2
10
27
-
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Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mt. Hope Reservoir, Rochester NY
Description
An account of the resource
In 1873 work began on a water system for the city of Rochester--an earlier one had failed due to poor construction--that would draw from Hemlock Lake in Livingston County, nearly thirty miles distant. By this point the growing city of some 70,000 still drew its water from wells and cisterns; diseases like cholera and dysentery were common because wells were located near cesspits. When a fire broke out the city depended upon water from the Erie Canal or Genesee River. Hemlock Lake was 385 feet higher than the reservoir and as such gravity fed. It was completed in 1876 and later, in 1919, was expanded to include nearby Canadice Lake.
Today, what's now called the Highland Reservoir looks much as it did in this old photograph.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Scrantom Wetmore & Co.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1901-1907
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 602 KB
jpeg, 287 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Canadice Lake
Hemlock Lake
Highland Reservoir
Mt. Hope Reservoir
Post Card
Rochester, NY
Watershed
-
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eb15c26980e21bf8fec14ea4d3bc4255
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mills of Genesee Valley
Description
An account of the resource
Before the commercial extraction of fossil fuels from the Oil Creek region of northern Pennsylvania, most mechanical work in the Genesee Valley was done by human and animal power, or some source ultimately derived from the sun: burning wood, wind power, or flowing water. The exception to this, of course, was coal--by the 1880s America's dominant source of energy. <br /><br />Due to the Genesee region's ample supply of wood and running water, along with the cost of shipping coal, it's quite common to find instances of various water mills in the area's history. They were adapted to a wide range of uses: cutting wood into timber and milling it into specialized shapes (<strong>lumber mill</strong>); grinding corn into animal feed or for distilling alcohol (<strong>grist mill</strong>); grinding wheat or other grains (<strong>flour mill</strong>); creating boxes and other products from wood pulp (<strong>paper mill</strong>); fabricating metals (<strong>triphammer mill</strong>); powering industrial equipment <strong>(textile mill</strong>); and by the 1880s creating electricity via turbines.<br /><br />This collection gathers various documents concerning mills in the Genesee Valley. In addition to images and written texts, there is also an interactive map illustrating the density of their usage during the mid-nineteenth century.
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Upper Falls, Genesee River, Rochester NY
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Rochester News Co.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 608 KB
jpeg, 343 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
At nearly 100 feet in height, the "High Falls" were a determining factor in the location of Rochester. Mills took advantage of the drop and the Genesee River's water flow in the form of mills, beginning in 1807 and especially in the years following construction of Brown's Race--which enabled numerous mills to operate along the western banks. Less than a mile upriver, the Erie Canal was routed so as to pass near this important manufacturing and milling location. At one point Rochester was milling more than 500,000 barrels of wheat flour per year before the wheat midge drastically curtailed production in the Genesee Valley.
In the postcard, at left of the falls is Rochester Gas and Electric's Hydro Station #4 (since abandoned), and crossing the river is a New York Central Railroad viaduct. At right is the Gorsline Building, reconstructed in 1888 as a shoe factory after a major fire that killed perhaps 35 workers. Structural problems nearly led to its demolition, but it was partially demolished and renovated during the late 1990s for use as office space.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1934
Genesee River
High Falls
Mill
New York Central Railroad
Post Card
Rochester Gas and Electric
Rochester, NY
Upper Falls
-
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b07ed5d0fd9f9971e4270214f886c5b1
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kodak Park, Home of Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester NY
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Manson News Agency
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930-1945
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 628 KB
jpeg, 259 KB
Description
An account of the resource
Following the success of George Eastman's introduction of affordable cameras, the company's manufacturing infrastructure expanded rapidly. Postcard announces Rochester company as the "largest industry of its kind in the world." At its height in the mid-1960s, Kodak Park was comprised of 1,300 acres on a parcel four miles long, and housed 140 manufacturing buildings. At this location Kodak manufactured film, photographic paper, processing chemicals, magnetic tape, and some 4,000 other "research chemicals." 20,000 employees worked there, so the company's description of Kodak Park as "virtually a city within a city" was justified. <br /><br />As a consequence of its chemical production, Kodak Park also had an outsized ecological footprint--one that became increasingly public by the 1980s in the wake of Love Canal. Dioxin, methylene chloride, and many other hazardous wastes led to its status as (by far) the largest polluter in Western New York. Between 1974 and 2007, Kodak secretly operated a small nuclear reactor; in 2013 it was revealed that the company had buried radioactive waste at the western edge of this complex. The two large smokestacks at the photo's center were part of a coal-fired electrical plant that burned perhaps 600,000 tons of coal per year generting up to 200 megawatts--the equivalent of a city of 200,000. In 2018, one of only three such plants in New York state, converted to natural gas (also a fossil fuel). <br /><br />Several buildings were demolished, the plot of land was renamed Eastman Business Park, and its chemical reckoning continues.<br /><br />Works Consulted: Eastman Kodak, <em>The Kodak Park Works</em><em>: Where Kodak Film, Papers, and Chemicals are Made</em> (1964)
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Coal
Eastman kodak company
Genesee River
George Eastman
Kodak Park
Pollution
Post Card
Rochester, NY
-
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e5cc525465f0213e01162d979fae051e
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90daac61a1b4561522b5a154591be4d3
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mills of Genesee Valley
Description
An account of the resource
Before the commercial extraction of fossil fuels from the Oil Creek region of northern Pennsylvania, most mechanical work in the Genesee Valley was done by human and animal power, or some source ultimately derived from the sun: burning wood, wind power, or flowing water. The exception to this, of course, was coal--by the 1880s America's dominant source of energy. <br /><br />Due to the Genesee region's ample supply of wood and running water, along with the cost of shipping coal, it's quite common to find instances of various water mills in the area's history. They were adapted to a wide range of uses: cutting wood into timber and milling it into specialized shapes (<strong>lumber mill</strong>); grinding corn into animal feed or for distilling alcohol (<strong>grist mill</strong>); grinding wheat or other grains (<strong>flour mill</strong>); creating boxes and other products from wood pulp (<strong>paper mill</strong>); fabricating metals (<strong>triphammer mill</strong>); powering industrial equipment <strong>(textile mill</strong>); and by the 1880s creating electricity via turbines.<br /><br />This collection gathers various documents concerning mills in the Genesee Valley. In addition to images and written texts, there is also an interactive map illustrating the density of their usage during the mid-nineteenth century.
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lower Falls of the Genesee, Rochester NY
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 663 KB
jpeg, 331 KB
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Scrantom Wetmore & Co., Publishers
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1905-1910
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Five miles downstream from here, the Genesee River empties into Lake Ontario at Charlotte, and the base of the falls has been a major spawning ground for salmon and lake trout until non-native fish like the alewife reduced their numbers. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/seth-green--home-waters">The fisherman Seth Green</a> ran a large commercial operation nearby in the lower gorge; ironically, his success also contributed to declining stocks and led to his experiments in pisciculture and eventually a fish hatchery located in Caledonia, NY. <br /><br />At the time of this photograph, an extensive engineering project recently had constructed Rochester Gas & Electric's Hydro Station #15--a portion of which is shown at left--and transformed the falls themselves. An 80-foot long concrete facing raised the falls to a height of 96 feet and created an intake dam 17 feet in depth. The building at right is a remaining part of the settlement called McCrackenville, chartered in 1821 and best known as an industrial site: flour and paper milling, carpet-making, furniture manufacture, a tannery. In 1850 the city of Rochester annexed the land as part of its plans for residential development along Lake Avenue; eventually it was remade as Lower Falls Park, from which visitors have a spectacular view of the gorge.
Genesee River
Lower Falls, Rochester
McCrackenville
pisciculture
Post Card
Rochester Gas and Electric
Rochester, NY
Seth Green
Watershed
-
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bdac5994cfb0e895eb3ee3630d8a98d6
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
State Normal School, Geneseo NY
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 597 KB
jpeg, 251 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Hand-colored photograph shows "Old Main," built in 1871 to house the new Geneseo Normal and Training School. Since 1826 the town had been known for its highly regarded Temple Hill Academy, but a rift within the Presbyterian Church threatened its funding. An authorization by the New York State legislature, in 1866, for chartering four new normal schools therefore prompted efforts to locate one of them in Geneseo. Political opposition and inadequate funding thwarted the first attempt; however, support by Craig W. Wadsworth helped facilitate approval in 1869. The school opened two years later with William J. Milne as its principal, overseeing thirteen teachers and 354 students.
The institution had a program for elementary grades and an "Academic" program for adolescents. In 1905, changes to teacher certification--including a required four years of high school for admission--were reflected in the new designation of State Normal School. In 1948 the (now) college was integrated into the new State University of New York system. Old Main was demolished three years later as part of an extensive building plan, its location now encompassing Welles, Wadsworth, and Erwin Halls.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Clancy's Yellow Front, Geneseo NY
Albertype Co.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1920-1930
Craig W. Wadsworth
Geneseo Normal School
Geneseo, NY
Old Main
Post Card
SUNY Geneseo
-
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6f4d51a06009e26627d4c822eec0b2c2
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Physical Culture Hotel, Founded by Bernarr McFadden, Dansville NY
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Curteich Co., Chicago
Lieb's Bookstore and G.C. Murphy Co., Dansville
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1946
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 658 KB
jpeg, 336 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
A background of weightlifting and wrestling prepared McFadden (1868-1955) for his advocacy of physical fitness--or "physical culture" as it was called at the time. His entrepreneurial talents encompassed exercise equipment, dietary advice and, beginning in 1899, publication of <em>Physical Culture</em> magazine. By the 1920s, McFadden's publishing talents had created a lucrative portfolio: <em>True Detective, True Romances, Dream World, True Ghost Stories, Photoplay, </em>and <em>True Story</em>--this last title reaching nearly two million readers by 1929.<br /><br />With cash in hand, that year he purchased a building formerly known as the Jackson Sanatorium. That site had been renowned since the 1850s as a place of rest and recovery for those suffering nervous breakdowns, treated by Dr. James Caleb Jackson using a program of hydrotherapy (the "water treatment"), vegetarian diet, daily exercise, and spacious rooms with plenty of fresh air. The original building was called "Our Home on the Hill" and was very popular with wealthy, educated clients. After an 1882 fire destroyed the original building, Jackson's son built the structure pictured; by 1914 his fortunes had waned and he declared bankruptcy. McFadden renovated the building and enjoyed great success, initially, before a similar decline in fortunes eventually led to the building's closure in 1971. It remains a popular (and illegal) destination for "ruin porn" visitors.
Bernarr McFadden
Dansville, NY
Jackson Sanatorium
James Caleb Jackson
Our Castle on the Hill
Physical Culture
Post Card
-
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b8edbf609fc988e18ec528abdd177003
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Public Market, Rochester NY
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1909-12-03
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 552 KB
jpeg, 469 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
At the time of this photograph in the early 1900s, Rochester's public market had been in operation for more than seventy years. Initially located on Main Street just west of the Genesee River, it opened in 1827 and then moved to its current location on Union Street in 1905. Thus, the postcard depicts a modern facility supplied by farmers who have traveled via horse and wagon. It wasn't until 1913 that the City of Rochester allowed farmers to sell directly to the public, so this scene is best appreciated as a brokers' market.
In the years since, it has remained viable despite the emergence of huge (suburban) grocery chains that doomed public markets in other cities. Today, an estimated 2.4 million people visit the market annually, perhaps 40,000 on a busy Saturday. It remains one of the most economically and culturally diverse locations in the Rochester metropolitan area, and recently has undergone renovations such that a new outdoor shed closely resembles the one pictured on this postcard.
market
Post Card
Public Market
Rochester, NY
-
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3587425102d10215f0b0595c29617818
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
View of Sea Breeze, One of Rochester's Beautiful Summer Resorts
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Rochester News Company
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1907-1915
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 654 KB
jpeg, 399 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Overlooking Lake Ontario, this amusement park has remained in operation since its opening in 1879--making it America's fourth-oldest such operation. It originated as a trolly destination in an era without air conditioning; temperatures due to the lake-breeze effect could be 10 degrees cooler. In the postcard we see travelers on the Rochester & Suburban Railway debarking upon company land, anticipating various concessions and by the time of this photograph several rides--including carousels and a figure-eight roller coaster.
In 1920 Sea Breeze built its famous wooden "Jack Rabbit" roller coaster, currently the second-oldest one in the US. Through financial challenges, new owners, destructive fires, and social change it has managed to remain open and share its pleasures with new generations.
Amusement Park
Irondequoit, NY
Lake Ontario
Post Card
Rochester, NY
Sea Breeze
-
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fd16fe1d8f3973e54fe5d895faf22de0
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image
3.5 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Birdseye View of Springwater, NY
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1918-05-27
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 591 KB
jpeg, 594 KB
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
From a hillside looking approximately southwest, view shows part of the watershed supplying Hemlock Lake and ultimately the city of Rochester, NY. At the time of this photograph the town's population would have been around 1,700 people, still primarily involved in agriculture. Springwater was established in 1816 and encompasses the highest point in Livingston County. During its early history stands of forest were logged before giving way to farming.
bird's eye view
Post Card
Springwater, NY
Watershed
-
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94379434f57fa57fe29fb152c68e3cfd
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Sinclair Refinery, Wellsville NY
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cooper, Ken
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg, 872 KB
jpeg, 302 KB
Description
An account of the resource
Town along the Genesee River has experienced the rise and fall of fortunes associated with extractive industries: initially lumber and tanning (using bark from hemlock trees), then the petroleum industry. In 1879 oil was discovered near Wellsville--whose naming antedated the petroleum strike--and in 1901 a refinery was constructed to process barrels from the Allegany field. Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation, formed in 1916, purchased the Wellsville refinery in 1927 and for years was the major producer of refined products in this area. The company had a national profile via its shrewd marketing, notably a dinosaur mascot introduced at the Chicago World's Fair of 1933. A catastrophic fire in 1938 severely damaged the Wellsville plant; another in 1958 caused its closing. In 1969 Sinclair was purchased by the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). <br /><br />The afterlife of Wellsville's 100-acre refinery site has been problematic. Production of lubricating oils and grease, fuel oil, naptha, gasoline, lighter fluid, and paraffin led to groundwater contamination; a 10-acre waste dump sited alongside the Genesee River (with 230,000 cubic yards of hazardous chemicals) leached into surface water. In 1983 it was declared a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency, leading to mitigation efforts at the waste dump, "rechannelization" of the Genesee, and relocating Wellsville's drinking water intake upstream from the Sinclair refinery. Effects upon fish, waterfowl, and mammals have been significant and likely continue. Given the somewhat bucolic appearance of this postcard photo, the refinery's history serves as a cautionary tale.<br /><br />Source consulted: US Fish and Wildlife Service, <a href="https://www.fws.gov/northeast/nyfo/ec/files/SinclairNRD_PAS_6-16-2015.pdf">"Preassessment Screen and Determination for the Sinclair Refinery Superfund Site in Allegany County, New York”</a> (May 2015).
<div style="left: 821.915px; top: 176.317px; font-size: 25.6667px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.17835);"></div>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1927-1938
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Tichenor Bros. Incorporated
Atlantic Richfield Company
Environmental Protection Agency
Genesee River
oil
Pollution
Post Card
Sinclair Oil Company
Watershed
Wellsville, NY