“The Fountain House was built by Hornbeck & Benjamin Brothers in 1872.”1 It was purchased by W. J. Carns around 1890. Mr. Carns also owned the Slaterville House. The building burned down on November 9, 1916.2
“The Hotels often had musical evenings. One of the most favored bands was ‘Happy Bill Daniels’.”3
“Another nineteenth-century performer left a recording legacy. He too left an indelible imprint on the old-time music of the region. His name was John McDermott and he called himself not just the fiddling champion of New York, but the ‘World’s Champion Fiddler’…. In his playing, he continued a tradition inherited from… Bill Daniels.4.
- John H. Selkreg, Landmarks of Tompkins County, D. Mason & Co, 1894
- Ithaca Journal, November 10, 1916.
- Barbara Kone, personal communication.
- Old-Time Music Makers of New York State, 1987
