Most of us are acquainted with places with the Ellicott name: Ellicottville, Ellicott Creek, the town of Ellicott, the Ellicott Building, various Ellicott Roads, etc. On Wednesday, the Historical Association of Lewiston will bring Joseph Ellicott to life with a 7 p.m. re-enactor presentation at Lutheran Church of the Messiah Fellowship Hall, 915 Oneida St., Lewiston.
Ellicott and the Holland Land Company are names that are interwoven in local history with Ellicott’s name found in all of the corners of Western New York. But there is so much more to learn about this man who was a key figure surveying and selling land in Western New York in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Additionally, for many, his name is synonymous with the Holland Land Company and the development of the western end of New York. Dennis Upton will take attendees back to 1824 as he portrays Joseph Ellicott.
Upton is a retired teacher who has had considerable stage experience in various performing venues. A few years ago he was asked to put together a presentation to portray Ellicott that has developed more completely into a first-person historical portrayal of his life. The informative presentation will be told first-person to the listeners using maps and artifacts as though it takes place in 1824 during Ellicott’s final hours spent in Western New York before he was sent down the Erie Canal, which Ellicott was instrumental in bringing through Western New York, to an institution in New York City.
This community event is free and open to all but donations are greatly appreciated to help support our museum, refreshments will be served.