Finger Lakes history · regional story
The picnic advertised in train times and steamer fares
An advertisement for an August 1911 picnic at Davis Grove laid out the journey: a train to Otisco Lake, a steamer connection and separate fares for each leg.
The invitation was for a picnic, but much of the advertisement was about getting there. A Marcellus Observer notice dated August 4, 1911 advertised the Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove on August 10. Signed by railway superintendent John Stewart, it survives in the Marcellus Historical Society’s 2011 newsletter reprint. Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove advertisement, reprinted in Marcellus Historical Society News.
Trains from Marcellus to Otisco Lake were advertised from 7:15 a.m., then about once an hour. The last was expected around 9 p.m., though the notice made the service depend on passenger demand. The steamer Fontney was to meet the trains. Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove advertisement, reprinted in Marcellus Historical Society News.
The fares separated the journey into parts: 35 cents for the return train trip from Marcellus, 50 cents from Martisco, and 10 cents for the steamer between Otisco Lake Station and Davis Grove. A day out meant connections as well as a destination. Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove advertisement, reprinted in Marcellus Historical Society News.
The advertisement also boasted of handling 5,000 people the previous year and being ready for 10,000. Those are an advertiser’s claims, not attendance figures we have verified. An account written after the picnic is still needed to tell us how the day actually went. Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove advertisement, reprinted in Marcellus Historical Society News.
Sources & research notes
Review status: Developing history. Human editorial review is pending.
Written and source-checked with AI assistance under an owner-authorized editorial process. This is not a personal review by Riley or an independent historian. Sources and unresolved questions are listed below; corrections are welcome.
- What the records establish
- The inspected reprint documents what the 1911 advertisement promised: a dated outing, conditional train service, a steamer meeting the trains and separately stated fares.
- What remains uncertain
- The original newspaper issue and post-event reports remain uninspected. Advertised services, capacity and attendance are not proven outcomes. No present Davis Grove location, property access, operating steamer or travel advice is inferred. Modern newsletter donors and images are not reused.
- What we are researching next
- Retrieve the originalAugust 4, 1911 Observer issue and nearby post-event issues, then compare railway and steamer records. Keep an advertisement’s intended journey separate from evidence of actual service or attendance.
Sources
- Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove advertisement, reprinted in Marcellus Historical Society News — John Stewart, Superintendent, M. and O. L. Railway, as named in the advertisement; reprint by Marcellus Historical Society; Advertisement August 4, 1911 for August 10 picnic; reprint Summer 2011, Volume 16 Issue 3. Locator: Marcellus Historical Society News, Volume 16 Issue 3, Summer 2011, cover/PDF1. Printed/PDF3 lower-right reprint labeled Marcellus Observer August 4, 1911: Six Town Picnic at Davis Grove, August 10;7:15 a.m. first train, roughly hourly, about 9 p.m. last conditional on patronage, Fontney meets trains, Martisco 50 cents/Marcellus 35 cents train returns,10 cent steamer return, promotional 5000/10000 figures. Accessed October 22, 2026.