JULY
9 2021
Genesee River waterfront planning meetings this month
1 Photos by Kathryn Ross
2
1.Displaying an old oil can used to collect maple syrup, Jessie and Dan Davidson explain how locally sourced products are part of the area’s oil history at the new Oilmen’s Mercantile at the Pioneer Oil Museum in Bolivar. 2.Items in the Pioneer Oil Museum explain where oil comes from and how it is produced.
Pioneer Oil Museum in Bolivar gets new lease on life BY KATHRYN ROSS BOLIVAR — The Pioneer Oil Museum on Main Street has been given a new lease on life as it expands its mission to preserve the area’s oil history. The oil museum has been operating since 1965 and throughout the years has strived to give an accurate and detailed history of the development of the oil industry that so enriched this part of New York state. The museum has a wide and varied collection of items taken from the oil fields and placed on display and maintains a wealth of information about the development of the industry. One can see everything
from old oil cans to the wagons used to transport nitroglycerin to shoot wells, all the nuts and bolts that made the oil industry king not only in Bolivar, but also in communities across Allegany and Cattaraugus counties. For the last four years, Daniel Davidson Jr. has headed up the small cadre of volunteers who keep the museum up to date and open to the public. But with the onset of COVID-19 and with a dwindling number of volunteers, he said there has been trouble keeping the museum open. Now, since Memorial Day, the museum is open most every day of the week because part of it has been leased
out as a store, the Oilmen’s Mercantile, which supplies everything the oil producer or visitor might need. “This is the second- or third-oldest building in the village and it was used to supply the oil manufacturer with the tools they needed,” Davidson said. “We were finding it hard to keep the museum open with our limited number of volunteers, so we decided to lease it out.” The museum board leased the building to Jessie Davidson and now the building is open six days a week. While Jessie Davidson says, “We’re here to still supply the needs of the oil men,” in reality she does more than
supply nuts and bolts. Under her hand, the store offers a variety of locally sourced products such as honey, maple syrup, cheese and beef products including steaks and burgers. There is also a wide variety of gluten-free and allergy-free snacks and mixes for cake, brownies and more. “We’re the only place around where you can get such a large variety of glutenfree products,” she said, adding that many people have tried the cake and brownie mixes and come back for more. Daniel Davidson said the
Pioneer Oil continued ........... page 7
BELMONT — Seven public meetings have been scheduled for the Southern Genesee River Local Waterfront Revitalization Program in July, organizers said. The LWRP is a locally prepared, comprehensive land and water use plan for a community’s natural, public and working waterfront. The village of Wellsville has received funding from the New York State Department of State to complete the plan with the 10 participating waterfront communities, which include: the towns of Hume, Caneadea, Belfast, Angelica, Amity, Scio, Wellsville, and Willing; and the Villages of Belmont and Wellsville. These meetings will give the public the opportunity to learn about the status of the planning process and to give input on the future of the waterfront communities. July 13 4-5:30 p.m., Willing Town Offices, 1431 S. Hill Road 6:30-8 p.m., Wellsville High School, 126 W. State St. July 14 4-5:30 p.m., Scio Community Center, 4355 County Road 10 6:30-8 p.m., Genesee Valley Central School, 1 Jaguar Drive, Belmont July 20 4-5:30 p.m., Angelica Grange Hall, 49 Park Circle 6:30-8 p.m., Belfast Bingo Hall July 21 4-5:30 p.m., Park Pavilion, 24 S. Genesee St., Fillmore The LWRP will help Genesee River communities plan to preserve natural resources, foster private investment and position them to become a premier
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attraction. More specifically, the LWRP will help the communities address critical issues such as flood control and prevention, erosion mitigation, economic revitalization and tourism, natural resource and habitat protection, public access to the waterfront, recreational trails and agricultural preservation. Adoption of an approved LWRP positions these communities for funding from New York state to implement projects developed during the LWRP process. During the LWRP Road Show meetings, attendees will be given the opportunity to review the waterfront plan boundary and to learn more about the program and its potential to spur economic development and tourism while protecting the area’s natural resources. The participants will also be asked how they think their waterfront should be improved. A project website is also available at http://inga l ls pla n n i n g.mysoc ia lpi np oi nt.com /sout her ngenesee-river-lwrp. The project website includes details about the LWRP process, important dates, and a collaborative map where visitors can provide feedback on issues, opportunities, and assets within the approximate project boundary. Development of the draft LWRP is being guided by a Project Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC consists of representatives of the communities, Allegany County, Jones Memorial Hospital, Genesee River Wilds, and other local stakeholders. Funding for the LWRP development is provided by the NYS Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund.
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