A History of Greenwood by Those Who Lived It

How did I get here? A blogger, really? And, why Greenwood? It all began on a porch. My grandparents, now Aunt Sally’s porch. Well, maybe it began long before that. My Grandpa Lounsberry was an avid storyteller. My Grandpa Murray was the Greenwood Historian for many years. My Grandma Murray was a founding member of the Historical Society. Was I destined? Maybe. I used to think that researching family history was dry, boring work. Just a bunch of names and dates…birth dates, ma

Long time no see! The pandemic of 2020 and a number of other projects have wrecked havoc on our getting together to chat about Greenwood...

Sarajean and Suzanne. You may call them Sally and Susie or Sue. But, just remember it is Sarajean, no h, no capital j, just one word. Suzanne here. Yes, my sister is very specific about the spelling of her name. Sally was born on July 31, 1937 to Bill and Irene Lippert who lived on Main Street in Greenwood in a Sears Kit House. I was born two years later on July 20, 1939. Sarajean here. Before we get started. To clarify, I was the more studious of the two. Susie, was the fun

Do you remember the children's storybook, How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together ? It was my sister Joan's (John and Kathleen Murray's number 3) favorite book for awhile as a child. Bill Lippert here. I don't know anything about Joe and Sam; but, I do know a bit about how Irene and I got together. Well, I guess I will start from how I ended up in Greenwood. You see, my father passed away and left my mother with four children. My mother, Anna Margarita, or Margaret as

[updated 11/18/2025] First, let me share what Sears and Palmer had to say about kits and these rusticated or rock faced blocks being used as building materials around the turn of the century until 1940. Then I will fill you in on the homes in Greenwood. Sears Roebuck & company began selling buildings or components of buildings in 1895. Some early experiments by Sears included selling a kit to build a complete school or office building. The first complete Sears Kit homes, tha

When asked what it was like to grow up in Greenwood, one of the first things Linda Murphy Logue shared was that if she won the lottery, she would use the money to do something for Greenwood. This has been a reoccurring theme as I talk with family members who grew up in Greenwood. Words like "idyllic", "happy" and "wonderful" just keep coming back into conversation with those that spent their time in this little village called Greenwood. Now it is the Murphy 7's turn to fill u

Jim Murphy (7/4/1922 - 9/9/2001) here. I did not grow up in Greenwood. I was working for the Gas Company and ended up in Greenwood. While there, I took a shine to a cute young girl by the name of Jackie (8/10/1931 - 6/9/2005). She was just a senior in high school. It was kismet. Now, people of my generation were not so forthcoming about our personal lives. Jackie and I never shared much about our courtship with our kids. Linda (Murphy) Logue here. Murphy #2. Yeah Dad, when we

...As remembered by their grandchildren, the Murphys and maybe a few others This is Jackie, the daughter of Margie and Harold Sampson. My father passed away when I was 11 years old. I was lucky, my mother found Alton York, whom I called Dad. We lived in the third house past the school on your way to Christian Hallow. Dad and Mom owned the store right there at the bottom of Andover Hill in the 40s and 50s. John Murray here. When I was younger, the older boys hung out there on

The Warriners started farming in Greenwood around the time of the Civil War. While this picture is not of the Warriners, it depicts how farming was done in the mid-1800s. Lots of back-breaking work. Farming and country life in general changed tremendously from the 1860s when the Warriners came to Greenwood and the present. At first it was pretty much as the Amish live today, only more primitive. At the time I was born (1943) there was no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no ru

There were a lot of Warriners in and around Greenwood. At times, I bet you struggled to figure out who belonged to whom. Well, I am Wayne Francis (1919-2009), son of Marshall and Iowa, grandson of Frank and Susan and great grandson of the third Nathan, Nathan Allen, who went by Allen, and Mary. Making me the tenth generation of Warriners in America and the fourth to live on the farm there on the Greenwood - Jasper line. I think you heard about Bess and Gyp in Dad's story. Th

This here is me with my dog Lindy. And, to celebrate her, here is a poem written by my father Frank: True Friendship Some men will wish you hail, Yet wish you with the devil. But, when a good dog wags his tail, You know he's on the level. A bit about my parents. My name is Marshall Francis Warriner (1889-1974), son of Francis Lazelle (Frank) Warriner (1866-1945) and Susan E Barnard. Mom's family lived next door to Dad at the top of the hill. I had a sister Vinnie Marie born

Good day! Nathan Allen Warriner, the third Nathan, so I call myself Allen here. I am a descendent of William Warriner (1582-1676) who emigrated from England to the Plymouth Colony in 1638. The first Nathan (1796-1829), four generations later, had ten children, all raised in Monson, Massachusetts. James (1803-1862) the youngest of the ten, along with three brothers, settled in Delmar Township near Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. James and his wife Lucretia "Cretey" (Butler) Warriner,

There have been many mentions of the salt spring located in Greenwood in historical offerings through time. I will attempt to take what I have learned and give you a glimpse from the earliest known until today. In the late 1700s and into the early 1800s before Levi Davis came and settled Greenwood, the local Native American tribes of the Iroqouis Confederacy used a secret path which was part of the Forbidden Trail to reach the spring. It is thought that these Indians were not

Aren't we the pair sitting behind that lovely couple? Duane Chaffee here and next to me is my brother Gary. Hello Greenwoodians. I am not sure that most of you even know I bought the hardware store from my parents in 1976. I know, Mom and Dad still hung out there so much you may not have noticed. But, before I go into all of that, Gary and I would like to tell you a bit about our time growing up in Greenwood. Mom and Dad shared that Gary was born while they were still in Niag

Hello, Lloyd Chaffee here. I guess Irene would like me to fill you in on a few things. Let's start where I started. I was born to Crystal and Victor Chaffee on June 28th in 1919 in West Union. And, had one sister Marion. She married Bob Dixon from Bradford. Dad found his way to the Greenwood area via an orphan train from New York City along with his brother Milton and sister Blanche. Are you familiar with the orphan trains? Well, back when so many people were dying of consump

Good day! As I spend my days relaxing and visiting with friends here at Updyke’s in Hornell, my mind wanders back to my time in Greenwood. I was born April 1, 1923 to John and Blanche Wallace on a farm on King Hill at the top of Christian Hollow. Mom was born on April 25, 1902 in Whitesville and Dad in 1888. And, I had one brother, Leo. He married Vivian Andrus. She was from Hornell and they lived there on Main Street across from Jeanette and Lew Cornell. Along with working t

The businesses owned and operated in Greenwood were named JE Armstrong and Son. You have heard the stories of JE, Jesse, Jack and Muriel; now, it is Jay D's turn....the son of JE Armstrong and Son. Here I am with Dad in 1941. As you can see I had been drafted into WW2. But, lets step back and talk about the time leading up to this first. I am Jay D Armstrong, the only son of Jesse Earl and Muriel Lillian (Darling) Armstrong. I was born on May 17, 1919. Here's a picture of me

Good day fellow citizens of Greenwood! Mrs. JE Armstrong, Muriel here. My husband Jesse shared some about our time in Greenwood. Let me add a bit. But, first a little background. I am Muriel Lillian Darling, daughter of George and Evelyn Darling. I am the third of six children and was born on April 22, 1899 in Lapeer Township, Cortland County. Jesse and I had a number of businesses during our time here and I maintained our home in Greenwood until I left this world in 1986.

Hello! Remember me? Jesse Earl Armstrong. I guess from the signs on my businesses there in town, you may refer to me as JE. But, my fellow Greenwoodians and friends, just called me Jack. I'm not much for talking; but, will share a bit about my life. I came to Greenwood in March of 1933 with my wife Muriel; formally known as Muriel Lillian Darling when I met and married her in 1918. She was a might younger than me and much more outgoing which came in handy when we began to ope

As I would guess during the 1940s and 50s with many families in Greenwood, Stanley and Margaret Murray and their six children had a few traditions that they followed: 1. The tree is cut and brought into the house around the 20th. 2. It is decorated by the family two or three days before Christmas when the door is closed to the parlor and no one sees it again until Christmas morning. 3. Christmas morning, the children must remain upstairs until their dad (Stanley) comes to the