DeVeaux Campus - Carriage House (Barn)

The Present is too vivid for ghosts of the past to endure...

"... then the residue of my estate both real and personal, is to be made use of by said Trustees in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. viz.: for a benevolent institution to train and support orphan and destitute children: to train them up to industry; to learn them trades and professions to give them a mental and manual, and a social and religious education..." (August 3rd, 1852. Will of Judge Samuel DeVeaux) Niagara Gazette July 21, 1974 P 1E:1

Built in 1863 and served as a barn and storage area for the school. Rumored to have an underground tunnel leading from the building to the gorge as part of the Underground Railroad. There is a reference that the barn may have been built in 1858 as part of the initial construction of the Van Rensselaer Hall. The building which is brick with a normal pitched and gabled roof sits on a foundation of piled, rough cut stone in regular courses.

The first floor windows have segmented brick arches and stone sills, with the exception of one round-arched window set between the carriage doors. The second and attic doors have paired and single round-arched windows with stone sills. There is some deterioration on the south side where an addition has been removed and severed deterioraton on the north facade where the brick wall is falling. (From 2004 report by Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Commission.)

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Getting Pinned - Niagara Falls High School

Getting "Pinned" at Niagara Falls High School

Do you remember back in the "good old days" when a guy would purchase a pin from his high school and give that pin to a steady girlfriend as a sign of their "bond?" A co-ed wearing a pin was then known to "be taken" by the other guys in school. Here is a pin from the 1957 year at Niagara Falls High School in the school colors of red and gray. Does anyone remember?

[Submitted by Jim Brunn]

Gaskill Jr. High School Band, circa 1955

Submitted by Jim Brunn:


(click on photo for large image)

I began my “music career” on the violin in 6th Grade at Niagara Street School. My grandfather, Ernie Woodring, had played violin and it was decided that I should also play that particular instrument. Other than “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” I didn’t progress with any kind of proficiency. When I entered junior high school the music teacher decided he needed a cello player rather than another squeaky violin, so cello lessons were begun. I actually became reasonably good at reading music and playing along in the orchestra. That career on the stringed instruments ended when I was graduated from high school because I was using a school loaned instrument and cellos are very expensive.

I had always wanted to play a trumpet and when I asked to take trumpet lessons at Gaskill the music teacher said, “Trumpet players are a dime a dozen. You should play something that will always be needed……..like a baritone horn”. I had no idea what a baritone horn was, but being the easily influenced child, I said OK. Once again, the teacher was correct, and I became a baritone player. Then as the years went along, the school band was in need of a tuba player and I was told it was just a larger baritone horn and didn’t I really want to play such a commanding instrument? Of course I said yes, and I became the new tuba/sousaphone instrumentalist. I loved those years in the school bands, especially when I went to (the old) Niagara Falls High School where a new music teacher/bandmaster was hired, Mr. John Hadden. He had experience with and instituted a marching band where we actually performed at half time at football games. Mr. Hadden was a great guy and he and his wife and I became long-time friends.

Here is a photo of the Gaskill Jr. High School band, circa 1955, led by Mr. Howard Shotz. Names I can recall are, first row left, Jim Brunn, baritone horn; back row left, Ernie Dishaw, tuba; standing to the right of Mr. Shotz, Carl Brenner; second row, second from the right, Paul D. Beam, horn. While the names of many others are on the tip of my tongue, memory being a fleeting issue I don’t recall them. I’m sure some of your readers could further identify those in the photo.

Fortunately, the current music programs at our high school have produced some award-winning groups and the city should be proud. We must fight to keep those programs intact and even expanded.

Suspension Bridge School

(Click image for larger photo)

This is one most people never heard of – It is the Suspension Bridge School (before the village of Suspension Bridge was combined with NF) and it was located at 11th & Lockport Sts. It later became an office of the Erie RR.


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