The Grape Belt Archive

Most recent additions to the collection

• Letter dated December 1, 2010 from John T. Slater to Marshall D. Brainard regarding materials donation and enclosed photos and magazines
  One page letter from John T. Slater to Marshall D. Brainard regarding materials given to the resource network, as well as enclosed items of interest. Dated December 1, 2010 Letter is printed on letterhead for the The Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt Resource Network (including a typographical error in the word "Chautauqua." Full text of letter below: MEMO FROM: John Thomas Slater DATE: TO: SUBJECT: December 1, 2010 Marshall D. Brainard Enclosed Dear Marshall, Since it has been some time since we last spoke, I want to thank you again for all of the fabulous material you have furnished to the Resource Network over the past year. I am sincerely appreciative of your kindness and your support of our ongoing research project involving the Chautauqua Erie Grape Belt and its history. Enclosed are a few items I hope you will find of interest. The first is a complimentary copy of the Fall issue of Western New York Heritage Magazine, which contains a lead feature article under my by-line entitled “Before There Was Grape Juice.” In it, I have traced the evolution of the Concord table grape shipping business in Chautauqua County, New York and Erie County, Pennsylvania and am pleased to inform you that the Brainard Shipping Company is given mention. There is also a photo of C. L. Brainard with his crew at Brainard’s Switch, which was provided from the collection of the Portland Historical Museum. This appears to be the same photo that is in your book on the Brainard family. Thanks to a colleague of mine in Fredonia, we have located a Brainard Basket Mfg. Co. Inc. delivery receipt dated July 15, 1930. This item has been digitized and is now part of our growing archive. I am enclosing a copy for your files. Another friend and colleague, Westfield Village Historian Marybelle Beigh, discovered several newspaper ads while researching another subject in the Westfield Republican an provided me with scans, copies of which are also enclosed. Please accept these items with my compliments. I found them to be quite interesting, since so little similar material on the Brainard Basket Mfg. Co. has previously been discovered. I trust all is well and hope you will accept my sincerest best wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season. Cordially [Signature]
• Letter dated February 6, 2010, from John T. Slater to Marshall D. Brainard, regarding Brainard family history and the grape belt archive
  One page letter from John T. Slater to Marshall D. Brainard, regarding Brainard family history and possible additions to the growing digital grape belt archive. Dated February 6, 2010. Letter is printed on letterhead for the The Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt Resource Network (including a typographical error in the word "Chautauqua." This document corresponds with 4004.440b Full text of letter below: MEMO FROM: John Thomas Slater DATE: TO: SUBJECT: February 6, 2010 Marshall D. Brainard Brainard History Dear Marshall, First of all, I want to thank you again for sending the copy of your book on the Brainard family. You have done an extraordinary job of telling the story of your ancestors and, as I told you in our last telephone conversation, the portion of the book relating to the business ventures of your grandfather, Uncle Frank, and your father is of tremendous value to those of us who have been researching the history of the grape industry. I must apologize for the tardiness of my follow-up, but I wanted to have the opportunity to discuss your book and the illustrations with a couple of my colleagues before requesting any additional material from you for our growing Grape Belt Archive. This communication took a bit longer than I had expected due to some scheduling difficulties. However, I have come up with a list of items that you have used in the book that we think would make excellent additions to the digital archive. The list of these items is attached. Since there were several hi-quality copies you had previously sent me, those are not included. The items listed are primarily photos that you used as illustrations and would be of great value to us who are working to preserve the legacy of the various companies and businesses that operated as part of the grape industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; as well as the individuals who made those companies successful. We sincerely appreciate your support for our ongoing research project and hope you will consider providing hiresolution copies of the items listed herewith. In the meantime, I hope the New Year has brought you good health and I will look forward to talking to you again soon. Cordially,
• Official envelope with logo and contact information for Chautauqua & Erie Grape Belt Resource Network
  Master copy of official envelope with logo and contact information for Chautauqua & Erie Grape Belt Resource Network. Logo is black and white text and line art. Logo has a thick black line in a circle around the outside edge, with "Chautauqua & Erie Grape Belt" around the outside edge inside the thick line. A small ribbon banner across the bottom contains the word "Network" above a line art image of a pair of leaves. A thinner black circle closer to the center separates the previous words from a line art image of a basket overflowing with grapes and grape leaves, and the word "Resource" over the basket. Black text to the right of the logo "The Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt Resource Network, Post Office Box 243, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-0243" Envelope was used for official resource network correspondence. Includes the logo and a return address to Niagara Falls, NY
• Chautauqua & Erie Grape Belt Resource Network logo
  Chautauqua & Erie Grape Belt Resource Network logo in black and white text and line art. Logo has a thick black line in a circle around the outside edge, with "Chautauqua & Erie Grape Belt" around the outside edge inside the thick line. A small ribbon banner across the bottom contains the word "Network" above a line art image of a pair of leaves. A thinner black circle closer to the center separates the previous words from a line art image of a basket overflowing with grapes and grape leaves, and the word "Resource" over the basket.
• Agenda for presentation by John T. Slater, "The Lost Legacy of the Lake Erie Grape Belt," April 24, 2009
  Agenda for a presentation "The Lost Legacy of the Lake Erie Grape Belt" given at the Darwin R. Barker Historical Museum on April 24, 2009 by John T. Slater Full text of black and white two page digital document (front page has blue border and includes black line art image of bunch of grapes on front page) [Page 1] The Barker Historical Museum Presents THE LOST LEGACY OF THE LAKE ERIE GRAPE BELT By John Thomas Slater April 4th 2009 at 1:30 in the Barker Library’s Steele Meeting Room Followed by a panel discussion on the preservation of this county’s agricultural heritage Call (716) 672-2114 for more information [Page 2] Lake Erie Grape Belt History Program Hosted by the Darwin R. Barker Historical Museum • Fredonia, New York Saturday April 4, 2009 Join us for an afternoon devoted to the history and legacy of the Lake Erie Grape Belt. The rich heritage of the oldest and largest Concord grape-growing region in the world will be the subject of a two-part program to be held at the Darwin R. Barker Museum’s Steele Room on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 1:30 PM. This program is open to anyone interested in local history and the preservation of material, data, and images associated with the Lake Erie Grape Belt. Admission is free. 1:00 PM Doors open 1:30 PM The Lost Legacy of the Lake Erie Grape Belt A PowerPoint program presented by John Thomas Slater This fascinating presentation will focus on images from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that represent a lasting legacy of the Chautuaqua-Erie region that must be preserved for future generations. This program was made possible through the cooperation of the Chautauqua County Historical Society’s McClurg Museum, The Patterson Library, The Portland Historical Museum, the Dunkirk Historical Museum, The Hanover History Center, The D.K. Barker Historical Museum, The North East Historical Society, The Harborcreek Historical Society, and Cornell University’s Lee Library. 2:15 PM Question & Answer Period 2:30 PM Break 2:45 PM Panel Discussion - Preserving the Legacy Scheduled Participants: Vincent Martonis - Town of Hanover Historian - Silver Creek, NY The importance of identifying and preserving personal and family collections of Grape Belt and grapeindustry material. Marybelle Beigh - Westfield Village & Town Historian & columnist for the Westfield Republican - Westfield, NY Promoting grape belt history in the local media. James Boltz - Preservation Advocate - Fredonia, NY Preservation issues surrounding small, local museums. Andrew Dufresne - Executive Director, Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association - Mayville, NY The Grape Heritage Center as a focal point for the preservation of the Grape Belt’s legacy. Nancy Brown - Curator, Darwin Barker Museum - Fredonia, NY Expanding cooperation and communication between historical groups and organizations in northern Chautauqua County. John Slater - Director Emeritus, Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society - Niagara Falls, NY Building a preservation network in the Lake Erie Grape Belt Region. 3:30 PM Open Discussion/Audience Participation 3:50 PM Wrap-up 4:00 PM Adjourn The Darwin R. Barker Historical Museum is located at the intersection of Main (Rt. 20) and Day Streets in downtown Fredonia, just east of the park. You are invited to come early and enjoy the museum’s exhibits prior to the program.