To the Editor:

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the work of Tyler Rapp of the Town of Guilderland Highway Department. Tyler used his considerable welding talents to restore the Case Homestead marker.

This marker had a difficult evening awhile back at the hands of an errant motorist. You can examine the two included pictures to see the quality of work that Tyler put in to get this marker back to usefulness.

Guilderland is fortunate to have many people with talents similar to Tyler’s working to keep the many pieces of machinery in order as well as the roads maintained and cleared. Greg Weir, our highway superintendent, was a great help.

The Case Homestead marker, which commemorates Russell Case, designated one of the 50 or so taverns erected when the Great Western Turnpike opened in 1789. According to Alice Begley’s book, “Town of Guilderland Historic Markers,” farmers from Cherry Valley would herd their cattle east on the turnpike to the markets in Albany.

It was quite crowded in the Guilderland area. (One can only imagine the smells.) The Case Tavern served “all you can eat for one Shilling.” The house specialty was whole roast pig. The homestead burned in the 1950s. The M and M motel is now on that site.

The Guilderland Historical Society is getting set for a new beginning in 2022. It has been suggested that one of the goals is that the society work with the Willian F. Pomeroy foundation, which funds new markers.

You can see one of these markers on Rapp Road for the Black historic residential community, featuring the history of the Great Migration. You can also see a Pomeroy marker in front of the Berne-Knox-Westerlo schools in Berne, commemorating the Anti-Rent Wars.

John B. Haluska

Guilderland