Stephen Shursky, a Member of Hanford Mills Museum who has also exhibited at the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree, on recreating a large flat belt-driven lathe.
“My projects are probably larger than most people’s. I enjoy repairing or restoring antique equipment, but I also like to put it to work.”
Stephen Shursky’s lathe
“I am recreating a large flat belt driven lathe, with a 20″ swing and about nine feet between centers. This is something I have been working towards for years. I cut an ash by the house, sawed it on my antique sawmill, planed the timbers with an antique 20″ planer powered by an antique tractor and flat belt. The lathe bed is two 4x8s and the legs are 4x4s. The legs are assembled with mortise and tenon joints with wood pins.”
“I have some books with antique woodworking equipment I have used for inspiration, like Vintage Woodworking Machinery by Dana M. Batory and American Industrial Machinery Since 1870 by C.H Wendel. I have also been inspired by Hanford Mills which I have been visiting since I attended SUNY Delhi in the late seventies. Also the Hill Sawmill in Duck Harbor, PA, which I first visited in 1980. I grew up in the woods and sawmill working with my Dad, I guess I have sap in my blood.”
“My advice is to have a strong back and proper equipment. Also be able to make parts you don’t have.”
A wooden frame lathe at Hanford Mills Museum. This lathe has been used for turning posts, columns, ballasters and even rolling pins.
Kevin Jensen, the Mill Interpretation and Research Specialist at Hanford Mills Museum, on raising chickens
“My family’s been raising our latest batch of chickens on our farm in Hobart. We got them as day-old chicks about a month ago and they have been growing quickly since then. Their breed is ISA Brown. Once they start to lay in mid-August, some of them will stay on our farm and lay eggs for us to sell and some will go to other people raising chickens. My family has been raising chickens for generations and for many years our farm operated as a large scale commercial poultry farm. We’ve scaled back since then but still enjoy raising flocks of chickens.”
“There are lots of resources online for people interested in raising their own chickens, which has become an increasingly popular backyard project in recent years.”
Chickens on the Jensen farm like the shavings made by the planer at Hanford Mills. Some Hanford Mills trivia: when he retired from the Mill, Horace Hanford made himself a “retirement office” from a chicken coop. The Retirement Office often houses exhibitors at Hanford Mills events.
Mark Roberts, Trustee, Hanford Mills Museum “I work in my shop with my tools under the motto ‘use them, don’t abuse them.’ This must have been the same motto people working in the mill used when you look around at all the machines and tools that can still be used today and realize that they took care of the tools that gave them their livelihood.”
Hand tools in the woodworking shop at Hanford Mills Museum
“My first project was in 1988 with a cradle for my newborn niece. That cradle has now received my nephew, my daughter and now her two children. Hopefully my niece and nephew will use it for their children one day. Since then I have built an infant’s mobile support that they lay under and play, toddler towers so the kids can stand next to Mom or Dad at the kitchen counter and help, and a learning board with knobs, dials, locks and lights. I prefer to build useful things that have the potential to become heirlooms for future generations, that’s why I enjoy being involved in the Mill and preserving its future and its tie to the past.”
Woodworking projects by Mark Roberts. “I prefer to build useful things that have the potential to become heirlooms for future generations,” he says.
Hanford Mills Museum educators offer programming to schools in Delaware, Greene, and Schoharie counties.
Here are some hands-on lessons to use at home. Watch the videos and view (or print) the companion activity guides. All are welcome to use these resources to learn more about the importance of watersheds.
A watershed is an area of land where water collects and drains into a river, lake or reservoir. Much of Delaware, Greene and Schoharie counties are part of the West-of-Hudson Watershed network. More lessons and topics will be added in the near future. Have feedback? Let us know!
Forests and trees are a crucial part of keeping watersheds healthy and sustainable. Students will learn about how our activities impact the watershed, what we can do to be more aware of our actions, and build their own tree filter. Recommended for Grades 4-8. Watch Video View/Print Activity Guide: HMM Forests and Water Health Activity Guide
Pollution and the Watershed
Water moves on and around the Earth in different forms. It can pick up and carry pollution as it goes. Students learn about the effects that pollution has on the water cycle by polluting and then attempting to clean up simulated lakes. Recommended for Grades 2-5. Watch Video View/Print HMM Pollution Activity Guide
Sharing Water
How do people use water, and what are some ways we can all work together to share this precious resource? Students will explore how water in their community, region, and state is a shared resource. Recommended for Grades PreK-3. Watch Video View/Print HMM Sharing Water Activity Guide
Water is a Limited Resource
How much water is on Earth and what is available to use? Students will examine how they use water every day and compare how much water is used by houses, schools, farms, and factories. There is only so much to go around… how do we make it last? Recommended for Grades 4-5. Watch Video View/Print HMM Water is a Limited Resource Activity Guide
Water Science
How many drops of water fit on the surface of a penny? Can water move by itself? Through a series of fun, simple experiments, students will explore some of the many interesting properties of water. Recommended for Grades PreK-1. Watch Video View/Print HMM Water Science Activity Guide
Water, Water, Everywhere? The Importance of Watersheds
What is a watershed? Why is it important? Why is the water in Upstate New York so clean? In this activity, students will explore watersheds and how landforms can influence the way water moves. Recommended for Grades 2-3. Watch Video View/Print HMM Water Water Everywhere Activity Guide
Watershed Lessons by Grade Level
Pre-K
Sharing Water
Water Science
Kindergarten
Sharing Water
Water Science
First Grade
Sharing Water
Water Science
Second Grade
Pollution and the Watershed
Sharing Water
Water, Water, Everywhere? The Importance of Watersheds
Third Grade
Pollution and the Watershed
Sharing Water
Water, Water, Everywhere? The Importance of Watersheds
From its start as a seasonal sawmill in the 1840s, the Hanford family expanded the Mill to also include a gristmill, feed mill, woodworking shop, and hardware store. Today, Hanford Mills Museum shows how mills, which were once common in rural towns, operated.
Hanford Mills Museum is a program partner of the Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership (CROP). These combination video and activity lessons are based on CROP programs and can be easily done at home.
CROP VIDEO LESSONS
Seeds Just about everything we eat either comes from seeds or eats them. Join us as we talk about why seeds are important for our community and begin to grow your own seed! Watch the video
Reading Maps Did you know that you can tell how tall a mountain is by looking at a map? If you are ever planning on going on a hike through the woods or on a mountain, you are going to need to learn how to read a map. Luke will explain what the different lines mean on maps, and then you can make your own maps and a 3D mountain. Watch the video and download activity guide
Shapes Everything we see in our lives is made up of shapes. Some shapes, like triangles, are easy to spot. Others are so big that we don’t have names for them yet! Watch the video and download activity guide.
Learn About Ice Houses People have used ice to cool things for hundreds of years. Before electric freezers existed, people would store ice in special buildings called ice houses. Join us to learn how they work and for a fun ice experiment! Watch the video and download activity guide.
CROP KITS
From its start as a seasonal sawmill in the 1840s, the Hanford family expanded the Mill to also include a gristmill, feed mill, woodworking shop, and hardware store. Today, Hanford Mills Museum shows how mills, which were once common in rural towns, operated.
Make Your Own Crate In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Hanford Mills made thousands of wooden crates for local farms. Crates played a major role in shipping Delaware County’s food products. Farmers used the crates to transport vegetables and creameries used crates to ship dairy products. Enjoy making your own mini crate!
You will need: 10 long craft sticks, 16 medium craft sticks, glue Watch the video
Make Your Own Catapult Even the complicated power tools that we use today are made up of at least one simple machine. Simple machines (belts and pulleys, levers, wheels and axles, inclined planes, screws and wedges) operate everything from the sawmill at Hanford Mills, to the most technologically advanced robots. This catapult is a combination of two simple machines (a lever and a wedge). How far can you launch your cotton ball? You will need: 7 craft sticks, 7 rubber bands, 1 plastic spoon, 3 cotton balls Watch the video
Make Your Own Zine A zine is a mini-magazine. You can make a zine about anything that you want, but here are two ideas:
1. Living in Upstate New York gives us many wonderful opportunities to explore nature. At Hanford Mill Museum we share our site with raccoons, squirrels, chickadees, and deer. We also have many kinds of plants, including grass, maple trees, and cattails. And the Museum’s site is just one example of an animal habitat. With your zine, check out what is in your yard. What can you see? Use your zine as a journal and draw some of the different plants and animals you see!
2. Museums take care of important objects, both old and new, and share stories about them and the people who owned/used them. If you could make a museum using things at your house, what would you want to share with other people? Choose some items that are important to you and share them with drawings and/or write about their stories.
You will need: a sheet of paper, colored pencils, scissors Watch the video
Watch Luke Murphy, Hanford Mills Museum’s Education Coordinator, do this activity in the What I Learned Wednesday Pollution video posted on 4/22. Then, follow these instructions and try it out at home.
NOTE: This activity can get messy.
Materials:
Large bowl or tray
Smaller bowl
Spoon
Fork
Strainer
Clean water
A few tablespoons of crushed up crackers or other food
A few drops of liquid soap
A few tablespoons’ worth of small pieces of paper
Clock or timer
Paper towels
Instructions:
Pour water into the big bowl. Add crushed up crackers/food pieces, liquid soap, and pieces of paper to pollute the water.
Set a timer for 10 minutes (or watch the clock).
Use the fork, spoon, and strainer to clean up the water as much as you can. When you remove the pollutants from the water, place them in the second, smaller bowl so it makes less of a mess.
When the 10 minutes are up, place your tools down on the paper towels. Look at the water and how much pollution you were able to remove. How does it compare to the original clean water and the polluted water? Is this water still polluted?
Water is hard to clean. Even with the best equipment, cleaning is time consuming and expensive. The best way to keep pollutants out
of the water is to keep it clean in the first place: reducing, reusing, and recycling, and making sure our trash goes to the right place.
Bibliography: Would you like to learn more about pollution?
National Geographic. “Pollution.”
What I Learned Wednesdays feature Hanford Mills Museum Education Coordinator Luke Murphy presenting an interactive exploration. Join us Wednesdays at 11 am for a Facebook Live event on the Hanford Mills Museum Facebook Page. Ask questions, offer suggestions, and share your ideas. The videos are also posted on this page.
Have a topic you’d like Luke to talk about? Let us know. We look forward to connecting with you online, and bringing you the resources of Hanford Mills Museum. #MuseumatHome
July 16: Waterwheels Luke starts off in the basement of the mill, and tells us about the 1926 Fitz Overshot Waterwheel. Learn how waterwheels work, and see the 12 foot wide, 10 foot high waterwheel turn and provide power for the mill. Then, Luke shows us how to make a mini-waterwheel with 2 paper plates, paper cups, tape, glue, and a pencil (or dowel).
July 8: How do Ice Houses Work? Though Hanford Mills Museum is not yet open to the public, Luke is able to be on site and show us the ice house. Find out how this simple wooden structure can keep ice frozen for months. Luke also shows us how to make a model ice house out of cardboard. Experiment and see how it keeps ice from melting.
July 1: Steam Power Hanford Mills Museum is a great place to learn about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) but also a great place to learn about steam power. After using waterwheels for decades, the mill’s owners in 1895 brought in steam boiler and steam engines. Luke tells us about steam power at Hanford Mills, and then shows us how to make a model steam boiler out of cardboard. Watch on Facebook or click on the video below the historic photograph.
Boiler arriving at Hanford Mills in 1895. It was transported by horse and carriage from Oneonta, where is arrived by train.
May 27: What is a Museum? Luke tells us about museums and many of the things they do, especially Hanford Mills Museum. And, he shows us how to make a mini-magazine to showcase what you would like to feature in your personal museum. (You will need an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of paper and scissors)
May 20: Simple Machines Luke tells us about the six simple machines, and shows us how to make a mini-catapult. (You will need 7 craft sticks, 7 rubber bands, 1 plastic spoon, 3 cotton balls)
May 13: Dendrochronology How is that for a big word? Luke tells us about trees and “dendrochronology”, or tree-ring dating. “For the entire period of a tree’s life, a year-by-year record or ring pattern is formed that in some way reflects the climatic and environmental conditions in which the tree grew.” (source Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory). See what tree rings can tell us about tree growth, and make a tree-ring illustration of your life. (Luke shows us how). We can also this site for seeing which trees grow in each state.
May 6: Trains! Starting with their introduction in the 1800s, trains helped to connect people faster and further than ever before. Learn about trains in the Catskills, how they helped Hanford Mills, and how to make your own train whistle! Luke talks about how long it took to cross the country by train and how the speed of trains changed travel (here’s some more information and maps). He also talks about the Oneonta Roundhouse, which was the largest in the world, and how the image on Utah’s quarter features the locomotive Jupiter, which was built in Schenectady, NY.
Locomotive No. 10 Ulster & Delaware Railroad, circa 1900, stopped behind Hanford Mills. The mill building is on the left and the lumber shed is in the background on the right.
A boxcar is located behind the Feed Mill at Hanford Mills Museum to help us tell the story of the impact of the railroad on Hanford Mills and the community
April 29: Make-your-own Fossils Did you know that fossils from the world’s oldest forests are located not far from Hanford Mills Museum, in Gilboa and Cairo, New York? Luke tells us about these ancient forests, then shows us how to make “fossils” using flour, salt, coffee grinds and coffee. He also mentions the official fossil of New York State, the sea scorpion or Eurypterus Remipes.
April 22: Pollution It’s Earth Day, so Luke is talking about the importance of keeping the air, land and water clean. He has an activity that replicates water pollution, and the ways water can be cleaned up. Watch the video, then follow these instructions so you can do the “Trying to Clean Up” activity at home.
April 15:Renewable Power Find out about renewable power, and how it was used at Hanford Mills. Luke also shows us how to make a solar oven using things you may have at home, like a pizza box, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. The homemade solar oven can warm up a snack, like s’mores, or melt the cheese on your nachos.
April 8: Forests and Water Health We love to walk in the woods. Trees are amazing things. In addition to their beauty, they provide wildlife habitat, transform carbon dioxide into oxygen we can breathe, and are a natural resource, so we can have lumber, like we cut at Hanford Mills Museum. In this week’s “What I Learned Wednesday,” Luke tells us about another key role trees and forests play: keeping water clean. See how he uses chocolate syrup, ripped-up paper towels, and crushed cereal to show us how trees clean water! Luke also made an Activity Guide on Forests and Water Health that you can view online or print out at home. The Guide includes a supply list and directions for how to do an experiment at home. <
April 1: Dairy Find out what Hanford Mills made for Delaware County dairy farmers in the 19th century, learn some fun facts, and see how you can make butter at home. Dairy farms near Hanford Mills Museum include Clark Farms, a fifth-generation family farm, and Byebrook Farm, an eighth-generation family farm (you may know them from the delicious Gouda Cheese they sell at Hanford Mills events). Both operate stores on the farm where you can buy milk. For these and other Catskill farms, restaurants, and general stores that are open during the COVID 19 crisis, please see SisBoomYum.com, a collaboration of the MARK Project, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, and Great Western Catskills.
Make Butter at Home Want to make butter like Luke does in the video? You’ll need a couple tablespoons of heavy cream and a jar with a tight fitting lid. Luke uses baby food jars. Put the cream in the jar, make sure the lid is on tight, then shake. After a few minutes, the cream will solidify into butter. Try it out on a cracker.
March 25: Water and Water Power Almost 75 percent of the world is covered in water, but there’s only a small amount that we can drink. We have to protect the water we have. Water is not only important for drinking, but also for energy. Long before we had electricity or gasoline engines, water powered the machines at Hanford Mills, and still does 174 years later!
Watch this video to see the 10-foot high and 12-foot wide Fitz overshot waterwheel in action.
[May 2019 East Meredith, NY] Hanford Mills Museum is offering a monthly series of free programs for families. Free Family Saturdays offer special programming and free admission for adults who are accompanied by a child under 18. Free Family Saturdays will be held on May 25, June 15, July 20, and August 10.
“We envision Family Saturdays as an opportunity for families to spend time together and learn together,” says Liz Callahan, executive director of Hanford Mills Museum.
Free Family Saturdays are funded in part through a grant from Stewart’s Holiday Match. “We are grateful to Stewart’s Holiday Match and other funders that let us offer free admission for these programs. Hanford Mills is a wonderful place to learn about ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and science, and Free Family Saturdays help us to bring these lessons to new audiences,” says Callahan.
The theme for the first Free Family Saturday on May 25 is Life by the Pond. Visitors can explore the plants and animals living in and around the Mill pond. Children can make paper animals and miniature magazines about pond life. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic or a snack to enjoy on picnic tables by the Mill pond. Free Family Saturday activities run from 10 am to 4 pm, and the Museum site is open until 5 pm.
Future Family Saturday themes are: Working in the Mill, Science at the Mill, and Music at the Mill.
On Free Family Saturdays, up to two adults receive free admission when accompanied by a child under 18. Teens receive free admission as well.
Children under 13 always receive free admission to Hanford Mills, including festivals, like the Independence Day Celebration on July 4, Antique Engine Jamboree on September 7, and the Woodsmen’s Festival on October 5.
For more information, call Hanford Mills at 607/278-5744 or see hanfordmills.org.
About Hanford Mills Museum
Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site, which includes a sawmill, gristmill and woodworking shop. The mission of Hanford Mills Museum is to inspire audiences of all ages to explore connections among energy, technology, natural resources and entrepreneurship in rural communities with a focus on sustainable choices. The museum is listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.
Hanford Mills is located at 51 County Highway 12 in East Meredith, at the intersection of Delaware County Routes 10 & 12, just 10 miles from Oneonta, and 15 miles from Delhi. For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org or call 607-278-5744.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Liz Callahan 607/278-5744, [email protected]
New Season Begins May 15 at Hanford Mills Museum
[East Meredith, NY] A new season begins May 15 at Hanford Mills Museum. Guided tours will be offered Wednesdays through Sundays and feature demonstrations in the water-powered sawmill, gristmill, and woodworking shop. In addition to operating the 1926 Fitz overshot waterwheel and water turbines, on select days, the Museum operates its wood-fired steam boiler and steam engines. Tours last about two hours.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to Hanford Mills Museum and operating the water-powered mill,” says Museum Executive Director Liz Callahan. “We have had several upgrades and additions to the site, including a new metal roof on the Mill complex, a new stone log deck in the Mill yard, and the ongoing restoration of the boxcar, which helps us interpret the impact of the railroad on Hanford Mills.”
Visitors can also tour the Hanford House, barns and other outbuildings and view exhibits and a video. The Learning Lab offers young visitors a hands-on play space with blocks, gears, books, and more. Hanford Mills also has picnic tables and a shop stocked with Mill-made items, books, and local crafts.
Special events at Hanford Mills include the Independence Day Celebration on July 4, the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree & Powerfest on September 7, and the Woodsmen’s Festival on October 5. Free Family Saturdays, which offer free admission to adults who are accompanied by children under 18, will be offered on May 25, June 15, July 20, and August 10. Workshops are offered throughout the season, including a Fly Fishing School run by the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited on May 18, and the Steam Power 101 Workshop on June 8-9.
See the website for more information, hanfordmills.org.
Admission and Information
Children 12 and under receive free admission. Admission for adults and teens is $9; senior and AAA member admission is $7. First responders and members of the military receive half-price admission. Museum members and residents who live in zip codes (13757, 13739, 13786, 13750, and 13806) neighboring Hanford Mills receive free admission. Hanford Mills participates in the nationwide Museums for All program. Anyone with an EBT card receives free admission. See hanfordmills.org for additional discounts.
About Hanford Mills Museum
Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site, which includes a sawmill, gristmill and woodworking shop. The mission of Hanford Mills Museum is to inspire audiences of all ages to explore connections among energy, technology, natural resources and entrepreneurship in rural communities with a focus on sustainable choices. The museum is listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.
Hanford Mills is located at 51 County Highway 12 in East Meredith, at the intersection of Delaware County Routes 10 & 12, just 10 miles from Oneonta, and 15 miles from Delhi. For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org or call 607-278-5744.
From its start as a seasonal sawmill in the 1840s, the Hanford family expanded the Mill to also include a gristmill, feed mill, woodworking shop, and hardware store. Today, Hanford Mills Museum shows how mills, which were once common in rural towns, operated.
The Hanford Mills Museum Education Team offers a range of activities and projects to help families and students learn at home.
