Summer 1947

Norman D. Reece

Here’s Uncle Norm, smoking a pipe and relaxing in his brother’s car. It was the summer of 1947. Norm’s sister, Geraldine (aka Aunt Gerry), who was 17 at the time, put this photo in her album with a caption referring to the car as “Bud’s new jet job”. The term “jet job” was popularly used in the 1940’s to describe the new jet airplanes, so I guess this was a fast car. It belonged to Uncle George, who was called “Bud” by everyone. It looks like a relatively new (at the time) Oldsmobile, possibly a 1946 or 1947 model. Maybe an antique car enthusiast will see this and be able to positively identify it.

Fishing Trip to Canada (1946)

Left to right: Wallace R. Reece, Lloyd J. Reece, George M. Reece, Bert Young

My father, Lloyd, my Uncle Wally and my grandfather, George. With them is Bert Young, who lived in Niagara Falls, NY. Mr. Young was a neighbor and a friend of the Reece family.This was taken in 1946 during a trip to Parry Sound, about 150 miles north of Toronto, Ontario. The fish appear to be northern pike.

Trott High School Football (1944)

Front, left to right: Frank Accardo, Lou Martino, unidentified, unidentified;
Rear, left to right: Jim Szczerbacki, unidentified, Norman Reece

I thought of this picture when I watched the recent George Clooney football movie, "Leatherheads". My Uncle Norm is the tall guy in the back. He says these were members of the Trott High School team (in Niagara Falls, NY) and the year was probably 1944. I'm still trying to identify three of these guys - I'll update this if I get any new info.

Rose Murphy Reece and Kids (early 1920's)

Rose Murphy Reece (center, b. 1872) with daughters Vivian Eliza (left, b. 1910), Ethel Rose (right, b. 1907) and son Wilfred Paul (b. 1916).

Rose was my great-grandmother. She was married to George Franklin Reece (b. 1863). Besides the three kids pictured here, they had six other children, Oral Raymond (aka Tommy, b. 1889), Myles Franklin (aka Barney, b.1891), Gertrude May (1893-1988), Corinne Nellie (b. 1895), my grandfather, George Melvin (1897-1963) and Bernard Lloyd (Bernie).

I'm fairly certain that the house in this picture is the same house seen in a photo taken around 1923 (and posted somewhere below), which shows my grandfather holding his firstborn son, my Uncle George. I'm not very good at guessing ages, but if one assumes little Wilfred's age to be around 7, the two photos could've been taken at around the same time. They may have even been taken on the same day... maybe at a family get-together? Although it's possible, there doesn't seem to be much chance of ever knowing for sure. These old photos fascinate me, but the lack of information about them can be frustrating.

The Reece Kids (1936)

Reece kids, left to right: Lloyd J., Norman D., George J., Geraldine J., Wallace R.

This was taken in the backyard of the Reece family home on North Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY. The houses in the background are on 24th Street. The year was 1936, the middle of the Depression, and the clothes, especially the shoes and socks, are classic. Many thanks to my Aunt Madeline for providing this image.

Gerry Reece with her Uncle Tommy (1946)

Oral R. Reece (Tommy); Geraldine J. Reece

Born in 1889, Oral Raymond Reece was the oldest brother of my grandfather, George Melvin Reece. Nicknames seemed to be popular in the family - Oral was known to everyone as Tommy. He was born in New York, possibly in the Niagara Falls or Buffalo area. He married Della McGahey and had six children. At some point he moved to California and he died in Los Angeles on August 28, 1959.

My Aunt Gerry was 16 when this picture was taken in the back yard of her home on North Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY.

April 1943: Gerry, Lloyd & George M. Reece

Geraldine Reece, Lloyd Reece, George M. Reece


Lloyd J. Reece

These two pictures were taken in early April 1943, behind the family’s home on North Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY. My father, Lloyd, was 19 years old at the time and my Aunt Gerry was almost a teenager, her 13th birthday being later in the month. My grandfather was about a month shy of his 46th birthday. My dad had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in November 1942, so I wonder if this might have been his first visit home on leave.

"Learning To Fall" by Lowen & Navarro

I've been a fan of Lowen & Navarro's music since I first heard their album "Pendulum" (1995), so I was saddened to hear that Eric Lowen has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). This video was shot in November 2007 and, although confined to a wheelchair and no longer able to play his guitar, Lowen's voice was still strong. Everyone in the video has been affected by ALS in some way. The song, "Learning To Fall", is the title song for their new album, released in 2008. For more information visit Lowen & Navarro's web site.

The Reece and O'Brien Families - Tweed, Ontario (1941 or 1942)

These photos were taken during a family vacation in the small town of Tweed, Ontario. The lake seen in the background is Lake Stoco, which borders the town. Lake Stoco was, and still is popular for sport-fishing, especially muskellunge. The Reece brothers are wearing jackets with emblems representing the hockey teams they played for. My father, Lloyd, and my uncles, George and Wally, played for the Clovers. My Uncle Norm played for the Pontiacs.

My grandfather, George M. Reece, and Corrine O'Brien were brother and sister, two of nine children born to George Franklin Reece and Rose (Murphy) Reece.

Corrine and Freddie O'Brien had three kids, Norma, Neil and John. The youngest, John, was born in June 1939 and looks to be about 2 or 3 years old here, so these pictures were probably taken in 1941 or 1942. I met Neil once, at my sister Pat's house, about ten years ago. He was a pretty good fiddle player and I think he said several of his kids were involved in the music business.

My Uncle Wally has been an invaluable source of information in identifying the people and places in a large number of old family photos, including this group. He remembers his Aunt Corrine as the nicest woman you could ever hope to meet, and he said Freddie was always extremely polite, a nice guy who could drink a lot of beer, which I guess probably came in handy on vacations like this.


George & Florence Reece and their children.
Left to right: (back row) Wallace Richard, George John, Norman Duane, Lloyd Jasper;
(front row) Geraldine Joan, George Melvin, Florence Mabel


Left to right: Wallace R., Lloyd J., Geraldine J., Norman D. & George J. Reece


Left to right: (back row) Wallace R., Lloyd J., Norman D. & George J. Reece;
(front row) Norma O'Brien, Geraldine J. Reece, Neil & John O'Brien


Left to right: (back row) Norman D. & George M. Reece, Freddie & Corrine O'Brien;
(front row) Neil O'Brien, Geraldine J. Reece, Norma & John O'Brien

Veterans Day Tribute - The Reece Brothers (WWII Era)

These pictures were taken in the early-to-mid 1940's. The four brothers served in various military units. Uncle Wally was a US Marine. Uncle George and Uncle Norm were in the US Army. My dad, Lloyd, served in the Canadian Air Force and then in the US Army.

Norman D. Reece

Wallace R. Reece


Lloyd J. Reece

George J. Reece


Lloyd J. Reece (left), George J. Reece (right)

George M. Reece & George J. Reece (1923)

This is the earliest photo I've seen of my uncle, George John Reece. His father, George Melvin Reece, is holding him. Uncle George was born in March 1922, and he appears to be about 12 to 18 months old in this picture. Their clothing and the open window behind them indicate warm weather, so this shot was likely taken during the summer of 1923. They lived in Ontario, Canada at that time.

Lloyd J. Reece (circa 1939)

My father, Lloyd J. Reece at the age of 16. I once asked my father about the pins on his jacket in this photo. They appear to be a shield (chained to a number 36) and a drum. He explained that he needed a jacket for the photo, but he wasn't wearing one that day. So he borrowed this one from a classmate.

George & Florence Reece with their dog

Here are my grandparents, George Melvin Reece and Florence Mabel Underhill Reece, with their dog, "Pat". From what I've heard, Grandpa really loved that dog. These pictures were taken in front of their home on North Avenue, in Niagara Falls, NY. I don't know the exact year, but it was probably the late 1940's or early 1950's. I guess I'm not the first Reece to have a soft spot for dogs.

Adios, Penny

Patti and I lost a friend this week when our dog, Penny, passed away. She died at home, on her favorite pillow. She was only 8 years old. She'd been a member of our family since the age of 5 weeks. This video is our goodbye to a loyal companion. She will be missed. So long, kiddo.

Geraldine Reece (1945?)

Of the five children born to Florence and George M. Reece, Geraldine Joan Reece (above) was the only girl. Born in 1930, she was their youngest child. My father, Lloyd, was one of her four brothers. I don’t know anyone who ever called her Geraldine… she was always Aunt Gerry to me. When she was a young lady, she put together a collection of photographs of her family and friends. Since her death in 1999, her son, Brian Federspiel, has kept the collection intact, and he has now given me the opportunity to digitally archive this part of our family history. Over the years, I’ve managed to gather up a modest assortment of old pictures from various sources. But Aunt Gerry’s collection is quite literally a treasure trove of Reece family photographs. Most of the photos were taken in the 1940’s and 50’s, but there are some exceptions, both older and newer. The photo shown here was taken during the winter of 1945 - 1946 (possibly December 1945), when Gerry was not yet 16 years old. Thanks to my cousin Brian, I expect to post many more vintage photos of the Reece family (and friends) in the not-too-distant future. I’d like to think these will be seen by relatives with a curiosity about their lineage. I also hope that, for some folks, certain pictures might even evoke fond memories of the good old days. Thanks again, Brian.

Lloyd J. Reece (1928)

My father, Lloyd J. Reece, immigrated to the U.S. from Canada just before his 5th birthday. This picture is from his Immigrant Identification Card, issued on September 13, 1928. The circular marks across the bottom of the photo are the embossed seal of the American Consulate in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Anthony Patrick Donoughe (1943)

This is my grandfather, Anthony Patrick Donoughe. He was born on June 21, 1908 and died a week before his 85th birthday, on June 14, 1993. This picture was taken in a carnival photo booth in Cresson, PA, when he was 35 years old. The year was 1943. Earlier that year, on January 27, his wife, Christina Mildred (McMahon) Donoughe, had died. She left him with seven young children, the oldest one being my mother Rose, who turned 13 the day her mother was buried.

Mary McMahon & Clyde McMahon (1932)

Mary McMahon (left), Clyde McMahon (right)

The quality of this image is pretty lousy, but it's the only photo I have of my great-grandmother (my mother's maternal grandmother), Mary McMahon. My mother's Uncle Clyde was Mary's youngest child. He was a year or two younger than his niece (my mom), Rose Donoughe. This picture was taken on the porch of Mary's home in Gallitzin, PA in 1932.

Rose Marie Donoughe and her neighbor, Mrs. Felus (1933)

Mrs. Anne Felus (left), Rose Marie Donoughe (right)

This picture was taken in 1933 in Gallitzin, PA. According to my mother, Rose, it was Easter Sunday, and if you look close, you'll notice she's holding an Easter basket. Mrs. Felus was a neighbor, and she was about 38 years old at this time. My mom was 3 years old.

William McMahon, Jr. and Rose Marie Donoughe (1936)

William McMahon, Jr. (left), Rose Marie Donoughe (right).

Here's my mother at the age of six, with her Uncle Bill, who was about ten years old at the time. The photo was taken on May 31, 1936, on the occasion of William's First Communion, at the home of my great-grandmother, Mary McMahon, in Gallitzin, PA.

Rose Marie Donoughe (1937)

This picture of my mother was taken in 1937, when she was 7 years old. It was taken at school, in Loretto, PA. She lived a few miles away, in Wildwood Springs, and rode to and from school on a bus.

George Melvin Reece and Sons - November 1959

Left to right: Wallace R. Reece, George J. Reece, Lloyd J. Reece, George M. Reece, Norman D. Reece.

This is my Grandfather, George M. Reece, my father, Lloyd J. Reece and my uncles. The picture was taken in November 1959 at the house of my father's only sister, Geraldine Federspiel, in Niagara Falls, NY.

The Reece clan (ca 1929)

Left to right: (back row) Florence Mabel Reece (nee Underhill), George Melvin Reece; (front row) George John Reece, Norman Duane Reece, Wallace Richard Reece, Lloyd Jasper Reece (my father)

This picture was taken in the backyard of the family's Niagara Falls, NY home at 2413 North Avenue some time after they moved to the USA from Canada. The house behind them is 2415 North Avenue. Many years later my Uncle Wally owned and lived at 2415, and later still, my brother Mick owned it and lived there for a number of years.

Immigration documents show that my grandfather, a carpenter, emigrated from Canada in early December 1927. He probably commuted back and forth across the Niagara River while finding and/or preparing a new home for his family. The whole family officially made the move in mid-September 1928. Although I originally thought this photo had been taken around that time, Uncle Norm has pointed out that the apparent ages of the children (himself included) would seem to indicate that it may have actually been taken the following year. Their ages in 1929 would have been (roughly): Florence 25, George 32; George 7, Lloyd 6, Wally 4, Norm 2. The youngest child, Gerry, hadn't been born yet. She arrived on the scene in April 1930.

"Niagara, The Table Rock – Winter" by Francois Regis Gignoux

"Niagara, The Table Rock – Winter" was painted in 1847 by French artist Francois Regis Gignoux. The painting was donated to the U.S. government in 1901. An interesting article regarding the artist, the painting and Niagara Falls can be found on the U.S. Senate web site.

"Niagara Falls, from the American Side" by Frederic Edwin Church

"Niagara Falls, from the American Side". This scene was painted by Frederic Edwin Church in 1867. The painting currently hangs in the National Gallery of Scotland.

The Temperance House, Niagara Falls, NY

This photo is on an unused, undated postcard. The Temperance House was located on Second Street near Falls Street in Niagara Falls, NY.

Old Falls Street, Niagara Falls, NY

Originally a black & white photo, this picture was tinted with color before being used on this old postcard. The card is unused and undated. Judging from the automobiles, I'd guess it's sometime around the 1920's. The view is looking west on Falls Street, toward Prospect Park. You can see signs for Beirs Hotel on the left and Mack's (Men's Shop?) on the right. The building on the corner to the right, next to Mack's, is the Imperial Hotel. I believe this scene was located where Falls Street intersected Second Street.

Niagara Falls High School (ca 1913)

This photo was found on a used postcard, mailed to E.G. Fluhart in Fredericksburg, Ohio, and postmarked on July 3, 1913. I believe this building was constructed in 1903. It was destroyed by fire during the process of building an addition to it in 1921-1922. A new school was built on the same site, at Pine Avenue and Portage Road, and was completed in September 1924. That building served as the high school until 2000, when classes were relocated to the new state-of-the-art N.F.H.S. building, built in 1999 on Porter Road. The building at Pine and Portage has housed the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center since 2002.

Niagara Falls Tour Bus

This colorized b&w photo was found on an old postcard. The reverse of the card states: "The Niagara Reservation Bus Service uses luxurious Pierce-Arrow observation coaches. The trip around the State Reservation at Niagara embraces the best views of the American Fall, American Rapids, Horseshoe Fall and the Upper Rapids, as well as historic Green and Goat Islands. Stop-overs at all principal points, including Prospect Point, Luna Island, Cave of the Winds, Horseshoe Fall and the Three Sister Islands." The photo and postcard are undated.

Midnight On The Water

This was my first attempt at creating a Photoshop image from scratch, beginning with a blank screen and using only the tools provided by the program. I guess you'll never see any of my work hanging in the Louvre.

1902 Niagara Falls Souvenir Book Photos

This souvenir book, titled simply "Niagara", was issued more than a century ago, in 1902. It contains 24 pages made of paper resembling construction paper. Each page has a print attached on one side, and is blank on the back. Other than the copyright info on the inside of the cover, there is not a word of text in the book. Most, if not all, of the photos were widely used on postcards and in other souvenir booklets over an extended number of years, so it's difficult to say exactly when the photos were actually taken. Suffice to say they were taken prior to 1903. Shown below are all 24 photos, plus the cover and the copyright info. Enjoy!



The cover. I cropped the ragged edges off this image so as to emphasize the artwork.



The copyright info for anyone whose interested. From the inside of the front cover.



Page 1: The American Falls, from Goat Island.



Page 2: The American Falls, left, and The Horseshoe Falls, right.



Page 3: Visitors to Prospect Point get a close look at The American Falls, left, with The Horseshoe Falls in the distance, right rear.



Page 4: The view from the base of The American Falls.



Page 5: The brink of The American Falls.



Page 6: The stone bridge over the American rapids. Photo taken from Goat Island, looking back at the American mainland. I believe the large white building on the right is the Cataract House and the building to the left of it is the International Hotel. To the far left of the photo, in the middle of the rapids, is an object I haven't yet identified. Anyone know what it is?



Page 7: The American Falls with the Upper Steel Arch Bridge in the background. In January 1938 the area was struck by a severe ice storm, causing an enormous amount of ice to build up against the bridge's abutments, which were located close the river. The tremendous pressure exerted by the ice caused the bridge to collapse on January 27, 1938. Today, its successor, the Rainbow Bridge, stands about 500 feet to the north.



Page 8: The American Falls, left, with the old Maid Of The Mist tour boat heading toward The Horseshoe Falls, background right.



Page 9: The Cave Of The Winds at the base of the Falls.



Page 10: The ice bridge at the base of The American Falls. This was a popular winter attraction until 1912, when 3 people were trapped on an ice floe when the ice bridge suddenly broke apart. Mr. & Mrs. Eldridge Stanton and Burrell Hecock were swept to their deaths in the rapids downriver, despite efforts to rescue them. Authorities responded to this tragic event by prohibiting any future activities on the ice bridge.



Page 11: The Horseshoe Falls, as seen from Goat Island. Note the sightseers on the foot bridge leading to the brink of the Falls.



Page 12: The Three Sisters Islands, accessible by foot bridge from Goat Island.



Page 13: Visitors enjoy a day on the ice bridge at the base of The American Falls.



Page 14: The American Falls, as seen from Canada. For an interesting story relating to the tower seen at the left of the Falls in this photo, click on this link.



Page 15: The dynamos at the Niagara Falls Power Plant



Page 16: Visitors at the brink of the Falls.



Page 17: The Horseshoe Falls, as seen from the Canadian Side.



Page 18: The Falls in winter.



Page 19: The rapids above the American Falls.



Page 20: The view from Table Rock, at the base of the Horseshoe Falls.



Page 21: The Whirlpool Rapids. The Lower Steel Arch Bridge is in the background with the Railway Cantilever Bridge behind that.



Page 22: The Whirlpool.



Page 23: The Niagara Gorge, with the Whirlpool in the foreground, looking north toward Lewiston, NY. Canada is to the left, the U.S. is to the right.



Page 24: A train travels along the Great Gorge Route on the American side of the river. The tracks ran from near the Falls down to the Lewiston area. The giant upright rock near the train was sometimes known as "The Sentinel".