Good Night Light

Echo Note: After the last post, I thought it appropriate for my dad to write one.

As told to me by my mother, Flora Darron, with details from Vincent Behnk.

Flora Fielder Darron abt 1922.

This happened before Rush, NY had high line electric power supplied by an electric utility. Kinsey's Hall was supplied electric power for lights from the canning factory's gasoline engine powered generator. The generator was located in the canning factories' power house. The brick power house is still standing and is located next to the Lehigh Valley Railroad right-of-way, behind 6168 Rush-Lima Road.

Kinsey's Hall was a General Store, a meeting room/dance hall and the Rush Town Hall all at the same time.

At the end of the evening, when Vince Behnk was ready to go home, 10 to 15 minutes before he would shut down the generator for the night, he would flash the lights in the hall. This good night blink of the lights prompted those still in the hall to leave while lights were still on.

Vince Behnk (left), Thomas Connor (right) and Thomas Quinn (top) in front of Quinn's service station - corner of E. Henrietta and Rush-Scottsville Road (Rte. 251) (taken about 1922)

Echo Note: Vince Behnk was the Rush canning plant manager. Vince became Rush Highway Superintendent and retired in 1974.

Poster from 1923 when the town had parties at Kinsey's with power from the Canning Factory. Electric lines didn't come to Rush until 1930.