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2019 By Number

At the beginning of the month we shared a year in review using photographs.  To explain our activities further, here’s another look at 2019.

2 story maps were created on architecture and Arthur Dove

9 “Looking Back” articles were written for the Finger Lakes Times.  Topics included ice companies, Geneva Woman’s Club, a nature museum, competitive walking competitions in the 1800s and local airports.

16 exhibits were hosted at the Geneva History Museum and around the community.  Five exhibits (Panthers & Saints: High School Sport, Statesmen, Herons, & Lakers: College Sports, Geneva City School District Art Show, A Changing World: Geneva and World War I, and Come Out and Play: Sports in Geneva) were held at the museum while there were four displays at the Smith Opera House to celebrate their 125^th anniversary, a poster exhibit was created about the Geneva Family YMCA for their capital campaign, and six exhibits were held at the Geneva Public Library (J.W. Smith & Co. , sports, Norman Kent and Yolanda Schofield, John Johnston, House, Geneva City Hospital, local photographers).

50 blog articles were written by staff.

118 partners.  Whether it was funders, collaborators or in-kind donors, we relied on a variety of partners to help us tell Geneva’s stories.  Our partners were  1st Choice Educational Tours, Agonal Rhythm, Aliceann Wilbur, Bank of the Finger Lakes, Beef and Brew, Belhurst, Billsboro Winery, Bloomfield Fortnightly Club, Bottomless Brewing, Breadcrumbs Productions, Bubble Tea Café, C. S. Burrall & Son Inc., Cam’s Pizzeria, Carl Wenzel, Chateau Lafayette Reneau, Ciccino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, City of Geneva, City of Geneva Historian Karen Osburn,  Climbing Bines, Club 86, Community Lunch Program, Cosentino’s Ristorante, Damiani, David Hughes, Delavan Foundation, Deluxe Restaurant, Don’s Own Flower Shop, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, Earthly Possessions, Eddie O’Briens Grille and Bar, El Morro Restaurant, ESL Charitable Foundation, F.L.X Provisions, Farash Foundation, Farmington Seniors, Finger Lakes Sausage & Beer, Finger Lakes Times, Fleur De Lis, FLX Solidarity, Fox Run Vineyards, Friends of Parrott Hall, Fulkerson Winery, GAEL, Genesee Country Antique Dealers Association, Geneva Awning and Tent, Geneva City School District, Geneva Club Beverage, Geneva Country Club, Geneva Family YMCA, Geneva Movieplex 8, Geneva Public Library, Geneva Reads, Geneva Rotary Club, Halsey’s Restaurant, Hampton Inn, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, Highlands in Pittsford, Historic South Neighborhood Association, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Hosmer Winery, Jane Oakes, Kate Jacus, KeyBank Foundation, Kindred Fare, Knapp Winery, La Mia Bella Sicilia, Lake City Hobby, Lake Drum Brewing, Lamoraux Landing, League of Women Voters, Living Center , Lock 52 Jazz Band, Marilyn Post, Mark’s Pizzeria, Merrill Lynch – Eidlin-Kilmer Associates, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Mike Hanna, Mount Olive Baptist Church, Nan DeMuth, NYS Council on the Arts, NYS Library Assistants Association, Paul Shinal, Phelps Sungas, Photography by Neil Sjoblom, Ports Café, Prejean, Quilty Pleasures, Ramada Geneva Lakefront, Ravines Wine Cellars, Rebecca Collen and the Chore Lads, Red Dove Tavern, Red Jacket Orchards, Reynold’s Battery Re-enactment Unit, Scale House, Seneca Falls Historical Society, Seneca Yacht Club, Simply Sweets Bakery, Smith Center for the Arts, Sonnenberg, St. Francis-St. Stephens School, Steve Muzzi, Stomping Grounds, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Center for Cultural Landscape Preservation, The Cobblestone Restaurant, The Three of Us, Three Brothers Wineries and Estates, Torrey Park Grill, Town of Geneva, Wagner Valley, Wagner Vineyards, Waypoint, WeBe Brewing, Wegmans, Welcome America, Wyckoff Family Foundation, Yates-Ontario Small Historical Societies, YMCA, and Zotos.

44 people and organizations donated items  to our three-dimensional and archival collections.  Through approximately 7,000 three-dimensional objects, 2,000 costumes and textiles, 1,300 cubic feet of archival materials, and 50,000 photographs, we are able to tell Geneva’s stories.   Highlights from the 2019 donations include portraits of Joseph and Persis Tuttle  by F.M. Tuttle; archival materials and ephemera from the Geneva Woman’s Club, Smith Opera House, and League of Women Voters; a varsity sweater, football windbreaker, basketball practice jersey, boys and girls varsity letters from DeSales High School; and materials about the Parker and Licht Families

297 research requests came via email, phone, Facebook, in person, text message and the Historical Society’s website from people in Geneva, across New York State and the United States, Canada, Switzerland, France, and England.

533 followers on Twitter.

741 people attended meetings or programs hosted by an outside organization at the Geneva History Museum.  The following organizations used the Hucker Gallery – the Catherine Foster Hopkins Art Reading Club, Friends of Parrott Hall, Historic South Neighborhood Association, Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes, Public Art Committee, and Chapter AK of PEO.

2,882 students attended programs held inside and outside the classroom .  These programs were a Civil War Encampment at Rose Hill with Reynolds Battery, Farm and Village, Taking Tea, Tales of Christmas Past, Plants and Agriculture in Geneva’s Past and Cemetery Stories.

3,400 (and counting) followers on Facebook.  While we use Facebook to advertise programs and events, share photos and post videos, it has also become a place for people to tell their Geneva stories.

Over 4,500 hours were spent by volunteers attending committee meetings, running the Carriage House Gift Shop at Rose Hill, working with our collections, assisting with fundraising events, or helping with school and public programs.  This is just a rough estimate of volunteer hours and the number could be easily doubled or even tripled.

5,791 people attended one of our 43 programs or special events, visited one of our historic house museums, or participated in one of our 19 outreach activities. Here’s just a sample of our programs three specialty tours of Rose Hill (Taste of Rose Hill, Bedroom Tales and Behind the Scenes), three concerts, tours of Brookside and St. Patrick Cemeteries, a long weekend in Newport Rhode, day trip to Wadsworth Homestead and Letchworth State Park, a performance of Marie and the Nutcracker Prince, and six History Happy Hours at Lake Drum Brewing.

Over 8,000 views of the latest episodes in our video series Geneva’s Stories (Geneva High School’s 2006 New York State Football Championship, Milton Street Lads, Statesmen, Herons, and Lakes; Dove Block; Doing Much Good in Geneva: Geneva Family YMCA, and A Brief History of Beer and Bars).  To date our videos have over 52,500 views.

When you add things up, over 22,000 people in some way had an experience with the Historical Society in 2019.  And we could not have been done without the support of our board, volunteers, members, partners and community.