The article presented here is a clipping from the Wellsville Daily Reporter, 1/17/1956. The author of the article, Rev. Jerome Kates was born in Rochester, NY and was a retired minister who lived many years in Allegany County, NY near Belmont. His interest in local history has surfaced several times as he lived his retirement in the county and had many interests, the least of which was a knowledge & fascination with clocks.
Arch Merrill, author of a wonderful series of local history book stories about the Western & Central New York State, commented in an article printed in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle the following:
“Charley Whitcomb, who is a wizard at making clocks and making them run, suggested we stop and see the collection of timepieces of his neighbor, the Rev. Jerome Kates, long time rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Rochester and recently retired, who lives on the farm near Belmont that has been his summer home for years.
Retirement to this vigorous and genial clergyman does not mean sitting in the sun. He keeps might busy. Currently he is filling the pulpit of the Episcopal Church in Belmont that was his first charge.
And then there is his hobby, the clocks, all 75 of them. To one who knows nothing about clocks, his running discourses on the maker and the merits of each one is a bit bewildering. Proudly he tells where he picked each one up, the grandfather clocks, the tower clocks, the steeple clocks and all the rest of the array.
When we were down in Allegany County, the Rev. Mr. Kates and Charley Whitcomb were planning a considerable project, the installation of a large clock above the door of the Kates barn.”
Below is the article written by Jerome Kates......Thanks to Mary Rhodes for submitting the clip.
