Ray and I
would dig in the mud looking for cannon balls and one time we found
one, four to five inches in diameter. It was very heavy. We eventually
took it to the Historical Museum as a donation and I believe it is
still on display there.
Arsenal Hill (West Avenue) was a steep and dangerous hill. There were
many accidents at the bottom and near the corner of Pearl Street. We
could hear the crash of accidents from our house on Chapin Street and
the kids would all run down to see them. One time a truck load of
prunes tipped over and there were prunes everywhere. Another time a
load of butter in wooden crocks tipped over and the crocks rolled down
people's lawns. People were coming out and carrying them into their
houses, but we didn't know enough to get any. Once a car hit a tree
and the driver was thrown through the roof and landed on the sidewalk.
When we got there, he was sitting up and asked us for a cigarette.
Probably he wasn't hurt because (he looked like) he was drunk.
My grandfather, Peter O. Benson, was born September 12, 1831 and died
in 1931. Sometime in the 1920's there was a full page article and his
picture in the daily paper. It told of his attending the Ontario
County Fair for 90 consecutive years. The Fair was held in September
then so all the farm products were on display. The fairgrounds were
off Fort Hill Avenue where the present High School stands. There was a
grandstand, barns and a race track for harness racing.
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