Remsen, a very small town in Oneida County, New York, is one of those places where my family has roots. My great-grandfather Griffith W. Jones was born there in 1850. Remsen became the home of many Welsh immigrants over several generations, beginning after the Revolutionary War and continuing right up until the early 20th century. The Welsh who came over from Wales to Oneida County were mostly workers from the slate quarries, farmers, artisans, stonemasons, and skilled laborers. The low rolling hills which are part of the Adirondack foothills and their lush waterways must have reminded these newcomers of their home country.
Small Towns Struggle to Remain Viable
Today Remsen is trying – like many small communities across Upstate New York – to find a new identity in order to keep its citizens employed and its young people from leaving for more exciting opportunities. In a brilliant stroke of vision and insight, several citizens came upon the idea of embracing the region’s Welsh heritage by connecting with the Welsh government’s tourism and travel expertise.
After several years of planning and a delegation’s trip to Wales, this collaboration produced the celebration on July 15, 2011 of the gift of a replica of the world’s longest rail station name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwillllantysiliogogogoc. Yes, it’s really a word, actually the name of a place on the Isle of Anglesey, in Wales. In fact, it was a name created to bring tourists to Anglesey, in the early days of the railroad in Britain! It seems there are no new ideas under the sun!
After reading an interview with the mayor of Remsen, Francis Stacy, in the July 15 edition of the Syracuse Post-Standard, I made the spur-of-the-moment decision to drive to Remsen and witness the unveiling of the sign at Remsen’s beautiful restored train Depot. Remsen is only about 60 miles from Syracuse, about an hour’s drive.
I got there around 5pm and had two hours to kill, so went to the only restaurant in the village, called The Soda Fountain. With a 1950s theme, (like Johnny Rockets only better) it’s noted for its Fish Fry on Fridays, and it was jam-packed. The clam chowder was homemade and the best I’ve had in a long time. The waitstaff was extremely friendly and efficient, even with a line of customers spilling out into the small parking lot.
Touring Welsh Memories
I found my way to the Depot but it was still an hour before the unveiling. I began taking photos, and introduced myself to the ladies setting out tables of food. One of the unveiling’s volunteers, Pat Spicer, offered to be my “tour guide” and took me all over – to the old Welsh Church, Capel Cerrig, and to one of the old cemeteries, and introduced me to lots of people. I sat next to the mayor and his wife. There was a large happy crowd and Utica’s Channel 2 TV station was there. I wish, however, I’d known there would be food at the event, because they had all kinds of food from Wales – cheese (“Collier’s” cheese, and cheese curds), all kinds of pâté, crackers, cookies, wine and Welsh whiskey! Free! The whisky, I’m told, will curl your tongue – but the Collier’s cheese will curl your hair and grow more if you’re lacking any!
The Adirondack Scenic Railroad comes through Remsen and the unveiling had been scheduled to coincide with the train’s arrival at 7:25pm Friday. After a fine quartet of musicians and singers performed and several local dignitaries and a representative of Wales’ tourism spoke to the crowd, the train announced its arrival with a few blasts of its whistle and the passengers detrained at the platform behind the speakers. Then, the drapery was pulled from the sign by the mayor and the master of ceremonies, and lo! “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwillllantysiliogogogoc” appeared on a lovely red, white and blue sign. The phonetic pronunciation appears below it. Thankfully, as several members of the audience stepped up to the microphones and attempted to read it. The Welsh tourism representative had given us the Welsh version, and several visitors from Wales also pronounced it beautifully. One little local girl whose grandmother speaks fluent Welsh, also gave a perfect rendition, to the great applause of the crowd. It means "Church of Saint Mary in a hollow of white hazel, near to a rapid whirlpool and Saint Tysilio's Church of the red cave."
Remsen's Vision and Commitment to the Future
The townspeople are so proud of the work that the town has done – all volunteers – for the last ten years, restoring the Depot and some of the buildings in town, including a new Arts Center in one of the former churches. To have actually sent a delegation to Wales is a strong commitment, thanks to assistance from the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties. Their vision now includes a project with the Welsh government to bring some of their artisans over to Remsen to sell Welsh products in a little “artisan village” behind the Depot – and to send some of their local products to Wales. It's uncertain when they will have this done, but the gears are in motion.
My new friend Pat has kindly offered to help me with further geneological investigations on the Jones family tree, which is exciting. The townspeople I met in Remsen were very kind to me – making me feel like I truly had come home after three generations’ absence.
Barbara Bell - Suite101 has been my home away from home for over 12 years. I began as a writer covering antiques, collectibles and interior decorating, ...
