William Murrell

Local History Post of the Week: September 4, 2026

Linda Reimer , , , , , , ,

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

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.

Vintage Article of the Week

Colonel Murrell Is Given Honor At Big Patriotic Gathering

The Evening Leader, Corning, New York, August 27, 1926

And the same article as a PDF in case anyone prefers that format

1926.08.27 Colonel Murrell Is Given Honor CELDownload

About William Murrell: As a youth, William Murrell, escaped from slavery, learned to read, became a solider in the Union Army during the Civil War rising to the rank of colonel; and was later elected to the state legislature in Louisiana. He moved to our area in 1910 and is in the Steuben County Hall of Fame. He had quite the life! To learn more, check out his obituary from The Evening Leader, which was published on February 13, 1932.

Col. Murrell Historic Figure, Dies at Home from The Evening Leader, Corning, New York | February 13, 1932

1932.02.13 Col. Murrell, Historic Ficture, Dies at Home The Leader p10Download

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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 4, 1926

1926.09.04 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

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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.

Notable Locals, Volume 1

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

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

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Chief Cornplanter (1752 – 1836)

Chief & Diplomat of the Seneca People
 

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Charles Corwin (1883 – 1954)

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

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Isabel Walker Drake (1856 – 1936)

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

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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.
 

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Rev. Robert F. McNamara (1910 – 2009)

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

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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. 

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Margaret Higgins Sanger (1879 – 1966)

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

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James “Deacon” White (1847 – 1939) 

Caton native, baseball pioneer, catcher, third baseman and member of the baseball hall of fame
 
 
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And here is the entire Notable Locals, Volume 1 PDF:

Notable Locals Display Newsletter No 1 Updated 2 5 2025Download

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSCL