Hidden Heroes - Junius Irving

On a wall in the attic of 13 Cayuga St. in Union Springs, written in pencil, is the name Junius Irving. Junius (1870-1927) was the eldest of the four children of John and Lydia Parr Irving, whose family owned the home from 1907-1946. John Irving was a Cayuga Lake schooner master and esteemed artisan known for carving stone for the earliest buildings on the Cornell campus as well as many of the marble grave markers found in our local cemeteries. His obituary states that his ability at this trade earned him the friendship of Ezra Cornell.

As a traveling salesman of printing and book materials, Junius left Union Springs for Kansas City in the late 1890's with his Union Springs' neighbor and friend, Harold Graves. He was armed with an idea - one that would eventually achieve national scope. For several years, Irving had been intrigued with new loose leaf devices and was known to spend hours working with small bits of metal wire, a paste pot and other materials used in book binding. Night after night he would work at the idea of a book in which the leaves would be held together with three metal rings which could be opened to insert additional leaves. As a salesman, such a book would be very useful as it could accommodate changing products and prices.

Irving located a fellow Kansan, William Pitt, a pattern maker, machinist, and manufacturer of novelties. The outgrowth of that partnership was the establishment of the Irving-Pitt Manufacturing Co. in 1904 and the successful manufacturing of the first spring actuated three ring notebook in a small second story loft in Kansas City.

As its practicality became apparent, demand increased and the enterprise moved to its own three-story building by 1907. By 1927, the business had additional establishments in Chicago and New York City, employing over 1,200 employees with revenue exceeding $1,000,000. Agencies had also been established in all the principal cities of Europe, the Far East, South America, Australia and Canada making their products universally attainable

The young man from Union Springs and his idea had achieved millionaire status. He never forgot his roots, visiting this area often and, according to recollections by Allen Hammond, bought the home at 13 Cayuga St. for his parents. When viewing his signature on the attic wall, one has to wonder, did this plant the seed for needing a better means on which to record his name?

In 1927, while vacationing with business associates at his 400 acre estate on the St. Croix River in Wisconsin, Irving's canoe capsized and he drowned. Ironically, the boy raised on the shores of Cayuga Lake could not swim. Active pall bearers included his childhood friend from Union Springs, Harold Graves. Notable among the 23 honorary pall bearers were several judges and the mayor of Kansas City. Irving left, in trust for his wife, over $1.5 million dollars and the business, which was valued at $3 million. In 1929 the company merged with Wilson-Jones which would become part of ACCO, which today encompasses Swingline, Mead, Trapper Keeper and more. Junius' widow, Anna Elno Irving, passed away in 1944, leaving a checking account balance of almost $350,000 and a trust fund in excess of $1.6 million. In her will, she specified several close friends to oversee the disbursement of valuable paintings and household contents,. One of those selected was her husband's valued and lifelong friend, Harold Graves, who had continued in that role long after Junius' death.

Hidden Hero - Sky Pilot Rev. L.C. Robie

In 1892, Leman Charles Robie was born to a jeweler/optician and his wife in Olean, NY. In his early years, Robie was employed as a mechanic, a tool engineer and a semi-professional baseball player. Experiencing a call to revival evangelistic ministry, he attended Bible training institutes and, throughout the 1920's, began "Union Meetings" or "Town Crusades" involving many denominations, preaching in factories, hospitals, and tents often at lunch hour and often traveling by horseback.

Robie preached a fundamental gospel in a plain, fearless, forceful and frank manner. Between preaching, Robie would lead spirited singing accompanied by his playing of accordion, piano, trombone, harmonica, guitar or a flexatone ( a percussion instrument which makes sounds comparable to a musical saw). Sometimes Robie would play two instruments simultaneously.

Robie was known to have preached in over 30 states often covering five to eight states a week. It was not unusual for a campaign to last five or more weeks in one location. In fact, one four week campaign in Auburn was attended by a total of 35,000 followers and achieved over 350 converts. Not all campaigns were easy. While campaigning once in the Utica area, Robie was met with a hostile community response led by bootleggers who threatened his life. In another instance, his tent was burned.

In 1932, Robie received his pilots license and became known as the Flying Evangelist or Sky Pilot Robie. In 1936 a group of Christian businessmen from Union Springs presented him with a plane which enabled him to fly throughout the United States becoming even better known to the thousands who attended his salvation meetings. On one side of the plane were the words "Robie Gospel Ship...Jesus Saves" and on the other "Sky Pilot Robie...With a Message Higher Than He Flies."

In August of 1936, while attempting to take off from the Union Springs airport, the 125- horsepower Gospel Ship failed to gain altitude dropping 200 feet into a maple tree on the Hoskins property located at the north edge of the village (the stone Gothic home now owned by the Cayuga Indian Nation). The airport was located directly opposite the Hoskins home. Robie was injured but vowed to repair the Gospel Ship and return to his mission. During World War II, the Gospel Ship was turned over to the War Training Service for training purposes. On his World War II draft card, Robie listed his employer as "The Lord."

After 40 years of evangelistic service, Robie semi-retired and, in 1960, re-opened the Faith Community Chapel of Aurora located on Poplar Ridge Rd. He remained pastor there until 1980. The high regard in which Rev. Robie is held can be found in taped interviews conducted with him which are housed in the archives of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College.

Robie died in 1983 after being struck by a car at the corner of Seminary St. and Seminary Ave. in Auburn. Robie had resided at 5 Seminary St. in Union Springs for 53 years. How interesting it is the streets named Seminary played such a significant role in his life. Today we salute Sky Pilot Robie - a local resident known and recognized nationally and internationally for his salvation ministry.

Hidden Heroes - Marge Gibbs and Millie Lewis

Several years ago a museum volunteer remarked that every time she drives by our museum, it makes her proud to live in Union Springs. We hope you share that feeling as well. Our museum would not exist in our beautiful structure if it were not for the efforts of many but two women in particular - Marge Gibbs and Millie Lewis. It is fitting that we honor them in this article - the final of women's History Month.

First here is a little history of the structure taken from a program Marge gave at the Frontenac in 1991. When three Union Springs denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopalian) combined resources in 1970, they consolidated activities into one building, the Methodist Church which today is Trinity United Church of Christ. At that time, the Presbyterians wanted to divest themselves of their unused church. However, a stipulation in the original church deed dated 1839, in which the property was donated to the church by George Howland, mandated that, if the building was no longer used for religious purposes, the property would revert to Howland heirs. Enter Marge and Millie.

Marge Gibbs is known to be smart, meticulous and dedicated. She used these skills, as well as her interest in genealogy, and volunteered to trace the Howland heirs, the first step in clearing the title. This was no easy task as there were many! Marge first visited a direct descendant who lived in Massachusetts and was able to provide a complete list of the descendants of Matthew Howland. She contacted two area Howland descendants who provided her with the heirs of Augustus Howland. And finally, from the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, she received a copy of a Howland genealogy written in 1919 which enabled her to identify the heirs of our George Howland. Over a period of six months, Marge was able to locate 87 primary (oldest in their line) heirs of George and Susan Howland. With the legal assistance of Auburn lawyer, Charles Lynch, all eventually signed off on their claim and the title to the property formerly owned by the First Presbyterian Church of Springport was transferred to the Frontenac Historical Society in 1994. At that time Marge assumed the position of Treasurer of the Society.

Many students recall Marge first serving as their Middle School music teacher and then moving into the role of High School Guidance Counselor, retiring in 1986. Even though Marge is now living out of the area, she remains a very active supporter of the museum.

Meanwhile, on the "other side of the street," in the 1990's Millie Lewis was serving as the Clerk of Session of the Springport Presbyterian Church which was still viable following the combination of resources with the Methodist and Episcopalian denominations. Millie worked tirelessly with the Session and the parent church to secure the sale of the property to the historical society for $1.00. Millie had been in contact with Llewellyn Howland paving the way for Marge to start her research. Millie too is known for her meticulous attention to detail and procedures and an endless spirit of volunteerism. These traits served her well in dealing with the requirements and paperwork involved in the sale of the structure.

Millie has donated numerous items to the collection of the museum also serving as docent for many years. Her interest in history stems from many sources, including her mother's Mayflower ancestors. Many generations of students were taught by Millie, who began her Union Springs teaching career in the one-room Willow Brook School in Fleming in 1941 where she taught grades 1-8. In total, Millie devoted 24 years (plus more as a substitute following retirement) to teaching in our district. Her local volunteerism includes serving as the Red Cross Blood Services Coordinator for decades, giving it up only when she stopped driving at 95, volunteering at the local food bank, serving on every committee at her church, and driving local residents to appointments. She has also been a member of Leisure Hour Literary Club for well over 55 years.

Today we salute and thank both Marge and Millie as their dedication and persistence are directly responsible for the physical existence of the Frontenac Historical Society and the beautiful home of our treasured museum.