Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events

  • This day in history: October 19

    1918

    Little Falls’ allotment for the Fourth Liberty loan was $1,270,500 which was quickly attained in less than one month under the chairmanship of Frank Simpson. In addition, $27,000 was raised by selling war saving stamps.

    1959

    Studies undertaken by the U. S. Departments of Agriculture and Commerce reported that the population density of Little Falls is greater than most urbanized areas of the country. For Little Falls 2,450 persons per square mile – Average of USA urbanizes areas 849 persons per square mile.

  • This day in history: October 20

    1952

    “Record Registration Wins City National Recognition”

    “Little Falls has been designated as a “Model American City” by the American Heritage Foundation, as a result of the splendid efforts of local residents that resulted in a record high registration in this city this fall. Word to this effect has been received by Edwin L. Marion, Jr., chairman of the Register and Vote Committee here.

    Announcement of the national recognition that has come to Little Falls should serve as an incentive to the citizens to roll up a record vote on Election Day. The committee is now devoting its attention in seeing to it that the public is made as well acquainted as possible with the candidates and the issues and will also concentrate on the arrangements for a “Lights On-Votes Out” campaign to bring voters to the polls on Nov. 4.’”

  • This day in history: October 21

    1881

    The YMCA first functioned in Little Falls as a “reading room” with Pledge of Allegiance author Rev. Francis Bellamy serving as meeting secretary. The first rooms occupied by the society  were on the corner of John and Second streets.

    1908

    The merchants of the city will inaugurate a novel scheme to bring them more business. Beginning in November, they will run a special trolley from Frankfort, through the Valley towns, to Little Falls. Passengers will be given a circular book with advertisements from 38 city merchants, and if a purchase is made, free transportation home will be provided on the trolley.

    1925

    A  bill to Dr. Grace from Smith- Addington Motor Company, 637 Main Street in Little Falls, for service on his automobile was for $5.73 –  3 ½ hours of labor ($4.38), 3 pounds grease ($0.75), and one head gasket ( $0.60.) Labor is charged at $1.25 per hour.

    1998

    Little Falls High School senior Erica Daniels, competing as an independent athlete since the school does not offer a swimming team, has qualified for the Section III championships in three events: 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and the 100-yard breaststroke.

  • This day in history: October 22

    1904

    The “March of Progress” has hit Little Falls as noted by the removal of the last wooden awning above Lower’s store in the old Klock Block on Main Street.

    1923

    The handsome new Gateway Theatre on Ann Street, the latest and finest motion picture house in the Mohawk Valley, opened to capacity audiences  with a Laurel comedy, “The Green Goddess”, and a Pathe Review. The architect, J. Harold McDowell of Cleveland designed it in the English Colonial style.

    1952

    Evening Times Headline: “Heritage Foundation Lauds ‘Times’ for Contribution to Get-Out-the-Vote Campaign”

    The following letter from which the excerpts below were taken, appeared on this day.

    To: John B. McGuire, Editor-Dear Mr. McGuire-We have now had the opportunity to examine the results of the Register and Vote campaign in Little Falls, which by all odds, seems to be one of the success stories of the national campaign….Little Falls is actually ahead of the rest of the country…We do not intend to let up until the polls close on Nov. 4…As you continue to cover the story, I hope you will keep your wire service connection filled in, and we shall work with the national magazines…All of us appreciate your continued support of the campaign. Sincerely, C.M. Vadeburg, Executive Director, American Heritage Foundation

From the Cooney Archives

News and Updates

OLD BANK BUILDING REACHES A MILESTONE | Little Falls Historical Society Museum

OLD BANK BUILDING REACHES A MILESTONE

Photo submitted – National Herkimer County Bank and Presbyterian Church in the background – (Kinney Plaza) circa 1860. by Pat Frezza-Gressler, member of the Little Falls Historical Society Constructed of native stone in 1833 as the first bank in Herkimer County and placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1970, the Little Falls […]

HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND SUNY ONEONTA COLLABORATION

This article is more about the future than the past.  Although 2020 will be remembered for the succession of crises that changed our lives in many ways, for the members of the Little Falls Historical Society, a group of six students from SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program of Museum Studies and their professor, this year […]

Theresa Carrig Children's Center at the Little Falls Library

Expatriate hopes generosity will inspire others

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

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

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

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

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.

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Contact Us

Little Falls Historical Society Museum
319 South Ann Street
Little Falls, NY  (Get directions)

(315) 823-0643

Contact the LFHS

Use this form for general inquiries only. Please do not use this form for research requests. 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE AND VISITS DURING THE 2026 SEASON!!
OUR ALL-VOLUNTEER STAFFED MUSEUM will be open by appointment only beginning Friday, Oct. 9

FOR SELF-GUIDED TOURS THROUGHOUT LF:
https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/little-falls-history-tours/

We WILL be OPEN for Christmas in Little Falls on Saturday December 12
AFTER OCT. 9 (exception above) THE MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
For appointments, please call
Louie Baum at 315-867-3527
Mary Ann Terzi at 315-823-1502
Jeff Gressler at 315-823-2799

PLEASE CONTINUE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON OUTDOOR EVENTS, VIRTUAL TOURS & NEWS.
319 South Ann Street, Little Falls, NY, 13365