By: Mallory Diefenbach, Batavia Daily News
Pieces of Le Roy history hide in the shadows of the village, invisible if you don’t know where to look.
Yet on May 4, Le Roy Historian Lynne Belluscio will be giving a group of 20 a tour around the village — a return of the highly popular private tour of Le Roy which happened in the fall where she took 50 people to different unknown historical locations around the village, including the Underground Railroad.
Starting off at Mercy Grove where a breakfast buffet will be provided along with a more in-depth look at the mansion tucked away on the hill Don Woodward built, participants will travel down the loop to the cabins where his children resided.
Belluscio also got permission to take the tour group inside the old Jell-O factory, which was closed in 1964. The group can go inside and see the safe and where the offices were, hopefully including Ernest Woodward’s. Right after, the group will visit the Woodward mausoleum where they can see the beautiful stain glass window and the final resting spot of many of the family, listening to the stories which defined them in life.
Lunch will be at the D&R Depot, followed by a leisurely tour of Main Street which will be looking at the architecture and history of the buildings, talking about the changes the village faced since its founding in 1801 to the present day. There will be tastings at the Divine Tree of its speciality food.
The day will end with a gourmet meal at Farmer’s Creekside where Belluscio will share photographs and stories which the building is connected with, from it’s time as a hat factory to Percy Hooker, the first New York State Commissioner of Highways.
There will also be a few surprises.
“We’re hoping to go out to the Woodward Airport if folks haven’t been out there. I have some footage from the movie ‘Amelia,’ which showed what the Friendship looked like. Of course (the Woodward Airport) was home to the Friendship, Amelia Earhart’s airplane,” she said. “For the folks who haven’t heard the story of the steam shovel, we’ll scoot out there. That day there is a little flea market on Route 5, we’re going to stop there for a little bit. So it’s kind of a chance for folks to enjoy Le Roy.”
The tour was modeled off an Alaska trip Belluscio had many years ago, where she visited the small town of Eagle which had about a 100 people living in its borders. Yet they took a tour, and Belluscio said she learned a lot about this small community and they visited a courthouse where there was a reinactment of a very important trial which took place there. They also visited an Inuit market, and she said she always remembered the trip and believing it something they could do in Le Roy.
While there are only 20 spots available, with tickets costing $122 — which covers all the food and the bus — interested parties can still sign up on a waiting list. Belluscio said the Le Roy Historical Society will be offering these tours once a year.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, contact the Historical Society at (585) 768-7433 or historicalleroy@gmail.com.