Pitch in with a rake or a dust cloth to help prep the grounds and buildings for the Spring Opening. Lunch provided.

Sunday, April 13 at 2PM

Norm Dann from the Abolition Hall of Fame in Peterboro will speak on Gerrit Smith and his relationship abolition and the women’s rights movement as well as to Frederick Douglas, John Brown, and Harriet Tubman. Mr. Dann has written a number of books and a selection will be available for sale.

Happening at our neighbor to the south: Genoa Historical Society & Museum

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the GHA hosts author Judy Hart.

In 1978 the author proposed the development of The Women's Rights National Historical Park. The park's centerpiece is the Wesleyan Chapel that was the site of the 1848 women's rights conference that first called for the right for women to vote. However, in 1980 the Chapel was a deteriorating laundromat! This is her story of bringing that dream to fruition - challenging rules, flouting policies, and tenaciously leading the campaign to create a park that now holds and tells that story of being a woman during that era that took place almost in our back yard.

Join us for a casual social gathering with refreshments and a visit from Emily.

At Opendore, 2978 Route 34B, Sherwood.

TOPIC POSTPONED - Instead, Larry Bell will be discussing Slocum Howland and African Americans in Sherwood. Slocum was a Quaker store owner and abolitionist who used his connections to help freedom seekers on their way. Most went on to Canada, but since the Sherwood community was heavily Quaker, some felt safe enough to settle here. Store ledgers and other historic artifacts tell the story of those who stayed. Important sites will be located on the Cayuga County Underground Railroad Driving Tour.

Water Cures were not only a place to get well, but often where radical ideas about the rights of women, abolition, women’s dress reform and temperance were promoted.  Learn about our regional water cure owners who contributed to some of the great social movements of the nineteenth century.  Isabel and her mother visited the Elmira Water Cure when in need of restoration.

Jane Oakes has been involved with historic education for over forty years.  She taught hands-on classes at the Genesee Country Village and Museum, BOCES: Gifted and Talented programs, and the William Mills Mansion in Mt. Morris, NY. She has also served as a consultant for regional museums in Western NY and advised on historic restoration of opera houses as well as re-enacting roles from the Revolutionary and pre-revolutionary periods.

The museum opens at 3pm on the day of the program. A Zoom link for the program will be available the week prior to the program by emailing hssmsherwood@gmail.com.

The folks from the Hazard Library in Poplar Ridge will host a fundraising concert featuring music by Perform4Purpose and Special Guests at Opendore. The Library is raising money to build their new library addition at Opendore! Join them for food trucks, raffle baskets, a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and bake sale. Suggested donation for the concert is $10. Rain date is 9/29/2024.

As historic preservationist and grant writer for the City of Auburn, Mike Long has been heavily involved in the creation of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park from its beginning over 35 years ago. Mike will share the fascinating story of how it finally came into existence. 

The original Underground Railroad Driving Tour was based on a 2005 book by Judith Wellman. “Uncovering the Freedom Trail” documented over 100 Underground Railroad sites in Cayuga County.  Recently, the project was updated and integrated into a new mobile phone application. The driving tour is in two parts. Former Auburn Historian Mike Long will discuss the Auburn portion; and HSSM Historian Larry Bell will discuss the Cayuga County segment. 

Mike Long has been known as a Preservation Advocate, previously served as Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, Inc. / Willard Memorial Chapel Project, the Chair of the City of Auburn’s Historic Resources Review Board and project manager for the Judy Wellman Underground Railroad Study, Auburn City Historian, and Speaker for the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Cayuga” History Program over the last 35 years. 

Professionally, Mike worked with City of Auburn / Cayuga County Planning Board for nearly 28 years in several positions last as the Director of Capital Projects and Grants and Auburn Interim City Manager, the City Administrator of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., the City Manager of Oneonta, N.Y. and most recently established a consulting business Finger Lakes Planning and Development.  Long holds a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University as well as a Master of Landscape Architecture from S.U.N.Y - E.S.F. and was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners FAICP and retired as a “Credentialed Manager of the International City / County Managers Association (ICMA-CM). 

The museum opens at 1pm on the day of the program. A Zoom link for the program will be available the week prior to the program by emailing hssmsherwood@gmail.com.

Give a little thought to the back of your ballot before election day. Come to Opendore at 4pm on August 18 to gain understanding of Proposition 1, The New York Equal Rights Amendment. Presenter Mickie Belosi is a National Organization for Women member and advocate. This is an opportunity to question and consider your concerns regarding discrimination of any kind, and what safeguards may be warranted. As the Supreme Court increasingly looks for clarity in laws passed by legislative bodies, citizens of NY also need to carefully consider amendments to the state constitution.
The museum opens at 1pm on the day of the program. This program will be in-person only.

Local railroad historian Bruce Tracy will discuss the portion of the short-lived steam railroad that ran from Auburn to South Lansing in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The railroad served many local communities including Mapleton, Merryfield (Scipio) and Venice providing both freight and passenger service. It is known that Emily Howland and Isabel Howland were passengers. The grade (roadbed) is still visible at many points along the route, and remnants of the stations and other structures still exist.

Mr. Tracy has many historic photos of the railroad and local structures that it served. In 1876, the UI&E bought part of the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad's Auburn Branch, extending from Freeville on the Utica, Ithaca and Elmira Railroad to Scipio, and was operated by the UI&E. It subsequently extended the line north from Scipio to Auburn. In 1883, it was leased by the Southern Central Railroad (a subsidiary of the Lehigh Valley Railroad), whose route it paralleled. On November 2, 1889, the line between Auburn and Dougal Road was bought at foreclosure by the Lehigh Valley subsidiary Auburn and Ithaca Railway, which built a line diverging from the IA&W at Genoa Junction (just west of Auburn) to Cayuga Junction on the Geneva and Sayre Railroad, another subsidiary. The rest of the line, however, was redundant to the Southern Central, and passed through sparsely settled and unprofitable country. It was abandoned in 1891.

The grade from a point south of Genoa Junction to South Lansing was re-used by the Ithaca-Auburn Short Line, which was itself abandoned in 1923. The small portion preserved by the Lehigh Valley was abandoned in 1971. The grade from Genoa Junction to Mapleton is now a power line right-of-way.

The museum is open for regular hours from 1-4pm that day. Come by early and visit the exhibits before the program.

Zoom link available from hssmsherwood@gmail.com the week before the program.

HSSM Historian & Exhibit Curator Larry Bell will speak about the forced exodus of the indigenous people, the Yankee settlers who followed, and the early African American experience.

The museum is open 1-4pm.
Gallery Talk at 4pm with viewing & refreshments following.

Prior to its formation in 1794, Scipio was a battleground for the American War of Independence. The “scorched earth” policy of the 1779 Sullivan-Clinton campaign forced the indigenous people —perceived as supporters of the British—to flee their homeland and take refuge in Canada. Later, hordes of Yankee settlers moved in, finding prosperous land sold by developers for a low price. Some brought enslaved persons, who later formed the basis of a free African American community that welcomed fugitives from Southern enslavement. The exhibit will present these three migrations side by side as formative influences on the birth of the town.

Sponsored by Auburn Public Theater SCR.

Artwork: detail of Ensenore on Owasco Lake, by an unknown artist, courtesy of the Cayuga Museum of History and Art

Howland Stone Store Museum - Notice of 2024 Annual Membership Meeting

Sunday May 19, 2024 ;  7:00 PM Opendore and by virtual conference

All members are invited and encouraged to participate, either in person or virtually

For Zoom connection please email request to hssmsherwood@gmail.com

Agenda :

• Welcome & Opening Remarks – Guy Garnsey, President

• Roll Call – Larry Bell, Secretary

• Approval of 2023 Annual Meeting minutes (attached)

• Financial – Jackie Dickinson, Treasurer

o Review of 2023 and 2024 year to date

• Review of 2024 and upcoming activities – Guy Garnsey, President

• Discussion of Hazard Library addition at Opendore - Guy Garnsey

• Election of Trustees 2024

o  Expiring terms  -Guy Garnsey, Lorrie Butcher, Kirsten Gosch

o   Nominations by nominating Committee for three year terms – Karen Speck

o Nominations from membership at large

o Vote (request for motion to approve all nominations)

• Open discussion by members

• Closing remarks – Guy Garnsey, President

• Adjourn

 Program to follow : Claire Morehouse Introduces “Arabella”

Claire Morehouse will introduce her newest book, ”Arabella” bringing to life a doll that has been in her family since the early 1800s and likely witnessed the development of the women’s rights movement.  The book is written for an early teen audience with hopes of bringing clarity to the history of the movement to them.  

Books available by contacting Marilyn Post at madeline4394@gmail.com or 315-478-1800.

May 12, 2024 (Mother’s Day. 5pm) 

Laurence Hauptman, Conspiracy of Interests: Iroquois Dispossession and the Rise of New York State, pp 1 - 220

Opendore will be open at 3pm on the day of the program.

……or so we hope

Find out how museums and other non-profits in the area plan for their long-term future viability and how you can be a part of that success.

 Thomas M. Griffith, Interim President & CEO and VP of Development of the Central New York Community Foundation will speak about easy and beneficial ways individuals can incorporate charitable giving into their financial and estate plans. This includes accessible options for setting aside a portion of one’s assets, no matter the amount, for the benefit of Central New York charities to continue their impactful work. We will also share about ways anyone can leave a legacy behind for the benefit of both their families and the community through storytelling. This includes examples of community legacy stories and concepts that range from improving the family Thanksgiving table dialogue to writing your own story for future generations to learn from.

·      HSSM is pleased to offer this workshop along with our non-profit partners in Southern Cayuga County.

·      Free and open to all. Opendore will open at 3pm for museum visitors.

·      Zoom link available from hssmsherwood@gmail.com the week before the program.

Opendore and the Cobblestone Store will open for the season with regular hours. Tours led by docents.

The museum will reopen for regular hours on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The museum will be open Saturday and Sunday 1-4pm. For visits at other days and times, call or email for information or to arrange tours with 5 days notice. Opendore is also open for visitors one hour before any scheduled programs.

Volunteers are welcome to help with Spring Cleaning at Opendore. Supplies provided or bring your own for both indoor and outdoor sprucing.

THIS IS THE NEW DATE!

ZOOM Link available by email request at hssmsherwood@gmail.com

Join us for a lecture on Hodinöhsö:ni’ governance and the evolving roles of women through time in this comprehensive lecture program. We will explore the unique principles of consensus-building, matrilineal lineage, and collective decision-making within the Hodinöhsö:ni’ Confederacy, while delving into the pivotal roles of women as custodians of tradition, peacemaking, and community stewardship.

Zoom link available by email request prior to the program: hssmsherwood@gmail.com

 Presenter: Kristin Asche - Onöndowa’ga (Seneca), Wolf Clan

 Kristin Asche was raised in Buffalo, New York, with a family lineage from the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography with a minor in Museum Studies from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is one of the acting historic site assistants of Ganondagan State Historic Site and curatorial assistant of the Seneca Art & Culture Center, where she shares her knowledge of history and culture as a Hodinöhsö:ni’ woman.

This program is funded by a Humanities New York Reading and Discussion Grant.

Volunteers are welcome to help with Spring Cleaning at the Howland Stone Store. Supplies provided or bring your own for both indoor and outdoor sprucing.

Books available by contacting Marilyn Post at madeline4394@gmail.com or 315-478-1800.

April 7, 2024. 

The Divided Ground.  Parts 3 & 4, pp 203 - 407

Why You Can’t… Chapters 17 & 18, pp 259 - 286

Opendore will open at 3pm on the day of the program.

Books available by contacting Marilyn Post at madeline4394@gmail.com or 315-478-1800.

March 10, 2024.  

Alan Taylor, The Divided Ground: Indians, Settlers, and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution, Parts 1 & 2, pp 3 - 202

Opendore will open at 3pm on the day of the program.