Local History Photos & Newspaper: April 11, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the local history photos & vintage newspaper of the week.

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be out on April 18, 2025.

The local history photos for this week are from the book History of Steuben County New York With Illustrations And Biographical Sketches Of Some Of Its Prominent Men And Pioneers by Professor W. W. Clayton, published in 1879. This is a cool book and a newer and smaller edition of this title can still be purchased today. If you’re looking to purchase one though, just be aware a second volume, covering later eras, was published by Irvin Near in 1911 and it has a very similar title – so check the author; and that second volume too, is available for sale as a reproduction. And of course, both books can be viewed at the library.

But I digress! This is a cool book that features neat illustrations of a selection of prominent local residents of the day; and the photos I’ve taken of the book are a little rough – because, as I’m sure you can understand, I didn’t want to bend the binding of a book published in 1879 to get a really good shot.

Here is the title page of the book, just FYI (it is a library thing to like to share title pages!)

Hiram Bostwick Corning Pioneer

Original Corning Free Academy

John & Louisa Storms Corning Farming Family

Storms Family Home, Corning, N.Y.

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1925.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | April 11, 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper April 4, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the local history photos & vintage newspaper of the week.

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be published on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Local History Photo 1: Corning, New York (1882)

From the Library of Congress free usage, digital collection.

Local History Photo 2: Congressman Erastus Corning (1859)

From The Library of Congress’s free usage digital collection. Corning was named for the congressman and merchant

Local History Photo 3: Major General Baron von Steuben (photo of 1783 engraving)

This photo, of the engraving, from 1783, is also an image from the Library of Congress’s free usage digital collection.

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1925.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | April 4, 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper: March 28, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos and vintage newspaper of the week.

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be published on April 4, 2025.

If you’ve every read the terrific local history book History of The Corning Painted Post Area: 200 Years in Painted Post Country by Thomas Dimitroff & Lois Janes, you may recall that early in the book the authors make mention of an 1851 travel guide that features vintage descriptions of our area; that book, Harper’s New York And Erie Railroad Guide Book by William Macleod is in the public domain and can be found and downloaded via Google Books. In addition to the description of locations along the New York and Erie Railroad of the day, the book also features some neat illustrations and three of them follow as the Photos of the Week. The photos are followed by a link which will allow you to view and/or download to view a copy of the Railroad Guide Book.

Local History Photo 1: Corning circa 1851

Local History Photo 2: Painted Post circa 1851

Local History Photo 3: Elmira circa 1851

Harper’s New York And Erie Railroad Guide Book (1851) by William Macleod

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1925.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | March 28, 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper: March 14, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the Week!

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be up on March 21, 2025.

Local History Photo 1: Sanborn Insurance Map of Corning (1873)

From the Library of Congress Digital Collection

Local History Photo 2: Baseball Card of James “Deacon” White

James “Deacon” White was a pioneering baseball player. He played in the years after the Civil War and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. And…He was born in nearby Caton, New York!

Local History Photo 3:Tropical Storm Agnes

This is actually a 69 page PDF from the U.S. Army, created in 1972 & features a number of photos – available free through Google Books, or by simply downloading a copy from our blog.

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1925.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | March 14, 1925

And as a bonus, here is preview of the library’s Women’s History Month Display, which you’ll find just to your right if you enter the library through the Tioga Ave., entrance. The women featured all have local connections, and I have just discovered today that one of the co-founders of Corning Meals on Wheels who we have listed as “Heather Lanning” actually went by the name of “Helen Lanning,” so we’ll be updating her photo shortly.

The Women’s History Month Display Photos

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper: A Belated March 7, 2025 Edition

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the Week for March 7, 2025 – a week late – I apologize for that!

Our regular weekly posting will be up a little later today Friday, March 14, 2025.

So this week, there will be local history two postings!

Local History Photo 1: Painted Post Indian Monument Postcard

Local History Photo 2: Monument Square and Town Of Erwin Historical Museum Postcard

Local History Photo 3: Sanborn Map of Painted Post (from the Library of Congress, Digital Collection)

For more information on the Painted Post Indian Monument, check out this article the Crooked Lake Review:

“Painted Post and its Monument by Audrey Phelps”

https://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/34_66/63june1993/63phelps.html

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1925.

(Or in this case, a hundred years ago last Friday, March 7, 1925!)

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | March 7, 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Notable Locals, Volume 1

Notable Locals is, as noted on the library’s website “An ongoing exhibition at the library about people from the Corning area who have made an impact locally, regionally and across the world.”

This get-the-word-out-about-neat-people-who-have-lived-locally-in-the-past project consists of a display in the library (near the microfilm machines), a handout featuring information on the nine people (also included as PDF within this post); and a blog post that spotlights the nine people and/or groups.

The Notable Locals display will be updated, and a new information PDF and blog post created for nine new people/groups bi-annually.  

And here are our first group of Notable Locals, listed in alphabetical order:

The Beth Israel Congregation of Corning

Young members of the Beth Israel Congregation are shown in a 1950s era photo, from The Evening Leader

 –

Chief Cornplanter (1752 – 1836)

Chief & Diplomat of the Seneca People
 

Charles Corwin (1883 – 1954)

Choirmaster, organist, music educator, founder of The Corning Philharmonic Symphony and co-founder of Corning-Pained Post Civic Music

Isabel Walker Drake (1856 – 1936)

Early photographer who captured snapshots of local life in late 1800s & early 1900s

Dr. Lucy Maltby (1900 – 1984) 

Educator, home economist & founder of the Corning Glass Works Economic Division & Test Kitchen; shown here, forth from the left in the back row, with her 1917 North Side High senior class.
 

Rev. Robert F. McNamara (1910 – 2009)

Corning native, historian, theologian and co-founder of the Corning-Painted Post Historical Society

Col. William Murrell (1845 – 1932)

Union Army soldier, state legislator, newspaper editor & education advocate who came to the region later in life becoming a State Commander of the local chapter of the Civil War veterans group the G.A.R.  and worked on educating the local African American community. 

Margaret Higgins Sanger (1879 – 1966)

Corning-born women’s health & birth control advocate, founder of Planned Parenthood
 

James “Deacon” White (1847 – 1939) 

Caton native, baseball pioneer, catcher, third baseman and member of the baseball hall of fame
 
 
 –

And here is the entire Notable Locals, Volume 1 PDF:

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Photos & Newspaper: January 31, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the Week!

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be published on February 7, 2025.

Local History Photo 1: Pine Street and Erie Avenue looking South, Corning, N. Y. Postcard

Local History Photo 2: Overhead Bridge & Seventh Ward, Corning, N.Y. Postcard

Local History Photo 3: Pine Street North from First Street, Corning, N.Y. Postcard

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1924.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | January 31, 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper: January 24, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the Week!

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be out on Friday, January 31, 2025.

Local History Photo 1: Bird’s Eye View of Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y. Postcard

Local History Photo 2: New Bridge Looking North, Corning, N.Y. Postcard

Local History Photo 3: Houghton Park, Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y. Postcard

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1925.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | January 24, 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper: January 10, 2025

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the Week!

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be out on Friday, January 17, 2025.

Local History Photo 1: Corning Glass Works, Corning, N. Y. Postcard

Local History Photo 2: Birds-Eye View of Corning, N.Y. from Gibson Postcard

Local History Photo 3: The Leader Building, Corning, N.Y. Postcard

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1924.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | January 10. 1925

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

Local History Photos & Newspaper: December 27, 2024

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the Week!

Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will out on Friday, January 3, 2025.

Local History Photo 1: Denison Park, Corning, N Y

Postcard from the library’s local history collection.

Local History Photo 2: Fountain, Court House Park, Corning, N Y

Postcard from the library’s local history collection.

Local History Photo 3: Eggington’s Glass Cutting Shop, Corning, N. Y.

Postcard from the library’s local history collection.

A Glimpse of Local Life: A Hundred Years Ago!

Here is an entire issue of The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. published on this day in 1924.

The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | December 27, 2024

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Local History Online Library Resources:

Heritage Quest: Heritage Quest is the library’s online genealogy service, and it includes access to census records and other research sources; it can be accessed by going to the Online Resources page, on the library’s website, and scrolling down until you see the link for Heritage Quest:

https://www.ssclibrary.org/research/online-resources/

Once you’ve clicked on the Heritage Quest link, you’ll be prompted to login with your card number and PIN. If you have questions about how to use Heritage Quest, please feel free to let me know – my email address is reimerl@stls.org

Enjoy the photos and be well everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:
At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have local papers including the Corning Leader, Corning Evening Leader, Corning Journal and Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!