Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events

  • This day in history: November 1

    1891

    Forty-eight Italians arrived in Little Falls from Buffalo to work on the Little Falls – Dolgeville railroad.

    1893

    “Big Frank,” the little 90 pound kangaroo, which was to have boxed at the Star Academy, died in that building from cramps.

    1952

    Radio station WLFH broadcast a pre-election segment to supplement their coverage of the Get Out the Vote campaign which began on Oct. 8 with the mission of registering unregistered voters and continued through the month as this week’s Election Day approached. The program was a live broadcast from 6:30-6:45 hosted by committee chairperson, Edwin Marion, who summarized the efforts and interviewed 4 key volunteers in the campaign: Mrs. Frederika Conrad, Miss Inez McCoy, Chief Francis Reardon and Mr. Walter Sheff.

From the Cooney Archives

News and Updates

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!

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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 […]

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Dairy Farmers Dumping Milk During The Great Depression

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

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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.

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The Magnificent Mile at Little Falls - Photography by Dave Warner, MyLittleFalls.comPhotography by Dave Warner, MyLittleFalls.com

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

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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.

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Late 19th century map of Moreland (Park).

Burwell Street Namesake and Moreland Park Visionary
by Jeffrey Gressler

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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 […]

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Jan Holick taken at Caroga Lake Photo Booth.

“Surviving Childhood in Little Falls” by Cynthia Holick Foley

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When asked if I had any siblings, I often quipped, “My brother and I were only children.” While my first decade was spent in the peaceful and prosperous 1950s, his was spent just prior and during World War II. Recently my big brother, Jan Holick Sr., (born 1935, and graduated from Little Falls High School 1953,) sat down with me, (born 1951, and graduated 1969,) and shared his memories of a time I never knew except in history books. He was kind enough to open a window to his past, and this article invites you to share that view.

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