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McDonough Park
A brief history of McDonough Park. -
Box Lacrosse in Geneva
Overview box lacrosse in Geneva from 1933 to 1950. -
Early History of Lacrosse at Hobart College
Chronicle of the early history of lacrosse at Hobart College. -
The Early History of Lacrosse
The Native American roots of lacrosse. -
Last Picture Show?
Memories of the seeing movies at the Smith Opera House, Cinema (originally the Regent Theater) and Geneva Movieplex. -
Stereo Cards in Our Collection
Brief history of stereo cards. -
No Movies on Sunday
In April 1919, New York State passed an act that granted cities a local option to legalize Sunday movies. A look back on how Geneva legalized showing movies on Sundays. -
Holiday Season
A brief history of the holiday season in the United States. -
Miniature Golf in the 1930s
A brief history Geneva’s miniature golf courses -
Early Geneva Playgrounds
Early Geneva playgrounds provided safe summertime recreation for a growing population of children in the city in the first quarter of the 20th century. -
Geneva’s Arts Heritage
Historic Geneva’s online resources that focus on the arts. -
I’ll See You in My Dreams: 1920s Records and Record Players
Overview of record players and records sold in Geneva during the 1920s based on ads in the Geneva Daily Times. -
Cold, Chilly Victorian Winter
Brief overview of winter activities in the Victorian Era. -
How Does Our Holiday Celebration Compare to the Victorians?
How Victorian families, like the Swans at Rose Hill, celebrated Christmas -
Puzzling During a Pandemic: America’s 3rd Puzzle Craze
A brief history of the jigsaw puzzle crazes in the United States. -
Dissected Maps: The Origins of Jigsaw Puzzles
Discover the early history of jigsaw puzzles. -
“A Friend of the Gutted Stick:” Francis “Babe” Kraus
Brief biography of Francis "Babe" Kraus. -
More Trick Than Treat: Halloween in 19th Century Geneva
Overview of how Genevans celebrated Halloween in the 1800s. -
Modern Day Figure Skating in Geneva
Recollections on being a member of the Lake Country Figure Skating Club. -
Baseball, or Something Like It
The development of baseball in the United States during the 1800s. -
Come Out and Play: Sports in America Before 1860
Brief overview of sports in America before 1860 -
Books and Reading
An appeal plea to read books, newspapers, or magazines in print or electronic format. -
Deer? Oh Dear!
Discussion of white tail deer in the Finger Lakes. -
Mechanical Eye: Early History Motion Pictures
An early history of motion pictures -
Gift Giving
The tradition of gift giving on Christmas. -
Traditions
Traditions for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day often revolve around food, decorations, and locations. -
Charles Dickens in the Geneva Newspapers
Charles Dickens in Geneva newspapers -
Very Mysterious: The Fox Sisters and the Spiritualist Movement
Chronicling the Fox Sisters and the Spiritualist movement through local newspapers. -
New: “Music in the Key of Geneva” Podcast
In our latest podcast Geoffrey Herd, Hannah Collins, and Eliot Heaton discuss the Geneva Music Festival. -
Superiority to Fear: Acrobat and Tightrope Walker Blondin
Accounts of Blondin crossing the Niagara Gorge from local newspapers -
As Modest on a Wheel as in a Drawing Room: Female Bicyclists in the 1890s
The reaction to female bicyclists in the 1890s through local newspapers -
Astounding The Crowd: Bicycling in Geneva
The introduction of bicycling in Geneva through local newspapers -
Classical Music in Geneva, Part II
The second in a series about classical music performances in Geneva. -
Youth and Music in Geneva
Excerpts from the Historical Society's zine about youth and music in Geneva. -
New: “Music in the Key of Geneva” Video and Podcast
Latest additions to our "Geneva Stories" video series and "Music in the Key of Geneva" podcasts. -
Classical Music in Geneva, Part 1
The first in a series about classical music performances in Geneva. -
New “Music in the Key of Geneva” Video and Podcast
Latest additions to our "Geneva Stories" video series and "Music in the Key of Geneva" podcasts. -
Home Music: 19th Century Bands in Geneva
Chronicling 19th Century bands in Geneva, New York through newspapers. -
Music in the Key of Geneva Podcasts
The first in a series of podcasts for the Geneva Historical Society's Music in the Key of Geneva project. -
Just a Piece of Wood?
A piece from a piano provides a glimpse into Geneva's past. -
Geneva Stories: Music in Geneva, Part 1
The first in a series about music in Geneva. -
Hidden Music in Geneva
Music is everywhere in Geneva for those with eyes to see. The digital marquee on Seneca Street, event flyers in many downtown store windows, and websites like www.thesmith.org. -
Banjos, Mandolins, and Glee
I have many favorite historical photos of Geneva, but the 1893 Hobart College Banjo & Glee Club is in my Top Ten. Those clothes, those haircuts, those instruments! As a player and fan of banjos and mandolins, I am interested in their popularity at that time. -
Music In Geneva
I have learned more as I work through the Historical Society archives, but there is much history not written down. We have an impressive list of village “firsts”: a hotel, a post office, a church, and a school. However, no one recorded the first person to bring a piano to town, or the name of the fiddler who played the first dance. -
45s, B-sides, and Albums
Alice Askins wrote about live music in Geneva in the 1960s . As she pointed out, most groups played the hits of the day. If you wanted to hear the real thing, you bought the record. -
Playing What They Loved: Geneva’s Music Scene in the 1960s
Recently I talked with Geneva's Chuck Agonito about the rock and roll music scene in Geneva during in the 1960s. Since he was part of that scene, he is a wealth of information on the subject and has often written about it in his “Good Times” column for the Finger Lakes Times. -
Headed to the Drive-in
I love being able to revisit the past and our fundraiser focused on the 1960s (being held in March 2016) is giving me a wonderful opportunity to review one of the most interesting decades I remember. -
Laughter, Shouts, Frolic, and Swimsuits
A while back I ran across a village ordinance printed in the Geneva Daily Gazette of July 2, 1852: "No person shall bathe in the waters of the Seneca Lake, the Canal, or Castle Creek, after the rising of the sun, and before eight o’clock in the evening, within the bounds of the corporation, under the penalty of one dollar for each offence [sic]. This More » -
Ah, The Movies!!
Movies in the 1940s seemed glamorous and provided their viewers with the opportunity to escape from the stress of war, rationing, worry, fear and anger. Ah, the movies. What a wonderful thing they are! -
Christmas Musings
What did you ask for on your Christmas list as a child? People who know me well won’t be surprised to know that every year I asked Santa, and later my parents when it became apparent that Santa didn’t get the message, for a pony. I scoured the Christmas “Wish Book” for rocking horses and asking for one of those with the idea that Santa More » -
Christmas Dreaming
Some of my favorite memories are associated with Christmas–the Festival of Lights at Sonnenberg, seeing The Nutcracker at the Smith Opera House and A Christmas Carol at Geva, picking out a new ornament each year for the tree, having Christmas breakfast with my grandparents, and playing “Sleigh Ride” throughout high school for the holiday band concert. -
Dreams Come True: The James M. Cole Circus
While looking for interesting topics from the 1940s, I ran across the James M. Cole Circus of Penn Yan. This is a little of its story from the 40s, as reported (mostly) in the Geneva Daily Times. -
Girl Bands and Geneva
Recently, I got the book Swing Shift by Sherrie Tucker. The book was published in 2000 and Professor Tucker was a professor at Hobart and William Smith when she wrote it. Swing Shift is about the all-women bands of the 1930s and 1940s. I wondered if any of the bands in the book were seen or heard in Geneva. It turns out some of them More » -
Festival Time
By Karen Osburn, Archivist Cruisin’ Night 2006 It is that time of year again. Festivals are everywhere. If there is anyone who can’t find something to do on a weekend in the Finger Lakes they must have their eyes closed and their cell phone glued to their ear. Just recently in the area surrounding Geneva there was a garlic festival, a sauerkraut festival and the More » -
Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
Those fans brought to mind the old song about the “Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer” and how very glad I am summer days are here. -
A “Tisket” a “Tasket” I love my Picnic Basket
By Karen Osburn, Archivist As usual, when I write an article I search for something from my own experience as a starting point. This time it is picnics. I love picnics, not that I manage to go on many of the stereotypical “tablecloth on the grass picnics”. I love the image of that type of picnic, but mine seldom work out that way. I have More » -
Dance in Geneva
During the 1910s and 20s the dance world was in ferment. In 1909 the Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev brought a new kind of ballet to Europe and the United States with the Paris debut of the Ballets Russes -
Radio in the 1920s
Brief history of radio during the 1920s. -
History of Christmas
A brief history of the roots of American Christmas. -
Here We Come A-Wassailing…
A brief history of wassail. -
Croquet
A brief history of croquet -
Crafts Then and Now: Godey’s Ladies Book
Chronicling women's handwork through 19th century national magazines and local newspapers.
Historic Geneva is a history museum in the Finger Lakes region of New York State which focuses on the history of Geneva, NY, historic architecture, genealogy, and the area's industry and agriculture. The Society maintains four historic 19th century properties, an archive and library, a museum and runs programs and events related to the history of Geneva and the Finger Lakes area.