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Little Falls, NY

  • This day in history: August 12

    1847

    The new Benton House has opened (later Girvan House) to the public under the directorship of Mr. Giles Orcutt of Binghamton. It is pleasantly situated at the corner of Main and Ann streets, a short distance from the Rail Road Depot and the Packet boat landing.

    1870

    A man named Donaldson walked a tight rope suspended across from the Petrie building to the Loomis building, in a bag and blindfolded.

    1884

    Work on the Little Falls Roller Skating Rink at the corner of Main and John streets is to be commenced this week at a cost of $4,000. The skating floor will be 49 by 128 feet – all appointments to be first class.

    1886

    The last shipment of starch was made from the Gilbert’s factory ending many years as the village’s leading industry. The raw material had been unloaded to the large storage building on the Erie Canal and conveyorized across Seeley Island to the factory on the Mohawk River for processing. The building will be converted to a knitting mill under the direction of J. J. Gilbert.

    1895

    Manager Tittle of Camp Jolly launched the new barge “City of Little Falls” to be used to transport up to 500 passengers to the campgrounds a few miles east of the city. The double-decker is 55 feet long and 14 feet wide and will be lashed to the “Victor Adams” which can accommodate an additional 200 people. There is room on the barge for dancing.

    1922

    “Kite Day” will be introduced to hundreds of Little Falls kiddies, under the age of 12, when they have the opportunity to make a kite and flying it the highest altitude in a contest under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A.

    1930

    Dan Vickers (later Dr. Dan Vickers), son of Dr. and Mrs. H. W. Vickers, and Wells Davy, both of Little Falls, made their first solo flights at Seymour field near Little Falls. They are members of the Little Falls Flying Club where nine other members are learning to fly.

    1967

    The Eastern Herkimer County Industries Inc. has purchased 24 ½  acres of land from the New York Central Railroad Company. This land, between the railroad tracks and the Mohawk River, comprises the Riverside Industrial Park. The city recently received $280,000 from the United States Department of Commerce to develop the Riverside tract.

    2016

    Stephen “Pitt the Painter” Nicholas won the blue ribbon at the first Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts regional art show. ”Pitt” made his living as a sign painter, and was skilled in eglomise or reverse painting on glass. He is most known for his painting of “The Man on the Bateau,” an image seen throughout Little Falls.

  • 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
    Little Falls Historical Society Museum

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    But we are proud to say that Little Falls Historical Society Museum contributed 233 entries already.

    Entries by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    Expatriate hopes generosity will inspire others

    October 30, 2020/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    Little Falls native Blaise Carrig (LFHS class of 1969) and his wife Leslie donated $50,000 earlier this year to six Little Falls non-profit organizations. The Carrigs responded to a series of questions for this article from their home in Longmont, Colorado.  “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by […]

    HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROJECT SOLICITING COVID-19 RELATED SUBMISSIONS

    June 3, 2020/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    The Little Falls Historical Society has added a Making History Today repository page to our website This new page is for the purpose of collecting residents’ input and creating a body of work that will help future generations better understand how the greater Little Falls community has been impacted by the pandemic.  Society members, local […]

    2020 Writing Series

    April 22, 2020/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    The Little Falls Historical Society Museum kicked off the new 2020 writing series with our first article published in the Times Telegram on April 16, 2020. All of the published articles can be read on both the Times Telegram and our website. We hope you enjoy the series!

    Little Falls Historical Society Update

    April 22, 2020/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    To help support NYS and US efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health of our visitors and staff, the Little Falls Historical Society Museum is temporarily closed to the public until it is safe to reopen. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and look forward to resuming operation whenever possible. […]

    Times Telegram publishes article featuring Little Falls Historical Society Museum and SUNY Oneonta collaboration

    March 9, 2020/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    On Saturday, March 7, 2020, the Herkimer Times Telegram published an article, “Studying pieces of history” featuring the collaborative project between Little Falls Historical Society Museum and SUNY Oneonta second-year graduate students as they study Little Falls’ historic industrial period from 1790-1960. Use this link to view the article in its entirety or https://herkimertelegram-ny.newsmemory.com/?publink=158cc708e_1343597.

    LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND SUNY ONEONTA PROGRAM ESTABLISH COLLABORATION

    February 19, 2020/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    The Little Falls Historical Society recently began a collaborative partnership with SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program of museum studies for the 2020 spring semester.  Dr. Erik Stengler’s second year graduate students will study Little Falls’ industrial history from 1790 – 1960 to fulfill requirements for the program’s Science of Cabinet Curiosities course. Upon successful completion […]

    November 26 Little Falls Historical Society Meeting

    November 24, 2019/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    The Little Falls Historical Society’s Tuesday, November 26, 7:00 pm meeting at the WCA will include a short business meeting, organization elections, and a digitized slide presentation on historic images of Little Falls. The Historical Society’s nominating committee has submitted a slate of candidates for all four officer positions and for the two board seats with […]

    December 18: Annual Holiday Luncheon

    November 13, 2019/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    The Little Falls Historical Society Museum will hold its annual Holiday Luncheon at the Travelodge Wednesday, December 18 at 12 noon. This is always a great time to enjoy time together during the holiday season. Please call Jeff Gressler at (315) 823-2799 for tickets.

    October 22: HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING AT WCA

    October 14, 2019/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    Longtime Little Falls resident Maynard Blask will be the guest presenter at the Tuesday, October 22, meeting of the Little Falls Historical Society. The 7:00 PM meeting is free and open to the public.  Blask’s presentation will focus on the 1970’s era renovation of Veterans Memorial Park and the Little Falls Mets. Maynard wants his […]

    OCTOBER 17 CLOSING RECEPTION AT MUSEUM

    October 14, 2019/by Little Falls Historical Society Museum

    The Little Falls Historical Society will hold a 2019 season-ending reception at their Old Bank Museum from 5:00 – 7:00 PM as part of Third Thursday activities on October 17. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

    Page 22 of 24«‹2021222324›»

    Explore our history

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      Patriots Day Event Saturday, May 16, at the Fort Herkimer ChurchMay 5, 2026 - 8:55 am

    Explore the history of the Mohawk Valley

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    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

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    OLD BANK BUILDING MUSEUM HOURS

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    OPEN SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 9-2
    OPEN FOR CHRISTMAS IN LITTLE FALLS ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

    Explore the history of the Mohawk Valley

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