THE STORY OF VALENTOWN: Echoes From a Town That Never Existed

Valentown is a town in Ontario County, New York…..that never existed. Yet, it is an important chapter in the local history of rural America. This documentary explores the historical path of a unique structure that was built to be the town center - Valentown Hall. It explores the progress from its exciting concept and construction by Levi Valentine as a center of commerce, entertainment, and education in the 1870’s, to its role as part of the national grange into the first part of the twentieth century. The documentary also chronicles the decline, near demolition, and eventual rescue and restoration of the hall by Sheldon Fisher as a historical museum. You’ll also learn how the current custodians of the museum envision its future use as an important community resource for preserving the history of local agriculture, hometown business, and the entrepreneurial spirit of America. CHAPTERS: 00:18 Title 01:09 Location, location, location 02:43 Samuel Valentine Builds a Farm 03:59 The Railroad Comes to Valentine’s Farm 05:46 Levi Valentine Builds a Grand Hall 09:02 Valentine Hall Thrives 10:10 Bad News Arrives From The Railroad 11:00 Valentown Hall Without Valentown 11:53 Sheldon Fisher Saves the Hall from Demolition 13:26 Modern Commercial Development Encroaches on Valentown Hall 14:26 The Grange National Movement and The Victor Grange 16:27 Oliver Kelley’s Solution For The Farmer 18:23 Values of the National Grange in Modern America 18:47 “Potato Capital of the World” 21:18 Modern Use of the Hall and Future Vision 22:26 Outro 23:03 Credits Please visit and support the Historic Valentine Museum! http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/