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The Orpheus Club
By Rachel Dworkin, archivistDuring the 1930s, there were over a dozen clubs at the Elmira Free Academy and none of them accepted Black members. These clubs offered kids a chance to socialize, showcase...
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John Turner’s Freedom
By Kelli Huggins, Education CoordinatorOn October 30, 1904, the Elmira Telegram ran a single paragraph about a “remarkable colored man,” John Turner. That one paragraph outlined Turner's undeniably...
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Lilacs in Sapporo
by Erin Doane, curatorEvery year since 1959, the city of Sapporo, Japan has held a lilac festival in downtown Odori Park. What, you may ask, does that have to do with Chemung County? Well, if not for...
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We Work for Glory
By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist Around 8:30pm on the evening of May 7, 1878, the band played a solemn death march as Elmira’s volunteer firefighters paraded for the last time. The city council had voted...
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Curiosities of Elmira
by Kelli Huggins, Education CoordinatorI wrote a book. Curiosities of Elmira came out last Monday, and if you'll forgive me indulging in a bit of shameless self-promotion, I'd like to tell you a bit...
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Southport Coverlets
by Erin Doane, curatorIn the 1830s, weavers in Southport made wonderful blue and white coverlet. They were double-woven so one side is dark and the other side is light and they were usually made of a...
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Archives Explained
By Rachel Dworkin, ArchivistSo, you recently donated a collection of papers to the Chemung County Historical Society. First off, thank you. It is only thanks to the generosity of folks like you that...
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The Bumps On Your Head: The Phrenological Reading of Edward Billings
By Kelli Huggins, Education CoordinatorIn 1861, Edward B. Billings had his head “read” by Prof. Orson Squire Fowler in Elmira. Fowler was a renowned phrenologist who published and lectured extensively...
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“Chief Ross” and the Elmira Fire Department
by Erin Doane, CuratorWhile doing research for the exhibit To the Rescue: Early Firefighters in Elmira, I came across a note about a man called “Chief Ross.” A file containing reminiscences of...
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Selling the War
By Rachel Dworkin, ArchivistBy the time of the 1916 presidential campaign, the average American had no interest in getting involved in the bloody quagmire which was World War I. In fact, Woodrow Wilson...
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Thomas Carpenter's War Trauma: The Plight of Disabled Veterans of WWI
By Kelli Huggins, Education CoordinatorCorporal Thomas Beecher Carpenter enlisted in the Army in 1912 and served until 1919. A member of the 103rd engineers, he received shrapnel wounds, was gassed,...
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Fickle Fashion: The Bustle
by Erin Doane, CuratorMany fashion trends are loved by some and loathed by others. I’ve always been a big fan of the bustle; especially the outrageously large ones of the 1880s. The bustle, a pad or...
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Well Born?: America's Troubling Fascination with Eugenics
By Rachel Dworki, ArchivistAs part of their quest for more ‘scientific charity,’ the Elmira Federation for Social Services published a genealogical study of 67 impoverished local families as part of...
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Sherlock Holmes in Elmira
by Kelli Huggins, Education CoordinatorMay 22 is Sherlock Holmes Day, a celebration of the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the genius detective. That got me thinking: are there any...
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The LaFrance Carnation Company
by Erin Doane, CuratorWhen you hear the name LaFrance in Elmira, most people think of fire engines but the name was also associated with flowers. The LaFrance Carnation Company operated here from 1906...
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Strayed, Stolen or Run Away: Missing Elmira's Indentured Servants
by Rachel Dworkin, ArchivistI was reading through the Elmira Republican & General Advertiser from 1836 the other day when I found an unusual notice. 6 cents reward. Strayed, stolen, or run away,...
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Lonely Hearts of Yesteryear: Matrimonial Ads in the 19th and Early 20th Century
By Kelli Huggins, Education CoordinatorWhat was a lonely maiden, ageing widower, or other longing singleton to do to find a spouse in the days before Match.com or OkCupid? Well, actually, they did...
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Postcards from the Great War
by Erin Doane, CuratorPrivate William Warren Fenton served with the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I. While overseas, he sent postcards home to his wife Hazel. The historical...
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The Second Flood of 1972
by Rachel Dworkin, archivistJune 22nd marked the 45th anniversary of the Flood of 1972. Caused by heavy rains courtest of Hurricane Agnes, the flood of June 22-23, 1972 was the worst disaster in the...
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Naked and Steamy: Turkish Baths in Elmira
By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator Public bathing was popular in antiquity, but came to the United States in full force by the 1890s. Larger baths were in cities like New York and Philadelphia,...
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