Tioga County Historical Society News

110 Front Street, Owego, New York 13827 (607) 687-2460

Hours: Tues - Sat 10am - 4pm; Research Library Hours: Tues - Sat 1 - 4pm

"City of Greater New York"

Documentary Showing

Saturday, February 7, 2pm

A local showing of the documentary video "The City of Greater New York" created by Crosswalks Television of New York City. The video commemorates the 100th anniversary of the consolidation of New York City's five boroughs.

Last August, Crosswalks Television visited the Tioga County Historical Museum to film objects related to Senator Thomas Platt - a native of Owego - who was instrumental in the boroughs' consolidation.

Born in Owego in 1833, Thomas Platt was President of the Tioga bank as well as Tioga County Clerk for three years. He served as a member of Congress from 1872 to 1876 before being elected to the Senate in 1881. He served six consecutive years in the Senate from 1897 to 1903. In the 1890's, Platt pulled the idea of New York City consolidation out of the legislative trash bin and help to create the largest city in the county. Sometimes called one of the most powerful politicians of his time, Platt was the leader of the New York State Republican party for 25 years.

Senator Platt is prominently featured in the documentary, as are photographs and documents from the Tioga County Historical Society collections.

The showing of the documentary is free and open to the public. A snow date for this event has been set for Saturday, February 14.

Farm Life - Town Life

Through February 1998

Farm Life - Town Life is on display in the West Room of the TCHS through

February, comparing life experiences of two different families at the turn of the

century. The exhibit includes photographs, documents, clothing and textiles, and equipment used to provide income for families in Owego and Nichols. Whether the family was descended from early settlers, or a recent immigrant, people have found a variety of ways to become successful in Tioga County. The Klem family of Owego and the Lounsberry families of Nichols each provide specific examples of how families support each other, as well as different occupations, social events, and community service.

Looking for New Members

The Board of the Tioga County Historical Society is hoping to increase the membership and support of the Historical Society and Museum. Membership levels range from $10 to $100. Benefits of membership include: free use of the research library, discounts on books and other gift shop items, and reduced fees for walking tours and workshops. Membership forms are available at the museum.

Volunteers Needed

Director of collections, Joann Lindstrom, is asking for volunteers to come forward and help with many tasks in managing the collection. Among the projects which need assistance are:

Entering catalog sheets into the computer

Cataloging objects and archives

Wrapping ledgers for storage

Inventory segments of the collection

Packing textiles

Photographing the collections

Arranging archives

If you are interested in helping out for one or two hours a week, call Joann at 687-2460 to set up training and a volunteer schedule.