Institutions & Infrastructure | towns-and-villages

Public Institutions & Infrastructure

The first school in Baldwin opened in 1819 in a log cabin in North Chemung. Classes were taught by John Tuthill, Jr. A permanent schoolhouse was built in 1821. There were seven one-room schools in the town by the late 1800s. The first post office opened in 1843 in North Chemung and a second one was established in Hicks in 1871. Daily mail delivery began two years later and rural home delivery started in 1904. Telephone service to the town also arrived in 1904 when the North Chemung Telephone Association was formed. It took 25 more years for electricity to come to the town. The first power lines were run in 1929.

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Baldwin

Baldwin School No. 1, 1950s In the early 1900s, students in Baldwin attended elementary school locally then went to high school in Elmira, Wellsburg, or Waverly. Baldwin’s schools closed for good in the late 1950s when they merged with the Elmira City School District. courtesy of the Baldwin historian
School slate Used by Edward Summer Courtright courtesy of the Baldwin historian
Souvenir booklet North Chemung School No. 1, 1896-1897 courtesy of the Baldwin historian
Souvenir booklet Oak Hill School No. 8, 1912-1913
Frank Smith, mail carrier, 1904 Frank Smith was the mail carrier on Baldwin’s first Rural Free Delivery route, RFD 1. He worked from 1904 until 1927.
Envelope with North Chemung cancellation stamp from 1898 courtesy of the Baldwin historian
U.S. Postal Money Order Receipt from North Chemung from 1909 courtesy of the Baldwin historian
Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company The town’s volunteer fire company was organized in 1960. courtesy of the Baldwin historian

Public Institutions & Infrastructure

Baldwin School No. 1, 1950s

In the early 1900s, students in Baldwin attended elementary school locally then went to high school in Elmira, Wellsburg, or Waverly. Baldwin’s schools closed for good in the late 1950s when they merged with the Elmira City School District. courtesy of the Baldwin historian

School slate

Used by Edward Summer Courtright courtesy of the Baldwin historian

Souvenir booklet

North Chemung School No. 1, 1896-1897 courtesy of the Baldwin historian

Souvenir booklet

Oak Hill School No. 8, 1912-1913

Frank Smith, mail carrier, 1904

Frank Smith was the mail carrier on Baldwin’s first Rural Free Delivery route, RFD 1. He worked from 1904 until 1927.

Envelope with North Chemung cancellation stamp from 1898 courtesy of the Baldwin historian

U.S. Postal Money Order Receipt from North Chemung from 1909 courtesy of the Baldwin historian

Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company

The town’s volunteer fire company was organized in 1960. courtesy of the Baldwin historian