Edward Chandler Delano was born in Sodus Center, N.Y. on Nov. 30, 1854. Later in life, as the chief examiner in the State Department of Public Instruction, he perfected uniform examinations for teachers certificates throughout New York State. He was president of the Wayne County Teachers Association and later president of New York State Association of School Commissioners.

A little known fact about the town of Sodus is that it is the birthplace of Arbor Day in New York State. In the year 1881, Edward C. Delano of Sodus Center wrote an article that was published in the Wayne County Alliance titled “Shade Trees”. Mr. Delano urged that shade trees be planted in all the town’s schoolyards. In that year he was elected Wayne County School Commissioner and worked tirelessly for this cause. It was, however, 1888 before the New York State Legislature proclaimed, officially, Arbor Day. The first Arbor Day circulars were sent out from Albany in the spring of 1889. Some of the trees planted in Sodus on that first Arbor Day still stand.

Edward Delano died August 1, 1927 and was buried in the Sodus Center Cemetery. Here is his obituary from a local newspaper: