Hedstrom Gate House

Arthur Hedstrom Gate House - Table of Contents

Historic Hedstrom Family Photographs
Photos are a collection belonging to Earl Tong, grandson of Charlie and Martha Tong.

#1 - Charlie and Martha Tong in front of south end of barn. Charlie had been Hedstrom's English chaufeur when Arthur and Catherine Hedstom lived on Delaware Ave. in Buffalo.

#2 - Arthur Tong in a WWI uniform at one of the concrete wall garden gate doors (not extant in 2012).
Arthur was Charlie and Martha’s only child. (Arthur's son: Earl.)

#3 - Earl Tong’s grandmother, Anna Riffer Bernhardt, and Earl as a baby at same garden gate, 1922.
Anna Riffer Bernhardt, was Arthur’s mother-in-law.

#4 - Arthur Tongat the east garden gate, door open. You can see the open expanse on the other side of the wall and a store wall in the background. That is the wall which runs down Getzville Road. The area was an open orchard of apple and pear trees. Note: the pattern of ivy growth is different from photos ##2 and 3. # #2 and 3 were taken in a different year or more likely at the east garden wall gate.

#5 - Martha Tong with Earl. Getzville stone wall, pear and apple trees in back ground.

#6 - Martha, Earl, unknown boy, and a family friend, Max Engel. Engel had lost his legs in a railroad accident.

#7 - Elise Bell, a friend of Martha. Elise Ball worked across the street a the Copeland House, which is now part of Daemon College North side of archway. You can see the diamond latticed windows of the archway room.

#8 - Martha and Elise Bell in front of wall and “east house” where Tongs lived.

#9 - Charlie and Martha Tong on steps of Hedstom mansion house. According to Earl, Charlie would drive the Hedstoms to West Virginia for the winter months. Charlie and Martha would move into the mansion for those months “to keep an eye on the plumbing” during cold Buffalo winters.

#10 - Earl Tong in front of wall and East House

#11 - Martha dressed up as Santa in front of East House east side extension.

#12 - May have been one of Hedstrom’s early cars or a friend’s.

#13 - Charlie Tong in a Hedstrom car.

#14 - Charlie Tong by some piece of farm equipment. North end of 1904 barn in background.

Special thanks to Caroline and William Duax for their cooperation and assistance in 2002 and in 2012, and to Bonnie J. Tong for assistance with captions in 2014.

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