Little Falls Historical Society Museum Events
This day in history: April 26
1901
Former Little Falls mayor, Hadley Jones and his wife have left the city suddenly under regrettable circumstances, never to be seen again. He was a fugitive from justice, accused of forgeries involving stock certificates of the Herkimer County Bank. Rumors are that he has fled “somewhere south of the border.”
1927
The Burrell family contributed a major portion of the cost of purchasing the property, and equipping and conditioning the new recreation park and playground on West Monroe Street. Mr. D. H. Burrell, Jr. ($6,500), E. J. Burrell ($2,000), Loomis Burrell ($1,000), and M. Elizabeth Burrell ($500.) A total of $16,729 was collected.
2014
Visitors to Moss Island will now have access to an environmentally friendly restroom. Main Street First worked as a conduit between the donor and the city to use the $50,000 donated for the project. The funds will also cover maintenance costs for the next 12 to 14 years for the facility which uses no chemicals, no water, and is completely solar powered.
This day in history: April 27
1866
By a 49 to 0 vote, approval was given to build the South Side Hose House on Mohawk Street,, opposite the river bridge, at a cost of $3,000 to be raised by a special tax.
1881
A new church, made of native stone, was dedicated by the Little Falls Presbyterian community. The cost for the new building was $39,706 and the lot on Jackson and East Lansing streets was $5,562.
1883
The aqueduct crossing the river has been declared unsafe, and sign- boards were erected at each end forbidding persons from crossing it.
1889
A seventy-two hour “go-as-you please” walking match was held at Quackenbush Hall. Rules indicate each contestant must make 110 miles to secure his entrance money. The track is 28 laps to the mile and walkers were inspired by Eldridge’s orchestra. Prizes ranged from $10 to $100. Gardner Austin won with 197 miles.
1901
A search of former mayor Hadley Jones’ safe revealed a book containing blank stock certificates of the local National Herkimer County Bank. Seventeen of the certificated, worth at least $25,000, had been used with the names of William A. Milligan , president, and Albert Story, cashier, forged thereon.
1917
Rev. Father O’Connor, of St. Mary’s, said that all lands surrounding the church property would be dug up and used for garden purposes. He also suggested that parish members do the same around their homes.
1981
Herkimer County Trust Company is offering six month money market certificates at an annual interest rate of 13.871% and saving certificates (2 ½ years) at 11.75%.
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 […]
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