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On the Road to… Madison-Bouckville

On the Road to... Madison-Bouckville

45th Annual Madison-Bouckville
August 15-21, 2016
It’s been said that “if you can’t find it in Bouckville, it probably doesn’t exist.” That’s because every year in mid-August, nearly 2,000 vendors bring their rarities, vintage furniture, classic toys, and more to the hamlet of Bouckville for the largest outdoor antique event in the state.
But did you know that Bouckville is a year-round antique venue? With dozens of shops and services dedicated to antiques, you can make a weekend of it any time of year. And you’re always welcome to walk along the towpath of the Chenango Canal before enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants in the Madison-Bouckville area. In the winter, snowmobile the area’s hundreds of miles of groomed trails and warm up with a bowl of chili at the Hotel Solsville.
Whether you crave good food, antiques or nature you’ll find it in Bouckville, NY! For more information, visit www.MadisonTourism.com.
MADISON-BOUCKVILLE ANTIQUE WEEK SHOW FIELDS
Butternut Hill Antique Show
315-893-7497 – www.butternuthill.net
6893 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Cherry Valley Auction Barn
315-893-7501 – 7008 State Route 20, Madison, NY
Cider House Showfield
315-825-8477 – www.ciderhouseantiques.com
6769 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
The Depot Antique Gallery
315-893-7676 – www.depotantiquegallery.com
State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
East Expo Antiques
315-363-5262 – www.eastexpoantiquefield.weebly.com
State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Gallery Antiques at Pinebrick
315-893-7752 – 6790 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Indian Opening Acres
315-416-7817; 315-416-7818 – www.indianopeningacres.com
6811 Indian Opening Road, Bouckville, NY
Mohawk Arms, Inc.
315-893-7888 – www.militaryrelics.com
Out Front Antique Show Field at Pinebrick
315-427-5094 – 6790 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Quaker Acres West Antique & Collectible Show
315-723-8736 – www.quakeracreswest.com
6941 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Station House Antiques
315-363-0024
6791 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
The Stone Lodge Antiques
315-893-7263
6833 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
The Trading Post
724-977-8900
6799 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Whistle Post Antiques
315-893-7604 – www.whistlepostantiques.com
6845 State Route 20, Bouckville, NY
Eat Your Way Around Antique Week
There is truly something for every taste at Madison-Bouckville Antique Week running Aug. 15 through 21.
Like your favorite fairs and carnivals, the Route 20 antique corridor in central New York State is well-known for providing a variety of treats with everything from lobster and corn to pulled pork, ribs, and sausage with peppers and onions.
“I start off with the fresh-squeezed lemonade as soon as we are out of the car,” said a frequent show-goer. “Then we make our way down to the chicken barbecue, and we can’t forget ma and pa’s kettle corn.” Her favorite treats include the fresh-roasted nuts and iced coffee, while her son’s destination is the ice cream stand. In between snacks, they also take time to peruse the antiques and collectibles.
“They actually have a lot of interesting things to look at when we aren’t eating,” she said.
History of Madison-Bouckville Antique Week & Madison Bouckville Promotions
By John Mancino, president, Madison Bouckville Promotions
Forty-five years ago this August, Jock Hengst and a few of his friends got together on an abandoned airfield on Route 20 in Bouckville  to swap some antiques. From that humble beginning has grown New York State’s largest outdoor antique event.
After a few years the event was moved to a corn field on Rte. 20 and continued to prosper.
As the event grew, many full time antique stores sprang up along Rte. 20, and the towns of Madison and Bouckville became known as antique communities. Many of these stores started hosting their own shows running concurrent with Mr. Hengst’s.
Six years ago Mr Hengst sold his show field to a farmer and there was concern that the show was over. When I heard the news I knew something must be done to keep this show alive. I went up and down the street and spoke with all the antique stores, show fields, restaurant owners, and inn keepers. We all got together in one room, and with the help of Madison County Tourism formed Madison Bouckville Promotions. We are a non profit group consisting of over 70 members. Monies raised from dues are used to advertise Madison Bouckville Week. We also increased the length of the show to one full week.
Today, we are proud to say that we are the single largest revenue generator in Madison County. We estimate we have over 60,000 visitors in one week, and sell out every hotel room in the county.
For more information about the shows taking place during Antique Week please visit our website at www.madison-bouckville.com.
The Town of Madison Home of the Madison-Bouckville Antiques Show
By James Ford
The Town of Madison was settled in the early 1790s, shortly after the conclusion of the American Revolution. Our first citizens came from New England, seeking fertile lands for farming. They certainly such land here and began to raise grain crops, cattle and other animals for sale in the Albany market.
Communities were initially established at the Indian Opening, just to the north of Madison Lake, which had been used as a farming and fishing area for generations by the Oneida Indian Nation, and at Madison Center, located on the first highway from Sangerfield to the growing settlement of Hamilton.
With the construction of the Third Great Western Turnpike, later known as the Cherry Valley Turnpike and today as Rte. 20, the Village of Madison (incorporated in 1816) and the hamlet of Bouckville were settled to take advantage of the new trade route. The completion of the Chenango Canal in 1836 led to the growth of our other township community, Solsville, and to the further growth of Bouckville. Mercantile establishments were opened to serve the needs of the surrounding agricultural community.
What began as subsistence farming and grain production was soon supplemented by the growing of hops. James D. Coolidge grew the first hops in Madison County and started a boom that would last until the mid-20th century.
Fortunes were made or lost on the hop market.  However, many of the fine, old homes in the township are a testimony to the good years of the hops industry.
The arrival in Bouckville of Samuel R. Mott in 1868 led to the beginnings of a nationally-known brand. Mr. Mott formed a partnership with two other producers of cider and vinegar and two years later controlled the firm. With his son, John C. Mott, the firm grew and new buildings were constructed. J.C. Mott had his cider mill in New York City and Samuel Mott built his new complex on the site of what is now Jim Dutcher’s Show Field.
Mott’s produced vinegar, cider, and apple champagne and sold to markets as far away as England and Argentina. A disastrous fire in 1931 ended production in Bouckville in favor of other Mott’s facilities in the Albany and Rochester areas. What began in Bouckville continues to be a trusted name today.
The Town of Madison also produced fine baseball teams and individual players. Madison had a quality “nine,” but the Bouckville Summits became the most famous semi-pro team in Central New York from the 1860s to the 1930s. Seven Summits players signed major league contracts at some level, with two – Lewis “Snake” Wiltse, and his brother, George “Hooks” Wiltse, reaching the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Giants respectively.

On the Road to… Madison-Bouckville