Opening Reception | Little Falls Historical Society Museum -2

Little Falls exhibit opening draws athletes, others

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By Donna Thompson / donna@timestelegram.com Posted May 29, 2019 at 5:21 PM Updated May 29, 2019 at 5:21 PM

LITTLE FALLS — Tuesday’s opening reception for three new exhibits at the Little Falls Historical Society’s Old Bank Museum drew a crowd that included local athletes and their families, historical society members and people from the community.

Little Falls athletes who competed in New York state level competition and their families were special guests for the event and the athletes lined up in front of the new Little Falls Athletics exhibit for photos.

Little Falls athletes and teams have won five championship banners, including a boys’ basketball championship for the 1929-30 season, a 1982 championship in boys’ baseball, Tess Malone’s 1997 Class C-D 200-meter championship, Bret Wehrum’s and Florian Andreas’ 2000 all-class tennis doubles championship and Brian Mosher’s Class C-D 200 and 400 meter championships.

Jeff Gressler, of the Little Falls Historical Society, was happy with the turnout.

“We’re glad so many of the athletes who competed at the state level took the time to come see the exhibit,” he said. “It’s a real family affair.”

Opening Reception | Little Falls Historical Society Museum -1

Asked about the challenge of collecting the memorabilia displayed in the exhibit, he said, “It took us all winter. We didn’t finish until last week.”

Visitors also checked out three other new exhibits for 2019 — Little Falls During Prohibition, Camp Jolly about a picnic and recreation area that opened in 1894 and When Little Falls Was Rockton. The name of Little Falls was changed to Rockton in 1850 by the New York State Legislature as part of a revision of the city charter. It didn’t last long though. In 1851, residents petitioned to change the name back to Little Falls and that happened the following year.

Other exhibits, including last year’s Vietnam and urban renewal exhibits remain on display.

Opening Reception | Little Falls Historical Society Museum

View the article on the Times Telegram.

MAY 28 RECEPTION TO HONOR OUTSTANDING LITTLE FALLS ATHLETES

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MUSEUM OPENING RECEPTION RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING ATHLETES

The general public is cordially invited to attend the Little Falls Historical Society’s 2019 opening reception at their 319 South Ann Street Old Bank Museum on Tuesday May 28 beginning at 7:00 PM.

The museum opens for the season on Wednesday May 29 and will be open on Tuesdays thru Fridays from 1:00 – 4:00 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM – noon.

Those Little Falls athletes and teams that both won and competed in New York State level competition are part of a new 2019 museum exhibit on “Little Falls Athletics.” The exhibit also includes archival photographs of St. Mary’s Academy teams and various town and independent athletic teams from the 1890’s through the 1950’s.

Five championship banners have been won by Little Falls athletes and teams. This honored list includes the Wilbur Crisp coached 1929-30 boys basketball team all class championship, the Ted Schoff coached 1982 class C boys baseball team championship, Tess Malone’s 1997 class C-D 200 meter championship, Bret Wehrum’s and Florian Andreas’ 2000 all class tennis doubles championship and Brian Mosher’s class C-D 2001 200 and 400 meter championships.

A number of other Little Falls athletes and teams have competed in New York State level competition, the most recent being the 2018 girls soccer team which lost in the final four championship game.

These athletes and their families will be the special guests at the museum opening reception.

Other new exhibits for 2019 include “Little Falls During Prohibition,” “Camp Jolly” and “Rockton.”

The 2018 museum exhibits honoring the 133 Little Falls men who served in the Vietnam War and on pre-urban renewal Little Falls remain on display. The museum also contains a number of other permanent exhibits.

Light refreshments will be served at the opening reception.

PATRIOTS DAY PROGRAM MAY 18 AT EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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In cooperation with the board of directors of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Little Falls Historical Society will host a 2019 Patriots Day program at the church on Saturday May 18 beginning at 11:00 AM.

The church is located on Albany Street in Little Falls. The event is free and open to the public. 2019 marks the tenth Patriots Day observance that the Historical Society has hosted. 

The one hour program will be highlighted by a series of short oral presentations by different speakers from both Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Historical Society members related to local history during the Revolutionary War and after. Topics will include “The Little Falls Grist Mill Attack,”

“From Herkimer to Franklin,” and “The Patriots Buried in Yellow Church Cemetery.”

The Astenrogen Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will place a commemorative wreath following the speaking portion of the program. Dr. Oscar Stivala and Robert Schmelcher will provide musical accompaniment as part of the event.

The local Historical Society has been hosting Patriots Day observances since 2009 at significant local historic sites; past events have been held at Yellow Church Cemetery, Herkimer Home, Fort Herkimer Church, Indian Castle Church, Snell’s Bush Church, the former Masonic Temple, Herkimer Reformed Church, Historic Trinity in Fairfield and in 2018 at Paines Hollow Church. Their goal is to raise awareness of both the unique role that our ancestors played in our nation’s quest for independence and the many well preserved historic buildings in our area.