the-evening-leader

Local History Post of the Week: September 18, 2026

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone, and welcome to our weekly local history post!

Each week we’ll share vintage newspaper articles from years past, drawn from local publications such as the Corning Blossburg Advocate, Corning Independent, The Corning Journal, The Evening Leader, and other local newspapers. We’ll also feature the complete issue of The Corning Leader exactly 100 years to the day from each blog post. From time to time, we’ll include newly taken photographs of local historic places, landmarks, and artifacts.

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Vintage Article(s) of the Week

This week we have two vintage articles of the week; both from 1926 and a map that relates to the second article.

The first article is about the Corning City Council discussing the subject of daily savings time – and this was in 1926 years before the federal law – the Uniform Time Act was passed in 1966! And if you can imagine it – cities could set their own official time – and daylight savings time was a hot topic even then!

Daylight Savings To End Sept. 5 Council Favors Referendum | The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | August 3, 1926

And our second vintage article is on the Glass Works plan to enclose Pyrex Park with a fence. Pyrex Park was located near the river on the Northside, near where the high school is today and the map, which is from a few years later – it is a New York State DPW map from 1947, shows where the old park was – it is gone now – but lots of baseball games were played there.

Corning Glass Works To Enclose Pyrex Park Gridiron By Wooden Fence | The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | September 14, 1926

And here is a portion of the 1947 DPW map of Corning, that shows where Pyrex Park was located:

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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 1926.

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The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | September 18, 1926

1926.09.18 The Evening LeaderDownload

Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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

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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!

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Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays.

Belated Local History Photos & Vintage Newspaper Post & Happy Birthday Wishes To The City of Corning! (March 20, 2026)

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone, here is last week’s local history photos and vintage newspaper blog post—albeit a bit late. My apologies for the delay; an unexpected family matter required me to take several days off on short notice.

And if you take a close look at this week’s Evening Leader, originally published 100 years ago on March 20, 1926 you’ll notice something special—that March 20, 2026, marks the birthday of the City of Corning! (We can celebrate a bit late!)

On page five of the March 20, 1926 edition of The Leader, it is noted that Corning was celebrating the 36th anniversary of its incorporation as a city. Of course, that was a century ago; today we celebrate the 136th anniversary of Corning becoming a city. How cool is that!

Here is a portion of the 1926 Leader article titled Corning Has Anniversary:

 “Corning celebrates the 36th anniversary of its cityhood. The bill creating the city became a law and received executive sanction on the 20th of March, 1890. On April 2, 1890 the first election was held with the following result: Mayor, Dr. William E. Gorton; Recorder, D. F. Browne; Chamberlain, L. B. Robinson Overseerer of the Poor Thomas O’Brien; Justices of the peace; George Hitchcock and Thomas Heffernan; Supervisors William A. Foster, Peter Griffin and S. C. Robertson. Aldermen, John Peart and William Hunt first ward; John W. Fedder and William T. Brady second ward; E. Clisdell and William Rubright third ward; John Cogan and James McMahon, firth ward and George Clark and Albert Pritchard, sixth ward.

And here is the whole paper for that date, Saturday, March 20, 1926:

1926.03.20 The LeaderDownload

Additionally, while scanning the March/April 1926 Leaders for material for upcoming local history posts, I came across a neat, related article from April 3, 1926. The piece features an interview with Corning’s first mayor, Dr. W. E. Gorton, in which he recounts some of his experiences serving as the city’s inaugural mayor & that too is cool! Check it out!

Here is the article titled Dr. W. E. Gorton, The City’s First Mayor, Recalls Experiences:

1926.04.03 Dr W E Gorton, The City’s First Mayor, Recalls ExperiencesDownload

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Local History Photo 1: Corning Free Academy Basketball Team (1900)

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Local History Photo 2: Theodore Roosevelt

Our second photo for this week, is really a strip of two photos, and shows Theodore Roosevelt hard at work – when the photo was taken and why it is in our local history archive I don’t know!

However, T.R. was from New York State and was a state assemblyman, New York City Police Commissioner and Secretary of the Navy, before he became the 26th President of the United States & they are neat photos, so I thought I’d share them!

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Local History Photo 3: Market Street, Corning, N.Y.

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Have a great week everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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

–

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!

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Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays.

Local History Photos & Newspaper: November 7, 2025

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

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Local History Photo 1: Painted Post (1921)

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Local History Photo 2: Another View of Painted Post with a view of Park Place & Pine Street (1921)

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Local History Photo 3: A Third View of Painted Post with Fairview Ave. in the background (1921)

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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.

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

1925.11.07 The Evening LeaderDownload

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Have a great weekend everyone,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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

–

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!

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Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays.

Local History Photos & Newspaper: October 25, 2024

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , ,

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

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Local History & Newspaper blog posts are published on Fridays; and the next post will be up on Friday, November 1, 2024. (We on earth has October gone!)

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Local History Photo 1: River Scene with Corning Glass Works Factory at Left

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Local History Photo 2: Festival in Corning (October 2, 1924)

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Local History Photo 3: Viaduct & Corning Glass Complex, Corning N.Y. (Circa early 1900s)

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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.

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The Evening Leader, Corning, N.Y. | October 25, 1924

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The Evening Leader, October 25, 1924Download

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

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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!