The woolen mill of A. F. Conger burned in 1872. The Gowanda Union Free School burned ,down on August 9, 18 7 4. This led to the construction of a new school, known as the ''Gowanda Academy", in 187 6. While the new school was being built, school sessions were held in the Welch Block. The Gowanda Academy was a brick building that cost $18,000. The Barker House, which had been built when the old Lodi I-louse was burned in the fire of 18 5 6, was itself destroyed by fire in 1875. The Hanford Building and H. N. Hooker's block was burned at the same time, the total loss of this fire being estimated at $35,000.

The ''Centennial Year" in Gowanda was long remembered for its freak weather. New Year's Day in 1876 was such a summer day that a celebration parade was organized and a baseball game was played at Cherry Creek. The Gowand,a Cornet Band, in costume, rode in a hayrack drawn by two teams of oxen and followed by fifty men on horseback. It was so warm the ladies of the village carried their summer parasols.

But the conditions were sharply the reverse the followingJanuary, 1877. The railroad was completely blocked with snow on January 20th and trains from New York and the West were delayed as much as a week. There was no outgoing or incoming mail for many days at a time .

Hi Henry, who was for so .many years America's premier minstrelist, was a Gowanda boy who made good in a big way-and despite his nation-wide fame, always regarded Gowanda as his home.

Hiram Henry was born in 1845 in .a house on East Main Street where the Parochial School is now located. He was the son of Elisha Henry, one of Gowanda's pioneer merchants. His talents for the show business were manifested at an early age, for he was constantly arranging a show of one kind or another and he was sure to have an admittance even if it were only a few coppers.

Cats, dogs, snakes, woodchucks, tame crows and any other representative of the animal kingdom that he could lay his hands on were caged for these performances. By the time of the Centennial, Hi Henry's minstrels had a nation-wide following. He was regarded as

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one of he finest cornet soloists of his day. On the occasion of his last performance at Elkhart, Indiana , before leaving for Philadelphia, the famous instrument makers, Conn & Dupont, presented him with a splendid gold cornet. This was on April 21, 1876.

The Erie Railroad built a switch on property owncd by Mary Pratt on Park Street to accomdate Hi Henry's special railroad coach when it was ''summered'' in Gowanda. George Howard, the cabinet maker, was employed to repair and redecorate the car each year.

Among his other Gowanda exploits, Hi Henry had the distinction of bringing the first safety bicycle to the village. It was nickel plated and caused a great amount of astonishment. And it was also Hi Henry-in 1892- who astounded the Gowandians of that time with their first automobile. It was a buggy-like car with a small steam whistle and Hi Henry. would sure toot it up as he used the car to head thc parade of his minstrel troup through the streets.

Following the parade the band and minstrel troup would assemble in a circle at the village square for the concert that would always conclude with Hi Henry's cornet solo. And it was

always the same piece-Home Sweet Home . Hi Henry died in New York City at the age of 75 in 1920.

There was considerable substantial construction during the year of 1876. J. E. Van Deusen and Silas Vinton built a brickyard near the old railroad depot and obtained the contract for making the brick for the new schoolhouse. H. N. Hooker put up a three story building on West Main Street at a cost of $8,000. (The Hooker Building was subsequently acquired by Richard Wilhelm and occupied by the Ritz Drug store, Wallace Clothing and the Papagorge confectionery store.) Judge William Woodbury built a brick home at the southwest corner of Chapel and West Main Streets.

The reincorporation of the village took place in July 1878 when the boundaries were extended to include Hidi. The election that fall resulted in the following selections

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Gaining Stablility

BY 1880 the population of Gowanda had passed the thousand mark, the census for that year totalling 1,243. From 1880 to 1890 Gowanda experienced a great many develop­ments of stabilizing value in the life and growth of the village. These advancements were of economic, industrial and civic signi­ficance and had a direct bearing on the im­mediate and future progress of the community.

For one thing the ever-present and oft recurring fire menace was brought under con­trol by the establishment of a city fire depart­ment in 1884. This had been agitated for years but a fire that destroyed Torrance's grist mill and Dean's saw mill on February 3rd of

that year, again threatening a village-wide holocaust, convinced the citizens that the problem could no longer be deferred.

Consequently at a special election held on March 5th, the proposal for a fire department was carried by a vote of 146 to 11. This em­powered the village trustees to expend not more than $5,000. The original equipment consisted of a steam fire engine, two hose carts and 1,000 feet of hose at a cost of $3,200. Frank C. Vinton was the first fire chief.

It was also a period of considerable church and civic construction. The Gowanda Opera House and Skating Rink was completed in 1884. It was an imposing if somewhat boxlike

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