MATTYDALE, N.Y. — “If ever, oh ever a Wiz there was, The Wizard of Oz is one because, Because, because, because, because, because…Because of the wonderful things he does!”
What a wonderful thing he did, and a legendary life he lived. On Friday, May 15, a new New York State Historical Marker was unveiled in Mattydale to commemorate the life and legacy of L. Frank Baum, beloved author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and one of America’s most enduring literary figures. The unveiling ceremony took place on the front lawn of the Community Center in Mattydale.
The historical marker, awarded to The Lyman Frank Baum Foundation Inc. of Syracuse by The William G. Pomeroy Foundation, recognizes Baum’s early years in the Syracuse-area community of Mattydale, where he spent part of his youth. The property was bought by the Baum’s in 1866 when L. Frank was 10 years old. Once called Roselawn, Baum called it “my beloved childhood home”. As a child, L. Frank would roam the property and let his imagination soar over the rainbow. L. Frank loved Roselawn so much he wrote about it and its scenery in two books Dot and Tot of Merryland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Baum family, historians and enthusiasts alike believe that Roselawn is where the Land of Oz began…