My Grandmother with her Remington 22
at the Ilion Gun Club
July 1937
at the Ilion Gun Club
July 1937
I recently acquired this photo of my grandmother, Lil Brown, and was shocked but delighted to see her enjoying herself in such a way. I knew her mostly as a very peaceful religious woman who loved to sing Gospel songs and tend her flowers. She had a wonderful voice with a natural vibrato. Her voice rose above all the other voices of the congregation, but I loved listening to her most when sitting at her feet with my siblings and my cousins. One of her favorites was "In The Garden". I'll never forget the day she showed me the tiny black seeds of her Portulacas. I was only six years old at the time, and at that moment, I too became a lover of flowers. In this photo she is with her sister, Ida.
On the back is written "Mrs. Brown, Ilion Gun Club, Ilion, New York, July 1937".
Gramma, I searched all over tarnation and couldn't find hide nor hair of anyone who sings "In The Garden" better than you, so I offer you some Portulacas instead. You'll have to "settle" for Ry Cooder further on down the page.
Gramma, I searched all over tarnation and couldn't find hide nor hair of anyone who sings "In The Garden" better than you, so I offer you some Portulacas instead. You'll have to "settle" for Ry Cooder further on down the page.
The original Ilion Fish & Game Club was founded in 1907. The
club grounds were actually located in downtown Ilion until 1926/27 when they
bought the Avery farm located on Barringer Road (which was across from the 1808
Remington Stone House) using the old farm house as the clubhouse. The
original clubhouse burned down in the early 1930’s and the current clubhouse
was erected in
1933/34
mostly by volunteers (except for the masons) using some
of the building material from the Philo Remington house. Around this time
there were approx. 1400 members and the annual dues were $1.50. Most of the
early records of the club have been eaten by mice and/or passed on by greatly
appreciated and missed deceased past members.
History of Ilion, New York
The village of Ilion is situated on the south bank of the Mohawk river in the town of German Flats. Although the town was first settled around 1725 by the German Palatinates, the first known establishment on the present site of Ilion was a store which was started by 1816. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 the village began to really flourish. On the canal list it was called Steele's Creek, but it was also known as Morgan's Landing and there was an early settlement called "New London" for which the western part of the present day village was known for many years as "London."
In 1828 Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) established a small factory for the manufacture of rifles. From 1830 to 1843 the village was known as Remington's Corners, and the first post office established in 1845 was named Remington. The village was incorporated under the name of Ilion in 1852 as Remington was opposed to the use of his name for the village. In 1856 the Remington company added the manufacture of farming tools, in 1870 sewing-machines and in 1874 typewriters. In 1874 with a population of about 2900 the village contained 2 hotels, a national bank, a brewery, a weekly newspaper and several schools and churches and was chiefly noted as the seat of the different Remington companies which employed a large number of men.
In 1910 with a population of about 6500, its principal manufactures were still the Remington typewriters and Remington firearms; other manufactures were filing cabinets and cases and library and office furniture (the Clark & Baker Co), knit goods, carriages and harness, and store fixtures. Many of these factories over the years harnessed the water of Steele's Creek to provide power for their machinery. By 1910 the village had a public library with about 13,500 volumes, a public hospital and a village hall and was served by the New York Central & Hudson river, West Shore railways, Utica & Mohawk Valley Electric railroad and the Erie Canal. The village owned its own water-works and its electric-lighting plant.
[written by Lisa Slaski; references used were "The American Cyclopaedia," by Charles Anderson Dana, 1874, page 180, "The Encyclopaedia Britannica," 11th Edition, Volume XIV, 1910, and the "History of Herkimer County," by George A. Hardin, 1893]
The village of Ilion is situated on the south bank of the Mohawk river in the town of German Flats. Although the town was first settled around 1725 by the German Palatinates, the first known establishment on the present site of Ilion was a store which was started by 1816. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 the village began to really flourish. On the canal list it was called Steele's Creek, but it was also known as Morgan's Landing and there was an early settlement called "New London" for which the western part of the present day village was known for many years as "London."
In 1828 Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) established a small factory for the manufacture of rifles. From 1830 to 1843 the village was known as Remington's Corners, and the first post office established in 1845 was named Remington. The village was incorporated under the name of Ilion in 1852 as Remington was opposed to the use of his name for the village. In 1856 the Remington company added the manufacture of farming tools, in 1870 sewing-machines and in 1874 typewriters. In 1874 with a population of about 2900 the village contained 2 hotels, a national bank, a brewery, a weekly newspaper and several schools and churches and was chiefly noted as the seat of the different Remington companies which employed a large number of men.
In 1910 with a population of about 6500, its principal manufactures were still the Remington typewriters and Remington firearms; other manufactures were filing cabinets and cases and library and office furniture (the Clark & Baker Co), knit goods, carriages and harness, and store fixtures. Many of these factories over the years harnessed the water of Steele's Creek to provide power for their machinery. By 1910 the village had a public library with about 13,500 volumes, a public hospital and a village hall and was served by the New York Central & Hudson river, West Shore railways, Utica & Mohawk Valley Electric railroad and the Erie Canal. The village owned its own water-works and its electric-lighting plant.
[written by Lisa Slaski; references used were "The American Cyclopaedia," by Charles Anderson Dana, 1874, page 180, "The Encyclopaedia Britannica," 11th Edition, Volume XIV, 1910, and the "History of Herkimer County," by George A. Hardin, 1893]
My Mother with Her Mother 1942
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