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See What's Going On At The Herkimer County Historical Society!

WE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, MAY 28, FOR MEMORIAL DAY.

NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM WEEK - MAY 31-JUNE 6, 2012
SEE BELOW FOR A COMPLETE LISTINGS OF HERKIMER COUNTY EVENTS

 

UPCOMING HAPPENINGS:

OUR 2ND CELEBRITY SERVER BREAKFAST - "HOT CAKES WITH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY" - THURSDAY, JUNE 7 * 7:30-9:30 A.M. - KNIGHTS INN, LITTLE FALLS
We are excited to announce our 2nd Celebrity Server Breakfast. Esther Brown and Sylvia Rowan are returning as our chairwomen of the event and John Scarano, executive director of the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce, has signed on to be our head celebrity server. We have an exceptional list of celebrity servers this year ready to serve you and we hope that everyone will come out and support us at this "fun"draising event. Tickets are only $10.00 and can be purchased ahead of time at the Historical Society.

This Year's Celebrity Servers Include: Kurt Ackerman, Herkimer County Legislator; George Aney, Esq., Herkimer attorney; Vincent Bono, Herkimer County Legislature chairman; Marc Butler, New York State Assemblyman; Jeff Carpenter, Herkimer County District Attorney; Bart Carrig, Esq., Little Falls attorney; Joseph Cirillo, Esq., Mohawk attorney; Dave Dellecese, WKTV news reporter; Harry Enea, Herkimer County corner and funeral director; Gary Hartman, Herkimer County Legislator; Justin Hummel, CEO, Hummels Office Plus; Raymond Johnson, Herkimer County Legislator; Bruce Lyon, Village of Dolgeville mayor, Carl Marucci, Little Falls Adirondack Bank manager; Barbara Mielcarski, Friends of Herkimer Home; Mary Morse, owner, Kwik-Kut Manufacturing Co.; Michael Ogden, CEO, Little Falls Hospital; Garry Outtrim, Esq., Herkimer attorney; Bob Peters, City of Little Falls mayor; John Scarano, executive director, Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce; Robert Schrader, Herkimer County Legislature; Dave Silvers, Bug Country Radio operations manager; John Stephens, village of Ilion mayor; Jerry Walczak, Dolgeville football coach (retired).

Last year, John Scarano dressed up in costume and has put out a challenge to the other celebrity servers to dress in costume this year. You won't want to miss it! Pictured helping to kick off the Breakfast is (l. to r.) Society executive director Susan Perkins, chairwoman Sylvia Rowan, celebrity head server John Scarano, chairwoman Esther Brown, and Society president and celebrity server Joseph Cirillo.

Thank you to our sponsors of our Breakfast: Burrows Paper Corporation, Little Falls; The Cirillo Law Firm, PLLC, Joseph M. Cirillo, Esq., Mohawk; and Salada (Redco Foods, Inc.), Little Falls; and to our media sponsors: The Times and The Telegram and Bug Country Radio 99.7 & 101.1.



PROGRAMS SCHEDULED FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR:

The programs are held in the Society's Eckler Building, 406 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY (unless otherwise noted) and are free and open to the public.

GHOST HUNTING IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY by Cano Davy and Marcus Zwierecki of New York State Paranormal Research - Thursday, June 21 @ 7:00 p.m.
Davy and Zwierecki of Rome, NY have partnered with author Lynda Lee Macken for their new book "Ghost Hunting in the Mohawk Valley." They will be presenting a power point program that will feature paranormal investigations at local haunts, such as the 1834 Jail, the Fort Herkimer Church, the Stone Mill in Little Falls, and more. Their book is available for sale in our Gift Shop - $12.95.

PRESERVING HISTORIC CEMETERIES by Robin and David Prinzhorn - Tuesday, July 17 @ 7:00 p.m.
Robin and David Prinzhorn of the New York Historic Cemetery Preservation Society (NYHCPS) will present a program explaining the importance and significance of preserving historic cemeteries, the do's and dont's of cleaning headstones and entering them when abanaonded. They will use their current project in Little Falls, Rural Grove (Wilcox) Cemetery, as their primary example.

WALKING CEMETERY TOUR OF STRATFORD CEMETERY by Susan Perkins - Monday, August 20 @ 6:00 p.m.
(Meet at the Stratford Cemetery, located on Cemetery Rd., off Rt. 29A before you turn right to go over the bridge into Fulton County). This very rural cemetery is the resting place for a number of fascinating people, like the four Sixbey brothers, who all gave their lives in the Civil War; Louis Ransom (1831-1926), an artist who painted the John Brown painting that became famous nationwide; and Henry Devereaux (1797-1876), a Vermonter who came to the area and became a noted businessman and the namesake of Stratford.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: THE R.M.S. TITANIC by Cheryl Pula - Thursday, September 6 @ 7:00 p.m.
One hundred years ago in April, the most opulent ocean liner in the world struck an iceberg and sank off the coast of Canada, taking over 1,500 people with it. Cheryl Pula returns to present one of her most interesting programs on this famous tragedy that is marking its centennial this year.

THE HOUSE MURDER by Donna Rubin - Thursday, October 18 @ 7:00 p.m.
Town of Columbia hsitorian Donna Rubin will recount the 1924 murder of Harriet (Schmall) House by her husband John House. She had answered his advertisement looking for a housekeeper and then they were married. It was John's 5th marriage - two previous wives divorced him and two others had died. House never made it to trial because he committed suicide in his jail cell two weeks after her arrest for the murder.

 

NEW IN OUR SUITER MUSEUM BUILDING! NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM WEEK

Our Suiter Building museum is open to the public throughout the year, Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and during July and August (starting the second Saturday in July) on Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.


OPEN HOUSE WITH A NEW DISPLAY ON THE WAR OF 1812 - SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 10:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, we will be opening a display on the "second war with Great Britain" in our Suiter Museum Building on Saturday, June 2. We will be holding an "Open House" just for the occasion and opening our doors once again to our third floor where we house our vast collection of Herkimer County artifacts. So, please come join us!

HERKIMER COUNTY IN THE WAR OF 1812: In May of 1812, one month before the war was declared, a Herkimer County militia regiment, under the command of Col. Christopher Peter Bellinger of the town of German Flatts had been stationed at Sackett's Harbor. The Federal Government had asked the governments of states who bordered Canada to send members of their militia to protect the military and naval stores in outposts along the border and to break up the smuggling rings in the areas. When the war began, Bellinger's regiment remained at Sackett's Harbor until the end of their three months service. They were replaced by a draft on the militia from the Mohawk Valley. In most cases, the Herkimer County men were sent to Sackett's Harbor, located on Lake Ontario, near its outlet into the St. Lawrence River. (taken from Jane Bellinger's article on "The War of 1812" recently printed in our "Legacy" historical article series.)

The exhibit is open 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and can be seen in our Suiter Museum building. Please come to the Eckler Building first at 406 N. Main St. where we have our offices.

We are participating with our Open House in New York State Museum Week 2012, taking place May 31-June 6. This event is sponsored by I LOVE NEW YORK and the Museum Association of New York (MANY) to encourage residents, as well as out of state visitors, to explore the breadth of the state's otustanding mseums and heritage organizations.

Here is a listing of the other free events going on in Herkimer County for New York State Museum Week:
Friends of Historic Herkimer County - 1834 Herkimer County Jail - Saturday, June 2 - 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Open House. There will be tours of the 1834 Jail and Jim Greiner, author of the new book "Last Woman Hanged" will be holding a booksigning.

Herkimer Community Museum - Saturday, June 2 @ 11:30 a.m. - Presentation by Allan Langheinrich, Grace Spencer and Cindy Bechard of the Langheinrich Fossil Preserve, Inc. showing representative specimens of Eurypterus Remipes (the official New York State fossil) that Langheinrich unearthed at his site on Brewer Road.

Herkimer Home - Offers a limited-time exhibit What's in the Vault? Special Collections Open House featuring a selection of staff's favorite items from the historic site's textile, military, household and social history collections. Open: May 11-October 13. Hours: Closed Monday-Tuesday. Visitor Center open Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.; Guided Tours Friday & Saturday, 10-4 p.m., Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

Little Falls Historical Society - Saturday, June 2, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Open House featuring new summer exhibits "Little Falls Textile Strike of 1912," "Highlights of the 25th Anniversary of the Canal Days Celebration," and the "Little Falls Fire Department Through The Years."

1805 Frisbie House - Home of the Salisbury Historical Society - Saturday, June 2, 10-4 p.m. - Open House during Salisbury's Covered Bridge Days. New exhibit on the Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department. An air brush artist will be on site to make commemorative t-shirts of the Covered Bridge and other topics.

Fairfield Trinity Church - Sunday, June 3 - Open House, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Public may view interior of church, see historical exhibits and tour the cemetery. Tuesday, June 5 @ 7:00 p.m. - Presentation on the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Fairfield. Open to the public. Free.

Russia Union Church (1819) and One-Room School House (1806) - Open House, 1-4 p.m., featuring a collection of antique postcards of the Russia and Poland area. At 2:00 p.m., a slide show "One-Room School Houses of the Kuyahoora Valley" will be presented in the School House. Located at 5078 Military Rd. in Russia Corners.

Town of Warren Historical Society - Tuesday, June 5, 2-4 p.m. - Open House at the Jordanville Public Library. Come visit our Resource Space and Museum.

Goodsell Memorial Museum - Home of the Town of Webb Historical Association in Old Forge - Call for special events and hours at (315) 369-3838.

 

THE JOYCE KELLER DOLL HOUSE AND MINIATURE COLLECTION
is now on the second floor of our museum. It was previously housed in the old 1834 Jail when it was donated to the Historical Society in 1985. The collection features 7 houses and 20 room settings, created by Herkimer resident Joyce Keller. It is a popular attraction that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages!

THE GIFT SHOP


NEW IN THE GIFT SHOP


NEW BOOK ON THE 1884 ROXALANA DRUSE MURDER BY JAMES GREINER - $17.99

The first book to be published on the famous Herkimer County murder case of Roxalana Druse is finally here! Author Jim Greiner recounts the true story of the brutal crime that took place on the Druse Farm in the town of Warren on December 18, 1884 that brought Mrs. Druse to the gallows in Herkimer. William Druse was killed at the hands of his abused wife and all that could be found of him later on were his bone fragments. On February 28, 1887 Roxalana Druse paid for her crime and became the last woman to be hanged in New York State.

This work is a culmination of five years of research that has led to new information on the case that is revealed in the book. Greiner, historian for Herkimer County, is an accomplished historical author, having written several books on the Civil War, "A Surgeon's Civil War," and "Subdued by the Sword."

In our Eckler Building (406 N. Main St.), we have a special display featuring items we have in our collection on the Druse murder case, including Roxalana's lock of hair, the rocking chair she sat in in her jail cell, a piece of the rope that she was hanged with, and a letter written by her own hand before she was taken to the gallows.

The cost of the book is $17.99.

NEW DVD - "A North Woods Elegy: Incident At Big Moose Lake" by Derek Taylor - $10.00
The recently released documentary film "A North Woods Elegy: Incident At Big Moose Lake" is available for sale on DVD at our Gift Shop. The film was produced and directed by Derek Taylor, Assistant Professor at Southern Connecticut State University. The making of the film was an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette On July 11, 1906 at Big Moose Lake. Participating in the documentary are noted author Craig Brandon, who wrote "Murder in the Adirondacks" and Jack Sherman, editor of "The Prison Diary and Letters of Chester Gillette." Several local actors starred in the film including Art Wilks as Undersheriff Klock and Nick Stagliano as Chester Gillette. The cost of the DVD is $10.00.

NEW BOOK - "HAUNTED MOHAWK VALLEY"
Dennis Webster and Bernadette Peck write for the first time the findings of investigations at area haunts by paranormal group Ghost Seekers of Central New York. In Utica, ghosts race the stage of the Stanley Theater. Spirits of Revolutionary War soldiers still march on the Oriskany Battlefield and linger in Schoharie's Old Stone Fort. And some former residents of Beardslee Castle in St. Johnsville, Boonvillle's Hulbert House and the Seashell Inn of Sylvan Beach have resisted vacating. Here, you can turn the pages as the Ghost Seekers of Central New York uncover the mysteries behind these and many other haunted places of the Mohawk Valley. Local sites besides Beardslee Castle include the 1834 Herkimer County Jail and the Old Courthouse building in Herkimer.

The cost of the book is $19.99

NEW BOOK - "LITTLE FALLS"
A pictorial history of the community of Little Falls, the only city in Herkimer County. We are very pleased to have our fourth book published through Arcadia Publishing for their Images of America series, just in time for Little Falls' big Bicentennial celebration for this year (1811-2011).

The book features the following chapters: Notable People, Notable Events, Historic Homes and Buildings, Churches, Schools, Business and Industry, and Transportation. The price of the book is $21.99.

 

 

NEW - "HISTORIC SITES" PUZZLE - ON SALE FOR $5.00 !
Our first puzzle ever, we have taken pictures of three of our oldest historical structures that still exist in Herkimer County - Indian Castle Church, General Nicholas Herkimer Home, and Fort Herkimer Church - and have created our first "Historic Sites" puzzle. The puzzle is 11 x 16" in size and has 200 pieces. Each puzzle comes with an informative brochure that gives the history of each building. The design for the puzzle was created for us by Arthur Kineke. The puzzle will be a wonderful keepsake, as well as a great gift for someone! The cost of the puzzle was $12.95 - now it's on sale for $5.00! Get your copy of this limited edition puzzle while supplies last!

To place an order by mail, send a check to the Herkimer County Historical Society, 400 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY 13350 - and add 8.25% sales tax for NYS residents, plus shipping ($4.00 for 1-3 books, $6.00 for 5-8). Or, you can stop in at our Gift Shop, open Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

The Society's Gift Shop is open Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and is located in our Eckler Building, 406 N. Main St., Herkimer. To order by mail, please add 8.25% New York State sales tax and $4.00 for postage and handling and mail to: Herkimer County Historical Society, 400 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY 13350.

To see our complete Book Listing, please visit our Gift Shop page!


PICTURES FROM EVENTS LAST YEAR AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY:

ANNUAL DINNER MEETING - MAY 25, 2011
We held our Annual Dinner Meeting in Frankfort this year at The Bistro on May 25. Newly elected to our Board of Directors are Mary Cirillo, of Mohawk, Jeff Steele (vice-president), of Herkimer, and John Stock, of Herkimer. Serving a second three-year term to the Board are Carolyn Canary (treasurer), Steven Knight, Garry Outtrim, and Sylvia Rowan. They join fellow Board members Joseph Cirillo (president), Debbie Crandall, Timothy Daly, Donna Rubin, Scott Vaughan, and Barbara Voelkle (secretary). Toni Helmer, who is rotating off the Board, was honored for her service of six years on the Board.

Pictured (front row, l. to r.) Mary Cirillo, Barbara Voelkle, Scott Vaughan, Joe Cirillo, Susan Perkins (executive director), Donna Rubin; (back row, l. to r.) Garry Outtrim, Tim Daly, Jeff Steele, Steve Knight, and Sylvia Rowan.

LOCAL CELEBRITY SERVERS BRING "HOME THE BACON" FOR THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY!
On June 2nd at the Knights Inn in Little Falls, we held our first Celebrity Server Breakfast "Home Fries with the Historical Society" which helped raise $2,500 for the Society! Our celebrity servers were having a fun time intereacting with our guests and each other, and we even had General Nicholas Herkimer in attendance (thanks to John Scarano). A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR CELEBRITY SERVERS who were on hand to help out at the Breakfast: Herkimer County Legislator Kurt Ackerman * Herkimer Village Mayor Mark Ainsworth * Herkimer lawyer George Aney, Esq. * Owner of The White House Berries Inn and Juanita's Soul Classics Juanita Bass * Little Falls city alderman Edward Becker * WKTV news reporter Dave Dellecese * Herkimer County Coroner and funeral director Daniel Enea * Herkimer County Coroner and funeral director Harry Enea, Jr. * Herkimer County Treasurer Kim Enea * Herkimer County Sheriff Chris Farber * Telegram and Times managing editor Lorraine Heath * Herkimer County Legislator and funeral director Leonard Hendrix * Herkimer County Legislator Stephen Keblish * Dolgeville Mayor Bruce Lyon * Herkimer County Legislator Jean Maneen * Herkimer County Legislator Peter Manno * Little Falls Adirondack Bank manager Carl Marucci * Kwik-Kut Manufacturing Co. owner Mary Morse * President and CEO of Little Falls Hospital Michael Ogden * Little Falls Mayor Bob Peters * Executive director of Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce John Scarano * Skinner Auto Sales owner Roger Skinner * Mohawk Mayor Irene Sweet * Director of communications and marketing of Masonic Care Community Kathy Conntino-Turner * Herkimer County Administrator James Wallace.

Thank You to Herkimer Industries, the vocational division of Herkimer Area Resource Center (HARC) who donated the fantastic aprons our celebrity servers wore at the event.

A Big Thank You to our media sponsors - The Telegram and The Times and to BUG Country Radio 99.7 and 101.1 FM

Pictured (top left) are Celebrity servers Mayor Bruce Lyon, Harry Enea, and Carl Marucci. (Below that on theleft) - John Scarano, who came dressed up as Gen. Herkimer, shared the honor of being the "Most Appreciated Celebrity Server" with George Aney (middle) for raising the most tips. We celebrated Harry Enea's birthday and presented him with birthday cupcakes. Pictured are Breakfast co-chairwomen Esther Brown and Sylvia Rowan with Harry and Carl Marucci, who led everyone in singing "Happy Birthday!" Pictured below (left to right) is Sheriff Chris Farber with guests Barbara Voelkle and Shirley Kraszewski; Mayor Mark Ainsworth with Gen. Herkimer (aka John Scarano); and Juanita Bass serving her guests Jerome and Carol Blum and Toni Helmer.