structure, exteriorly, that was excellently arranged and furnished inside. Its location was on West Main Street approximately to the rear ofthe present Gowanda Cooperative Saving and Loan Association. The Opera House stood until 1924 and was the center of Gowanda's civic, cultural and social affairs for , forty years.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church was built on Erie Avenue in 1887. The Holy Cross Cemetery in connection with the Church, was dedicated in 884. The Lutheran Church, also on Erie Avenue, was built in 1883 and dedicated on November 25th of that year.

There were many industrial developments during this decade. Oliver B. Van Deusen moved to Gowanda in 1881 and started a coal business with his son, J . E. Van Deusen, the station agent. The Gowanda Canning ComJlany was organized in 1882 and the Gowanda Preserving Company was started the same yc:ar. F. D. Hall also engaged in the manufacture of pumps that year, later being owned by Joseph Kehrer. Alanson and Samuel Keyes formed the Gowanda Agricultural Works in

1885 on property formerly owned by Sellew& Popple which included the foundry started by James Locke in 1832.

The roller flour mill of Sax L. Shepflin was put in operation that year. Alanson Derby built a grist mill at Hidi in 1889 and in 1890 the Owens Tannery was purchased by Gaensslen Brothers.

Gowanda celebrated its first Memorial Day in 1883. The ceremonies were in charge of Darby Post, No. 3 59, G. A. R. and the parade to the Pine Hill Cemetery was the longest procession of any previous village event. It was headed by the Gowanda Cornet Band and in addition to the veterans included the pupils of the Gowanda Academy and many fraternal organizations.

Gowanda had its first telephone during this decade. It was built by William R. Smallwood, who constructed the Lincoln building, to operate from the jewelry store to his home. Out of this came the first telephone system in the village, managed by Mr. Smallwood, with the exchange in the rear of his store. It soon outgrew these quarters and was moved to the floor above.

Among the far-reaching stabilizing factors

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of this time was the establishment of Gowanda's two financial institutions that have exerted such a fundamentally helpful influence on the expansion and well-being of the communty ever since.

The Bank of Gowanda opened its doors on April 4, 1881. Harry N. Hooker was the first president; C. C. Torrance, vice-president; and William H. Bard, who was the active head of the bank for more than fifty years, was the first cashier. Mr. Bard had become interested in the possibilities of such a bank while he was employed by the Bank of Ellicottville and read an advertisement that John S. Bartlett was closing his private banking business in Gowanda because of ill health.

The new bank took over the Bartlett bank and its location in the present Whiting Building, then owned by Torrance and Allen. It had a paid-in capital of $9,000 with thirteen co-partners with a joint supporting liability of $400,000. The bank continued under this partnership until it was incorporated in November, 1889. At that time Franklin E. Bard, son of William H. Bard, who had been working in the bank after school hours, was promoted to assistant cashier. He later succeeded

his father as president while in 1916, S. A. Neilson became the active head and carries on the high standards of the institution into the present time.

Other prominent Gowandians who have served the bank as directors include Albert Gaensslen, Sr., H. R. Gaensslen, Henry L. Moench, Martin H. Woodin, Richard Wilhelm, Fred J. Blackmon, George J. Mentley, Daniel B. Forbush, Franklin J. Herdeg, Stanley A. Neilson, C. W. Gulley.

The organization of the Gowanda Cooperative Saving and Loan Association took place at a meeting of local people in the Lincoln & Wilber office on September 21, 1889. Fred J. Blackmon, J. E. Van Deusen and J. S. Torrance were appointed a committee to draft by-laws for the association, which had as · its objectives the provision of a safe investment for the share-holders and the encouragement of savings and loans for home building or home improvement purposes.

The first officers were A. C. Stafford, President;) oho P. Romer, Vice-president; William H. Bard, Treasurer; George I. Lincoln. Secre-

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ary and Fred J. Blackmon, Attorney. Albert Gaensslen, Sr., was one of the original directors.

The first loan granted was for $375.00 to George Schlotzer. Prudence was the watch, word from the start, an office being rented from J. S. Torrance at $35 per year, the secretary was paid an initial salary of 96 cents per week, and it was decided to run an advertisement in the Gowanda Herald at a cost not to exceed 25 cents per week. The first year's reportt showed resources of $982.73. Franklin J. Herdeg became the secretary-manager of the Association in 1892 and was later elected president, continuing as the active directional head of the bank until his death in 1934

This was also the year—1889—when Gowanda gained its present iron bridge. With the departure of the old covered bridge went the memories of many years. It had served the

Gowanda district well, having been in use for 2 7 years, but its timbers were deteriorating and it was declared unsafe. The new structure was also urgently needed to take care of the increasing traffic and the heavier loads that better wagon building was making customary.

The new bridge was a sturdy, iron structure. It was built by The Graton Bridge and Manufacturing Company and was a thoroughly professional structure. The bridge itself cost $7,796 and the entire cost of removing the wooden bridge, placing new abutments and erecting the 153 foot iron span was $13,000.

Thus the sense of stability that the village had been gaining in so many ways was reflected and symbolized in the coming of this iron bridge which could not burn and had the strength of sinew to be above the vagaries of storms, floods or freshets. It was clearly a good omen for the culminating half century of advancement which will be briefly encompassed in the final pages of this book.

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