The Esperance Historical Society is dedicating a Memorial Tree at the Village Commons in honor and memory of those who started the historical society and museum over 50 years ago.

The May 30 ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at 123 Church St.  Refreshments will follow the dedication.

The society and museum was the idea of town justice and historian Archie C. Montanye who contacted the village officers in 1968 when it was announced the village school was closing after teacher Helen Rockwell Montanye retired. The village mayor and trustees approved the idea of turning the schoolhouse into a museum to be operated by a historical society.

Montanye called a meeting at the Methodist Church to see if there was local interest in forming a historical society. Forty people attended the organizational meeting, and a committee was formed to draft bylaws made up of William T. Avery, Dorothy R. Edwards, and Kenneth Dekay.

A month later, the bylaws were approved, and temporary officers were elected: President George H. Montanye, Vice President William T. Avery, Secretary Linda Young, Corresponding Secretary Dorothy Edwards, and Treasurer Richard Paul.

In the spring of 1969, the schoolhouse was turned over to the historical society and the collecting of artifacts began. A permanent set of officers was elected in 1969, the date referenced as the beginning of the society. They were: President Dorothy R. Edwards, Vice President Marion Jones, Recording Secretary Linda Young, Corresponding Secretary Averil Paul, Treasurer Richard Paul, and Curator Fred Lape.

The museum opened on June 20, 1970, with an address by Dr. Neal W. Allen Jr., a history professor at Union College; Robert B. Shafer, retired supervising principal of Duanesburg High School, was the master of ceremonies. In 1970 the officers were: President Dorothy Edwards, Vice President Nadine Stanton, Recording Secretary Linda Young, Corresponding Secretary Beatrice Hayman, Treasurer Kathie Rockwell, and Curator Fred Lape.

— Submitted by Ken Jones