When I walked through Beaver Island State park on November 7, I took pictures of the exterior of River Lea, which was President Grover Cleveland summer home. The building was closed so I did not get a chance to go inside.On March 9, I got my opportunity. I went with members of the Friends of […]

Curt Nestark, president of the Grand Island Historical Society, displays a painting by James Montanari, who was an artist in residence when Zora and Edward Hussey owned River Lea. The couple acquired the house in 1908, and they provided a home for two artists, Montanari and Eugene M. Dyczkowski, to give them the opportunity to

This picture was taken in the bathroom at River Lea.

Folks in the 19th century had to go to the bathroom, just like us! This is what their bathroom might have looked like. It must have involved a good deal of work to lug all of that water upstairs to fill up the bathtub!!!

This is a replica of the earliest post office in Grand Island. W. Cleveland Allen, son of Lewis Allen, was Grand Island’s first postmaster.

This is what you see as you’re heading up the stairs at River Lea.

This is one of two silver services that were donated to River Lea. The wheeled cart on which the silver service is displayed is the type of cart that would be used for tea parties and similar functions.

If you were to take a tour of River Lea, this is the first room that you would see. It is full of interesting memorabilia of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The mannequin is especially interesting, mainly because of her size. She is unusually skinny! The fashion statement that she is sporting would

Yesterday morning, I suddenly got the urge to take a picture of myself coming and going, so to speak… well, at least, the impressions of my feet coming and going.At this point, winter is showing no sign of ending… and the snow keeps on coming… and, sometimes, it glitters beneath the sunlight or the moonlight