“We’re not licked. We’re gonna bounce back. And for many, we’re gonna start again” – Amo Houghton 1972
From Griffin Bates , Steuben County Historian, pictured is Canisteo viewed from Mr. Rice’s fields
As we prepare for another week, it is also important to reflect on the immediate history, what happened here in Steuben County this week.
Obviously, we cannot ignore the devastating loss of people’s homes on Friday, and it is a historical memory of sadness that many of us will keep for the rest of our lives. But there is another side of the story that I think we must also not forget to keep in our memories.
With most disasters we feel the pain and suffering of loss, destruction, life being turned upside down. In these dark moments there is a brighter light that shines in our common understanding of what community is. And this weekend there is a beacon of hope that life will somehow turn back to normal.
In the next days after the devastation we saw neighbors, strangers, and people around the region come to our homes, to try and bring some sense of security and stability amid the grief and chaos. Volunteers who willingly choose to work in muddy, cold, and damp conditions are helping repair our community, and to simply help people in need.
Businesses have offered free food and other services to Canisteo and the greater Canisteo Valley area. The farms that weren’t destroyed knew how important it was to help save what was salvageable from those that were damaged. If there was space in a stable or barn the animals that were stuck had a dry place to stay. Any loss of crops or harvest was quickly shared by those farmers who had extra to spare.
I think the greatest act of selflessness and service to our hurt community is through the countless emergency services, service crews, and road crews that have been working through the destruction, rescuing people’s lives and homes. They answered the call and we should all be thankful for the work they are doing.
To everyone who has helped Canisteo, Woodhull, Jasper, Troupsburg, Greenwood, and the surrounding area, thank you. This is part of history that will inspire future generations to help their neighbors and random strangers, no matter what.
I want to end off with a quote by Amory Houghton, Jr. who, on the morning of June 23rd, 1972, was met with the somber devastation of Corning, “Every single person I have talked to has not only been full of sorrow…but also full of determination. And this, of course, is the underlying spirit upon all hope for this community is based. We’re not licked. We’re gonna bounce back. And for many, we’re gonna start again.”
[“Tropical Storm Agnes Destroys Corning, NY in 1972,” Cinemakers, published in 1972. YouTube, Feb 14, 2013, https://youtu.be/5P6TPTl4yBs?si=fNr9GnzUDc_g2u7J, 4:22-4:42. Accessed on August 11, 2024]
