Memories of Canadice NY

Sanford and Hazel Bush

Sanford and Hazel Bush first lived in Canadice on the farm where Agness Becker now lives at 5919 County Rd #37. After selling that farm, Sandy bought the Tibbals house, across from the Canadice Methodist Church at 5950 Canadice Hill Road. Later, he sold that and bought the Huff homestead from my father at 5624 County Road #37. From there he moved to the old brick house on Reed Road in Richmond.

Sandy Drove Bus

While living at Canadice Corners, Sandy drove private cars as school buses from District #7 in Canadice, now the Town Hall at 5949 County Road #37, to Hemlock High School.

Stephen Paine, Truman Becker and others rode with him. He drove big seven passenger touring cars such as a Rolls Royce, Cadillac and a Packard twelve cylinder. During the Second World War when gasoline was rationed, Sandy said that he had only enough gas to wet the pistons once a week.

Hazel Taught School

Hazel taught in the Gull School, District #8, where I had attended all of my elementary grades and later taught, before going to Geneseo State Normal School. That schoolhouse caught on fire and burned while Hazel taught there. The pupils moved to the old Crook’s Store across from the church to finish their year. After that the pupils were transported to Honeoye Central School.

Sandy was caretaker for Myron Hayes when he lived next to me. Mr. Hayes, a vice president of Eastman Kodak, owned the place where Otto Uthe now lives. When Sandy came up the Cratsley Hill to eat lunch, he blew his horn long before he reached home, so that Hazel would be sure to have food ready for him when he arrived.

Sandy Disdained “Baby Buggies”

When Sandy lived on Becker farm, his father became ill and Dr. Trott of Hemlock was called to the house. Dr. Trott had a V8 Ford and as the roads were badly drifted with snow, Sandy met the doctor by the Valley Inn corners (County Road #37 & Route 20A) with his Packard.

Dr. Trott said he didn’t think that anything could go where his Ford couldn’t. Sandford told the doctor, “Those little baby buggies were only meant to run on the sidewalk”!

The Good Family

At one time, Sandy hired a black man to work for him on the farm. The tenant lived in the house on Cratsley Hill below where Robert Lockers lived (#9034). The black man had a very large family of 14 children. The oldest boy, Glen Good, was 14 years old and the rest of the children were younger and all girls, with two sets of twins.

I don’t know where they moved to after leaving Canadice. They were good neighbors and respected in the community. There were very talented in music. Mr. Good played the banjo, Mrs. Good the piano, and the children all sang very well as Mom and Pop played. We were sorry to see them leave town as they were a nice family.

John Costello

Another interesting resident lived in Canadice on a farm at the north end of Canadice, where George and Richard Johnson later lived and had a saw mill at 5691 Canadice East Lake Road. His name was John Costello and his parents had lived in town for many years.

The farm across from Karen Holmes, on Hayward Hill Road, was a Costello farm when Harwell Hayward bought it. John made a home for the Guffey family who moved here from Melton, PA, Marvin being the first to come, then Clifford, then Edith, who married Fay Caskey.

Harwell E. Hayward

Mr. Hayward told me that people tried to discourage him from buying the Costello place, as the barn was in bad shape and moved off the foundation. Harwell hired a man from Lakeville to move it back on the foundation with a cable and capstan for $25.00.

Mr. Hayward cut logs from the woods on the farm and had them sawed into lumber to repair the barn. He also built a new horse barn. He drew the lumber to be planed to Wayland with a team and wagon. After working in the woods all day, he would take a load of lumber to Wayland and get home at midnight or after. At daylight he planned on being back in his woods with the hired man. They took their lunch and a jug of cider with them and worked until dark.

This is how some of the old boys made their living years ago. Harwell Hayward was also Supervisor of the Town at one time.

I worked for him one summer after graduating from High School. We got up at 4 o’clock in the morning and got to bed between 8 and 9 o’clock at night. We didn’t have any coffee breaks in those days!

In September of that year, I went to Teachers’ Training Class in Canandaigua for a year. I appreciated the job with Mr. Hayward. It let me earn money for my books.