Soldiers and Sailors Association

The Wayne County Soldiers and Sailors Association

Reunions were held at Lyons, Bonnicastle, Eagle Island, Margaretta Grove (Sodus Point)

Bonnicastle, on Great Sodus Bay

    "Bonnicastle is located on the east shore of Great Sodus Bay six miles west of Wolcott and three miles south-east of Sodus Point. This resort is a popular mecca for summer pilgrims, seeking rest and recreation where they can spend their time on the shore of a fine body of water, away from the disagreeable features incident to many resorts.

    Bonnicastle for fifteen years has been a famous picnic ground where the churches, Sunday schools, fraternities, and family gatherings have come year after year. Here they find clean greenswards and groves on high ground overlooking the lake with the usual out-of-doors amusements, croquet, swings, boating baseball and driving.

    Bonnicastle has become widely known as the annual camping ground of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Association of Wayne county. This Association, including the G. A. R. of the county, is chartered and generally turns out at these reunions thousands of the Old Vets and their friends. Here they obtain spacious, clean and well shaded camp sites, with plenty of pure and wholesome water. There being no liquors sold at Bonnicastle the disorderly element never come here. One of these re-unions numbered as high as five thousand in attendance and 180 tents were put up. The camp is always continued an entire week. The association which has been coming to Bonnicastle for eleven years, experimented by going elsewhere and suffered financially for making the change. On such occasions people seek congeniality and rest which the changes did not offer."

--from Grip's Historical Souvenir of Wolcott, NY, June 1905

Veterans' reunion Ribbons and Badges


1st Reunion	4th Reunion	4th Reunion Ladies Badge	5th Reunion	6th Reunion "No Surrender of Trophies" was in reference to the im- pending return of captured Confederate flags.	8th Reunion Sons of Veterans Badge


12th Reunion Held on Eagle Island in Sodus Bay	13th Reunion	13th Reunion Ladies Badge	14th Reunion	16th Reunion	17th Reunion Ladies Badge


18th Reunion Ladies Badge	19th Reunion	26th Reunion	30th Reunion	This is a different veterans organization badge.