History, Natural History & the Arts
The Oneida County Historical Hall of Fame, begun in 1946, has named six individuals to the Richard W. Couper ‘Living Legends’ class of 2019 and five individuals to the Dr. David and Carolyn Ellis Historical Historical Hall of Fame class of 2019.
This year’s inductees are being recognized for their service as community leaders and for their efforts in furthering the region’s industries, culture, and educational opportunities. [Read more…] about Oneida Co Historical Hall of Fame Inductees Named
Edelweiss Schuhplattlers of the Utica Maennerchor are set to perform several traditional German/Austrian folk dances at the Oneida County History Center (OCHC) on Saturday, May 11th at 1 pm.
The public is invited to watch the dancers and may be offered the chance to learn a few steps. [Read more…] about Edelweiss Schuhplattlers Folk Dancers May 11 in Utica
The Oneida Community Mansion House will host behind the scene tours of the Mansion House on Friday, May 17th at 3 pm and Saturday, May 18th, at noon and 3 pm.
The Mansion House was the residence of the 19th century utopian Oneida Community (1848-1880), which rejected monogamous marriage and promoted female equality. OCMH preserves, collects and interprets material culture, intangible heritage, and the historic building, situated on 33 acres of landscaped lawns and gardens. [Read more…] about Utopian Oneida Community Mansion House Tours
Until the twentieth century, women were often overlooked by historians. Fortunately for those of us who live in Oneida and Herkimer Counties, a collaborative project, Women Belong In History Books, has captured many inspiring stories of notable women. [Read more…] about Women of the Mohawk Valley Program Planned
The Oneida County Historical Hall of Fame has named five individuals to its 2018 Historical Hall of Fame inductee class: Rear Admiral Samuel Livingston Breese, Utica Public Library Director Alice Cynthia Dodge, educator Anthony Schepsis, Clinton Hockey trailblazer Edward Stanley, and Utica sports editor and enthusiast Len Wilbur.
The Hall of Famers will be inducted alongside the 2018 Richard W. Couper ‘Living Legends’ class: Oneida County Historian Joseph P. Bottini, US Navy veteran and community advocate Edward Jackson, Reverend Joseph A. Salerno, and animal rights activist Anita Vitullo. [Read more…] about Oneida Co Historical Hall of Fame Inductees Named
The Oneida County History Center has announced their second historical selfie scavenger hunt.
Choose an Oneida County or Utica-based hunt and follow the clue sheet to historical sites, buildings, and markers around the greater Mohawk Valley. Take a selfie at each location on either a camera or smartphone after learning about the location’s history. Post your photos and tag the history center on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share your adventure. [Read more…] about Oneida County Historical Selfie Scavenger Hunt
A Kids’ Day Out event has been set for Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 at the Oneida Community Mansion House, 170 Kenwood Avenue in Oneida, NY.
Museum staff will provide the scavenger hunt information, and families can pick the clue sheet and complete the challenge anytime during museum business hours. The completed sheets can be entered in a raffle drawing to win a prize. The drawing will be done after the weekend. [Read more…] about Kid’s Day At Oneida Mansion House June 16th
This week on The Historians podcast Michael Doyle discusses his new book on a 19th century utopian community in Upstate New York, The Ministers’ War: John W. Mears, the Oneida Community, and the Crusade for Public Morality.
Listen to the podcast here. [Read more…] about The Campaign Against the Oneida Community
The new book, Harold Bell Wright and his Wright Settlement Cousins, by Christine Tyrlik, looks into Harold Bell Wright’s life, and his ties to New York State.
In the early 20th century Wright became one of America’s best-selling authors. Known for his westerns, Wright was born in 1872 near Rome, NY, and maintained close ties to his cousins and old friends in Wright Settlement (Ridge Mills). Wright returned to New York often and used some of the state’s settings and people in his novels.
His birthplace, Spring Brook Farms is now the Mohawk Glen Golf Clubhouse on the former Griffiss Air Force Base (now itself an industrial park). Wright’s parents and a brother are buried near the runway at the historic Wright Settlement Cemetery. [Read more…] about New Book On Oneida Co’s Harold Bell Wright
Michael Doyle’s new book The Ministers’ War: John W. Mears, The Oneida Community, and the Crusade for Public Morality (Syracuse University Press, 2018) takes a look at Hamilton College philosophy professor and Presbyterian minister John W. Mears and his fight against every sin and carnal lure, from liquor to free love.
In The Ministers’ War, Doyle explores the ways in which Mears’ multipurpose zeal reflected the passions behind the nineteenth-century temperance movement, the fight against obscenity, and the public animus toward unconventional thought. As an speaker, author and political candidate, Mears was a prominent moralizer.
[Read more…] about Oneida Community And The Crusade For Public Morality