Lost Historical Bible Returned to Lyons FallsLyons Falls where it belongs. The significance of the...

By Katherine Ziemke

LYONS FALLS - The trekof a 150-year-old Bibleback to its origin in LyonsFalls began with but a sim-ple e-mail transmission. Aresident in Massachusetts,where the Bible had beenfound, knew that the originof the historical Bible wasLyons Falls, New York,because of the followinghand-written dedication onthe second page:

From: MotherNov. 20th 1862Mary L. Lyon Lyons Falls, NY

Massachusetts residentNance Moran searchedonline for an organizationthat might have interest inthe Bible. When Nancelocated the Lyons FallsHistory Association’s web-site, she e-mailed a noteto the Village’s unofficialhistorian, Shirley VanNest,saying, “My father wasworking in a local townwaste dumping station andhe pulled a Bible from thegarbage piles… Do youknow of any family mem-bers or historical societythat would like thisBible?… I know I wouldlike it if it were my familylineage.”

Shirley received the mes-sage and began alertingthe rest of the HistoryAssociation that the Mary

L. Lyon Bible had beenfound. Within a single day,the historical communitywas buzzing with excite-ment about the fact thatthe treasure had beenfound and that it was des-tined to return home toLyons Falls where itbelongs.

The significance of theBible’s return to the com-munity of its origin lies inthe historical prominenceof the Lyon family withinthe Village of Lyons Fallsand the Town ofLyonsdale. Mary LaviniaLyon was the daughter ofMary B. Northrop andLyman R. Lyon, and

granddaughter of MarriettaDuPont and Caleb Lyon.Mary’s grandfather, CalebLyon, established the firstpermanent settlement atLyonsdale in 1823. Hisson, Lyman R. Lyon,acquired large tracts oftimber land in the west-ern Adirondacks anddeveloped the water powerof the Black River, givinghis name to the mill com-munity of Lyons Falls.While a member of thestate legislature, Lymanactively promoted con-struction of the BlackRiver Canal as a regionaltransportation artery to

Rome and the Erie Canal.From her parents, Mary L.Lyon, who after marriagebecame Mary Lyon Fisher,inherited large and valu-able timber holdings inand around the area. Asa prominent land holderin the area, Mary LyonFisher actively managedher holdings from the late1880s until her death in1913.

The Lyon-Fisher familyremained the region’sdominant landownersand timber industrialiststhrough several genera-tions until the 1950s.Essentially, the return ofMary Lyon Fisher’s Bible to

the Village of Lyons Fallsmarks the return of a localhistorical treasure to thecommunity which was soappreciably affected by theLyon family’s contribu-tions.

Clearly, by the hand-written inscription on thesecond page of the Bible, itwas given as a gift to MaryL. Lyon by her mother. Tothe casual observer, thedate is otherwise meaning-less. However, becauseMary L. Lyon was born onNovember 20, 1841 andthe date the gift wasgiven was November 20,1862, it appears to begiven as a 21st birthdaygift. Because the goldguild on the pages is wellworn and there were manypassages marked within it,it can be surmised that thegift was a frequent andtreasured companion ofMary L. Lyon’s.

Because Mary L. LyonFisher was a devotedlifetime member of his-toric Forest PresbyterianChurch, the Bible’s returnto Lyons Falls creates asmuch interest and excite-ment for members ofForest Church as it hasfor the History Association.When the ornately em-bossed brown leather-bound Bible was taken tobe shown to church-goersa few weeks ago, the inter-est was intense, perhapseven passionate. Church-goers noted the small sizeof the Bible, approximately5 inches high, 3 incheswide, and 2 inches thick.It was deduced from thepetite size that the Biblemust have been one thattraveled with Mary Lyon.Church members noticedthat Mary Lyon hand wroteher favorite Biblical pas-sages in the back mostpages of the book. Theyadmired her neatly handscripted notes in the mar-gins throughout the Bible.They noticed that MaryLyon had book-markedseveral pages, perhaps for

the purpose of swift effort-less look-up. Some churchmembers might have pon-dered whether the Bible’smarked pages, scripted solovingly and devotedly, aresomething that onlyoccurred during bygoneeras. Or perhaps, thereturn of this communitytreasure to its origin is asign of things to come.

After Shirley VanNestreceived the inquiry andspread the news, she wroteback to Nance Moran ask-ing for more details abouthow the Bible had beenfound. Nance respondedthat sometime between theyears 1977 and 1978 herfather, Lester Zakrzewski,was working as a heavyequipment operator inWellesley, Massachusetts.The town had a speciallocation for recycling,where many books weredeposited. Lester spottedthe Bible on top of therecycling pile and won-dered, “Why would some-one throw away a Bible?”He picked up the ornateleather-bound Bible andbrowsed through it. Whenhe noticed the datedinscription on the secondpage, indicating its histori-cally significant link to theVillage of Lyons Falls,Lester decided to salvage itby taking the Bible home.

One might wonder howthe historical Bible endedup approximately 300miles due east of LyonsFalls in Wellesley,M a s s a c h u s e t t s .Unfortunately there was noclear answer to this ques-tion, as no one knew whatreally happened. Onerumor has it that a Lyonfamily member moved toMassachusetts. Anotherpossibility is that it couldhave been inadvertentlydisposed of in an estatesale. Unfortunately, it islikely the truth will neverbe known.

As luck would have itLester knew about the his-toric Village of Lyons Falls.Earlier in his life, Lesterwas employed as a truckdriver hauling cars to deal-erships to be sold. Hisroute often took himthrough Utica, up NewYork State Route 12 toWatertown, and then on tothe Thousand Islandsregion. Because Lester haddriven through Lyons Fallsmany times, he thought hewould return the Bible tothe Village on one of histrips. Lester did not bringthe Bible home to LyonsFalls because he neverdrove through the Villagethereafter. Nevertheless, hestored the historical Biblefor safekeeping, with thehope that he would be ableto return it one day.

Nearly 20 years later, in

1996 after his wife passedaway, Lester sold his hometo his daughter, NanceMoran. Instead of clearingout his belongings, Lesterleft most of the contents ofthe house, including MaryL. Lyon’s Bible, with hisdaughter.

Nance found the Biblewhile cleaning out a closeta few years ago. She ques-tioned her father about itand Lester relayed thesame story. Instead of toss-ing the Bible away, Nancekept it. She says, “I readthrough Mary’s notesabout passages and herfavorite quotes.” Throughthe years, the Bible and itsquoted passages becamepersonal to Nance. She felta yearning to connect withthose who might havesearched for the lost Bible.

Nance began searchingonline to learn more aboutLyons Falls, its history,and its people. Shesearched for contact detailof a person or organizationthat could appreciate thevalue and who would beinterested in preserving thehistorical Bible.Fortunately for LyonsFalls, Nance perseveredand finally connected withthe Lyons Falls HistoryAssociation.

At long last, more than30 years after it was found,the Mary L. Lyon Biblearrived via certified parcelpost at the Lyons FallsPost Office a few weeksago. Roy and SusieHammacker, President andSecretary of the LyonsFalls History Association,respectively, picked up thetreasure, and brought it tothe Lyons Falls HistoryAssociation Museum,where it is now displayedin a place of prominence.

A follow-up note fromthe finders arrived after thehistorical Bible had beenreturned. Nance wrotethat she and her fatherwere so happy that after allthe many long years goneby, the treasured historicalBible had finally found itsway back home to LyonsFalls where it belongs. Asthey were sentimentalabout the Bible, Nance andLester began talking aboutcoming to visit Lyons Fallsand the HistoryAssociation Museum soonafter sending the treasureon its way. Needless tosay, Lyons Falls Village,the Lyons Falls HistoryAssociation and Museum,Forest PresbyterianChurch, and the owners ofthe historic Mary L. LyonFisher homestead all wel-come their visit with openarms.

Kathy Ziemke resides inLyons Falls and was atown correspondent for theBoonville Herald

Lost Historical Bible Returned to Lyons Falls

The pictured historical Bible, was a gift given to MaryL. Lyon on her 21st birthday, November 20, 1862,from her mother, Mary B. Northrop Lyon.

Pictured, a page from Mary L. Lyon’s historical Bible,on which she recorded a favorite quote: “Our Lord Godis like a printer who sets the letters backwards, so thathere we cannot read them. When we are printed offyonder in the life to come; we shall read all clear andstraightforward. Martin Luther”