52 Ancestors – Week 2 – Favorite Photo

Jessie (Tucker) Agard and Arthur Agard

This prompt was much harder. As many favorite photos popped into my head, I realized I had already posted them on this blog. But I knew the person I wanted to honor. That person is my great-grandmother Jessie (Tucker) Agard. I have written a few posts about Jessie, so readers may remember that she was Ulysses (NY) Town Historian for over twenty years. That was before my time of understanding what that meant. I now realize my desire to preserve history and to document my ancestors probably comes from her genetic influence.

I am the lucky recipient of Jessie’s diaries, started in 1944 up to her death in 1973, as well as her handwritten history of the Jacksonville Community Church, listing its pastors, boards, and members, and a copy of the handwritten and transcribed journal of her grandmother, Adeline Cleveland Hosner who was born in Jacksonville, NY in 1809. Adeline’s journals were edited and published as The Pioneer Clevelands. Jessie’s family can be traced back to the Rev. John Lowthropp. The Rev Lowthropp arrived Boston 18 September 1634, and eventually moved his congregation to Barnstable, MA.

The photo is of Jessie and her husband Arthur Agard on her 90^th birthday, January 2, 1966. The photo was taken at a family dinner at her son, Merritt's home on Route 89, Trumansburg, New York, overlooking Cayuga Lake. Merritt and Maude returned from their winter in Florida just for this occasion.

In Jessie’s own words, here is what she wrote in her diary for January 2, 1966:

“This is my Birthday [90 years] Snowing. We are invited to Merritt’s for 5 o’clock dinner, Bill’s family too, and we went with them. Ethel, Margaret, Ken, Millie, Skip, Dianne, Nancy, Martha and Laura H. Merritt and Maude came from Florida to be here for my 90^th Birthday.”

The hutch shown in the background of this photo now resides in our home, as does the dishes that are displayed. This photo and Jessie's journal entry brings a lot of memories. Only two of those listed are still alive.

A Mystery to Solve - Now Solved!

I’ve been working on reorganizing, archiving and indexing my genealogy material. While adding items to my Agard Box #1, I came across a letter my great-grandfather, Arthur Agard wrote to his son, Merritt Agard, who was wintering in Florida. The letter was dated 17 February 1968, just two weeks shy of when Arthur died in his sleep.

My great-grandmother, Jessie Tucker Agard, started the letter and then handed it over to Arthur to share his news. And that is where the mystery comes in.

Below is a transcription of Arthur’s news and I wonder to what issue he is talking about. It refers to a road reconfiguration, so I thought maybe they were considering building a road diagonally from Route 96 to Route 89. But that doesn’t make sense. My cousin thinks it might have to do with zoning. Or, could it be gerrymandering? The Ulysses Town Historian is checking with his colleagues at the historical society, and my cousin is checking with the local zoning officer. I was hoping any Blog readers from the Town of Ulysses, Jacksonville or Trumansburg might have an insight as to what this issue was in winter 1968.

Arthur wrote:

“People are curious about the road and make all kinds of remarks. The Boulevard suburbanites held a meeting at Glenwood Pines and asked Bill (Agard) to come to it as he had the most inside information. As he and Bennett Stover went to Syracuse and saw the maps and since has had a set here to study, but did not take them to Glenwood meeting. It goes south of Scotts and crosses the creek and takes the old Spicer (?) house at top of hill and crosses the old Fowler 9 acres and woods and crosses the swamp on Furman and crosses Kraft and hits us (Agard Road) about 500 feet wide. Railroad counted out. Takes English’s and Ogden’s and schoolhouse (Willow Creek School) and all of Frasiers and 9 acres of the Atwater place and on to Paul Vann’s. There are no crossovers on the map. They work them out as demand calls for.”

14 June 2017 
Thanks to cousin Nan Agard Colvin, Sarah Koski, Ulysses Deputy Town Clerk, Darby Kiley, Environmental Planner, Town of Ulysses, and Carissa Parlato,Clerk, Town of Ulysses, the answer to my mystery is solved. In a link to the Official Minutes Books 1959-1976 I found a mention in the March 6, 1968 minutes that the state was planning an extension of Route 96 that goes between Ithaca and Trumansburg. I don't know what the plan was exactly, but according to Art Agards letter, it might have planned for the road to veer down to connect with other roads in the Willow Creek area, run across the top of the ridge, and come out near the hospital. That's only a guess. 

Thankful Thursday - Five Generations of Agards

The above photo represents one of several five generations in our Agard-Nunn family. The baby is my brother Edward F. Nunn, Jr. (Skip), his mother, Carol Agard Nunn, her father (left) Merritt Agard, his father (right) Arthur Charles Agard, and seated is John Wesley Agard. 

John Wesley Agard

John Wesley Agard

John Wesley Agard, “…like his father, was a scholar and a farmer. Although he was only privileged to complete the eighth grade, he educated himself further with his constant reading. Because he highly valued education, on his own initiative, he studied Greek, Roman and American history and philosophy. He was a pillar of his Methodist Country Church,” remembers his granddaughter, Ella Agard Hague.  John was born to Noah and Rebecca Agard on March 4, 1857.  John’s love of learning was evident in the fact that he and his wife, Sarah, moved from the small rural town of Mecklenburg, NY to Cortland, NY so that their two daughters could attend Cortland Normal School.  John worked as a carpenter in Cortland to support their education.  Later, Sarah operated a boarding house in Ithaca so that the daughters could attend Cornell University.  In the meantime, their son, Arthur Agard, was not forgotten. John and Sarah purchased the Colegrove Farm in Willow Creek so that Arthur could earn a living farming the land.  (See previous blog - Nurturing the Land)

Nurturing the Land

I love this photo of my great-grandmother, Jesse May Tucker Agard (b: 1876), her sister, Adelaide Tucker (b: 1871), and Honey, the dog (birth date unknown), because this photo explains from where I inherited my need to be close to the land. Each spring I can’t wait to get out in the garden and turn over the soil, even though it is months before it is safe to plant.  Like Jesse I am driven to plant seeds and seedlings of various vegetables, always excited to try something new.

The Agard farm, overlooking Cayuga Lake, was worked by Jesse’s husband, Arthur Agard (b:1880), and his father, John Wesley Agard (b: 1857), and then later with Art and Jesse’s son, William  Agard (b: 1914).  While the men farmed and sold crops from their many acres, Jesse lovingly tended her smaller garden that provided food for her family.  She also grew various flowers in gardens around the yard.  Jesse tends her garden in a dress – she never wore slacks. With corn growing in the back of the garden, I suspect the spiky leaves towards the front are gladiolas. 

Jesse’s sister, Adelaide Tucker, remained single and taught school in Asbury Park, NJ. During school holidays she rode the train from New Jersey to Willow Creek to spend time with her family.