Wanderers in Wonder

Worlds largest Olive, fifteen feet tall and skewered with a toothpick, in ‘Olive City’, Corning, CA.

In the early 1970’s a glassblower, Ray Hansen set up his ‘Glory Hole’ in Corning, CA. Ray apparently thought the Corning town name would bring in customers as Corning, NY is the ‘Glass Capital of the World’. Ray also sold locally made olive oil and balsamic vinegars. Times were good. Then Interstate 5 wasconstructed north from Sacramento and bypassed Corning to the West. Business slowed.

The Lucero family grew olives in their extensive orchards in Corning, CA. The address of the orchard is 215 Houghton Ave. They opened The Olive Pit, a combination olive oil tasting, sales and cafe and Ray’s olive oil sales dried up. In the early 2000’s the Hansens closed up shop and moved to Oregon.

In the late 1800’s the Houghton family moved their glass factory from Brooklyn, NY to Corning, NY. Corning became Glass City USA. My wife, Mary Ann, was born and raised in Corning, NY.

Mary Ann’s Mom, Mary Ann Sprague, was a docent at the Corning Museum of Glass. Mary Ann’s dad, Ted Sprague, grew up with Amo Houghton in Corning. Amo would become the CEO of Corning Glass and then a member of the U.S. House of representatives. Ted and Amo were lifelong friends.

Centerway Bridge in Corning, NY, the original bridge across the Chemung River in Corning. The glass factory was on the Northside of the river, residences were on the Southside. In the 1980’s Centerway Bridge had outlived its usefulness. A new bridge was built to accommodate the bigger and heavier vehicles on the road. Centerway was to be demolished. Mary Ann’s dad led the charge to ‘Save Our Bridge’. Save it they did. To this day old timers in Corning call Centerway Bridge, Ted’s Bridge. It is now a pedestrian bridge connecting downtown Corning with the Corning Museum of Glass which is on the Northside. The factories are gone, The Glass Company Headquarters remain.

The sculpture of Mary Ann’s dad, Ted, in Centerway Square, Corning, NY. Mary Ann is from a sculling family. Her Grandfather, Lloyd Sprague, was on the Syracuse Eight which won the college national championship in 1916. Her dad rowed at Cornell. Later in life he took the sport back up and was ranked in the top five worldwide in singles for his age group. He also rowed with ‘The Golden Eight’, a team of seniors which competed worldwide. Mary Ann was on the inaugural women’s crew team at Ithaca College. She and her teammates won the small college championship at the Dad Vails in Philadelphia her junior year.

https://www.corningfingerlakes.com/explore-the-area/our-communities/corning/

Corning, NY was named for Erasmus Corning an early settler in the area. Corning, CA was named for John Corning a railroad man. Houghton street and plaza in Corning, NY was named for Amo’s grandfather who brought his glass factory to Corning, NY in the 1870’s. Houghton Avenue in Corning, CA was named for James Houghton who established a ranch outside of town in the early 1900’s.

Such coincidences.

Peace…Wanderers in Wonder.