Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events
This day in history: September 28
1805
On this date Alexander Ellice died in Bath, England. The Ellice Estate, headed by his son Edward, an influential member of the British House of Commons, maintained a tight grip on water rights along the river at Little Falls, and other aspects of the life of the community. Ellice had acquired a valuable mill-site at Little Falls from Sir William Johnson.
1839
The first Methodist church in Little Falls, built on Third Street, was dedicated on this date by Bishop Elijah Hedding. The parish outgrew this building and built a new church in 1876. The old building became the Polish Community Association.
1968
Riverside Industrial Park, situated on 24 acres between the railroad tracks and the Mohawk River just west of Hansen Island, is being developed by the City of Little Falls.
This day in history: September 29
1895
Miss Charlotte E. Davis of Little Falls, better known as the professional aeronant of the Mohawk Valley, was married in Johnstown to Professor George J. Bush, also a professional aeronant, from Blissfield Michigan.
This day in history: September 30
1887
Professor William Rullison, the great trapeze aeronaut, is visiting his native Little Falls, after a successful Rockaway Beach tour with T. S. Baldwin, the parachute jumper. Rullison has made over 900 ascensions on the flying bar, hanging by his toes.
This day in history: October 1
1875
The Merchants’ and Farmers Bank is doing business at the Banking House on Main Street in Little Falls. Banking hours included Saturday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M.
1883
Large crowds lined up to purchase tickets for the first passenger train to leave Little Falls on the West Shore Railroad. The West Shore depot was later called “South Little Falls.”
1895
D. H. Burrell & Company have recently imported the ”Thistle Mechanical Milking Machine” from Scotland for their operation on their Hilltop farm. The machine at the Burrell farm milks ten cows at once, averaging one cow per minute, with favorable results.
1958
The Salada-Shirriff-Horsey Company of Boston, Mass., Plant City, Fla., and Toronto, Canada, will acquire the “Junket” Brand Foods Division of Chr. Hansen’s Laboratory, Inc. of Little Falls, as of this date.
1974
The newly built quarters for the New York State Employment Service opened today at 690 East Main Street, the site of the former Knights of Columbus Home which had been razed.
MISS HELEN DUNTEMAN
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumHelen Dunteman was a highly respected social studies teacher in the Little Falls school district for many years, retiring in 1962. Helen was both a lifelong Little Falls resident and a graduate of Oneonta State Normal School. She passed away in 1984.
Growing up on the South Side from the early 1950’s through the late 1960’s By Donald F. Staffo
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumIn the 1950s and 1960s, Little Falls was a bustling blue-collar mill town of about 9,000 people with many hard-working citizens employed in its numerous factories. Most of the factories were on Mill Street which ran parallel to the railroad tracks on the southern side with a few factories on the other side of the tracks. My parents, and most of the parents of my friends, worked in the mills. None wore a tie to work.
A Pizza Story by James Papaleo
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumIf you lived in Little Falls in the late-1950s through early-1980s I bet you ate at least one slice of Papaleo’s pizza or one of the delicious hoagies (subs) that came out of the family restaurant owned by my parents Anthony (Tony) and Grayce Papaleo.
Even today, 40 years after the restaurant closed, people still tell me and my sisters how our Dad’s pizza and hoagies were the best they have ever eaten. I might be biased, but I agree because I have never found another pizza or hoagie like Dad’s.
South Side Cigar Stores by Gary Staffo
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThis article came about as part of the research started for the Southside Veteran’s Recognition Project, which was displayed during the September 2013 Southside Reunion. It covers the period from the 1930s through the mid-1970s and the role three Southside cigar stores played in the lives of the young men who grew up hanging out around them.
Industrialization in Little Falls, New York, 1790-1960
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThe Little Falls Historical Society much appreciates the opportunity to work with the SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program of Museum Studies. Some background history about Little Falls will add perspective.
Every Legend Has a Beginning The Hubie Brown Story by David Dinneen
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumOlder 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!
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumGrowing 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 […]