This is the old Art building at The Gow School. This was originally a barn, then a
chapel for the school, then class rooms & then an art class room. 11/2015 this building
was taken down.
This is the old Art building at The Gow School. This was originally a barn, then a
chapel for the school, then class rooms & then an art class room. 11/2015 this building
was taken down.
The South Wales Fire Company every year makes up baskets and delivers them to
residents in our fire district who have lost a loved one, illness, hardship.
Stohrer’s Lodge
Field House
Shelter
Ski Lodge
South water Falls
Water Falls
One of the oldest homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
One of the oldest homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
One of the oldest farm homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
One of the oldest farm homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
One of the oldest farm homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
One of the oldest farm homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
One of the oldest Farm Homes on Vermont Hill Rd.
Goodleburg Cemetery – 2013
It is said that Dr. Goodleberg performed illegal abortion s then burying the newborn & patient that didn’t survive the procedure
behind his home located on a small hill overlooking the cemetery
Admission
Cornwall Building
Dinning Hall and Gow Center
Green Cottage
Whitcomb Building
Warner House
Orton Building
Kipp’s on Olean Rd. across from the South Wales Fire Company
Herb Evans giving demonstration to St. Mary’s
School for the Deaf
Herb Evans
Herb Evans lived on Warner Hill Rd.
The Gow School moving the science lab building
1972 – Aurora Motel on the corner of Olean Rd. & Emery Rd.
General Store on the corner of Olean Rd. & Emery Rd.
Taking the store apart that was on the Corner of Olean Rd. & Emery Rd.
After several years of planning and a great deal of political debate about which path the new highway would
taker, construction of the Aurora Expressway (Route 400) from the NYS Thruway near Buffalo to South
Wales began in 1966. Original plans called for the highway to pass around the west side of the village of East
Aurora, but it ultimately ended up on the east side. A support beam is maneuvered around a tight corner at
Main and Olean Streets during construction. The Globe Hotel can be seen in the background.
Cranes are used to lift the beams into place on top of the bridge piers in 1969. The ribbon was
cut in September 1971. The expressway drastically cut the amount of time it took motorists to
get to Buffalo, and it quickly became a busy
commuter route.
August 12, 1965
1964 – South Wales marching in a parade in East Aurora
World War II Watch Tower located on the Perrin Farm
Rural District School #8 was a joint district of Wales and Aurora
School District #6 on Goodleburg Rd.
1940 – The Gow School Main Building
1950 – The Gow School Cornwall Building
1950 – The Gow School Ellis Building
1950 – The Gow School – Admissions Building
The Gow School the early years
Emery Park
1935 – The Emery Family House
Judge Emery’s House
South Wales Drum Corps
Flossie Bragg in front of the Bragg hotdog stand at the South Wales Fair
South Wales Fair Days
South Wales Mens Club at the parade
Horse on bridge
South Wales baseball players pose for a team picture before a game in 1927. Baseball teams
became a source of community pride in the hamlets and villages of Aurora and surrounding
towns.
1923 – The Gow School, summer camp cabin
Members of the Erie County Board of Supervisors and Park Commissioners meet outside the Emery Inn at
Emery Park in the late 1920’s to officially reopen the building after an extensive remodeling project. The Inn,
once part of the Emery pioneer homestead, was later used as a museum and restaurant.
1918 – South Wales Fair Days – South Wales Red Cross marching in the parade. The Fairs days ran from 1917-1966.
1916 – South Wales Community Hall
1914 a brick road was built from East Aurora to South Wales
1920’s on one very hot summer day, the road buckled on Olean Rd. near Blakeley Corners Rd.
1913 – Wheat’s Store on the corner of Olean Rd. & Wartner Hill.
1903 – Four corner at Olean Rd. & Emery Rd.
Warner’s Store on Olean Rd. & Emery Rd. – early 1900’s
Working on horse shoes. At the turn of the century, the local blacksmith was the car repair technician of the day. Johnny Allen
who had the shop in the Town of South Wales, works on some horse shoeing.
South Wales horse shoeing shop in South Wales – 1890
James A. Allen wagon shop
South Wales Train Depot – 1870
Bob Bragg’s drawing of the South Wales Train Depot
South Wales Presbyterian Church on Emery Rd.
Founded 1841
1828 – South Wales Cemetery on the corner of Olean Rd. & Warner Hill Rd.
1818 – Cornell & Son General Store, now stands on the site is 7-eleven. The corner of Emery Rd. & Olean Rd.
Adam’s Farm on Olean Rd. Est. 1804
The residence and mills of L.C. Cormwall are shown here as they were in the mid 1800’s. Before 1850 and for
more than half a century, Lyman Cornwall operated a sawmill and gristmill on Emery Rd. in South Wales.
This later became the site of Gow School. Cornwall was Aurora’s town supervisor from 1876 to 1878.