Title: Eaton history preserved
Author: Mike Jaquays
Publisher: Mid-York Weekly
Date: 5/14/09
"The history of Eaton just goes on and on," says Madison County historian Back Street Mary Messere, and she recently completed a decade-in-the-making definitive look at the old days of the town in her new book simply titled "Eaton."
It was the lack of accurate and complete information that sent Back Street Mary, the author of seven locally published books, on her historical preservation mission. She decided to preserve the tale of Eaton for future generations in an effort "to show people how much history our little hamlet and town has, considering it was maligned at the turn of the century and much history on the town was omitted from different history books - or changed," she explained.
The volume, the latest in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series, is the result of 10 years of extensive research, Messere said. Recalling the days when the town was hailed as the "sparkling jewel" of Madison County thanks to its scenic lakes and reservoirs that fed the Chenango Canal, the book visits such familiar local luminaries as writer Emily Chubbuck Judson, humorist Melville Landon - better known as Eli Perkins, and Samuel Chubbuck, the inventor of early equipment for Samuel Morse's telegraph.
There are pictures and stories of the Chenango Canal, early turnpikes, and steam engines made famous by Wood, Taber and Morse's Steam Engine Works.
Messere founded the Neighbors for Historic Eaton in 1995, and has served as chairperson for 12 years. She is also the president of Old Town Folks Inc. and has been the curator for its Old Town of Eaton Museum for the past six years. Back Street Mary's name is also familiar to local newspaper readers, thanks to her enlightening articles that have run for more than 10 years.
Sales of the book benefit the repair fund of the Old Town of Eaton Museum. Copies are available at Dougherty's Pharmacy in Morrisville, the Colgate Bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or through Messere's Web site at www.madisoncountyhistorian.org.
Back Street Mary will appear at the New Woodstock Historical Society on May 18, and will have a book signing at the Old Town of Eaton Museum on Memorial Day Monday. Watch this paper for news of a future signing at the Colgate Bookstore as it is announced.
Title: Eaton History Book Is Launched
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: Madison County Courier
Date: 6/3/09
The Colgate Bookstore will host a book launch and reception for Mary Messere (a.k.a. "Back Street Mary") to celebrate the publication of the new pictorial history book Eaton (Images of America) on Thursday, June 25 at 7 p.m. on the first floor of the Colgate Bookstore, 3 Utica Street. The event is free and open to the public.
Once called the "sparkling jewel" of Madison County because of its many scenic lakes and reservoirs, the town and hamlet of Eaton have played an important role in central New York history. As part of the "Images of America" series from Arcadia Press, Eaton captures this history through archival photographs and stories of the Chenango Canal and its reservoirs, early turnpikes, the Morse family, Eaton's famous inventors and writers, Eaton schools, and other essential pieces of town history.
Mary Messere founded the Neighbors of Historic Eaton in 1995 and has been chairman for 12 years. She is also the president of Old Town Folks, Inc. and has been the curator for its Old Town of Eaton Museum for the past six years. For more than 10 years, under the pen name "Back Street Mary" she has written a popular weekly column for the Madison County newspapers, and currently serves as the Madison County historian.
Title: Madison County historian shares town of Eaton's history in new book
Author: Alaina Potrikus
Publisher: Madison County News
Date: 4/23/09
Madison County historian Mary Messere said she could have written hundreds ofÕ7MessereÕ pages about the history of the town of Eaton. But she was confined to 18,000 words by the publisher of her first national book, which will hit bookshelves next week.
"The book could have been three or four times that size," she said Friday.
"Eaton," part of the Arcadia Press series "Images of America," includes 120 photographs that tell the story of the town and hamlet that played an important role in the history of Madison County.
The book includes tales of women's writer Emily Chubbuck Judson; humorist Melville Landon, better known to the world as Eli Perkins; and Samuel Chubbuck, inventor and the maker of the early telegraph equipment for Samuel Morse's telegraph.
A release from the publisher promises that the book "captures the history of this once-thriving community through pictures and stories of the Chenango Canal, early turnpikes, and steam engines made famous by Wood, Taber and Morse's Steam Engine Works."
Messere, who has published through local presses in the past, said she was excited to share her research with readers across the country.
"These are pieces of our local history that people can enjoy," she said. "And some of it is national history; so many famous people came from Eaton."
Proceeds from the book will benefit the restoration of the Old Town of Eaton Museum, where Messere is the curator.
The book will debut Saturday at the Writers' Jubilee at the Edward R. Andrews Elementary School in Morrisville. It will hit bookstores Monday, and will also be available at Messere's Web site, www. madisoncountyhistorian.org.
Alaina Potrikus can be reached at apotrikus@syracuse.com or 470-3252.
Title: Back Street Mary signing books Thursday in Hamilton
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: The Ondeida Daily Dispatch
Date: 6/22/09
The Colgate Bookstore will host a book launch and reception for Mary Messere (a.k.a. "Back Street Mary") to celebrate the publication of the new pictorial history book Eaton (Images of America) on Thursday, June 25 at 7 p.m. on the first floor of the Colgate Bookstore, 3 Utica St. The event is free and open to the public.
Once called the "sparkling jewel" of Madison County because of its many scenic lakes and reservoirs, the town and hamlet of Eaton have played an important role in central New York history. As part of the "Images of America" series from Arcadia Press, Eaton captures this history through archival photographs and stories of the Chenango Canal and its reservoirs, early turnpikes, the Morse family, Eaton's famous inventors and writers, Eaton schools, and other essential pieces of town history.
Messere founded the Neighbors of Historic Eaton in 1995 and has been chairman for 12 years. She is also the president of Old Town Folks, Inc. and has been the curator for its Old Town of Eaton Museum for the past six years. For more than 10 years, under the pen name "Back Street Mary" she has written a popular weekly column for the Madison County newspapers, and currently serves as the Madison County historian.
The Colgate Bookstore is Central New York's largest independent, downtown bookstore; it is proudly owned and operated by Colgate University, a highly selective, residential, liberal arts college, founded in 1819, which enrolls nearly 2,750 undergraduates.