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It's a Wrap
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorThis summer we were asked a number of questions that inspired new discoveries, more questions, a couple of laughs, and even a possible ghost story. Who asked these...
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Fashion Shows at Rosenbaum’s
by Erin Doane, CuratorFor 125 years, Rosenbaum’s was the place in Elmira to get the latest specialty fashions for women and children. From the early 20th century until it closed in 1989, the business...
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It Takes a Village
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorCCHS has a small but mighty staff. Getting all the things we do done can often mean that we need help. We are grateful for our volunteers who help us out in so many...
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Ross Marvin Revisited
by Erin Doane, CuratorRoss Marvin’s story is one of tragedy and mystery. Perhaps that’s why I go back to it again and again in my research, writing, and exhibits. Back in 2013, I wrote a brief blog...
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Thank You Erin!
by Bruce Whitmarsh, DirectorIn the previous blog, Erin Doane slipped in at the very end that she would be leaving the CCHS after more than 10 years as our Curator. I was only a few months into my...
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Veterans Day
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorWith Veterans Day coming up, it’s a good time to think about how we can teach children why November 11th is a special day. It’s also a great time to ask yourself...
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The Changing Story of History
By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably heard a lot of brouhaha about critical race theory in schools. To be clear, no one is actually teaching critical...
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One Foot in Front of the Other
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorRunners in the Finger Lakes welcome the arrival of autumn—temperatures are cooler, the humidity is less oppressive, and the colors in the hills can be stunning....
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Packaged with Care by the Elmira Red Cross Prisoner of War Committee
By Rachel DworkinOn May 18, 1944, Mr. and Mrs. John Wronkoski were elated to become new members of an exclusive club which met monthly at the German Evangelical Church under the auspices of the America...
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Posting Blogs
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorWhat do faces of the depression, a shortage of dictionaries, and Arctic explorer Ross Marvin have in common? If you read our blogs, you can easily answer that...
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The Terror of the Fugitive Slave Act
By Rachel Dworkin, ArchivistEarlier this month I got the coolest gift for my birthday. And by I, I of course mean the museum, but the donation came on my birthday, so I’m counting it. The gift in...
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Forever: Sending a Letter
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorToday “forever” costs fifty-eight cents. At least that’s what sending a one-ounce letter within the United States in 2021 costs. In October this year, the US Postal...
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Ernie Davis Day
By Rachel Dworkin, ArchivistOn the evening of February 3, 1962, around 1,400 people packed into the Notre Dame High School’s gym for the banquet in honor of Elmira’s favorite son, Ernie Davis. It was...
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The Little Engine That Couldn’t: Elmira’s Watrous Automobile
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorIn 1904, Thomas S. Watrous founded the Watrous Automobile Company (WAC) on Main Street, hoping to cash in on the public’s growing desire for automobiles. The new...
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Elmira and the Widow Bedott
By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist In 1849, Frances Miriam Berry Whitcher cost her husband his job as pastor of Elmira’s Trinity Episcopal Church. It was a funny story. Actually, it was several funny...
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Clothes Make the Man (or Woman)
by Susan Zehnder, Education DirectorTwo years ago COVID-19 arrived, and since then we’ve all learned to live with a variety of changes. One of those changes that continues to evolve is how we present...
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Mamie Wood: Horseman's Pride of Elmira
by Ellen Williams, Guest BloggerThomas Schmeck Flood (1844-1908) was a member of the prominent family of Floods whose homes occupied the East Water Street block between DeWitt and Madison Avenues in...
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Curating Chemung County's Cool Collection
By Monica Groth, CuratorThe job of a Museum Curator is to safely handle, document, and house an institution’s object collection and design exhibits through which those objects can educate and inspire...
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The Bug Lady: Ms. Esther Hart
By Guest Blogger Melissa Rozengota, a volunteer with Elmira HistoryForge, a project sponsored by the Chemung County Historical Society Esther HartYou meet some of the most interesting people...
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The Lindenwald Haus
by Rachel Dworkin, archivistAround 7:30pm on the night of March 28, 2022, flames erupted from the Lindenwald Haus at 1526 Grand Central Avenue in Elmira. The fire began in the attic and quickly...
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