The new book Voices of Wayne County: A Bicentennial Commemorative Book is a 434-page time capsule of life in Wayne County, New York, written by local residents and compiled by a group of volunteers.
A request for submissions was announced in 2021 for anyone in the county to share their personal memories of living and working in Wayne County. Individuals submitted short stories, poetry, photos, and artwork which brought this collective history to life. With 140 submissions and 120 images from over 60 contributors, this book creatively expresses a central theme: There is great historic value in preserving Wayne County memories for present and future generations.
Funding for the printing of 1,500 copies came from a combination of contributors. The Rochester Area Community Foundation awarded $5,000 through a NYS Council for the Arts regrant program. Wayne County Historian Peter Evans conveyed a total of $4,930 from two special county funds – the Dan Kane Memorial Fund, honoring the late county administrator, and the Taylor History Award, honoring Mildred Taylor, the first and only woman to represent Wayne County in the NYS Assembly from 1946 to 1960. One of Assemblywoman Taylor’s final bequests was for a fund to be invested for future publication of a collection of the best written chapter or chapters, story or stories, on Wayne County History.
Voices of Wayne County may be purchased online through the Wayne County Historical Society.
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