Upcoming Events

Wednesday July 28
Lynn Bissell is offering two different Walking Tours of Riverside Cemetery. Meet at 7:00 PM for Part II at the entrance to the cemetery, behind the First Presbyterian Church at 296 Main Street. The tour will cover the history of Oneonta through the gravesites of well-known Oneonta families. ($1 for GOHS members; $2 for non-members).

Friday July 30
Marilou Trask-Curtin, author of In My Grandfather's House: A Catskill Journal, will speak at the History Center on at 6:00 PM. Her main topic will be growing up in Oneonta and remembering Main Street in the 1950s and 60s. As an author and screenwriter, she will also touch on writing and publishing. Her presentation will be followed by a book signing (6 to 8 PM).

Friday August 6
Stump the Antique Expert! Bring in an historical object that is unusual, maybe mysterious, even confusing, and Al Bullard & Kevin Herrick will try to identify it. You could win the prize for the most challenging object that stumps the experts. 5 to 8 PM.

Wednesday August 11
Walking Tour of the neighborhood between Oak and Center Streets. Join Keith Bundy and Joan Hughes Duckwall as they remember the neighborhood that they grew up in in the 1950s. Meet in the Dietz Street parking lot near Ford Avenue at 7:00 PM. $2.00 ($1.00 for GOHS members)

Saturday November 6
GOHS' Annual Antique Show & Appraisal Clinic at St. Mary's School gymnasium. Prospective vendors, call Loraine Tyler at 607-433-2452.

------------------------------ Ongoing Events --------------------------------

Harvey Baker Book
Harvey Baker was an instrumental figure in Oneonta' s history, particularly in bringing the railroad here in 1865. GOHS is working with Square Circle Press to publish the columns that Baker wrote for the Oneonta Herald in 1892-1893. The columns contain a wealth of information on Oneonta at the turn of the 19th century and Baker's memoirs of the development of Oneonta as a rail center. At its April meeting, the Board accepted the recommendation of the Baker book committee to solicit donations of $100 or more to support the publication of the Baker columns. For $100, individuals, families, companies, or other organizations will be listed among the sponsors in the book, plus will receive a copy. Checks and credit card payments are accepted. To meet our October publication date, payment must be received by June 15. For more information, contact director@oneontahistory.org.

GOHS Introduces Plaque Program

GOHS has teamed with Erie Landmark Company to offer bronze and aluminum custom and specialty plaques. These include custom and standard plaques for the State and National Register of Historic Places sites. The original Walnut Street Historic District plaques are from Erie Landmark. Plaques come in various sizes, fonts and mounts, and may include photographs. Time capsules are also available.

Erie Landmark plaques are made by the Paul W. Zimmerman Foundries Company in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Information on the offerings can be found in print form at the History Center or by visiting www.ErieLandmark.com. The price is discounted on many of the plaques, if ordered through GOHS.

Through this program, GOHS hopes to raise awareness of Oneonta's rich history with plaques in the Downtown Historic District and at other historic sites in the town and city.

For more information, contact Bob Brzozowski at director@oneontahistory.org or 431-9509.

Riding The Rails In 2011?

GOHS is considering reserving a limited number of seats on a 2011 tour through Collette Vacations. GOHS would be under no financial obligation and a local travel agency would take reservations, but GOHS would receive a fee for each seat sold through us.

As an example, GOHS could reserve 10 seats on one of Collette's Trains of the Colorado Rockies tour. This nine-day tour begins and ends in Denver and includes the historic Georgetown Loop Railroad, Vail, Grand Junction, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Mesa Verde National Park, the Pike's Peak Cog Railway, Rocky Mountain National Park, and much more. Air transportation is from Albany, with bus transportation between Oneonta and the airport.

Later this year, Jennifer Baumann of Collette Vacations will visit the History Center and make a presentation. If you would like more information before then, contact Olga Irwin (746-3160) or Bob Brzozowski (431-9509).

Stephen Joseph Photos
While Supplies Last
The original photos from the July 2008 SUNY Oneonta exhibit "Portrait of a Town: Stephen Joseph Celebrates Oneonta" are on sale at the History Center, with part of the proceeds to benefit GOHS. (See Words & Pictures for examples of Steve's work and a link to his web site.)