Rome Historical Society

Some half dozen canals were already in operation in America when the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Erie Canal occurred in Rome, NY on July 4th, 1817.  They were largely local operations however, where the Erie and Champlain Canals sought to connect great regions of the United States.

It took eight years to dig, but developing a workable plan was a nearly 100-year-long process. [Read more…] about Conceiving of the Erie Canal (A Virtual Talk)

The Rome Historical Society will present “Erie Canal Exhibit Talk,” a virtual program looking at the ways the Erie Canal provided a way of life for Central New Yorkers in the 19th Century, set for Wednesday, February 16th. [Read more…] about Erie Canal Artifacts Talk With Brad Utter (Virtual Event)

Before the Civil War, thousands of people traveled from slavery to freedom on what became known as the Underground Railroad, an epic movement for civil rights in America.

With easy access to transportation by road, canal, and railroad, Rome, New York, became a hot spot. Here, freedom seekers found local allies and often stayed to live, work, and raise their families. [Read more…] about Underground Railroad in Rome, NY (Virtual Program)

Since 1977 Rome Sports Hall of Fame (RSHF) has annually inducted local athletes, coaches, and sports personalities into their Hall of Fame. Alongside the Hall of Fame, they have a museum exhibiting local sports artifacts and memorabilia at their facility located at 5790 Rome New London Road.

The Rome Historical Society (RHS) will host “Rome Olympic Athletes,” a virtual program by Rome Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director, David Sbaraglia on Wednesday, October 20th. [Read more…] about Rome NY Olympic Athletes (Virtual Program)

The Rome Historical Society will host a live Zoom program with Archeologist Matthew Kirk and Camden High School History Teacher Jessica Harney on Saturday, September 25th. The program will cover the current archaeology being done at the former site of the Florence settlement in northwest Oneida County.

Recent scholarship has placed an emphasis on the obscured saga of enslavement, emancipation, and pathways to freedom and true citizenship for black New Yorkers. The Florence settlement emerged from the efforts of Albany civil rights activist Stephen Myers in the late 1840s. Individuals from New York and New England bought uncleared parcels of land for farming. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and other unforeseen difficulties, caused the collapse of the community shortly thereafter. [Read more…] about African-American Florence Settlement Archaeology Program Sept 25th

In the late 1700s Ebenezer Wright came to Rome, New York, from Connecticut and purchased 190 acres of farm land, which became Wright Settlement. In the mid-20th century, much of the land was converted into the former Griffiss Air Force Base.

Wright Cemetery, located just north of the Griffiss runway, is an historic burial ground with about 3,000 gravestones, a chapel, and a carriage house. The cemetery serves as a reminder of the settlement and the community members who lived there for 150 years. [Read more…] about Oneida County’s Wright Settlement Presentation Sept 15th