The Murray Brook Frog: Did You Know…?

By Brandyann Phelps

Caption: Many of us are familiar with this photo of the “new” steel bridge built in Sylvan Beach in 1908. The Pedestrian Bridge visible in the foreground east of the new bridge was the first bridge built in Sylvan Beach. There was no Barge Canal when this picture was taken; the water that flows beneath these bridges and into Oneida Lake is Wood River.

According to my Funk and Wagnall (dictionary); trivia is explained as insignificant factual details of small value or importance. Perhaps, but I find those insignificant little facts hidden among the pages of our history to be a great source of entertainment as well as a way to show how our lives are somehow connected.

October 17^th, 1968: Isaac Eckel turned 100 years old. An article in the newspaper revealed a bit of trivia I think you’ll enjoy. Isaac began to earn his own living at the age of 12 working as a driver on the old Erie Canal from May 1^st through November 15^th when the canal shut down for the winter. His pay was $15 a month. During the winter months he attended classes at the Kinney School in West Vienna. The article said; “At the age of 16 he was instructed by a Dutchman, Otto Kushmol, who taught him German songs he can still sing.” Otto was a German not a Dutchman and his last name was Kussmaul not Kushmol, but the article verifies what Sophie said in her book about her Dad teaching his students music.

May 7^th, 1956 the cornerstone was sealed at the new North Bay area school. The history of the schools placed in the North Bay cornerstone was compiled by Town of Vienna Historian Mary K. Brown.

September 5^th, 1944 the folks in our area experienced a severe earth tremor.

January 22^nd, 1924 admired for his contributions to the community; the entire city of Oneida recessed its activities for an hour during the funeral services held for Dr. Martin Cavana of Sylvan Beach.

According to a fellow from Cornell, of the 18 or so kinds of snakes found in New York State, only three – the copperhead, the timber rattler and the rare Massasauga are poisonous. You may feel as I do that there are more than three types, however with further investigation I learned the water moccasin is related to the copperhead and the Massasauga is a type of rattlesnake. The chances of being bitten by a snake in New York State are remote and many of the other varieties of snake are decidedly beneficial because they eat large quantities of harmful insects, slugs and injurious rodents.

The subject of trivia varies and can include every topic imaginable. However, knowing it will not change your life or make you wealthy, unless of course you win big on Jeopardy. Trivia are those little details that keep life interesting, they fill in the spaces and complete the picture; think of how boring it would be without them.

The Murray Brook Frog is written by Brandyann Phelps, author and Historian for the Town of Vienna.

One Comment on "The Murray Brook Frog: Did You Know…?"

Charles Page on Mon, 5th Oct 2009 10:21 am

What an intesting article!!!.Especially so, because I am in the middle of reading “Sophie’s book” about her growing up in the Otto Kussmaul family, and have visited the abandoned Kussmaul burial ground. The book is a great read if you never heard of the Town of vienna,

The Murray Brook Frog: Did You Know…?

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