Ilion High School - Class of 1891

The Herkimer Evening Telegram - November 3, 1956

Do-It-Yourself Old Stuff for Woman, 82

Article 4

Photo caption 1

EARLY STOCK CLERKS. This group of women were the first group of women at the Remington Typewriter factory in Ilion in the receiving department as stock clerks in 1892-3 shown with Milton Bellinger. From left to right, front row, Augusta Flanders, Margaret Mentz Brow n, Milton Bellinger, Nellie Herrick Steele, Kate Brandon Loefler; standing, Lena R. Rivers, Eleanor Patterson Rix, Kate Hoefler.

Photo caption 2

SHE CARRIED SWORD. This sword, carried by the captain of the Girls Military Club organized in Ilion in 1890 is the only momento Miss Lena Rivers, 82, has to remind her she was the only captain the unit ever had. But her memories cover many interesting events before turn of the century. She was one of the first women to work for Remington Typewriter Co. (Staff Photo)

Do-It-Yourself Old Stuff for Woman, 82
By ARLENE ABRAMS

Ilion - The current "do-it-yourself-method" may be new to many, but it is an old story for Miss Lena Rivers, 48 S. Third Ave., who began doing things for herself many years ago and is once more "getting ready for winter" at 82.

This week Miss Rivers, despite her advanced age, is painting and repairing windows for "the long cold days ahead.” She said she is grateful she learned how years ago and is, she admits, somewhat astounded at how long some of the younger generation took to “find out how much one can do for oneself, if a might to."

When her father, Alonso A. Rivers, Ilion's last Civil War veteran, was living. Miss Rivers was his helper for many repair jobs around the home. She recalled a hail storm in June one year that "literally broke every window in Ilion."

The Rivers home had every window pane on the north side broken and after they were able to buy up an ample supply of panes from the N. J. Newth Hardware Store, Miss Rivers and her father went to work.

The job took almost a week, she recalls, but she learned to fix window which has proved helpful since.

In her younger days the life of Miss Rivers (called Aunt Lena by most everyone who knows her) may have been overshadowed by having such a famous father, but she likes to recall the events that made him happy.

Captained Girl's Military Club

Meanwhile she has had a completely unusual and gratifying life of her own, including participation in the Girl's Military Club organized around 1889.

Miss Rivers was the only captain the club ever had with around 27 teen-age girls. The club performed on Memorial Days, participated in parades and on one occasion directed and produced a play, "Bread On The Waters," to raise funds for the club.

The play was presented in the Thomas Opera House and the Military Club presented tableaus and gave silent drills between the acts.

Susie Coleman, one of the exceptional singers of the era, was the soloist for the evening and the funds went toward the purchase of equipment used to make the squad outstanding.

In 1891 while the Girl's Military Club was at its height, Miss Rivers graduated from Morgan St. School and although she continued with the club it was resolved to memories of the past.

Not too many of her school chums are left but the valedictorian of the same gradating class is a popular figure in Frankfort. She is Mrs. Katherine Cameron, the former Katherine Osterhout, Miss Rivers said.

Early Rand Worker

Not too many of her school chums are left but the valedictorian of the same gradating Miss Rivers was one of the first women to work for Remington Typewriter Co., now Remington Rand. Her first job was in the receiving room in 1891 when she was 17.

She later took a three month stenography course from Mrs. Schuyler, Utica, and from then on was launched on her career.

First with a rented typewriter, she was hired by Charlie Thomas, Herkimer, to make a report of an estate and later hired out to the Horrocks Desk Co. also in Herkimer.

Her brother, Ren, living in Hartford, Conn., offered her the opportunity to leave Ilion for a while and sh was soon a member of the staff at the American Publishing Co. in Hartford.

Her return to Ilion was marked by employment in the Remington Arms and she admits, "it may have been the noise of bullets discharging that led me to change but I soon went back to the Typewriter, this time in purchasing for Frank Peter Best."

Her memory of Best revolved around his dictation of letters which never had an address. She soon memorized the addresses of many persons who were in correspondence with him. This, she said "was to save time."

The urge to travel came shortly after she met a relative of the manager of the Piercefield International Paper Co. and was offered a position.

Leaving Ilion in the fall, Miss Rivers went by train as far as Tupper Lake Junction and by wagon the rest of the trip to Piercefield, she recalls.

60 Below Zero

She recalls the weather was severely cold with temperature dropping to 60 below zero that winter, but she stayed through "frozen ink and frozen glue" episodes and in March was awakened by the cold one night to discover snow had seeped through a screen and her head was "nearly snowed under."

"That was when I decided to come home," Miss Rivers said.

Not one to remain idle, Miss Rivers accepted an appeal from David Cook of the Acme Road Machine Company "to get his books in order."

This job lasted around eight months with one memorable event. An office had been built to replace the old one and shelves were built around the room. After the desks and equipment had been moved, Miss Rivers was settled at her desk one day when a mouse fell from one of the shelves onto her typewriter. Because she "had little love for one of the little fellows," she relinqudshed the typewriter and until her job was completed found little comfort wondering when she would have "to share with a mouse" again.

Ilion was the scene of many memorable events, Miss Rivers said, recalling the "blizzard of 88 we were snowed in for a week."

"With Lily Kittams Clive, I braved the snow and we waded down town after being inside for a weak" she said.

Although she is now a member of the Episcopal Church, it was her family that played an important part in the organization of the Baptist Church.

Miss River's grandfather, Nicholas Steele, was one of the 13 persons who organized the Baptist Church and Steele's Creek in the vicinity of Dr. Volney Becker's was the scene of many early baptisms.

Miss Rivers was born in Ilion Mar. 8, 1874 on West St. in the family home located back of the Methodist Church, one of four children of Alonzo Rivers.

The only one to remain single, Miss Rivers was very close to her parents. After her mother's death in 1914 she spent most of her time looking after her father.

She also helped with her brother's children, keeping two of them in Ilion when he went to California for his health but in 1915 he, too, died and the children rejoined the mother.

During the years that followed, she said, "father spent many hours playing pool at the Masonic Temple or Bisique (a card game) with his friends in the club rooms over Hall's pharmacy (now the site of the Rexall Drug store on Otsego St.

On Jan. 6, 1941, just five days before his 95th birthday, her father died and since then Miss Rivers has remodeled the home into a two-family dwelling and for the past four or five years has rented the downstairs to a nephew, Alonzo Rivers.

She is a charter member of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, was a member of the Altar Guild of the church and still holds membership in Myrtle Chapter Order of the Eastern Star.

However, since last year she does not get out and so spends many hours looking at old pictures, newspaper clippings and other reminders of her more active days.