Where Can You Find a Real Hero These Days? I Discovered One!

In our celebrity- and sports-obsessed society, true heroes are hard to come by. Let me introduce you to one I just discovered: William Pryor Letchworth. He has my highest admiration and respect for his pure love of others and his tireless work to make them happier.

Born in the state of New York in 1823 to Quaker parents, Letchworth was raised to value hard work, charity and intellect. At the age of 15, he began his business career as a clerk in the saddler and hardware business. By age 25, he became a partner in a Buffalo iron business. In his thirties, as a tourist on a train, he visited the Genesee River and decided to make the valley, originally inhabited by the Seneca Indians, his home. He bought land and hired an artist to design the property to show off its best features with paths, bridges, and lakes. He named his new home - near the breath-taking Middle Falls – “Glen Iris” after the Greek God of rainbows. On our recent visit (now Letchworth State Park in Castile, NY), we were thrilled to enjoy rainbows at the falls.

In an effort to preserve nature and history, Letchworth built a museum nearby and made arrangements to have an Indian Council House moved to his property to be preserved. The Seneca Indians honored him with the name “Hai-wa-ye-is-tah,” which translates to “he who does right thing.”

Although Letchworth never married, he enjoyed entertaining friends and relatives at Glen Iris. He loved sharing discussions of poetry, literature and art.

He retired at the age of 48, but by two years later, instead of bowing to pressure to run for the state legislature, Letchworth became State Commissioner of Charities. For almost 25 years, he initiated social reform for the state of New York. He studied treatments for epileptics, for the insane, and for poor children by traveling to Europe and throughout the United States. Pushing New York State to reform, he wrote inexhaustibly about how to create institutions and legislation for the care of society’s helpless. He died in 1910 at the age of 87.

Letchworth had planned for Glen Iris to be turned into an orphanage, but in 1906 he decided to make a gift of his 1,000 acres to New York State for a public park. He did this to protect the natural beauty of the valley from builders who wished to create a dam there, ruining the natural beauty. Today, therefore, visitors have the privilege of hiking, biking, fishing, sight-seeing, swimming, picnicking and relaxing in what is now nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East.” There is even white-water rafting and hot-air ballooning within the park.

The Glen Iris opened as an Inn in 1914. It is the center of such a pretty setting that 5-6 weddings and receptions per week are scheduled during the summer months. I can attest that the meals there are a special treat. On our next visit, we’ll stay at the Inn so we can be close to the mesmerizing Middle and Upper Falls and the winding trail to the Lower Falls.

William Pryor Letchworth is my new hero, not for his wealth or status. He was not just industrious but also compassionate, genuinely interested in leaving the world a better place. He was generous, unselfish, and loving. He had the highest standards and sought to improve himself. Wouldn’t we all be better off if we followed some of his “Rules of Conduct?”

1. Strive to be always cheerful.

2. Never wound the feelings of others if it can be avoided.

3. Aim at a high standard of character.

4. Tell the truth in all circumstances.

5. Aim to do as all possible good in the world.

6. Rise at 6 o’clock. Breakfast at 6:30 am. Lunch at 12:30 pm. Supper at 6:30 pm. Retire at 9:30 pm. Attend divine services once every Sunday.

7. Attempt great things and expect great things.

What a contrast to today’s greedy athletes, talentless reality stars, and power-mad politicians! I now have a real role model; I pattern my life on this gentle, kind, persistent, empathetic gentleman who shared his idyllic home with the world. I recommend Letchworth State Park to you as a vacation spot. As you experience the spectacular gorge, cliffs, wildlife, river, overlooks, trails, bridges, and forest, may you also meet the spirit of my hero.