Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events
This day in history: October 25
1878
A large ice house, with a capacity for holding 5,000 tons, is being built on the south side flats. The ice will be forwarded to city markets during the hot weather.
1902
The city breathed a sigh of relief after police, acting on a complaint, removed a box containing 50 pounds the high-powered variety of dynamite in the cellar of a home on Whited Street. The explosives had been stored there since the building of the Little Falls-Dolgeville railroad several years ago.
This day in history: October 26
1837
The Hinman’s Cave (Hole), situated about one mile north of the village, was explored extensively by students from the Fairfield Academy. Using ropes they descended 100 feet from the surface. There was one room of importance being between 30 and 40 feet wide with dripping water.
1909
The new temple of the International Organization of Odd Fellows, on South William Street, is an ornament and enterprise of the local lodge. The front of the building is an especially fine piece of architecture and is admired by all beholders.
1964
Traffic moved for the first time over the South Side Arterial and bridge over the Mohawk River and Barge canal. There were no ceremonies. At the same time, the old lift bridge, between Mohawk Street and Flint Avenue, was closed, and workmen shortly will start removing it.
This day in history: October 27
1882
Xerxes A. Willard, the man responsible in making Little Falls the “cheese capitol of the nation,” has died. He abandoned law as a career, became a farmer and was editor of the Herkimer County Journal, as well being an author on various phases of cheese making which became standards in the industry. He developed the method for establishing cheese prices and transmitting that information instantly across the country.
1887
Improvements in providing water power for running the large number of factories along the Mohawk River have been completed at a cost of about $60,000. Water is now running in the new raceways.
1894
A train bearing Governor McKinley, the famous Ohio statesman and champion of Protection, and future U.S. president,will stop in Little Falls today. McKinley will deliver an address in Clinton Park adjacent to the railway depot.
1910
Col. Theodore Roosevelt is to speak at the City Theatre in Little Falls today. He will be met at the train station by the local Military Band and escorted to the theatre to discuss the issues of the present campaign before a large crowd.
1971
There is opposition to the proposal for a county airport on Gun Club Road just west of Little Falls. Proponents state the airport is a necessary tool for economic development, while the opponents indicate the “luxury facility” caters to private plane owners with taxpayers footing the bill. The airport was never built.
This day in history: October 28
1952
ELECTION EVE :”LIGHTS ON – VOTES OUT” PARADE
The “40 & 8” Steam Engine and Box Car …Shooting off a small cannon …The Knights of Columbus had a float also!…VFW -Decarlo Staffo Post -American Legion -Masons -Elks – Moose – all in decorated cars. Then along came the new autos carrying the Motor Corps and City Officials!






OLD BANK BUILDING REACHES A MILESTONE
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumPhoto 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
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThis 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 […]
Expatriate hopes generosity will inspire others
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumLittle 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
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThe 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
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumThe 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
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumTo 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
/by Little Falls Historical Society MuseumOn 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.