Photo by Joanne Beck.
Standing in the hallway leading into Le Roy Historical Society’s newly named and dedicated Research Library, Bruce Wilcox recalled the shambles of a place the former academic building was back when his father Gary led the way to turning it into something magical around 1991.
“He and about a half a dozen other local men who were about the same age spent a good five years remodeling this building. It had been when I was growing up, it was just a shack, it was a wreck, with boarded up windows and storage, and turned it into this beautiful museum over the course of about five years,” Bruce said during a dedication gathering Thursday at the Le Roy site. “So it seemed a natural. And so I reached out to the board here at the Historical Society and just said we're interested, and they’ve been great. And they came up with this whole idea of a research library, which, given both of our parents’ involvement with education and history, seemed like a perfect fit.”
As Society member Carol Wolfe phrased it in no uncertain terms, the late Gary Wilcox, a former Le Roy educator and integral community member, invested “a lot of back-breaking labor and everything else in the 80s” to create the Jell-O museum, offices and a transportation museum space out of what others may have deemed unsalvageable.
And in turn, Bruce and his brothers Paul and Jeffrey decided to donate money to carve out an additional amenity of the research library. Folks will be able to use the space to trace their ancestry and other types of research, and new technology equipment has been purchased for that purpose.
“We’ve got another floor that's just loaded full of archival, you know, newspapers and articles and books and things. And a lot of the things are, they're quite valuable historically,” Wolfe said. “We do have a microfilm machine, but we want to get things digitized. That's where some of that money is going.”
Society members have also hired a Web designer to update their websites, worked with Ed Henry for his expertise on how to save archive photos, purchased new computer equipment and updated others, purchased a sturdy workstation for computers, and a newer version of Past Perfect, plus a new carpet.
There’s much more to do, members said, with organizing and digitizing the aging photo stock collections, and they are busy with that mission.
And doing an important job, Bruce said.
“This part of the country has such a rich, rich, deep history,” he said. “And they had so many great historical records here, but it takes a lot of effort and money to be able to organize and present them well. So they've done a phenomenal job here.”
His brother Paul agreed. They both flew in from California for the occasion, while brother Jeffrey, who lives in northern Virginia, couldn’t make it out for the event.
“My mother, Eleanor, was a docent here and a research person. If she saw this, she would right now be in heaven. This is exactly what she would, she would be living in this area if she were here today,” Paul said. “So yeah, it's completely fitting. I'm amazed at the job they've done. It's incredibly impressive. The boards work so hard, and all of the folks here, we’re speechless about how much work they've done and what a great honor it is for my parents.”
Society Vice President Anne Frew thanked the Wilcox family for its donation and dedication to giving back through the library and to the many volunteers that helped with the conversion of the space.
“We have turned this room into a place where our members and our community will feel comfortable and welcome,” Frew said. “I would like to thank all of those who have helped us with this vast undertaking, most especially … Bruce, Jeffrey and Paul. Without your help, we would not have been able to accomplish all of this.”
Gary Wilcox died Oct. 19, 2017, after an active life as an all-state third baseman, first trumpet in the Army band at West Point, playing for President Eisenhower’s inauguration parade and for Queen Elizabeth, impacting countless lives through his dedication to his students and community at the Le Roy school district from 1962 until his retirement in 1991 as a music teacher, band director, high school principal and capping it off with the role of superintendent for those final six years.
Eleanor died on March 20, 2022; also one said to have richly contributed to her community, Eleanor volunteered with the Le Roy Historical Society, Jaycees, First Baptist Church, Meals-on-Wheels, Le Roy Ambulance Service and the Fresh Air Fund.
Not surprisingly for two people with passions for education and learning, their names will now adorn the door of the research library as a new chapter begins in the memories of Gary and Eleanor, who also had a love of reading and a deep sense of curiosity and engagement with the world.
