Hi Mark,
Thanks for Jim Hughes’ wonderful article “Bumps and Octagons” in the summer issue of Life in the Finger Lakes magazine.
I was especially surprised to see the red octagon schoolhouse located in Etna. It is the only brick octagonal schoolhouse left in New York State, and it’s owned by the History Center in Ithaca, but the school is technically in Dryden, not Etna. It is affectionately named the Eight Square Schoolhouse.
I am the coordinator for day-long living history programs which we conduct on-site for Tompkins County fourth graders and homeschoolers in the spring and fall. Our classes are taught by trained teachers who use an 1892 curriculum, complete with period materials, original outhouses, pump and well, play equipment and clothing.
I thought maybe Jim would be interested in knowing that our schoolhouse is still alive and functioning well into the 21st century.
— Carole, Ulysses, New York
I took this picture (see page 4) of Taughannock Falls State Park from an airplane in the fall of 2004. Found your address in the magazine at a friend’s house and finally sent them to you.
We love the Finger Lakes, and generally spend a week each summer on one of them (preferably Cayuga) in a rented cottage. Some day, when we win the lottery (if we ever play the lottery) we’ll own a cottage!
— Alice, Sayre, Pennsylvania
Thank you for the story on astronaut Eileen Collins. It was very nice and the pictures were very nice. I am a great fan of the astronauts and have a lot of pictures from them.
I’m sending you a story The Finger Lakes Times did on me awhile back.
It is too bad the that there isn’t a newspaper or a book that could come out monthly and have things in it of what people like to do in the Finger Lakes. It may be artwork, paintings, poems or just a good story to send in. I feel there are a lot of us you would find that have something special to share with others.
Wish you could see all the pictures and letters I have from different ones.
— Sue, Romulus, New York
