Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events
This day in history: September 16
1886
The boat “Hon. Titus Sheard” took a party of sixteen couples on a moonlight excursion to Frankfort. Music and refreshments were served on board to enliven and add sociability to the occasion, followed by a supper for the party in Frankfort. The return was made when the moon brightened the water.
1902
Little Falls Fire Chief Edward Cooney is in New York City to attend a meeting of the National Association of Fire Chiefs. Cooney was selected to represent New York State as a Vise-President in the national association.
2001
Little Falls came together when 2,000 people attended a candlelight vigil at Veterans Memorial Park to honor the thousands who lost their lives during the 9 -l! attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. The memorial service was brought together by Robin Klimacek and Bev Lamanna.
This day in history: September 17
1774
Alexander Ellice had purchased land from Warrener Deygerth and Jost Herkimer Jr., lots 12 and 13 of the Burnetsfield Patent at the little falls in 1773, and on September 17, 1774 contracted with Ebenezer Cox to build a mill and millhouse at that place.
1849
Little Falls Lodge # 181 Free & Accepted Masons was formed with eight men in attendance. They first met in rooms above a store at the corner of Main and Ann Streets.
1862
At the Battle of Antietam, the 34th Regiment made up of Little Falls and Herkimer County soldiers, lost 43 killed and 74 wounded.
1886
A large band of gypsies are encamped west of the village. Their men traded horses and the women told fortunes and sold bric-a-brac.
This day in history: September 18
1839
The village purchased a lot on Garden Street for an engine house from Richard Ray Ward for $43.56. It later became a city garage, American Legion Post, and a hair salon.
1865
The body of Little Falls constable Anson Casler was pulled from the canal. An autopsy concluded he had not drowned but died of a severe blow to his head. The previous evening, Casler had gone to the Southside, but was unsuccessful in issuing an assault & battery warrant against an alleged combatant in a fracas. After a lengthy trial, the defendant was found “not guilty,” and Casler’s murderer was never brought to justice.
This day in history: September 19
1850
Sanders Lansing, who came to Little Falls as a representative for the Ellice Estate, passed away today. County Judge from 1821 to 1828 he built the house at 22 Church Street in 1826.
1998
A special reunion was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the unbeaten 1948 LFHS football team. The team was honored at the Little Falls – Herkimer game at the West Monroe Street Field where Little Falls came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat Herkimer 14 – 12.
From the Cooney Archives
Dairy Farming In Herkimer County: The More Things Change… by De Wayne W. Perry
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumDairy 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.
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumWhen 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.
Burwell Street Namesake and Moreland Park Visionary
/by Little Falls Historical Society Museumby 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.
by Jeffrey Gressler
He Still Sustains: Pitt the Painter’s Studio Loft
/by Little Falls Historical Society Museumby 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.
by Laura Laubenthal
A FAN’S NOTES ON THE RETURN OF VINTAGE BASE BALL TO LITTLE FALLS
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThis 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 […]
“Surviving Childhood in Little Falls” by Cynthia Holick Foley
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumWhen 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.
UPDATED HISTORICAL SOCIETY CANAL DAYS CELEBRATION EVENTS SCHEDULE
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThe recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Herkimer County has forced our board directors and officers to rethink our Canal Days Celebration calendar of events and museum operation. Foremost in our thinking is public safety. We regret any inconveniences that these adjustments may cause. The CHURCH STREET CEMETERY TOUR was scheduled for Friday August 13 […]