Little Falls exhibit opening draws athletes, others

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.”

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.

View the article on the Times Telegram.