A History of Greenwood by Those Who Lived It

As a child, after Albert and I were first married, and then even when the children were very young, we led a pretty nomadic life. We followed the work from Belfast to Wellsville, to Hornell and Canisteo and we finally landed in Greenwood. We were living and working for George Burd on his farm in Canisteo when he offered Albert either a farm in Rexville or the one on Greenwood Hill that he had purchased from Ames Rogers. Albert thought the Rexville farm was too marshy, so he b

You can take the boy out of Greenwood, but, you can’t take Greenwood out of the boy. I was born in Greenwood and lived there until I was 20 years old. I am sixth generation, the third child and the oldest son of Stanley and Margaret Murray’s six, and named after my grandfather who was born and raised in Greenwood as was my father. My grandfather, John F Murray, the son of Stanislaus and Sarah (Rogers) Murray was raised on the farm now owned by the Mills down by the West Green

Our first through fifth grandchildren were all born between 1960 and 1965. John’s first five. You heard Stanley’s stories about the children. Yes, that Kathy Lou did have free reign at the station. But, if you asked around the family, I think they may accuse me of having a favorite too, John Robert. “I would have to agree. Stan Jr here…I lived in Australia for a while. I was home for a visit after two years. I found the cookie jar hidden away in the cupboard, full of my favor

Cuties! We had Ellen right away and just kept on until there were six, Catherine, John, Sally, Stan and Anna Marie. One of the benefits of a large family is all the helpers you have. Ellen took over from the beginning. The only issue with that was John was the oldest son, and that was an important role in the 1940s and 50s. Many a battle was had for control. As I said earlier, I taught at the new Greenwood school during the 40s. English. And, as I too said earlier, I used m

I did not grow up in Greenwood; but, spent the rest of my life there. I grew up in Geneva, New York with my parents, Charles and Ellen (White) Toombs. I had a sister Catherine and two brothers, Charles and Edward. I went to Nazareth College near Rochester and graduated with a general teaching degree. My favorite subject was Math and I was fluent in German and French as well as Latin. However, it was the 1930s and getting a teaching job in math as a woman was proving difficult

My older sister Catherine and me Born January 27, 1911 to Charles Dewitt Toombs and Ella White. Died April 1, 1994 Teacher at Greenwood Union School, Woodhull, Jasper and Greenwood Central School. Business owner, member of the US Air Force Civil Air Command Ground Observation Corp and The Home Bureau; member of the Altar and Rosary Society at St. Mary’s Church in Rexville, and charter member of the Greenwood Historical Society. Married Stanley George Murray (son of John Flo

A quiet day downtown. based on the VW, 1960's. You have experienced the first of the series over the last month. I hope you are enjoying reading my blog posts as much as I am enjoying researching, interviewing, and writing them. As I have shared, I will continue to feature long-time Greenwood families and/or citizens, well, until I run out of people or stories. I appreciate the families that have already contacted me and am looking forward to our chats. Every conversation ha

How this era began... Margaret and I had great kids and they shared 20 grandchildren with us. We were blessed. We spent a lot of time with all of them. Big family dinners and holidays. Lots of outdoor activities and running all over town. They loved the Fireman’s Auction. So much fun digging through the boxes of sight unseen books and other treasures I would buy. A passel of them would go to parades and the Water Fights with the Fire Company in the summer. A couple at a tim

Do you remember these kids? Margaret gave up her room at the Rollins house and moved with me to the farm. Do you know anything about Horning Bees? Well, let me tell ya’; about three or maybe four weeks after our elopement, our friends and family decided to enact this rural community tradition. Dad, Mom, Margaret and I were spending a quiet evening, when we see headlights comin’ on down the road. I think, who is out this late and where are they going? Then it hits me and I say

I'm the one on the left. Who can tell me the name of the gentleman on the right? And I did marry that girl! But, let’s step back and take a look at the courtship and whatever else was going on during that time in my life. I continued to be a gas jockey at the filling station and a farmer. Funny, I never related the use of jockey for both what Dad did as a young man and what I did. And, we both were farmers too. I guess I had more in common than I even thought with the old man

Outstanding Citizen of the Past awardee; farmer, business owner, Justice of the Peace for 35 years which meant he was a member of the Town Board and managed the Summer Recreation Program and the Boy’s Baseball League along with the Pool. Member of the US Air Force Civil Air Command Ground Observation Corp. He also served as a Scout Master of Troop 62 and a Neighborhood Commissioner for Greenwood and Jasper as well as an assistant and then the Chief of the Fire Department and

Can you find me? The tall one, center back row. I spent my entire life in Greenwood and was better for it. My parents were John and Pearl Murray. Dad was a hometown boy who grew up on a farm off of the North South Road. My mother’s family was from around the Keuka Lake area; she was a Northrup. Her sister, Cassie, lived in Greenwood and Mom and Dad met when Dad was traveling around as a jockey racing horses at county fairs. Dad will tell his story later; there is some plummy