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| Groton lumber office and yard, 1914. From the Verne Morton Photo Collection at the History Center. |
The Corner
As part of the "Celebrating Rural Heritage" series we are seeking submissions of photographs that highlight our rural heritage from multiple perspectives and draw from the built environment, landscapes, rural life and cultural events. We will incorporate some of the photographs in our late fall presentation that will highlight Tompkins County's rural heritage assets. Please send your digital photos to [email protected] by September 30, 2017. Photographs should be submitted in jpg or tiff format along with your name and contact information, and a short description, which would identify location and people in the photo, and the year the photo was taken.
Thank you,
Executive Director of The History Center in Tompkins County
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Bookstore & Gift Shop Highlights
*Items to be purchased in The History Center book store
In conjunction with the Celebrating Rural Heritage Series at The History Center, we offer 50% OFF from this selected title:
"Farmboy: Hard work and good times on a farm that helped change Northeast agriculture"
by John B. babcock
John Babcock was not just any teenager on any farm in the 1930s. So when he sets out to tell his children and grandchildren what life was like working on a family farm in Upstate New York, he winds up telling three distinct and engaging stories: what it means to be a farmboy in lean times, the evolution of northeast farming, and the role of his father, H.E. Babcock, as a farm leader.
Mention our newsletter and get 15% off from this new title!
"New York Amish: Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State,"
by Karen Johnson-Weiner (Signed by the author!)
In a book that highlights the existence and diversity of Amish communities in New York State, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner draws on twenty-five years of observation, participation, interviews, and archival research to emphasize the contribution of the Amish to the state's rich cultural heritage.
Johnson-Weiner welcomes readers into the lives of Amish families in different regions of New York State, including the oldest New York Amish community, the settlement in the Conewango Valley, and the diverse settlements of the Mohawk Valley and the St. Lawrence River Valley. The congregations in these regions range from the most conservative to the most progressive. Johnson-Weiner reveals how the Amish in particular regions of New York realize their core values in different ways; these variations shape not only their adjustment to new environments but also the ways in which townships and counties accommodate-and often benefit from-the presence of these thriving faith communities.
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Tioga Street in 1920s and modern times. Photo montage from the Collection of The History Center. |
Main Gallery Exhibit
The Altered and Preserved Landscape
On display from May 5th through September 9th, 2017
This exhibit by students from Tompkins Cortland Community College examines the local landscape and is part of the larger celebration of the 200 year anniversary of Tompkins County. The artworks explore the visual and functional conditions of Tompkins County over time by drawing on primary source materials from The History Center.
Faculty:
Harry Littell,
Keith Millman,
Christine Shanks,
Mark Grimm,
Cynthia Kjellander-Cantu.
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Sons of Italy Crowning of Queen (popularity/beauty contest, 1928). Photo from the Collection of The History Center.
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Our Community
Italian-American Community Display
The History Center presents images and archival materials related to the Italian-American community in Tompkins County.
Italian immigrants have been settling in Tompkins County for over 100 years and have added immensely to the economic, civic, and cultural life of our area. Often from modest origins, Italian families frequently faced economic hardship and the prejudices of their new neighbors and co-workers as they became part of the life of the community. Through their experiences, good and bad, they retained a love of family, work, friends.
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Woodard School - District 7 - Last Day Picnic. Photo - Courtesy of the Town of Enfield Historian, Sue Thompson. |
Exploring Tompkins County: A Municipality Display Case
The Town of Enfield: Schools as a Center of Our Community
Through October, 2017
Exploring Tompkins County display is a collaboration between The History Center in Tompkins County and Tompkins County's municipal historians. This new exhibit shows how Enfield schools have been continuously bringing the community together. We thank Sue Thompson, Town of Enfield Historian, for
providing her knowledge and time to convey this unique exhibit.
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| Regatta at Renwick Park, Postcard. Photo from the Collection of The History Center. |
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First Friday Gallery Night: "Revitalizing Ithaca's Lakefront Gem: A Century of Stewart Park History" Presentation by Rick Manning
Friday, August 4th, 6:00 PM (at The History Center)
Friends of Stewart Park is partnering with the City of Ithaca and our generous community to revitalize Stewart Park in time for its centennial celebration on July 4, 2021. Join FSP Executive Director Rick Manning and discover the park's fascinating history as a trolley park, a home to silent film production, a habitat for birds and wildlife, and a place for family fun. Learn about exciting ongoing improvement projects and future plans for beautiful Stewart Park, our community's main waterfront park.
HistoryForge Data Entry Bee Party
Saturdays, August 5th & 19th, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (at The History Center)
Come volunteer at our next transcription bee! Light refreshments will be served with lots of fun and an educational opportunity that will make Ithaca history come alive. Be sure to bring your laptop. Sign up to volunteer here:
https://thehistorycenter.net/volunteer-historyforge
Save the Date: Come Dig with Us! Archaeology Day Camp
Saturdays, August 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2017, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (at the Eight Square Schoolhouse)
The History Center in Tompkins County is offering a field school to the public at the historic Eight Square Schoolhouse, a one-room school built in 1827 and used by generations of students and teachers. Participants will
learn archaeological field techniques
and research skills by working side-by-side with several professional archaeologists; contribute to the historical record of the Eight Square School. Sign up for a day camp by emailing Carole West at [email protected]. Learn more about the camp
here.
Bicentennial Walks & Talks Series with Historic Ithaca
Saturday, August 12, 11:00 AM, Newfield's Covered Bridge
Saturday, August 19th, 11:00 AM, Trumansburg Conservation of Fine Arts
For more information about this free summer walking tour series of historic sites in Tompkins County, visit Historic Ithaca's website.
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Photo - Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
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2017 Tompkins County Open Farm Days
Saturday, August 12th & Sunday, August 13th, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (at farm locations around Tompkins County)
2017 Open Farm Days is a FREE 2-day annual event that allows visitors to experience local agriculture up-close. Seventeen farms across Tompkins County will open their gates to the public for farm tours, demonstrations, food tastings, and animal interaction for an afternoon of family-friendly farm fun! Bring a cooler -- many farms will have products to sell, and there are additional farm markets along the way!
Farms on the east side of Cayuga Lake are open on Saturday, August 12th from 12-4pm, while farms on the west side of the lake are open on Sunday, August 13th from 12-4pm. Get the details
here.
Sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Ag & Farmland Protection Board, in partnership with the Tompkins County Tourism Program.
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Charles Yaple. Photo - Courtesy of Ithaca Times.
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Jacob's Land:
Book Talk & Performance by the author Charles Yaple
Saturday, August 19th, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (at The History Center)
Join The History Center for a performance and discussion of the book "Jacob's Land: Revolutionary War Soldiers, Schemers, Scoundrels and the Settling of New York's Frontier" by the author Charles Yaple.
Groton Olde Home Days
August 24th-26th (Main Street and Conger Blvd, Groton)
Groton Olde Home Days in Groton NY is a community event that has been held in August for many years. Over the years we have had thousands of people, young and old, celebrating our community and enjoying each other's company during the weekend long celebration.
7th Annual Silent Movie Under the Stars
August 26th, ~ 8:15 PM (at Taughannock Falls State Park)
Join Wharton Studio Museum for a lakeside, big-screen showing of Wharton, Inc. Studio's
The Great White Trail, filmed 100 years ago this year at Upper Treman in Robert H. Treman State Park!
Live music and original score will be performed by Door #3 featuring Chris White, Peter Dodge, and Tenzin Chopak.
Bring a picnic, lawn chair and blanket and enjoy lovely Taughannock Falls State Park and a view of Cayuga Lake as the sun sets before the movie begins at sundown, around 8:15pm.
Silent Movie Under the Stars is produced each year in collaboration with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.
Save the date: Open House at the Eight Square Schoolhouse to Celebrate its 190th Birthday
Saturday, September 23rd, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (1748 Hanshaw Rd, off Route 13 North Dryden, New York)
FREE for All Ages!
Learn about the history of 8-sided buildings from a local expert, try your hand at flintknapping (making stone tools) and flotation (an archaeological activity), and see archaeologists at work
up close and personal! Old fashioned games and activities, refreshments, and more!
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From the Collection
Autographed Baseball
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Autographed Baseball. Photo from the Collection of The History Center. |
This Spalding baseball was used by the Cayuga Rock Salt Company team during their 1950 season and is signed by all twenty members of the team. The team achieved considerable success throughout its history. In 1930, the team's victory at the newspaper baseball championship of New York State inspired the Ithaca Journal to write, "their lively, fighting play has made them favorites of the fans." Matt Christopher, who went to work at Cayuga Rock Salt Company after graduating from Ludlowville High School, played on the team and remembers that it was "one of the best semi-pro teams in the state."
The Cayuga Salt Mine is situated six miles north of Ithaca where salt deposits range from 200 to 1,150 feet thick. These deposits were created by evaporating sea water from the inland oceans which occupied this region millions of years ago. The mine was opened in 1919 bye the Cayuga Rock Salt Company, a locally owned and operated corporation.
In 1969 the mine was acquired by Cargill, Inc, a multinational company with headquarters in Minnesota.The owner of this baseball, John W. Shannon, was the manager of the team and worked at Cayuga Rock Salt Company as an engineer before becoming vice president. His daughter, Margaret Shannon Hendrix, donated the baseball to the DeWitt Historical Society, now The History Center in Tompkins County, in 1991.
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A Great United Audio Turn Table and 130 Vinyl Albums
This turn table and some 130 vinyl albums were donated to the History Center in Tompkins County by a generous donor in the hopes of raising needed funds for this not-for-profit. We had the turn table worked on by Stellar Stereo and they replaced some worn parts and lubed the appropriate moving parts. It works great and comes with the RCA audio cables and electric plug. The tilting cover is also included along with a hand held phonograph cleaner. For more photographs and pricing, click here.
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