I started this research journey into Volo's history back in 2016 and was really pulled into its mystery. It is a surprise to me that I now have over 40,000 blog hits, at the time of writing this post. Since then, I feel like I got to meet the deceased pioneers in a way after all of my research. The person who died over 150 years ago, H. Wallace Gale, was said to haunt the Volo Antique Mall and the grounds. Since, I started my research, I got to meet the Grams family and learned about them and learned that the grounds their museum was on, was the farm that the Gale family had lived on for several generations. I really liked the Grams family and was glad to see that they worked on a Civil War display and continue to intrigue and evolve in their presentations at the museum. Sadly, one of the founders, Bill Grams passed away in 2020 and his wife passed away last year in 2025. It almost felt like I lost distant family when they passed just like it felt like I lost ancestors in the Civil War when H. Wallace Gale died of Typhoid Fever after joining the Union Army during the Civil War. I also got to meet someone who had lived in the old Volo Gale home before the Grams family bought it, and I really liked this person as well. I got to meet the old mayor of Volo, and liked him. He has also since passed. I even ran into a fan of my book, Ginger, who was with her sister at the antique mall last year (2025) and she took a picture with me.
H. Wallace Gale's name intrigued me the most out of all of my research finds. Most historical documents had him listed as H. Wallace Gale. That name was on the census. I think that was his true birth name as I would see that some other people during that time period would have an initial as their first name and a middle name. I would find one document from the Army records that listed him as "Henry" Wallace Gale. I assumed that was his name and that perhaps he went by "Henry," but now I am rethinking this. I wonder if he went by Wallace. Perhaps, but we'll never know for sure since there are no other records on this. So to honor him, I will also refer to him as H. Wallace, besides Henry and maybe just leave his name as H. Wallace Gale, in any future discussions about him.
I have seen many changes to old Volo since 2016. Several of the old houses on Volo Village Road have been torn down. There are plans to build more modern homes. The corner of Rt 12 and Rt 120 has seen the addition of a giant food store and restaurants. The town is changing. I wonder what the town of Volo will look like in fifty years. I do have a vision. Perhaps, the home that H. Wallace Gale grew up in and that the Grams family and other families lived in will become part of the Museum, eventually. Perhaps it will transition into a historical society building. Perhaps the Volo Museum and Antique Mall will go on for awhile, but then perhaps the land will be sold and also the land around it and homes will be built and an elementary school will also be built for the people. Perhaps, ultimately the school will be built and named after H. Wallace Gale who was a teacher, who died during the Civil War, and who wanted to come home and live his life, get married, have children, and be a teacher and farmer for the remainder of his life. Perhaps, his dream will come true in some strange way. Time will tell. Until then, we can enjoy the museum, the antique mall, the land, the history, and the memories.
