Avoca, New York

I took the photos I've posted up until today through the windshield or out the passenger window en route to the town of Avoca. Once we reached our destination, Dad, Cory, Eleanor, Thor and I got out and looked around.

Avoca is a beautiful town with some lovely brick buildings. 

From Wikipedia I learned that the first person to settle in the area arrived about 1794 and that Avoca was created from portions of the towns of Bath, Cohocton, Howard and Wheeler in 1843. 

You can travel through Avoca on Interstate 86, Interstate 390 or New York State Route 415.

Avoca is also a railroad town: "The Gang Mills (Painted Post) to Wayland LIne of the B&H Rail Corp. passes through the Village of Avoca and hamlet of Wallace in [the] town of Avoca. From c. 1853 to 1963 the Corning-Rochester line of the Erie Railroad passed through Avoca and Wallace. This line was removed c. 1963 by order of the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commision to increase highway use. From 1882 to 1963 Avoca and Wallace were also served by the New York (Hoboken) to Buffalo Main Line of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (and its Erie Lackawanna successor). This through route was severed in 1963 by order of the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission also to increase highway usage. The former DL&W route in the Town of Avoca is now operated by the B&H Rail Corp.

The Conhocton River flows through the town past Wallace, Bloomerville, and Avoca village."

From westny.com I learned that "Originally Avoca was named '8 mile tree.' In later years the village became identified with 'The Sweet Vale of Avoca' in Ireland because of its similarity with its namesake. The area is well known for its potato farms.

The Avoca Tigers were the undefeated class D 1989 New York State Champions in Basketball."

As we drove away I mentioned that I'd seen a few people go into the American Legion Hall. The building boasts blue wooden doors with ornately carved red white and blue medallions. My Dad speculated that members could go there for meat loaf and mashed potatoes and frozen peas and beans. I said that maybe the cook there was the best around and we were missing something really good. It would have been fun to have a meal there, assuming they actually serve them!

I left the town with a lot of questions: how do its inhabitants make a living? I wondered what the brick building with the weather-beaten red, yellow and white sides originally housed. It is in bad shape, but looks structurally sound, though it seems unlikely that anyone will save it. It would be a hugely costly labor of love in a town that seems to be economically barely hanging on.

First the railway routes were cancelled to promote interstate travel, and now the interstate highways that run through Avoca have been replaced by newer roads. My Dad told me that he'd heard that the Avoca school district and another school district are going to merge to cut down on expenses such as teacher salaries. (See article on proposed school mergers in the Hornell Evening Tribune - www.eveningtribune.com/archive/x415863940/New-York-s-budget-woes-may-force-school-mergers)