In 1809 a man named Jairus Rose purchased three square miles of property from the Holland Land company. Jairus' land included the present NCCC property, as well as the village of Sanborn and some surrounding areas. A surveyor by trade, Jairus accumulated today's equivalent of a quarter of a million dollars by surveying much of the Genesee Valley. Mr. Rose parlayed his wealth by starting the apple industry in Niagara County. He sold saplings for 12 cents each, and a century later Niagara County was the leading apple producer in the country.
By 1900 the Rose property passed into the hands of the Wendt family, who continued farming and improved the property by drilling natural gas wells. For half a century the NCCC property provided light and heat to the village of Sanborn and surrounding areas. Once a month Mr. Wendt would knock on the door, and a small fee was paid for monthly use of their gas. In the 1950's the fee was $1.50 per month, so I have been told.
In the late 60's Niagara County purchased, through eminent domain, the present property from the Wendt family. Gas wells were capped, and the property that had served as a source of wealth for 150 years was repurposed. Mr. Wendt moved to Lockport, relocating his farm to the Comstock Road. What was to come would overshadow all that had come before.
By current estimates, thousands of STEM professionals produced by NCCC populated the fabric of the economic landscape of WNY. Doctor, pharmacist, chiropractor, engineer, professor, dentist, mechanical designer, actuary, systems analyst, data scientist and research scientist are but a few of the titles that our STEM grads go by. By many measures NCCC had the top 2-year chemistry program in New York, and various tech programs distinguished themselves among area industrialists as top shelf, and far and away the best in the region. We were judged by the best to be the best, over and over again.
This was no accident, as various STEM programs were all set in motion intentionally by the great Ernest Notar. The individuals he hired have had a profound impact that continues today, some 55 years later.
This blog is a repository of oral history about some of those great individuals. Along the way we may have had some difficulty, and perhaps were even left for dead, but like Jairus' daughter in the Gospels we will rise again, stronger than ever.
It is fitting that I write this ongoing blog, since Jairus was my great great great great grandfather. He was a hardy soul, as he was taken prisoner during the war of 1812 and forced to run naked from Sanborn to Lewiston, where he was ferried across the Niagara River. Some of his Native American friends aided the removal of his family to Canandaigua. No doubt he lost much during the war, but he did rebuild, and prospered once again. So shall we. We are no less durable. We are the faculty of Niagara County Community College.
By 1900 the Rose property passed into the hands of the Wendt family, who continued farming and improved the property by drilling natural gas wells. For half a century the NCCC property provided light and heat to the village of Sanborn and surrounding areas. Once a month Mr. Wendt would knock on the door, and a small fee was paid for monthly use of their gas. In the 1950's the fee was $1.50 per month, so I have been told.
In the late 60's Niagara County purchased, through eminent domain, the present property from the Wendt family. Gas wells were capped, and the property that had served as a source of wealth for 150 years was repurposed. Mr. Wendt moved to Lockport, relocating his farm to the Comstock Road. What was to come would overshadow all that had come before.
By current estimates, thousands of STEM professionals produced by NCCC populated the fabric of the economic landscape of WNY. Doctor, pharmacist, chiropractor, engineer, professor, dentist, mechanical designer, actuary, systems analyst, data scientist and research scientist are but a few of the titles that our STEM grads go by. By many measures NCCC had the top 2-year chemistry program in New York, and various tech programs distinguished themselves among area industrialists as top shelf, and far and away the best in the region. We were judged by the best to be the best, over and over again.
This was no accident, as various STEM programs were all set in motion intentionally by the great Ernest Notar. The individuals he hired have had a profound impact that continues today, some 55 years later.
This blog is a repository of oral history about some of those great individuals. Along the way we may have had some difficulty, and perhaps were even left for dead, but like Jairus' daughter in the Gospels we will rise again, stronger than ever.
It is fitting that I write this ongoing blog, since Jairus was my great great great great grandfather. He was a hardy soul, as he was taken prisoner during the war of 1812 and forced to run naked from Sanborn to Lewiston, where he was ferried across the Niagara River. Some of his Native American friends aided the removal of his family to Canandaigua. No doubt he lost much during the war, but he did rebuild, and prospered once again. So shall we. We are no less durable. We are the faculty of Niagara County Community College.
No comments:
Post a Comment