Written by: Ron Nagy

Category: History Topics

Published: March 5, 2016

I call this fine lady Miss Evans because I don’t know exactly what her first name was. She was an identical twin of her sister and very seldom were they each identified in any photographs. Their great grand-father A.H. R. Curtis was one of the founders of Cassadaga Lake Free Association, the first name of the Lily Dale Assembly. They were Alice and Agnes and have a long history of the family starting with their Uncle Albert who was in the American Civil War and was captured and died at the infamous Andersonville Prison Camp. Albert kept a War  diary even after he became a prisoner at Andersonville. A copy of that diary is on display at the museum.  One sister was a nurse and one was a school teacher. They had a house in Lily Dale and stayed for the summer camp seasons. One lived in Florida and one in California. Both were never married and lived long lives. When they passed over they willed their house and contents which included a collection of memorabilia to the Lily Dale Assembly. A lot of their fine artifacts are at the museum and are now on display and can be seen off season by appointment or starting Memorial Day the museum is open Saturdays 11-2, the museum is open during season the last Friday in June to the day before Labor Day–open 7 days 11–4. After season the museum is also open Saturdays 11–2 until the third week of October.