Archive: News

Communities are evolving entities.  Changes occur on every level of society.  Generations of settlers in this region have made their imprint on the landscape of our area.  Over the past 200 years, forests have been cut down and turned into fields.  Clay, salt and other minerals have been dug and mined from the ground.   These raw materials were sent to mills and factories where they were made into lumber, brick, glass and other building supplies.  With these products, houses, barns, schools, businesses and churches were built.
 
At the peak of prosperity, there were some half dozen mills along Salmon Creek. One room school houses, country churches, old homesteads and barns dotted our landscape.  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these structures represented the prosperity of our region.  Sadly, most of these structures have disappeared from our landscape as a result of neglect, natural causes, and the need to make room for new and improved structures. 

	Editor's Note: The Lansing Star maintains a Web site dedicated to Lansing's diminishing architectural history.  Visit www.LansingHistory.com to see the beginnings of this site.  If you have pictures that you are willing to share, please drop a note to the editor .

Several years ago, the Beardsley Building was torn down.  The structure had been built in the mid- 1820’s and served as a Post Office for many years.  It later became a General Store, and then evolved into a gathering place for the community.  It was abandoned and eventually fell into neglect.  From a historical perspective, it was a real gem with a rich history.  It was an important part of our past, but with little interest from the community in saving it, it too became another footnote in our regional history. 
 
So what defines a community?  How do we keep our identity and its core sense of values without being mired in a nostalgic past?  Certainly, part of the answer lies in being good stewards of our resources and wealth, managing them for the benefit of all.  We must look forward to a future that holds promise for the next generation as well.   

Alongside of this notion, there is a need to preserve, in some way, our community’s past.  Documents, photos, and recorded interviews represent an important part of the archival process.  But there must be some mandate to preserve the physical structures of our past as well.  Certainly, not every home, barn, school and business can escape the march of progress, but there are opportunities where we, as citizens of Lansing, can make decisions now to ensure the past will be preserved for future generations.

The North Log Cabin has received a lot of print over the years, not to mention a trip to Auburn in the 1950’s.  It is the oldest surviving log cabin in Tompkins County, a real piece of living history. It is now back in the Town of Lansing, disassembled, and partially protected from the elements. 

As with most issues in this community, there are several opinions about the significance of this structure.  Our town has a deep and rich history.   Over the years, dedicated individuals have given their time and expertise to record, preserve, and ensure this history for future generations.  We now have an opportunity to continue in that same tradition and rebuild the North Log Cabin in our town.  Our great-grandchildren will be glad we did, and that is to the point.  

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