Editha Lois Button was the only child born to Nelson Lord Button Jr. and Alice Maude Goodger. She once described her father as “a playboy, a very precious boy, a handsome father, brought up to be a gentleman. Grandpa [Nelson Sr.] would never let him soil his hands….” Editha was similarly pampered. For many years, […]
After Thoughts by Jim DeVinney
Recalling Corn Hill's Illustrious Past
Before he retired, Corn Hill Historian Jim DeVinney produced many award-winning shows for PBS. He earned his first Emmy for an adaption of the Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities. He won two more Emmys as writer of shows for the highly acclaimed documentary series Eyes on the Prize, which chronicled the history of the Civil Rights Movement; one of his shows in this series was also nominated for an Academy Award. After that, Jim went on to produce more historical documentaries for the PBS series American Experience earning another Emmy as part of the writing team for “The Kennedys.” His American Experience program, “The Wizard of Photography,” describes how George Eastman built the Kodak Empire. It can still be viewed in one of the galleries at the George Eastman Museum. Jim has been Corn Hill's historian since 2014.
The Button House, part 2: Witchcraft and Fire
October 1, 2018 by
In September 1628, Matthias Button arrived from England at Salem, Massachusetts. Within five years, he moved to Boston and is listed among that city’s earliest settlers. It was a difficult life as sickness claimed several children and Button’s first three wives. The third wife reportedly died of “fright and exposure” after John Godfrey, a Mathias […]
The Button House, part 1: Origins
September 1, 2018 by
After moving into Corn Hill four years ago, I sometimes took evening walks through the neighborhood. I often ran into the late Janet Mlinar, patrolling the streets with her trusty camera. Two years ago we took note of the house at 97 Tremont Street. It was for sale and Janet seemed eager to learn more […]
William Kimball
September 1, 2017 by
Henry Suggett opened his tobacco shop on East Main Street in 1846. In 1864, he welcomed William Kimball as a partner and the company became known as Suggett & Kimball. In September 1867, Suggett retired from the business and passed his share to his partner. Then, on October 30, Kimball transferred both business and property […]
Josiah Bissell Jr.
October 1, 2015 by
Nathaniel Rochester, William Fitzhugh and Charles Carroll, the trio who famously purchased the One Hundred Acre Tract of land that grew into the city of Rochester, were Southerners from Hagerstown, Maryland. As such they were an anomaly. For the most part, the earliest settlers in Western New York came from New England, bringing with them […]
