Tag Archives: Dundee

The Little Land Between the Lakes

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Yates County has shoreline on Keuka Lake… and Seneca Lake… AND Canandaigua Lake. How cool is that?

It’s never had a magnet attraction like Watkins Glen State Park, or Watkins Glen International, or Corning Museum of Glass. But all that lakefront means that Yates gets plenty of company anyway, all summer long.

There’s a long-standing story that Red Jacket, the charismatic Seneca leader, was born in the Penn Yan area, where we even find Red Jacket Park. And we know that his mother lived nearby at the end of her life, but actually no one knows where Red Jacket was born.

Sullivan’s invasion rampaged through the region in 1779, killing and burning indiscriminately. Some of the first Europeans to muscle in permanently were followers of pioneer prophetess Jemima Wilkinson, the “Publick Universal Friend.” They came to Torrey in 1778, but later moved the center of their community to Jerusalem. Claiming to be (or at least, to have) a divine spirit, she ruled her flock imperiously until she “left time” in 1819, after which her following withered away.

They had worked hard and well, though, and Penn Yan grew largely from their labors. Lying at the foot of Keuka Lake, it became a busy transshipping town. By 1833 a canal, and then later a railroad, connected with Dresden (still in Yates) on Seneca Lake, and thence to the Erie Canal system and the entire world. Penn Yan and Hammondsport (in Steuben County) became rivals (sometimes friendly), but neither could get along without the other. Each was a vital link in Keuka’s transportation chain.

Yates was set off from Ontario County in 1823, and uninspiringly named for the governor who signed the enabling act. The county later gained land from Steuben, but lost to Tompkins and Seneca.

There are nine towns in Yates County (Starkey, Barrington, Torrey, Milo, Benton, Potter, Middlesex, Italy, and Jerusalem), including four incorporated villages, (Penn Yan, Dresden, Rushville, and Dundee). Branchport and Bellona are unincorporated communities.

Penn Yan is the largest town, the county seat, and a fun place to visit. The county fairgrounds are here, and Main Street is a good place to stroll and shop. There’s a “new book” store (Long’s Cards and Gifts) and two used book stores. Millie’s Pantry offers lunches and gifts, with proceeds making sure children get enough to eat.

Yates County History Center has, among other things, notable Jemima Wilkinson memorabilia, including her coachee (a cut-down carriage – she liked her comforts). Penn Yan also has a movie theater and a very nice Carnegie Library (one of very few in the region). This library has recently undergone significant renovations, though it still retains space for buggy parking. Branchport recently completed a brand-new library, plus there’s a library in Dundee and reading centers in Rushville and Middlesex.

Jerusalem is home to the dramatic Keuka Bluff, that high formation that juts out into the lake to form the East Branch and West Branch, both of which lie largely in Yates. The Bluff is home to Keuka Lake State Park and also to the jewel-box Garrett Chapel, a beautiful stone structure hidden in the forest overlooking the East Branch.

Yates County has two weekly newspapers (the Observer and the Chronicle-Express), not to mention Keuka College (founded 1890) and a public-use airport. As traditional family farms have gone out, conservative “plain-dress” anabaptists have moved in. It’s no surprise that vineyards line much of the lakeshores. The wonderful Keuka Outlet Trail stretches from Penn Yan on Keuka Lake to Dresden on Seneca.

Yates is a small county, and sadly easy to overlook. Lacking a magnet attraction it’s not necessarily the place people visit for short stays. But people make homes there. And they stay the summers. The little land between the lakes is not Brigadoon. But in the depths of World War II Arch Merrill observed that Penn Yan was a good community – the kind of place where you could ride out the storm.

Welcome to the Windmill

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I figure we missed the 2013 AND 2014 seasons at least… what with heart attacks, broken ankles, and more scattered around the family. But all three of us had the day off on July 3, and it was a beautiful day, so we went to The Windmill.
We always enjoy our trip, but the sunny sky, mild temperature, and light breeze made one of those perfect Finger Lakes summer days. What more could we ask for?
The Windmill bills itself as the first and friendliest farm and craft market in Upstate New York, and I’m willing to believe it. Parking’s free, admission’s free, and visitors find about 200 shops and vendors. That’s up from 89 on opening day twenty-eight years ago.
On their second day of operation (Saturday, July 4, 1987) traffic backed up for five miles in each direction.
That doesn’t happen much any more, but eight or ten thousand people drop by on a typical Saturday. From the start conservative Mennonites have been a key component of the operation; there’s a horse and buggy parking lot here, as well as lots for cars and motor coaches.
Right from the first discussion The Windmill was planned as an outlet for local producers and local craftspeople. So there’s all sorts of seasonal produce, depending on what’s coming in that week. There’s also honey; maple syrup; HICKORY syrup; cheese; pies; bread; wine; cider; beef… you name it.
PLUS… t-shirts, quilts, fabrics, kitchenware, woodwork, leathercraft, wool (from both sheep and alpaca)… you name it.
We weren’t having lunch that day, so we contented ourselves with soft pretzels and yellow mustard. Otherwise we might have indulged at one of several places, including Valhalla (Building 3), where Erik and I like the hot dogs, or Klute’s Kitchen (Building 2), which makes a good omelet with a nice choice of meats.
We started out at Building 3 (where Brittany’s Cove gets a gold star for carrying several of my historic photo books about the Finger Lakes… drop in and see her), then worked carefully through Building 4, because Joyce was planning on buying some produce. I checked out a couple of antique shops, where I was impressed with the number of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins books. No copies, unfortunately, of Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.
After that we ambled over to Building 2 and stopped at Clute’s Maple to sample some of that hickory syrup. We used to make our own maple syrup, so we’re always interested in such things. It was good, and we liked it, but after considerable discussion we decided not to buy a jar just yet – it’s mostly used in cooking, and we couldn’t see that we’d make adequate use of it. We’re bearing it in mind, though, for a future visit.
Then we strolled across the way to Building 1, where more soft pretzels are available, in addition to a Gluten Free store and several shops for fudge and candy. There’s Faithful Heart Books, and The Quilt Room, in keeping with the Amish/Mennonite background.
At the north end of the Street of Shops the Dundee Steel Band was entertaining, and they’re always fun to listen to. We wandered up and down the boardwalk and into shops that caught our fancy, looking at heavy woolen socks (go back in the fall), railroading souvenirs (birthday gift for a family member), a wooden porch glider, children’s books, paintings and prints of the Finger Lakes, a huge selection of Corelle and CorningWare (in case you need to replace some pieces).
You never know what you’re going to turn up in the south end at the Street of Shops, which sometimes takes on sort of flea market feel. I once bought a VHS of “Things to Come” the 1930s cult-classic science fiction movie starring Ralph Richardson and Raymond Massey. So like I say, you never know.
On our way out we circled back to Building 4, where Joyce bought fresh potatoes, strawberries, and rhubarb (her rhubarb pies are great, worthy of my Aunt Eleanor, who was renowned for her pies and pickles). I’m still burning a candle for the hickory syrup.
Some odds-and-ends notes:
*The windmill is dog-friendly, and several vendors have outside spigots and bowls for water.
*People get thirsty too. Several vendors have honor-system coolers out front with cans of soda and bottles of water.
*The Windmill sponsors a classic car show every spring, and another every fall. The next one will be October 10. We’ve been, it’s fun.
*The Windmill is open every Saturday from the last Saturday of April through the second Saturday of December… plus Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July (third of July this year).
*Admission is free, and operating hours are from 8:00 to 4:30.
*The web site is www.thewindmill.com.
*It’s in a very pleasant location, on the height between Keuka and Seneca Lakes… less than half an hour from Watkins Glen, Hammondsport, Penn Yan, or Bath.
*You should go. It’s a cool place to visit.