinking about your legacy. We have spent most of our adult lives giving you straightforward answers for your financial decisions.

SPEAKER_13 21:17

We pride ourselves on being local, prudent, and trustworthy for you. Van Meter and Van Meter, with three offices to serve your financial future.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Previously on Annie and the Loomis gang, Annie turns to Jedediah for answers about the coming hops harvest, hoping it will earn enough to pay the claim Washington Loomis holds against the farm. But Jedediah doubts Loomis will ever be satisfied and urges Annie to focus on the work before her and her studies. His words offer some comfort until Annie makes a startling discovery a hidden box buried beneath the barn floor. Chapter 13 The O'Connor. Name.

SPEAKER_10 22:02

Annie lifts the box up from beneath the barn floor and opens the lid. Strange.

SPEAKER_08 22:09

What is this is money? A lot of money. That that's not possible. Uncle Shay? This doesn't make sense. What is this? Something's under it. Metal plates? Engraved backward? Letters cut deep? These are printing plates! So the rumors are true. Uncle Seamus, he was counterfeiting.

SPEAKER_10 22:31

Annie lowers the lid, returns the box to its hiding place beneath the floor, and replaces the board above it. Shaken by what she has found, she leaves the barn and walks toward the far fence line. William is there, setting posts while Hunter grazes in the pasture nearby.

SPEAKER_07 22:50

This post won't hold through winter.

SPEAKER_08 22:52

Then it's already lying to us.

SPEAKER_07 22:54

Everything out here does, eventually.

SPEAKER_08 22:57

People in town aren't helping either. They've been talking about my uncle again.

SPEAKER_07 23:01

What kind of talking?

SPEAKER_08 23:03

The same things, always the same things.

SPEAKER_07 23:06

Rumors don't change much?

SPEAKER_08 23:07

It's not just rumors anymore.

SPEAKER_07 23:10

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_08 23:11

I think there may be truth to it.

SPEAKER_07 23:14

Truth to what?

SPEAKER_08 23:15

That he was involved in bad business.

SPEAKER_07 23:17

Annie.

SPEAKER_08 23:18

I've seen enough to think it might be true. He's been gone too long for all of it to be nothing.

SPEAKER_07 23:23

And what are you planning to do with that belief?

SPEAKER_08 23:26

I don't know yet. Maybe I have to tell someone. The court, the sheriff, I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 23:31

Be careful with things you can't undo.

SPEAKER_08 23:34

I can't just ignore it.

SPEAKER_07 23:36

No, I suppose you can't.

SPEAKER_10 23:38

William sets down the post mall and turns to listen to Annie, who is now sitting on the fence.

SPEAKER_09 23:45

I think my uncle was counterfeiting. What becomes of the O'Connor name if it's true?

SPEAKER_07 23:50

The O'Connor name?

SPEAKER_09 23:51

My grandfather spent his life building it. People trusted him. They trusted Uncle Seamus. If this is true, what are folks meant to think of us?

SPEAKER_07 24:00

Annie, do you remember what you told me when I first came here? You told me a person ought to be judged by what they do, not by the name they're born with. Most folks saw my name Loomis and stopped there. You didn't. You gave me hope that somebody might look past the name and see the man carrying it.

SPEAKER_09 24:17

Perhaps I've been thinking too much about names.

SPEAKER_07 24:22

Jedediah said a name doesn't change the path beneath your feet. He carries the name Marsh and Ganyade.

SPEAKER_09 24:28

Ganyate.

SPEAKER_07 24:30

That thing he wears around his neck looks like a little flute, a fife?

SPEAKER_08 24:34

Yes, I've seen it all my life. It's a turtle. Ganyate. His clan. He carved it from bone. His granddaughter wears one too. I think all his family does.

SPEAKER_07 24:44

Funny thing.

SPEAKER_08 24:46

What's funny?

SPEAKER_07 24:47

Carrying your name like that. Funny. Seems everybody carries something.

SPEAKER_10 24:52

William heads over to the paddock fence and retrieves his haversack.

SPEAKER_07 24:56

I've got something I want to show you.

SPEAKER_10 24:59

He removes a small item wrapped in cloth.

SPEAKER_07 25:02

I carry something of my family too. Not Loomis, my mother's side.

SPEAKER_10 25:06

He hands it to Annie and she gently unwraps it. A tin soldier?

SPEAKER_07 25:12

It was my grandfather's. He fought in the last war with Britain.

SPEAKER_08 25:16

And your mother gave it to you?

SPEAKER_07 25:18

I think. I was very young when she died. Memory gets mixed.

SPEAKER_08 25:23

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_10 25:24

May I ask what happened?

SPEAKER_07 25:26

That depends who's asking.

SPEAKER_10 25:28

William lowers himself to the ground near Annie's feet and begins pulling at the grass. Hunter is drawn toward him and grazes his way closer.

SPEAKER_07 25:37

She was living at the Loomis home. I was told my grandmother Rhoda didn't think she strengthened the Loomis name, that she didn't belong. One of the men was cleaning a gun and it went off. Accident, they said. That's what I was told. I don't remember. I was very young.

SPEAKER_09 25:53

That's a heavy weight to carry.

SPEAKER_07 25:55

Yes, and if you can't carry it, the Loomis house doesn't keep you.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Next week, Chapter 14.

SPEAKER_11 26:12

This is Mohawk Valley Soundscape for June 14, 2026. In June, healthy upland forests across the region come alive with bird song. Among the finest singers is the rose-breasted Grossbeak. A member of the Cardinal family, the male in breeding plumage is unmistakable. His head and back are black, his underparts bright white, and a vivid rose-red bib splashes across his chest. His thick, powerful bill is well suited for seed cracking. The Grossbeak's song is often compared to that of the American Robin, but richer and more tuneful. Its flowing, tremulous whistles have led birders to describe it as a robin that has taken voice lessons. Its warning call note, a sharp metallic squeak resembling bicycle brakes, often reveals the bird before it is seen. Female rose-breasted grossbeaks look entirely different. Brown and heavily streaked with a bold pale eyebrow, they resemble oversized sparrows. Their subdued coloration helps conceal them while on the nest incubating eggs. Grossbeaks typically nest in the middle levels of forests and woodland edges. Their nests are surprisingly flimsy, sometimes so loosely woven that eggs can be seen through the bottom. During summer, they feed heavily on insects, but also eat seeds, fruit, and berries, and readily visit bird feeders for sunflower seeds. They spend the winter from southern Mexico into central and northern South America, returning each spring to northeastern forests and filling June mornings with some of the most melodious bird song in the forest.