Vincent Minford Powers

(1891-1966)

Historic plaque honoring Vincent M. Powers 

Moore Park

Westfield, New York 

Vincent Minford Powers was born June 6, 1891 in Westfield, New York (Chautauqua County).  He died October 19, 1966 at the age of 75 in New York City. In his early teens, Vincent Powers went to Canada where he worked at the Fort Erie Race Track as an exercise rider.  That job led to his career as a jockey, the training for which came when he was managed by future Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer, John Nixon.

In 1908 and 1909, Powers earned national riding championships when he won more races than any other jockey in United States flat racing.  In 1917, he became the first jockey in American racing to win a National Championship in both steeplechase (jump racing) and flat racing. 

Powers was an American champion jockey and trainer.  He rode the winning horse, Wintergreen in the 1909 Kentucky Derby and in 1927 and in 1928 rode Jolly Roger to back-to-back wins in the most important steeplechase race in the United States, the American Grand National.  

In 2015, Powers was inducted into the National Museum of Racing. He was also inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 under the category of Horse Racing.  Formal ceremonies were held on February 16, 2015.

With the 152nd Kentucky Derby being run May 2, 2026 there is a local name who won the horse race in 1909 on a horse named Wintergreen at the 34th running of the race on May 3, 1909 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.  The earnings that year?  $12,820.00.  Sadly, Wintergreen died April 10, 1914 in a stable fire that consumed barn #18 at the Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.  At that time, Wintergreen was owned by owner-trainer D. Fisk.

Wintergreen was the first horse bred in Ohio to win the Kentucky Derby.  Wintergreen was bred and owned by Jerome Bristow Rome" Respess, the wealthy owner of a brewing company who had also owned and raced the colt's sire. Wintergreen was trained to win by Charles Mack and was later trained by Respess. After being gelded at 5, he was sold to H.S. Steward, who bought the horse from Respess in a private transaction around June 1912.  By August 1912, Wintergreen had become the property of D. Fisk.  His last known race was as a 7-year-old.  He finished fifth.  

In 1911, Powers went to Europe to ride for a guaranteed salary of $10,000.  He continued to experience success in Germany and France.  Having difficulty to maintain proper weight overseas forced him to turn his attention to the horse racing sport of stepplechase.  His transition proved fruitful as he enjoyed success riding steeplechase.

When WWI broke out in Europe in 1914, Powers returned to the United States with his German-born wife, Hedwig.  He found that, although thoroughbred racing had resumed again in New York State in 1913, the sport was struggling.  Steeplechase devotees, however, were full of enthusiasm.  Power became a contract steeplebhase rider for Greentree Stables and its owner Payne Hay Whitney and his wife, Helen. 

Powers became the top steeplechase rider in 1917 and was name the top steeplechase trainer just ten years lager.  He saddled 19 winners in 1927 and won an unprecedented $103,889. He developed Jolly Roger, the first steeplechase horse to earn more than $100,000.

Powers retired in 1946 and he and Hedwig made their home in Queens Village, NY.  His life was full and included some of the finest horses in America that he rode and trained, both on flat tracks and in steeplechase. 

.. And all from a boy from Westfield .. 

 

 

May Day

As a child, May Day (May 1st) was a joyous springtime celebration focusing on welcoming warmer weather, dancing around a Maypole festooned with colorful ribbons and making small baskets filled with flowers and treats to secretly leave on a friends' or neighbors' doorstep.  It was a fun, innocent tradtion aimed at celebrating spring and friendship.  Some events crowned a "May Queen" to represent the beauty of spring.

Historically, this tradition originated from ancient European festivals welcoming spring such as the Roman festival of Flora or the Celtic Beltane, later becoming a popular community festival in the Middle Ages.  

Murphy Beds

Original 1900s-1920s Murphy beds in homes such as camp houses or early bungalows, often featured simple, sturdy and functiional designs built directly into walls or closets to maximize space.  

William Lawrence Murphy

(1876-1957)

William Lawrence Murphy invented the Murphy bed around 1900 in San Francisco.  As the legend goes, he designed the fold-out bed to woo a young opera singer while following social norms of not inviting women to a gentleman's bedroom.  However, there were foldable beds long before Murphy made his own version including:

 .. Leonard C. Bailey's folding metal bed that the U.S. Army later adopted.

.. A patented cabinet bed was invented by Sarah E. Goode in the late 19th century and doubled as a writing desk.

Space-saving beds gained popularity in the early 1900s, but Murphy's version was innovative for its counterbalanced design.  His bed became a bestseller among urban apartment dwellers making a point that space-saving furniture will never go out of style. 

If you've ever wondered how the Murphy bed got its name, the name may not surprise you.  William Lawrence Murphy didn't even call his wall bed a Murphy bed.  He never trademarked the name "Murphy Bed" at all.  Murphy originally called his invention "The Disappearing Bed".  He patented his "In-A-Door" bed in 1908 before founding the Murphy Bed Company in 1911. 

Murphy Beds continued as a family-run business for decades.  Clark W. Murphy, a grandson of the founder, became president of the company in 1983.  

Over the years, Murphy's wall bed design became the most popular.  And though it has also been called a pull-out bed, hideaway bed, foldaway bed or wall bed, it's ultimately best known by the inventor's moniker:  The Murphy bed.

National Museum of American History's Assistant Collections Manager Robyn J. Einhorn said the invention was a quick success "because of a combination of good timing, a quality product and an inventive marketing strategy". 

"People would move into these hotels in New York and they would have a suite which would include a Murphy bed, so they could pick up the bed and have a parlor."

Robyn J. Einhorn

"Everything old is new again." And the same goes for Murphy beds.  Now they are considered back in vogue, especially for people living in square-foot-starved apartments.

Murphy beds are popular today for the samereason they were a century ago and their space-saving functionality.  Murphy beds continue to fill a need in living spaces of today, whether it is for small city apartments or suburban homes of empty nesters turning a college student's old bedroom into an office/guest space.

Fun Facts:  Murphy beds have made appearances in The Three Stooges, The Great Muppet Capers, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and even in the 1967 James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice starring Sean Connery.

Sunset at the Bonneville Salt Flats

Circa 2025

Unique hexagon patterns are formed by the freezing and thawing of brackish waters. 

The Bonneville Salt Flats are a densely packed salt pan in Tooele County in northwestern Utah.  A remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, it is the largest of many salt flats west of the Great Salt Lake.  It is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is known for land speed records at the Bonneville Speedway.  

The length is 12 miles.  The width is 5 miles with a crust that is almost 5 ft. thick at the center and less than one inch thick towards the edges.  It is estimated to hold 147 million tons of salt or about 90% of which is common table salt.  It borders on Interstate 80 on the south side.

Geologist, Grove Karl Gilbert named the area after Benjamin Bonneville, a U.S. Army officer.  In 1907, Bill Rishel and two local businessmen tested the suitability of the salt by driving a Pierce-Arrow onto its surface.  

A railway line across the Flats was completed in 1910, marking the first permanent crossing.  The first land speed record was set at the Flats in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff.  

 Theodore "Teddy" Herbert Tetzlaff

(1883-1929)

Tetzlaff was an American race driver active in the formative years of auto racing.  He competed in the first four Indianapolis 500 races with a finish of second in 1912.  He earned his nickname "Terrible Teddy" due to his rough treatment of his vehicles.  His wide-open trottle racing style would often win a race, blow up his engine or cause him to crash.  As auto racing strategies evolved from the early "go as fast as you can and see if you can stay on the track", Tetzlaff's success in the sport waned.

 

Retro Dinette Set

Circa 1950s

Major manufacturers of iconic chrome and Formica dinette sets in the 1950s included Daystrom, Howell, Virtue Brothers of California, Arvin and Acme.  These companies specialized in metal-framed kitchen furniture featuring laminate tabletops and colorful vinyl upholstery often designed for smaller kitchen spaces or casual dining areas. 

These sets were famous for their "retro" look, characterized by tubular chrome legs, polished aluminum edging and Formica* surfaces.  Original sets often featured "atomic"

 age designs, pastel colors or red and black styling. 

*Formica Surfaces

Founded in 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Daniel J. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber.  Formica was originally developed as a durable, plastic resin substitute "for mica" used in industrial electrical insulation.  The company  transitioned to decorative, high-pressure laminates in the 1930s, gaining massive popularity in the post-WWII housing boom for countertops and emerging as a global brand often associated with durable, modern design. 

  In 1914, the first sheet of Formica laminate came off the press.  From 1920s-1930s the company shifted focus from industrial uses to decorative applications. In 1931-1949, popularity surged in high-end projects like Radio City and oceanliners.  During the Post-WWII Boom, the material became synonymous with modern, easy-to-clean kitchens and diners.  In the 1950s-1970s, iconic patterns were introduced to consumers.

When people think of classic Formica laminate patterns, they often think of "Boomerang", originally called "Skylark" .. Mid-Century in its design, boomerang has been a staple of residential and commercial spaces for more than 70 years.

In 1951, John Hughes of Brooks Stevens Design Associates created the original Skylark design.  He drew the pattern to customize the interior of passenger trains.  In 1954, Raymond Loewy Associates evolved the pattern by color styling it for the Sunrise Collection. 

The brand marked 100 years of operation in 2013 solidifying its place in design history.

Sidenote:  I personally know an artist in NC who chose the boomerang pattern for her studio countertops. When I walked into her retro studio I immediately commented on her choice of retro countertops. 

A rainbow of colors and patterns by FORMICA.

 

Primary color nesting sets were launched in 1945.

"It IS clean .. you can SEE it's clean .. it's PYREX ware!"

Pyrex was introduced in 1915 by Corning Glass Works, originating from heat-resistant "Nonex" borosilicate glass developed in 1908. Inspired by Bessie Littleton (wife of Corning Glass Works physicist, Jesse Littleton) to bake a sponge cake after her traditional earthenware casserole dish shattered.  The cake baked, did not stick, and the glass did not shatter proving its effectiveness as bakeware. This invention led to the creation of the Pyrex line which launched in 1915 as the first brand of heat-resistant glass bakeware. The brand transformed durable laboratory and industrial glass into iconic kitchen bakeware, expanding from clear pie plates to colored opalware in the 1940s. 

In 1915, Pyrex was officially launched with the first line including 12 pieces sold at Jordan Marsh in Boston.  In 1920, the product line expanded to include teapots, coffeepots and nursing bottles.  In 1930, Pyrex introduced "Flameware" designed for direct stovetop use.  

Modern Usage:  While not typically used today, the concept directly correlates to modern "cake in a jar" techiques where cakes are baked or preserved in canning jars for gifts or long shelf life.  Baking cakes in jars involves pouring batter into canning jars (like Mason jars) and baking them at roughly 325-350 degrees.  Sealing them immediately upon removal from the oven creates a vacuum allowing the cake to stay fresh for 4-6 weeks.  This method is popular for portable, single-serve desserts, gift-giving or extended storage. 

Grease jars well, fill about 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Bake, then immedately apply hot lids and rings.  As the cake cools, the jar seals.  Pound cake, cheesecake and fruit-based cakes work well. for this method.  And straight-sided jars work best.

Vintage Phoenix Opalware Baking Dish

Special markings on Pyrex distinquish vintage borosilicate glass (pre-1998) from modern soda-lime glass* with uppercase "PYREX" indicating older, thermal-shock-resistant pieces while lowercase "pyrex" signifies newer, more sensitive glass.  Key markings include molded numbers (e.g., 502) or "Made in USA". 

*Soda-lime glass is the world's most common type of glass.  If you've ever sipped from a basic tumbler at a restaurant or opened a jar of pasta sauce, you've encountered it.  It's used in everything from window panes to soda bottles to inexpensive drinkware. 

The iconic measuring cup has been around since 1915. 

Pattern Pyrex names (1950s-1980s)

Retro Kitchen Wall Art

Some of the 33 patterns include Butterprint, Friendship, Spring Blosssom, Daisy, Terra, Diamonds, Balloons, Black Snowflake, Horizon Blue, Butterfly Gold, New Dots, Colonial Mist, Gooseberry, Eyes, Woodland and Square Flowers.

 

Fanny Farmer was started in Rochester, New York by a Canadian politician and businessman, Frank Patrick O'Connor in 1919 and grew to over 400 stores.

Frank Patrick O-Connor

(1885-1939)

O'Connor had previously started the Laura Secord Candy Shops in Toronto, Ontario in 1913 located at 354 Yonge Street. The company was named "Fanny Farmer" to exploit the exemplary reputation of one of America's foremost culinary experts, Fannie Farmer.  The spelling of the first name was altered simply to "avoid confusion". 

Fanny Farmer stores shared a look that was similar to that of Chicago candy maker, Fannie May.

In 1992, the Archibald Candy Company acquired Fanny Farmer and its 200 retail stores in the Northeastern United States as a sister brand to its own Fannie May candies. In 2004, Alpine Confections purchased Archibald out of receivership, merged Fanny Farmer into Fannie May and moved production to its Ohio-based Harry London Candies which had been acquired a year earlier.  Fannie May was reopened in October 2004 with 45 retail stores.

In April 2006, Fannie May was sold for $85 million.  The chocolates and candy contnued to be manufactured in Ohio under the name Fannie May Confections Brands Inc. while the Fannie May corporate headquarters remained in Chicago.  This ended the brand's stand alone presence remembered by many.

  In 2006, the million-dollar flower and gift company, 1-800-FLOWERS bought the merged company and phased out the Fanny Farmer brand. 

The last long-standing stores were in the Rochester, New York area.

Fannie Merritt Farmer

(1857-1915)

Sidenote:  The "Fanny Farmer" candy shops were a separate entity named in honor of her which were eventually merged with Fannie May. In 1896, she published The Boston Cooking School Cook Book which became a widely used culinary text, later known as The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  Fannie was often called the "mother of level measurements".