Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events

  • This day in history: September 20

    1982

    The new expansion of the Little Falls Public Library has opened.  The addition was beautifully designed to match the architecture of the original building. The opened space allows for the library to display their extensive collections of Little Falls diamonds and other rare collectables.

    1983

    With a solemn final toast, “The Last Man’s Club” of Little Falls played out its final chapter and was dissolved.  Formed in 1919 by twelve members of the glee club at St. Mary’s Academy, the group met at an annual dinner at Kane’s Tavern to toast deceased members. Phil Wlll uncorked a vintage bottle of 1939 white Bordeaux for the final toast.

From the Cooney Archives

News and Updates

Moose Club Basketball Team

Every Legend Has a Beginning The Hubie Brown Story by David Dinneen

Older people in Little Falls, especially those sports fanatics, know who Hubie Brown is. However, the name may not be familiar with the younger folks. Hubie rose from the ranks of coaching basketball at St. Mary’s Academy in Little Falls to the apex of his profession, enshrinement in the National Basketball Hall of Fame.

Tour Guide, Organizer and Historical Society Member, Gary Staffo, has requested that the Little Falls Historical Society share the Southside Walking Tour VIII – 1st FALL Tour!

Growing Up on the Southside 1957 – 1970 (By popular demand SATURDAY November 06, 2021 for the 1st FALL TOUR!) WHEN: Saturday November 06, 2021  Sign In begins at 8AM  (Registration, Questions, Safety Briefing), and the Tour STARTS at 9AM. Allow 2 to 3 hours, but participants can leave at any time (Please inform Tour Guide when […]

Dairy Farmers Dumping Milk During The Great Depression

Dairy Farming In Herkimer County: The More Things Change… by De Wayne W. Perry

Dairy farming has been integral to life in Herkimer County since the first European settlers—the Palatine Germans—arrived in the Mohawk Valley in the early-1700s, and some of their descendants still operate dairies around Little Falls and elsewhere throughout the county.

The Magnificent Mile at Little Falls by Louis W. Baum, Jr.

When it comes right down to it, Little Falls is all about water. The earliest explorers in America found it easiest to move along the waterways and rivers as did the Native Americans living here. In the 1600s and 1700s the British colonies extended inward from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains.

Late 19th century map of Moreland (Park).

Burwell Street Namesake and Moreland Park Visionary
by Jeffrey Gressler

Since 1911, Moreland Park has played an important role in community life for generations of Little Falls residents. Family picnics, group outings, community events and celebrations, wedding receptions, birthday and graduation parties, family and class reunions, and kids squealing with delight on the playground equipment are all common occurrences on the park’s bucolic grounds. We all have our own Moreland Park memories.

He Still Sustains: Pitt the Painter’s Studio Loft
by Laura Laubenthal

From 2011 to 2013, I wrote my master’s degree thesis for the Cooperstown Graduate Program about “Pitt the Painter” and his role in showcasing the identity of Little Falls by means of his artwork. The project was largely based on oral histories told by those in town who remembered him since his death on September 4, 2007. While I spoke with several people, there were so many more I did not reach, as Pitt’s sphere of influence seemed immeasurable. The project went on, and it was apparent that these stories meshed together as modern-day folklore about talent, humor, addiction, and belonging.

A FAN’S NOTES ON THE RETURN OF VINTAGE BASE BALL TO LITTLE FALLS

This author admits upfront that he is both a local history nut and a diehard New York Yankees fan. The intertwined paths of baseball and American history resonate with me. Older readers of this piece will likely recall watching Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and the transformational impact of Jackie Robinson. This author’s baseball roots trace […]