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Little Falls, NY

  • This day in history: September 2

    1911

    Hundreds of old family keepsakes, unearthed from forgotten nooks and corners, are on display in several store windows along Main Street. Items included a pocketbook used in 1757, an old German bed warmer, a 118 year old spinning wheel, one of the first cameras used in Little Falls, Nicholas Herkimer’s commission appointing him a general in the U. S. army dated September 5, 1776, and a 200 year old Ox yoke.

    1916

    It was hoped that Little Falls would escape the infantile paralysis, but that was not the case. An eight year-old local boy seems to have contacted the disease in Syracuse, and was diagnosed here and has died. Several families in the neighborhood who had been exposed are under a strict quarantine.

    1945

    WW II Era – With V-J Day, World War II is finally over. The formal Japanese surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay aboard the battleship, U.S.S. Missouri. People took to the streets in Little Falls and celebrated. During the war, twenty-eight Little Falls boys served as pilots in the military.

  • Many thanks to Louie Baum for his research for This Day in History.

    ALL EXHIBITS

    • 1912 Little Falls Textile Strike
    • 1940 Gulf Curve Train Wreck
    • 240th Anniversary of the Battles of Stone Arabia and Klock’s Field
    • Athletics Wing Collection
    • Battle of West Canada Creek
    • Camp Jolly Exhibit
    • Church Street Cemetery Tour
    • City Hall – A History
    • Distant Drums – Little Falls during the Civil War Era
    • Early Base Ball in Little Falls
    • Early Little Falls Buildings and Organizations
    • First U.S. Cheese Market Exhibit
    • Frog Fountain
    • Herkimer County Bank
    • Little Falls African American History
    • Little Falls Diamonds Collection
    • Little Falls Music Exhibit
    • Little Falls Waterways
    • Little Falls and Women’s Suffrage
    • Making History Today
    • Making History Today Student Edition
    • Massacre at the Little Falls Grist Mill
    • Myjava, Slovakia, Sister City of Little Falls
    • Native American Exhibit
    • Prohibition Exhibit
    • Rockton Exhibit
    • Urban Renewal Exhibit
    • Vietnam War Exhibit
    • World War II and Korean Conflict Exhibit

    Springtime Greetings Historical Society Members

    Spring’s arrival serves as a reminder for me that our directors and officers need to communicate a number of updates to our membership.

    MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

    Most importantly, our directors and officers wish to thank everyone who has taken the time to renew their 2024 membership. Your support allows us to carry out our programs, scholarships, and activities.

    PATRIOTS DAY

    The Historical Society’s 2024 Patriots Day observance ceremony will take place at the historic home of Tom Overman and Mary Ellen McGillan on Saturday, May 18, beginning at 11:00 AM. Tom and Mary Ellen are the present owners of the John Bellinger home, constructed in 1824; this year marks its bicentennial!. Event information will be sent along as this date approaches.

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    The Historical Society is proud to announce that both of our 2024 scholarships will be increased from $500 to $1000. The Charles P. Colby scholarship will be awarded to a graduating Little Falls high school senior who has overcome some form of significant handicap to achieve academic success. Our other scholarship will be awarded to a student who will major in history or a related field at the collegiate level. Various membership donations have made these increases possible. Thank you.

    WRITING SERIES

    Several already published 2024 writing series articles can be viewed on our website and other authors are at work on articles related to various local history topics. Our editorial staff wishes to clarify Historical Society writing series guidelines. All potential article ideas should be presented to our editorial staff in advance to discuss topics, article lengths, and number of pictures before article writing commences.

    Thank you for your continuing support,

    Jeffrey Gressler – president

    “The more I study history, the more I realize how little mankind has progressed. There are no new scripts, just different actors.”

     ~   Richard Paul Evans   ~

    Explore our history

    • “Auld Lang Syne”, a short story with the main character being Dudley Burwell, who was known to the villagers of Little Falls as ”The Hermit of Burwell Hill,” was written in 1903 by Frances Ledyard Haun,, twenty-five years after the death of Burwell
      THE HERMIT OF BURWELL HILL POSTHUMOUSAugust 26, 2026 - 8:16 am
    • Little Falls Historical Society Mohawk Valley GivesLittle Falls Historical Society Mohawk Valley Gives
      MOHAWK VALLEY GIVES HAS ANNOUNCED SEPTEMBER 18TH AS COMMUNITY-WIDE GIVING DAYAugust 19, 2026 - 9:02 am
    • The Privy and the Pear Tree: Unearthing Little Falls History in Your Own BackyardJuly 15, 2026 - 2:42 pm
    • Francis Skinner Municipal PoolFrancis Skinner Municipal Pool
      More than 150 Donors Help Reopen Francis Skinner Municipal PoolJuly 1, 2026 - 5:00 pm
    • COMMITTEE OF FIVE PRESENTING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE TO CONGRESS IN 1776.
      THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 1776 – 2026June 26, 2026 - 8:01 am
    • Little Falls Historical Society Membership PicnicJune 5, 2026 - 1:51 pm

    Explore the history of the Mohawk Valley

    Visit MohawkValleyMuseums.us

    Museum Exhibits

    • Little Falls and Women's Suffrage
      Little Falls and Women’s Suffragein: Current Exhibits
    • Rockton Exhibit | Little Falls Historical Society | Little Falls, NY
      Rockton Exhibitin: Current Exhibits
    • Camp Jolly Little Falls Historical Society Museum
      Camp Jolly Exhibitin: Current Exhibits
    • Prohibition Exhibit | Little Falls Historical Society | Little Falls, NY
      Prohibition Exhibitin: Current Exhibits
    • Athletics Wing | Little Falls Historical Society | Little Falls, NY
      Athletics Wing Collectionin: Current Exhibits, Ongoing Exhibits
    • 1940 train wreck | Little Falls Historical Society Museum
      1940 Gulf Curve Train Wreckin: Ongoing Exhibits, Past Exhibits
    • Native American Exhibit | Little Falls Historical Society Museum | Little Falls NY
      Native American Exhibitin: Ongoing Exhibits
    • Little Falls Diamonds Exhibit | Little Falls Historical Society Museum | Little Falls NY
      Little Falls Diamonds Collectionin: Ongoing Exhibits
    • World War II Exhibit | Little Falls Historical Society Museum | Little Falls NY
      World War II and Korean Conflict Exhibitin: Past Exhibits
    • Little Falls Cheese Market | Little Falls Historical Society Museum | Little Falls NY
      First U.S. Cheese Market Exhibitin: Ongoing Exhibits
    • Myjava, Slovakia Exhibitin: Ongoing Exhibits
    • Little Falls Waterwaysin: Past Exhibits

    Explore events happening in the Mohawk Valley

    See what's happening on MohawkValley.Today

    OLD BANK BUILDING MUSEUM HOURS

    By appointment only after October 4, 2025 until May 2026.
    SPECIAL DATES:
    OPEN SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 9-2
    OPEN FOR CHRISTMAS IN LITTLE FALLS ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

    Explore the history of the Mohawk Valley

    Visit MohawkValleyMuseums.us
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    Link to: A SAILOR AT HEART | THE LIFE STORY OF CHARLES P. BYRON Link to: A SAILOR AT HEART | THE LIFE STORY OF CHARLES P. BYRON A SAILOR AT HEART | THE LIFE STORY OF CHARLES P. BYRONThe Entrance to Old St. Mary’s Cemetery | Archangel Gabriel with Trumpet in Alcove of MausoleumThe Entrance to Old St. Mary’s Cemetery | Archangel Gabriel with Trumpet in Alcove of Mausoleum Link to: From the Cooney Archives: This Day in History on April 6, 1903 Link to: From the Cooney Archives: This Day in History on April 6, 1903 Circa 1914 | Street Car being pulled by horses on Main Street, Dolgeville, New YorkCirca 1914 | Street Car being pulled by horses on Main Street, Dolgeville, New York. Courtesy of the Little Falls Historical Society.From the Cooney Archives: This Day in History on April 6, 1903
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