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.