Lyons in Wayne County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Museum of Wayne County History
Wayne County Historical Society
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2022
1. Museum of Wayne County History Marker
From 1856 to 1960, 21 Butternut S. was home to the Wayne County Jail and Sheriff's office and residence. While in use, this jail housed many notable criminals, including infamous train robber Oliver Curtis Perry, bank robber Big Ed Kelly, and convicted murderer William Fee the only person legally executed in Wayne County (right inside the jail's north cellblock).
In 1962, the Wayne County Historical Society turned 21 Butternut St. into the Museum of Wayne County History. Today, the museum features three floors of exhibition space showcasing notable artifacts from the county's history including military objects, Clyde Glass and Lyons Pottery, and the jail's two original cellblocks.
Located directly behind the Museum is the seasonal Carriage House Exhibition Space, highlighting the historic Erie Canal alongside many early professions in Wayne County.
The mission of the Wayne County Historical Society is to preserve the history of Wayne County, New York, and inspire a connection between our past, present, and those who've impacted it.
The Museum of Wayne County History
21 Butternut Street Lyons, NY 14489
Tel: (315) 946-49431
www.waynehistory.org
Tues. - Fri. 10 AM - 4 PM
Extended weekend hours during warmer months
Made possible by the Augustus and Jennie D. Hoffman Foundation, 2022
Erected 2022.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Law Enforcement. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. 43° 3.88′ N, 76° 59.789′ W. Marker is in Lyons, New York, in Wayne County. It is at the intersection of Butternut Street and Church Street, on the left when traveling north on Butternut Street. The marker is located beside the sidewalk in front of the Wayne County Museum of History. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21 Butternut Street, Lyons NY 14489, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York, specifically in Western New York, in the Finger Lakes, and in the Rochester Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, on the Great Lakes, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
2. Marker detail: Edward Kelly; alias Big Ed Kelly
Photograph taken March 23, 1906, Rochester.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Wayne County Historical Society (was here, next to this marker but has been reported to have been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . .
1. Museum of Wayne County History.
Excerpt: Wayne County History Museum is housed in the former Wayne County Jail and sheriff's residence, just a few blocks from downtown Lyons and the Erie Canal (Lock 27). The museum offers three floors of local history displays, a two-story carriage house, and thematic exhibitions. Visitors can also meet the former Sheriff and step inside the old jail cells.(Submitted on April 2, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Oliver Curtiss Perry (Aghast at the Past).
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2022
3. Wayne County Museum of History
The marker is beside the sidewalk on the left.
Excerpt: Oliver Curtis Perry was a larger-than-life outlaw who made national news when he robbed the money car in the American Express Special train # 31 near Utica New York, in September of 1891. He managed to evade capture from Pinkerton agents, and emboldened by his success, made a second attempt on the very same money car in the very same train on February 21st, 1892. This time he shot a guard, fortunately only wounding him, but despite digging through packages, he could not find any money on this second attempt. When the train stopped in Lyons, NY, he uncoupled a train engine and tore down the tracks, only to be pursued on a parallel track by the conductor of the train he'd just attempted to rob. Realizing he was being followed, he daringly put the engine in reverse, passed his pursuer, while firing into their cab. Eventually he'd abandon his train engine, flee into snowy farm fields, steal two horses, get caught in a snow drift, until he was captured without a fight by Rochester police detectives.(Submitted on April 2, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Unlocking the eerie history of the old Wayne County Jail (CNY Central).
(by Emma Misiaszek & Brandon Roth) Excerpt: For prisoners locked up inside the small, cramped cells of the old Wayne County Jail, life was not easy. The harsh conditions and isolation inside the lightless, small jail cells were too much for some prisoners, leading them to take their own lives. William Fee is said to be one of those former inmates whose spirit remains. Fee was convicted of murdering an unknown woman back in 1860. And despite a lack of evidence, he was convicted and sentenced to hang. His execution took place right in the cellblock, which was packed with onlookers who paid money to come see him.(Submitted on April 2, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 31, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 2, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
