Historic Sites

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WCTU Fountain

Historic Site #:12-010   (Exists)   Type: B4,B5,F4 Town:Sodus
Site Name:WCTU FountainGPS Coordinates:43.226453, -77.068034
Address:6226 NY-88 Sodus New York at the intersection Rt. 88 & Newark St.
Description:

Women’s Christian Temperance Union Fountain and Plaque


Located at the Sodus Rural Cemetery on Rte. 88 North in Sodus, NY. The Cemetery is on the west side of road just before town limits. The plaque is on the very south part of the cemetery next to the stone Sodus Fountain.





 
Photo courtesy of Edith FarringtonPhoto courtesy of Edith Farrington
Photo courtesy of Edith FarringtonFountain as it was originally part of the Snider Hotel on Main Street in Sodus. Photo courtesy of Dick Ransley
 
Historic narrative:

Located at the Sodus Rural Cemetery on Rte. 88 North in Sodus, NY. The Cemetery is on the Left hand side of road just before town limits. The plaque is on the very south part of the cemetery next to the stone Sodus Fountain.

The plaque reads:

The Fountain’s Journey

in 1917, the Sodus Women’s Christian Temperance Union raised funds to construct this fountain in front of the Snider House (Sodus Hotel) on Main Street in the Village of Sodus. It served as a simple drinking source for people, horses and dogs. Some say it was to promote the drinking of good old water over the evils of alchohol.

In 1928, the fountain was moved to the Village Park, now the site of the Sodus Central School where it stayed until renovations of the school necessitated its move.

Having no permanent home, the fountain was moved behind the Village Highway Barn where it was stored for several years. The Sodus Rural Cemetery Association offered it a new location at the south end of the cemetery where it was moved in June of 2006 – its final resting place.

A poem was written in later years after its construction and reads as follows:

They called themselves the W.C.T.U.

Bunch of busy bodies, what did they do?

Put up a fountain in front of the Inn

Said “drink the water… not the gin!’

Never did hear them women too well,

Even now they don’t ring my bell.

We used that fountain for horses and dogs,

While sitting at the bar drinking mugs of grog!




References:

http://townofsodushistoricalsociety.org/plaques/sodus/sodus-fountain-page/