Even though there were a few cars parked outside the visitor’s center, the place was rather creepy. The wind was incredibly torrential that day, and the air biting cold. There was no human activity at all. Everything was stone cold and still except that monstrous wind! Still, we braved the fierce winds that nearly blew the camera out of my hands, and reached the summit.

Hill Cumorah is a drumlin, a humpbacked whale-shaped little hill supposedly created by ancient glaciers. Some postulate that drumlins were formed by catastrophic flood waters releasing currents of water under great pressure by glacial ice. They are so notable because they seem to pop up out of nowhere, up from a flatter area of land.

An engraving of Hill Cumorah from the book "Historical Collections of the State of New York (1841)" by John Barber and Henry Howe

I had been here decades ago, as a young person, to see the historic Easter pageant held every year on the hill. I remember the experience well. We’d arrived early; my brothers and I ambled up the rocky walls and steep hill, exploring the site before twilight settled. As dusk approached, more visitors arrived and we returned to where the family was sitting on the lawn. As darkness fell, the colorful lights and bombastic music of the pageant began. It lasted several hours.

This is the site where Joseph Smith claimed to have received the golden plates from the angel Moroni. After Smith transcribed the plates into the Book of Mormon, Moroni instructed Smith to bury the plates. Later attempts were made to discover them… but NO ONE knows where the gold plates have gone…..

The top of the hill is like a park, with numerous monuments and engravings. Besides the unusually shiny Moroni on a pillar, there are plaques detailing the Joseph Smith accounts. I say “accounts” because after a few years, Mr. Smith was inconsistent with his stories. My daughter read a few excellent books about Mormonism a few weeks before we visited Palmyra, oddly enough. If you’d like a little insight into the Mormon story and biography and character of Joseph Smith, she recommends them: “Reasoning from the Scriptures” by Ron Rhodes; “The Mormon Mirage” by Latayne C Scott; “Out of Mormonism” by Judy Roberts.

Can you see how violently the trees are bending? It was so windy I almost lost my camera!

The incline is quite steep, but very invigorating. We walked across the summit, following the concrete pathway around the hill.

My parents never decided to join the Mormon Church. My stepdad believed it to be somewhat ridiculous, riddled with errors and conflicting testimonies from Smith himself, and full of silly folk magic that plagued many of the paganistic settlers of the Upstate New York wilderness. During the 1800s, New York and New England were a “hotbed” of mystical fervor, sprouting excitements such as the Oneida Community (another polygamous commune), the Cardiff Giant, Christian Science, and etc. I think many of the religious movements sprang up from a great dissatisfaction from the dead religions found in conventional Christian churches. It’s such a shame that the Christian churches has strayed so far away from Biblical doctrine that they had nothing to offer people anymore.

After we wandered the site for a time, we decided to leave. I still can’t get over the ferocity of the wind!

Hill Cumorah, Palmyra, NY

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As I snapped a few photos, a woman appeared at the visitor’s center. I was surprised to see anyone there! She asked me if I wanted to see inside the cabin. I said “OK,” and two young ladies introduced themselves and escorted me in.

The first thing I noticed was how snug the cabin was from the terrible gusts of wind outdoors. These old cabins may look rickety, but they are actually surprisingly warm and draftless.

The cabin was obviously decorated to imitate a typical family dwelling in the early 1800s. The young ladies narrated the story of Joseph Smith while I snapped photos.

According to the various accounts, young Joseph (Joseph, Jr., as he was named after his father) was about 14 years old (but later Joseph claimed in various accounts he was 15, or 16, or 17, or perhaps 18) when he wandered out into the “Sacred Grove”– the woods behind the cabin. He’d been laboring over what denomination was the “true church” when he claims he saw a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith, Jr., (1805-1844) was born into religious controversy. The religious views of his parents differed as much as those of his grandparents and great-grandparents. Quite a few of his family members had aligned themselves with such systems of thought as Seekerism, universalism, and orthodoxy with a mixture of folk magic, and Indian superstitions. The Smith family was but an illustration of the deep religious divide taking place in America. While mainstream Christian denominations quarreled with and suspected one another, skepticism and radical departures from Biblical Christianity grew at an astonishing rate. This period in America’s history saw the quick rise of unitarianism, universalism, and a number of other similar religious “rationalist” movements. The Church of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (formerly known as “Bible Students”) and Seventh-Day Adventists also find their origin in this point in time. When the Smith family moved to this farm in Palmyra, New York, — a time when spiritual fervor was on the rise with the advent of the Second Great Awakening — the religious controversy that divided the family and the American people, was about to reach its climax in Joseph Smith.

Smith later claimed that an angel named Moroni appeared to him in 1823, had him transcribe and then bury some golden plates (which have never been recovered) and start up a new church, the Mormon Church, named after the Book of Mormon.

Smith’s new “church” was extremely controversial and contained a blend of the Christian doctrines and folk magic with which he grew up. He attempted to convert some of the local people, but was driven out of various towns for “corrupting public morals” with his practices of divination (deciphering pebbles in a hat) and polygamy (which was a very common mark of the other wayward religions that sprang up during this time period, such as another polygamous mystery religious community, the Oneida Community founded by John Humphrey Noyes). The polygamy charge is uncertain, as both Smith and his wife Emma denied any polygamous relationships, but some records show that Smith had married four other women. After Smith’s death, Mormon leaders incorporated polygamy as a Mormon doctrine until 1890, when it was repealed under pressure by the U.S. Congress.

Smith and his followers fled to Ohio and continued westward. Smith died in Indiana while in jail for treason.

Near the log cabin is a very large building– a “temple.” The place was totally devoid of any people. The wind blew fiercely and the place was very creepy.

I snapped my photos, said thank you to the ladies, and we left for the Hill Cumorah site. I’d visited Hill Cumorah when I was about 13 years old. We attended the Easter pageant there. My parents were seeking God, and considered joining the Mormon Church at that time. I’ll have more on that story to come.

The Joseph Smith Historic Site, Palmyra, NY

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Did you know that the circular saw was invented by a woman? Tabitha Babbitt, in 1812. The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochran. Kevlar- the material used for life-saving bullet-proof vests was invented by Stephanie Kwolek in 1966. Isa Forbes invented the electric hot water heaer in 1917. Anna Anna Connelly invented the fire escape in 1887. And Ruth Wakefield invented chocolate-chip cookies in 1930. (Source: FactMonster)

Not to mention, a woman invented a blog about New York Travel.

As a history buff, I find it very fitting that the National Women’s Hall of Fame is in Seneca Falls, NY. Seneca Falls was the birthplace of the women’s rights movement. According to Fame inductee and suffragist Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis (Susan B. Anthony gave the eulogy at Davis’ funeral, by the way), the women’s rights movement (as well as the abolition movement) was the direct result of the stunning wave of religious revivals in Upstate New York. Charles Grandison Finney, a lawyer from Adams, NY, was converted to Christianity and began a blitz of revivals named the “Second Great Awakening” that converted hundreds of thousands of people throughout Central New York. As a matter of fact, Central New York from Utica to Rochester was nicknamed the “Burned Over District” because people closed bars and gambling places, attended churches, cleaned up their lives, and became honest businessmen and women.

Charles Finney permitted women to pray in public in mixed-gender prayer meetings, a scandalous move at the time. He was extremely outspoken in his support for women’s human rights, for the abolition of slavery and for the removal of bars and other places where men got drunk. Finney was president of Oberlin College in Ohio, the first American college to allow women to learn alongside blacks and men. One of the ladies who attended Oberlin College, Antoinette Blackwell, who became the first woman minister of a recognized denomination and led a pastorate for a Congregational Church in Wayne County, NY.

With Upstate New York ripe for change, the first Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls. Lucretia Mott, that famous Quaker women known for her amazing speaking abilities, joined with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others to petition and organize the women’s rights movement.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame is on 76 Fall Street. It’s a tall, narrow building, almost inconspicuous.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame was started in 1969, to honor American women for exceptional achievements throughout history: “to honor in perpetuity those women, citizens of the United States of America, whose contributions to the arts, athletics, business, education, government, the humanities, philanthropy and science, have been the greatest value for the development of their country.”

When you first walk in, you see a bell. It’s the original bell from the old Seneca Falls Knitting Mill, off the Erie Canal.

The lady who greeted us as we entered, Christine, informed us that the organization had purchased the knitting mill and plan to relocate the Hall of Fame to the knitting mill in the near future. The knitting mill, a short walk from the current Hall’s location, employed many of the Seneca Falls women who fought for equality. We walked down the street to see the mill. It is definitely larger and will be able to contain larger displays.

Doesn’t it look like a scene from a Currier and Ives painting?

Back to the Hall of Fame. We meandered the narrow halls, checking out the displays of the inductees. There are hundreds of inductees. Most ladies I knew or had heard of. However, there are some ladies missing, women who I believe should be on the walls (such as Phyllis Schlafly and Shirley Temple Black).

There were very few displays in the building, just a few here and there. I liked this one, filled with Votes for Women paraphernalia.

It’s nice to know that the National Women’s Hall of Fame is growing. They do take submissions for inductees! You can nominate a woman through the online nomination form at their website. Additionally, you can pay $100 to nominate a women (such as a mother or sister) to be included in the Hall’s Memorial and Tribute section.

I look forward to seeing the new location with new displays at the Knitting Mill. I’ll definitely be back for that!

National Women’s Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls, NY

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Hot off the presses and just in time for the busy migration season, the Wayne County Office of Tourism is now offering a comprehensive guide to assist professional and amateur birders find the songsters. The nine page guide book easily fits in your pocket or camera bag, and features 10 “Best Bird Locations” in Wayne County.

The back page is a map which easily directs you to each location. Some areas are directly in the Atlantic Flyway, while others are in the deep woods, where the elusive Veery Thrush hides. Bird watching is the number one hobby for outdoor lovers, and with this exciting and informative guide, you can now locate hundreds of birds in Wayne County.

The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is HUGE, and it’s probably the closest thing to an American “safari” if there ever is one. The guide is free. The Refuge is a MUST SEE! For your free guide contact the Wayne County Office of Tourism at 800-527-6510, or email tourism@co.wayne.ny.us.

Birding, Big Time

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Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex– a huge marshland of 50,000 acres in Seneca, Cayuga, and Wayne counties in Upstate New York. It’s designated as “one of the best examples of undisturbed swamp woodlands in New York or New England.” This area is an important stopping point for North Amerian migratory birds and local waterfowl. The NYS Thruway slices right through it, so although I have never visited the park itself, I’ve been there. We’ve seen enormous blue herons swooping down between the tall cattails, and stunning bald eagles perched atop scraggly trees as they watch the cars zip by.

Observers on the drive have recently seen a horned grebe, yellow-headed blackbird, Eurasian widgeon, glossy ibis, and whimbrel. Some 100,000 Canada geese and 15,000 snow geese congregate on the Main Pool during spring migration and 100,000 mallards and 25,000 black ducks are present in the fall. Montezuma’s location within the Atlantic Flyway and the attraction of the Finger Lakes region of New York bring in large numbers of waterfowl during both fall and spring. Numbers dwindle after the pool freezes over at the end of November.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is a jackpot for bird watchers and nature lovers. The marshlands have extensive trails and offer all sorts of activities. We once drove to the area, but had no map and got hopelessly lost, lol. Be sure to call for directions if you go! And bring lots of bug spray, camera batteries (the scenery is gorgeous) and waterproof trousers– it IS a swamp, after all. You can also canoe, kayak, hike the 3.5 mile trail, and visit the visitor’s center. Observation towers and an osprey webcam are available for gawkers. Wow! We really want to visit.

Bird life is abundant. I have several kids who are “into” birds, so this is a real treat:

Cerulean warblers are one of the over 220 species of birds known from the Island. Marsh hawks and bald eagles are seen seasonally. Second growth hardwoods are the most common habitat type and there’s interesting variety to this cover type, too. Kentucky coffee trees, a rare occurrence in NY, are found on Hickory Hill. The leaves of this member of the Pea Family, which are doubly-compound and contain about 70 leaflets, can be almost 3 feet in length. White-tailed deer, fox and beaver are common mammals. River otter have been seen occasionally. Deer, turkey and waterfowl are popular game animals.

A good site to learn more about the Refuge is here. It includes a history of the marsh, the development and near-destruction of the march during the construction of the Erie Canal, and the efforts made to have this designated and protected as a national natural landmark. The website says this is a great time to visit the Refuge, because the birds are on their migratory paths now.

Great Places: Montezuma Wildlife Refuge

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According to the Maritime Museum website, H. Lee White was:

…born in Oswego and remembered it fondly as he moved through a career rich in accomplishment. Graduated from both Hamilton College and Cornell University, he attained the rank of commander in the U.S. Navy and became a successful attorney in New York City. In 1953-54 he served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force in the Eisenhower administration, and later became head of two worldwide shipping companies.

This museum was established to preserve and promote the Oswego Harbor’s importance in our history, with an emphasis on ships, of course. The website says that the museum’s centerpiece is the USAT LT-5, that cute little tug that sat wantonly roped to the pier.

When we drew close, we saw that visitors were not allowed on. The ship was built for service during World War II; you can read more about the ship here.

Because we love Lake Ontario so much and found the air so refreshing, we puttered around the pier for a bit, taking in the Great Lake air. Glorious. Just look at that vast sky!

…and… hey! look at my youngest, trying to peep over the edge of the pier! GRRRR…

The museum looked small and drab on the outside, but inside it is two-storeys- packed full of interesting naval artifacts and history. I was struck by the enormous mural painted across one entire wall. It was painted by George Gray and depicts scenes from early American history here. The portrait of Pontiac is stunning. I was not allowed to use flash to snap a picture, but there are some ok-quality pictures here.

The artifacts were fascinating. We saw huge rings of chains, giant-sized spools of navy-grade rope, miniature model boats of all sorts, navigational instruments and widgets, navy stripes and badges galore, gorgeous Oswego-ish artwork, and all the little gadgets that accompany life on the lake for the last 300 years. There is even a big signal lamp–with shutters– the kind I saw in that old 1940′s Titanic movie, when the crew had desperately tried to flash Morse code to a nearby vessel.

Kids could try on uniforms, test out replica muskets, and wear the ubiquitous tricorn hat of yesteryear. Of course my kids loved it all.

My youngest, known for his penchant for finding little places, nearly flipped when he discovered a secret passageway! This facade of a jelly cabinet was a secret hiding place for travelers on the Underground Railroad.

The museum was put together well. Thumbs up from this crew!

After our excursion there, we decided to wander the city a little. Oswego has some very colorful murals alongside long buildings. The murals depict scenes of its history, or honor their brave.

Historically, there have been some very deadly house fires in the area, and I believe the idea of family life insurance sprang out of such tragedies. The murals depict those who served the community and some who lost their lives doing so.

We neared the grounds of Fort Ontario and walked down the railroad tracks. A small footpath led us down to the shore of the Lake.

Some rocks were discolored by amateur, uh, “artists” who couldn’t hold a candle to the murals on the streets.

The waves were beautiful. So wild and unpredictable but very elegant.

If you squint (or click to enlarge the photo, and squint), you can see the nuclear power plant stack in the background in the first photo, the lighthouse in the second photo, and the buildings of Fort Ontario in the third photo.

Back up to the grassy area, a more somber scene befell us. It was the graveyard of soldiers who had died while serving at Fort Ontario, dating back to the French and Indian War. A monument was erected for the “unknown soldier” there.

From here, we attempted to gain admission to Fort Ontario (something the kids had wanted to do for a while) but it was closed. Aw! I could only promise the kids that we would return as soon as possible. We actually did get to visit the lake once again, and the fort. Our visit to Fort Ontario is here, and our visit to the lake again during some blustery winter weather.

H. Lee White Marine Museum, Oswego, NY

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Fort Ontario sits on the southern side of Oswego, and hugs the shoreline of Lake Ontario. It’s a truly exquisite scene, with the sea of blue water at our feet and the sea of blue sky at our heads, and the green lawn glimmering below. We found a parking space and got out to explore the shoreline a little. Through a few small beaten paths, we could walk right down to the edge of the lake and explore the rocky craggs. The kids stuffed their pockets with the smooth, water-weathered rocks.

Oh, I could have stood there forever and watched the cool waves. Sailboats glided across the lake, and fishing trawler cranes dangled over the horizon. To the north, we could see the nuclear power plant stack.

(I once had someone from North Korea visit this blog post, searching for nuclear power plants in the United States. Can you believe it?!)

A small cemetery was nearby. Also of great interest was a large wooden cross, with a sign that read “In Hoc Signe Vincent.” It is similar to what Constantine saw before his great victory at the Milvian Bridge in AD 312.

After these things, we entered the fort. Fort Ontario has a very long history.

Since 1755 Fort Ontario has been rebuilt, regarrisoned, and changed hands several times. Immediately following the Civil War, Fort Ontario began a period of decreased activity and improvements and additions ceased. The fort found new life between 1903 and 1905 when the United States expanded the post as part of the army’s reorganization. By 1941 approximately 125 buildings stood at the site. Between 1944 and 1946 Fort Ontario was used as an emergency refugee center for victims of the Holocaust. In 1946 the fort was transferred to the State of New York.

Here’s a photo from Wikipedia, an aerial view of the fort:

We drew close and ventured in. There is an admission charge for entering.

Most of the buildings and grounds were set up for the Civil War period. There were an assortment of documents, uniforms, pictures, and some weaponry dating to this era. Very little referred to the Revolutionary days.

Inside most of the buildings were lots of primitive wooden tables and chairs, some Civil War-era papers and little else. Booooring.

One building was more interesting, as the ladies had lived in it and brightened the drab rooms with lively curtains and furnishings. Women do have a way of making a house nice.

I took a shot of a beautifully stenciled window blind. These are lovely, aren’t they? They must have required a ton of labor. Today, I am glad for my modern roller shades.

Here’s one of those hair wreaths I mentioned that I saw at the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie. What curious objects!

Behind one of the outbuildings, there was a narrow brick passageway that was fun to explore. If you look closely at an enlarged shot of this photo, you can see my son’s eyes glowing in the dark. The camera flash must have reflected off his retinas at the right angle. It looks so creepy!

After exploring the four outbuildings in the Fort, we thought we had finished our tour. Lo and behold, we discovered some doors in the ground. This newly found exploratory was the best part of our visit!

There was nothing down there except empty cavernous hallways and rooms. But my kids loved it. They had bought toy guns at the gift shop and found extreme fun running around and “shooting” enemies from the gun ports in the walls.

Soldiers had built these underground rooms during the Civil War days. The walls were made of very thick stone. Tiny stalactites were forming on the ceilings of some rooms. It was refreshingly cool down here. It must be heavenly here during the sweltering days of summer.

Back outside, I tried to soak as much as I could of the Lake again. Big berms surround the Fort. This makes for fantastic exploration– we ran up and down the berms and enjoyed the gorgeous views.

You could sit on the benches or the grass and just soak in the great big blue sky and drink up the great big blue water. It reminded me of that lovely hymn:

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

It was a wonderful visit. The fort, for all its thrilling history, took full advantage of its location by the lake. If you go, go on a sunny day and let the great big sky knock your socks off.

Fort Ontario in Oswego, NY

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Very few places are open during the winter, and the lighthouse museum is no exception. But we love the lake, and having seen it in the summer, we wanted to see it in the winter, too. We got the added benefit of experiencing lake effect snow firsthand, too (without having to wait for the snow to blow across the state to Central NY, where we live).

Sodus Point is in Wayne County, and the place has a lot of history. The town was formed in 1789. It is said that the name “Sodus” comes from an Indian word “gleam in the water.” I didn’t see too much gleam (due to the thick clouds and snowfall), but I did see an overwhelming multitude of apple orchards. I have never seen so many apple farms and orchards as I have in this location in New York State.

Sodus Point has a lovely, natural harbor, and became a central port in New York State for trading along the Lake. As it’s importance grew during the early 1800s, and as America and Britain were clashing over sea trade agreement, it is no surprise that Sodus Point became a target. The village of Sodus was burned and destroyed by the British in 1813, during the War of 1812. After the war, it was rebuilt again. Sodus Point is now a popular vacation resort.

The lighthouse on the premises was built in 1871. It replaced one that had been built in 1824. The lighthouse no longer functions as a lighthouse; it closed in 1901, and is now a museum.

The grounds are very nice, but sparse. There are benches. A worn path lead us to an ivy-covered arbor. Beyond the arbor is a stone with a plaque, commemorating the old lighthouse.

From here, we wandered to the lake. Great thick sheets ice covered the sandy beach. Waves crashed into the ice, producing sprays of icicles that sometimes went airborne. Our feet crunched on top of the ice. The edges of the ice looked like the baleen of whales. Underneath these “teeth,” the water rolled, causing the ice to emit crackling and groaning sounds. We dared not move too close to the edge of the ice.

The kids collected seashells (even in the snow!) and did their usual exploring. The snow was beginning to fall heavily. We decided to trudge our way back up the hill and drive around the lake edge.

Sodus is a little town. I think the population is about 1,000 or so. Many of the houses looked weary. Then again, it was winter and the clouds were thick and gray and overcast everything with their gloom. The falling snow made the scene cheerier.

This cute tree caught my eye. It’s a Christmas tree, fully decorated, hanging on a crane! Funny!

And this little red tugboat looked so perky, despite being beached for the winter.

This section of the lake (the marina) was frozen over. I wish I had been able to take a photo of what we saw next– people atop these little sailboat-like boats scouring the ice. The sails were white but the boat was bright yellow. There must have been skis or something like it. The wind was blowing and the skiffs were shooting across the ice very quickly. It looked like such fun! I was driving when we saw them and couldn’t take their picture. Sorry. It was so neat to see them!

We got a few pictures of the boats. They were covered with bright blue tarp, but looked sad underneath. I guess I’d be sad, too, if I had to sit out winter on the ice, waiting for spring to be free again.

We did see large areas of open water. Signs spelled it out for anyone who didn’t notice: “DANGER. Open water!” We saw people all over the ice. Some folks seemed to be out for a stroll on the lake; others were fishing.

Brrr. It’s looking blustery on the lake by now.

I don’t know if Lake Ontario freezes over during the winter. Anyone have any ideas? My kids say it doesn’t, because the lake is so active. This winter has so far been rather mild (with only a few days below zero so far), so this year’s weather may have changed the outlook. Does Lake Ontario freeze over?

The weather was turning more threatening, and the skies were growing dark, so our travel here had to end. We will return in the summer and explore this end of the lake a little more next time. Life by such a large and influential lake is so unique. An entire subculture grows around it, I’m sure. I’d love to visit during a fishing event or when cargo barges come in. I’ll bet there’d be a lot of action then!

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Sodus Lighthouse, Sodus Point, NY

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