"Is this the Waterford Historical Society?"

“Hello. Is this the
Waterford Historical Society?”

This is a common way phone conversation to the museum start. Here's a "hypothetical" request.

WHMCC: “ You’ve reached the Waterford Historical Museum. How can I help?”

Caller: “I’m looking for where my great-grandmother lived. Can you tell me where exactly her house was? I'd like a photo of it. Oh! She worked at a small corner store, I think. That would be great to have a photo of too since she worked with her friend there and it meant a lot to her. I also need her obituary so I can put it in an album I’m making. Thanks.”


WHMCC: “I'm sorry. Unless someone donated these photographs or her obituary, the museum doesn’t have these records at the museum. I’ll take a look in our database to see if anything comes up with her name. If you have a street name or store name, I can see if anyone has brought to the museum anything related to your research.You should try the Saratoga County Clerk Office and speak with the County Historian who might be able to help you with resources like Town Directories or old newspaper articles.”


Caller: “But... Isn’t this the Historical Society? Like, that's what you do?”


WHMCC: “You’re speaking with the Waterford Historical Museum.”


Caller: “So? What’s the difference?”


What exactly is the difference??? As long as you can ask a question about the history of the area, they’re interchangeable so it doesn’t make a difference... right?

Early days of WHMCC with founding members
taking in donations to create the collection of the
Waterford Historical Museum in 1964.

Historical societies and museums have very, very similar goals when you look at the missions of each entity. Often, a historical society operates a museum and so those missions can be verbatim. And other times, you’ll see ________County Historical Society Museum. Which really doesn’t help with making it easier to tell if there is a difference.


After all, both seek to collect and preserve the history of whatever location they are serving. This means that they do take in collections as well and sometimes will offer exhibits and educational programs or events like a museum will also do.  

Typically, it’s a case of the historical society coming before the museum. Many early historical societies (or those of today still in formation stages) met in members’ homes or at some other public meeting area like a town hall or library to discuss their efforts and plans. Which also means members probably also stored their items in their homes until they had a definite location that they were loaned or were able to purchase. That is how the museum portion of these kinds of historical society museum can occur.


This is what happened with Waterford’s own historical society. It could have been formed around 1897 with the Waterford Study Club. It was this entity that created the first published compilation of the history of the area – to fill the void from the fires of the 1800s, particularly the 1841 fire that destroyed the records stored in the Town Hall on Broad Street.  This booklet, “The Old Town By The Ford” was written in 1912 by six forward-thinking women concerned with remembering the past of Waterford, NY.

The short answer to "Is this the historical society?": NO,
 You are NOT talking to the Waterford Historical Society

Does this mean that you should look to call the historical society because the museum wasn’t able to fulfill your expectations?

If you go searching for the “Waterford Historical Society”, you’ll probably find a number for a society. Several actually: Waterford, Michigan. Waterford, Maine. Waterford, Connecticut. And yes, we’ll probably pop up in a Bing or Google search of “Waterford Historical Society” somewhere on the list of results. The museum has had to be the bearer of bad news for researchers or interns to let them know they’re in the wrong state (or country sometimes). It happens and it's easy enough to click on the link to us assuming that everything is one and the same. The museum always does its best with the resources available, but historical societies tend to have the same amount and kinds of resources.

Genealogical researchers should definitely check out libraries, hall of records, or county clerk offices for  directories, maps, birth/death & wedding certificates and other documents that assist in this study.


Typically, if a quick search doesn’t come up with a solid result for what you’ve described, the conversation may go like this:


WHMCC: “It doesn’t look like our records have anything with her name attached to it. That happens sometimes when donations don’t have any info attached to them sadly so I can’t determine if your (great) grandmother is in any photos. If you’d like, you can schedule a visit in our O’Connor Research Library to take a look in our database in case anything looks familiar.”


Caller:“Oh, I can’t make it to the museum! I don’t live nearby. I know photos were donated by my cousin to the historical society, so they must be there. Can you ask the historical society to do a little digging or can you look at wherever that other place you mentioned might have them?”


Before we go on, there is something to clarify:

This definitely isn’t meant to sound like the museum doesn’t want to help or is just doing the bare minimum – we’re just as passionate at uncovering this history as you are! We know history has meaning, especially when you’re looking into your family history.

The museum will be happy to have you come by and you’ll receive help in looking through the database as you search for this history.

Why can't the museum just call/email the
 Waterford Historical Society for you?
There isn’t one for New York!

The Waterford Historical Society, like many other historical societies, was active in advocating on behalf of preserving historic buildings in Waterford. As this entity, historical societies can be the voice to these efforts that museums, by their organizational framework, cannot.


That’s why the Waterford Historical Museum cannot qualify a property as historical. 

Nor can WHMCC be the voice of authority that whatever work you plan on doing to your building isn’t going to be potentially harmful to the historic components. Or that it is compatible with historical standards so you don’t loose your tax exemption as part of a historic site or within a national historic district.

A museum research library is a little different from a regular
public library- items are stored in acid-free boxes so just
browsing is not an option. You can make an appointment with
the museum Director to search through WHMCC records!

The Waterford Historical Museum will open up our library for you to do some digging of your own, but the museum is not able to do this research for you or sign off that you’re all set to go ahead with whatever your plan for your property may be. We typically cannot accommodate research requests due to limited staff to search on your behalf.

Historical societies may be able to help you advocate on behalf of your property, but not always so if this is something that you’re interested in learning more about, you can always reach out to your state office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for more detailed guidelines.




The Waterford Historical Museum does not act as liaison for those interested in getting a property qualified as a historical site/landmark, but we do suggest you try contacting this state agency and their office on Peebles Island in Waterford.

The next part of our conversation may go like:


WHMCC:“Is it possible that your photos were held by the Waterford Historical Society’s president?”


Caller: “Probably. I’m not sure. I just know that she donated them. Why can’t you find them?”

The Waterford Historical Society successfully advocated to preserve the White Homestead, purchasing it for $1 from Grand Union Supermarket, which owned this and other lots on Saratoga Avenue in 1964 that it was demolishing to make way for another supermarket location. The Waterford Historical Society raised funds to move it to where it stands today at 2 Museum Lane, behind Saratoga Ave and nearby the old Champlain Canal Lock 4, close to the Cohoes-Waterford dam and bridge.

But during the movement and establishment of the museum, there was a difference in future plans and goals. Some members of the Waterford Historical Society did not want to have anything else to do with the museum and remained separate from the emerging museum Board of Directors that quickly took over the operations of the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center in its early days.

Long story short: 
The Waterford Historical Society remained in operation for another couple of decades or so after the Waterford Historical Museum was founded. Sadly, their records of donations were not shared with the museum so there is absolutely no way for the museum to track these items. 

Even more frustrating is that there is a good possibility there was no system of records at all for the donations to the society. After the death of the Waterford Historical Society’s president, his son had no idea that what all those items in his house were donations. He naturally assumed as he was putting his father’s affairs in order that they all were personal property…and did what anyone else does with all the "junk" that piles up.

Albany Institute of History & Art has a painting by Waterford
 painter Ralph Savage that had been donated to the Waterford
Historical Society. It made its way to this facility due to a
lack of directions for donated items and  whoever donated it to AIHA
had no clue that it was intended to be a part of the
 Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center's collections.

Some items made their way to other museums like the Albany Institute of History and Art, and other items were passed along to other family members or outright sold. It’s a sad situation, but the museum really cannot assist in helping you locate these items as the museum founding members had no account of their own to even offer crumbs to begin putting the pieces back together.  It has happened a few times that people will visit looking to see an item donated to the Waterford Historical Society by a family member to be out on display at the museum or to have the museum locate it in their collection.


WHMCC will offer to have you visit with us to determine if anything looks similar for what we have in our records labeled as FIC (Found In Collection = donated to the museum without any donor information or background information on the item’s history).


Rest assured that the museum has a process for accepting donations that aims to prevent this situation from happening. To donate an item, a form must be filled out with a contact name and specify what you would like to have done with the item if the museum’s collection committee determines the museum is unable to accept the item into our collection of artifacts. Donors not giving their item as an unconditional donation are notified of the result of the committee’s consideration and then a deed of gift is sent out so that official ownership is transferred to the museum. Items are given 6 months after their consideration if not accepted for donors to come pick up their item.

So hopefully the end to this conversation can go something like this:


Caller: “Wait, I think my cousin actually donated these photos later. Maybe it was to the museum and not the historical society. Can you check under her name?”


WHMCC: “Sure. It looks like there was a donation at that time from your cousin. There’s only one photo but there are several people in it. Maybe you can pick out your (great) grandmother from this group. If you can identify anyone else, we’d be glad to add that to our records.”


Caller: “Okay. How do I get the photo?”


WHMCC: “It’s a cost of $3 to get a hard copy of the photo mailed to you or 10 cents to get a photocopy on standard printer paper that we can mail to you for the cost of a regular stamp. Or we can email you the photo for 50 cents. You can pay via cash, check or through our PayPal button on our website.”


Caller: “Thanks.”


WHMCC:“Glad to help!”

WHMCC'S Upcoming Events Getting Closer To Open Season

Thank you to everyone who visited during our February art exhibit, "Wright of Passage" presented by local Waterford photographer, Robert Wright! It was great to see so much support from the community for the museum and The ARC of Rensselaer County.

We're now back in our off-season schedule preparing for our upcoming season in May.

You can still get in touch with us to discuss volunteer internship opportunities, scheduling appointments in our George & Anabel O'Connor Research Library, or to inquire about viewing our permanent exhibit, "Born of Two Rivers: An Illustrated History of Waterford NY" at the museum.

But there's still plenty we offer in the meantime!

Our Winter Lecture Series Conclusion will be held
 March 12th at the Van Schaick Island Country Club.

There is a change from the previous listing, as the topic of "Along the Erie Canal" has been postponed to a later presentation at the Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center building sometime in the summer. more details on this lecture will be shared on the museum website soon.

To conclude our series, WHMCC Director Anastasia Garceau will present a talk on the Button Fire Engine Works of Waterford, NY. this lecture will give an overview of the history of this nationally - and internationally - known manufacturer of fire apparatus that called Waterford NY its home. it is based on the booklet, Standard of the Age, by previous museum director, Brad Utter.

Our ever-popular Trivia Night is also returning March 15 !!

Guests are invited to either come alone or to bring a team with them to test out their trivia expertise and compete for the coveted Smart "Sal" trophy and bragging rights. included in your ticket is buffet-style corned beef and cabbage and pizza margherita, as well as yummy homemade desserts to go with coffee and tea. There will be raffle prizes too! It's a fun night out for everyone with some great food and friends!

This is a reservation-required event.

We do frequently sell out for this event - please call the museum at 518-238-0809 or send us an email at info@waterfordmuseum.com to reserve a seat or a table (up to 8 people at a table).

In April, our Canal Clean Sweep event is a great way to help preserve not only the history of the area, but to help clean up the area to make it as enjoyable as possible for everyone! Registration for this free event is recommended (if you'd like to receive a t-shirt, please register as we have a limited supply and this is a first-come first-serve situation with these handouts - which look great by the way). it will be held at the old Champlain Canal Lock 4 located just in front of the Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center on the Champlain Canal Trail.

Join us Saturday, Apil 27th from 9am - 1pm with your gardening gloves and clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty as we take pride in our local landmarks.

Register at the link: 

https://ptny.wufoo.com/forms/2019-canal-clean-sweep-volunteer-registration/

Our opening reception for our museum season will be
 Friday, May 4th from 7pm -9pm. 

The museum hopes to see you at all these great events. See you then!

CanalWays 2019 Making Changes To Its Program

One of the few things that stands out for any kid during the school year is the field trip. Coming from an admittedly biased point of view here at the museum, the visits to historical sites and museums or anytime that a field trip meant a trip out to a, well, field of some kind (aka not a classroom), tends to stands out the most. Luckily, there are a plethora of nearby historic sites that local schools can take advantage of to fulfill this part of students’ experiences! 

Waterford and the WHMCC is all too happy to provide the opportunity for local schools to fill that anticipation with the program known as CanalWays. As the name implies, it centers on the canal, taking place at Lock 2, the Old Champlain Canal trail, and the Waterford Harbor Visitors Center. And the best way to do that so students can get that hands-on experience is to actually visit the NYS Erie Canal.

Having gone by a couple of other names – NYS Canal System and the Barge Canal – this system of canals continues to follow in the legacy of the original Erie Canal as it celebrates its bicentennial years. This program offers students a chance to learn the history of the bygone canal era by being able to physically stand on the ground where all those facts and details came from that they learned in their history books. At the same time, it also is a visible reminder that history is an ongoing concept as they get to see the canal in action.

To make it possible to share Waterford’s involvement in history (including local, state, national, and international history) involves a number of partners. The museum works with the New York State Canal Corporation, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the Waterford Canal & Towpath Society, and the Town of Waterford.

WHMCC actively coordinates these partners to organize and create content for program, which is designed into 5 segments and a picnic lunch segment at the Lock 2 Park area. The museum acts as a contact for teachers to schedule their trip for their students and as a resource for updates on the not-so-enthralling but so-very-crucial details of the program like daily schedules and safety guidelines to make sure everyone involved has a safe as well as enjoyable time at the canal.

Canalways is an outdoor program, except for a segment that takes place at the Waterford Harbor Visitors Center upper floor -  which has a great boat window to give an amazing view of the Mohawk and Hudson River and the entrance to the Waterford Flight of Locks that begins the NYS Erie Canal.  This segment is the only portion of the program with any handicap aids.

There is a lot of walking involved in this program – so make sure to wear your comfy shoes, have your sunblock ready and be prepared to explore rain or shine!

CanalWays has been offered to local students for over 15 years. The most memorable portion of past programs has to be without doubt the ride through Lock 2 on the historic Grand Erie Barge. This barge is owned and operated by the New York State Canal Corporation.

However, due to the Canal Corporation’s transitioning from the Thruway Authority to the Power Authority combined with state funding cuts and a lack of captains to operate the vessel, CanalWays 2019 will be the first year that this beloved portion will not be available at all. 

Last year, the barge was only able to sail for a couple days of the program. The Urger, the tugboat that used to act as the flagship of the canal fleet and was a floating classroom in that regard, was retired and so the Grover Cleveland filled the role of a tugboat docked at Lock 2 for students to be able to view. They were not able to board the vessel, but it was used in the Canal Corporation’s segment on the history of the canal. 

While the barge will not sail at all in 2019, the Canal Corporation will offer students an opportunity to explore the inner workings of the barge by inviting them aboard as they did last year for a tour of the vessel. It will be docked at Lock 2 and despite not being able to go through the locking system, the canal will be open during this program so students get the chance to see an operating canal.

The past couple of years, students were able to view the grand opening ceremonies of the canal season. Even though the rain held off last year for the speakers to finish their speeches, it let loose shortly afterward and cancelled the rest of the day’s program. 

Pulling the mini Matton, a scale model barge, on the old
Champlain Canal Trail with Waterford Historian,
Russ VanDervoort, of the Waterford Canal & Towpath Society

This year, students will miss out on the photo op with state officials for the gran opening. But they will hopefully get the chance to see how a working canal operates and get a chance to view the locking process as the canal is used by a variety of boats.

The cost for the program is $5 per student and school will need to cover transportation costs. Luckily, there is some funding aid available in the form of our partner ECNHC’s “Ticket to Ride” program.

Due to their own state funding cuts that influenced the funding aid last year, the student count financed under the "Ticket to Ride" funding aid in the past has been reduced by about half of what it was a few years ago. But the museum would like to make sure that credit and gratitude is given where it’s due as the ECNHC has worked hard to be able to continue to support the local Waterford program.

If schools are not able to be included in this aid, as it works based on a fixed student count from all the prospective schools looking to participate in the week-long program, they are still able to schedule with the museum. They will be charged the amount previously listed, but the lack of inclusion in Ticket to Ride does not mean that we will turn schools away.

There are some conditions though that partners ask teachers to consider:

1.       Time Frame of the Program: The duration of the program is 9:30am to 1:30pm and segments are built so that lunch is scheduled for the end of the day. If that time frame doesn’t work for your school, unfortunately there isn’t much wiggle-room to be able to accommodate any changes. Partners are available only for these hours and more than 1 school may be booked for the day, making rearranging schedules impossible due to group size constraints. All partners do their best to try and accommodate everyone – taking a wrong turn happens and delays are inevitable as the day goes on as bathroom breaks always take longer than they should  – but schools are asked to commit to the full 4 hours.

2.      Group Size: the program is designed to accommodate a maximum of 90 students a day. For some schools with over this amount in their 4^th grade class, CanalWays cannot accommodate the group sizes to remain at safe levels. Please remember that we’re by the water for the entirety of the program. We want everyone to have fun, but we also need to make sure that the volunteers at each segment can keep track of everyone in the group, as many segments have only 1 or 2 segment leaders. Chaperones and teachers will need to be available to assist in this regard.

3.     Grand Erie Barge: Should a barge ride be offered, schools need to consider the amount of safety vests that are available on the barge. Every person on board the barge for a ride through Lock 2 must be wearing one of these safety vests – this includes teachers, chaperones AND the often overlooked crew that also will be wearing these vests, bringing the number to 30-33 total persons. If there are more people than vests, the barge will not be sailing. The canal is also a fully-functioning and operating canal, which means that if commuter traffic needs to use the lock, CanalWays will be waiting until the boats have gone on their way. This can mean a 15-20 minute delay, which may impact some students’ chance to ride. For the 2019 program, this is not a concern, but something to keep in mind if Canal Corporation is able to offer a barge ride through Lock 2 in the future.

CanalWays ends each day with an outdoor picnic lunch that students bring with them to Lock 2 Park area. It’s a chance to burn off some of whatever excess energy all this excitement at the canal has built up…and a chance to visit the restroom at the Visitors Center. 

Students can spend that time looking over the old side-cut locks of the Champlain Canal that act as a spillway for the current lock, producing an artificial waterfall (that makes for another great chance at memory making with a photo). It’s a very clear look at the old and the new, and the amazing engineering that was the original canal systems.

This program is a great way for students to get to learn more about Waterford and the canal in a fun and exciting way! All the partners involved are always glad to see the enthusiasm of the fourth graders while participating. 

The NYS Canal Corporation provides memorable experiences with the barge and at the lock itself, hoping to foster or encourage that enthusiasm to thrive.  The Waterford Canal & Towpath Society gives students a glimpse into past on the old Champlain Canal route with its scale model barge students get to handle as they walk the old trail.

The canal journey doesn’t have to end after the field trip.
Stop by the museum to find something new every time you visit!

And the museum is happy to be able to share the history and the canal culture that developed in Waterford, NY. There’s a lot within and on the walls of the WHMCC about the canals and the influence of the surrounding waterways on the area – native settlements, Dutch towns, Revolutionary War “Water Ford”, the famous Button Fire Engine Works, and the building of the original Champlain and Erie Canals with a working scale model of a river lock for visitors to use!

February 2019 Photography Exhibit

The Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center is partnering this February with The Arc of Rensselaer County, "the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families." Robert Wright, a local Waterfordian, is presenting his work depicting various scenes of Waterford at its finest and through the season, which will be displayed at the museum for the month of February only.

Robert Wright has been an active professional in photography since 2010, with his work being featured in numerous events, such as the Schenectady Gazette and on the Time Warner News Network. He's also been recognized by the New York State Association of the Board of Visitors Conference in Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo, New York. Robert's work has placed in competitions of the Schenectady Photographic Society as well.

Using a wheel chair perspective to portray what he sees and how he sees the world, his pictures have a unique look compared to that of traditional photographers. Due to a congenital condition he has limited mobility of his arms. Robert uses his head and a keen eye to activate the shutter release on his camera.

The Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center is proud to join the list of institutions presenting his work, including many libraries like William K. Sanford, Brunswick Community Library, Sand Lake Town Library and the Photo Center of the Capital District the Chapel and Cultural Center of the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

No matter where his work is, it wows and delights people everywhere! The museum is holding its opening reception to the public on Friday, February 1st from 7pm to 9pm. Admission on this night is free to attend to view his photographs of scenes especially near and dear to locals.

The exhibit will be on display for the month of February only. Standard museum admission fees apply of $6 adults and $5 children/seniors. It is available from 10am to 3pm, Tuesdays through Fridays. His work will also be available for purchase at the end of the exhibit.

What Does Off-Season Mean For Small Museums?

For those of you who like to check in with your local museums, you may find that many of them - like the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center - have "seasons", just like your favorite sport or amusement park.

The Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center is currently in its "off-season"

The Museum Season for visitors to come at their leisure and view the exhibits on display at the Hugh White Homestead in the Northside Historic District is the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October.

Does this mean that the building puts up a big "CLOSED" sign and everybody comes back in May? 

No way!

Most "off-season" times for small places like the museum are actually the busiest time of the year! There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes on to make sure everything is all set and ready for the upcoming museum season. The director is on site Mon-Fri from 10am to 3pm just as in the museum season if you're looking to get in touch with the museum.

Here are just a few of the things that go on "off-season":

Upcoming Exhibits planning, research, design, writing, display, set-up, and promotion

Special events and programs planning and organizing

Collections care and updates for researcher accessibility - we're online now!

Facility updates and care to get ready for the spring/summer

Canalways Educational Program coordination(partner with NYS Canal Corp, Waterford Canal & Towpath Society, Erie Canalways National Heritage Corridor, & Town of Waterford) 

Another thing that goes on during the "off-season" are
occasional art shows displayed for one month only!

Phew! And that's only a few things! 

We're always looking for any volunteers to take part in these efforts so if you're looking for a way to give back to the community, please don't hesitate to contact the museum to learn more about how you can be involved. There are volunteer internships available to gain experience in a museum setting and for college credit.

Does this mean that you've missed your chance to stop by?

Well....that's a yes and no.

YES, you've missed your chance to view the main exhibit that is a temporary exhibit. Our temporary exhibits are only on display May-October.

You might be able to see it at the museum's Wine & Cheese event (December 7th for 2018) which is usually the very last day that the exhibit will remain out on the floor. If you can't make it during the season or to the Wine & Cheese, unfortunately there is no way for you to be able to view these past exhibits aside from what is available on the museum's website for past exhibit information.

AND

NO, you can still come to the museum for our permanent exhibit and to use our research library. An appointment is required at least a week in advance.

The permanent exhibit is open year-round for tours - including group tours - but only for select days and times. The museum asks that you try and plan your visit Wed-Fri between 10am and 3pm. The usual fees of $6 adults and $5 children/seniors apply.

The O'Connor Research Library & Archive is also available year-round, but to use this resource - whether during the museum season or the off-season - you must have an appointment. This helps the director be able to prepare for your visit and make sure that time can be given to help assist you in the best way possible. This room is only available Tues-Friday 10am to 3pm and a fee of $5 if you take any pictures on your own (yes, even with your phone, which is hard to not do today...I'm just as guilty of taking pictures of documents that I think might be important so that I can read them later to see if I can use them rather than exercise my speed-reading skills at the library/archive...)

Which leads into the next question -

What about visits outside the hours listed?

Unfortunately, the museum cannot accommodate any visitors outside of the hours listed above. This is especially so for the O'Connor Library and visits over the weekend.

WHMCC in winter during our "off-season" at 2 Museum Lane

In the off-season, there is no staff or volunteers to be able to open up the building for you on the weekend, even if you call in advance. The museum's weekend hours start up again with the museum season in May.

Any tours scheduled outside the regular season - due to a limited staff - may be subject to change or cancellation. Please keep that in mind when scheduling to visit the museum - or any place in its "off-season".

Most educational places that are "closed" will do their best to be able to accommodate you either by answering questions as best as possible or trying to work out a time that fits best for everyone's schedule. But sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day or enough hands on deck during the off-season to be able to open up our doors and resources.

If you happen to stop by the Waterford Historical Museum and decide to just give our doorbell a ring on the off-chance, you'll probably be disappointed. It's not on purpose!

If the museum can open up for you, it will definitely be done. It's always great to have people exploring the history that we have loaded onto the walls of the museum - seriously, there is a lot packed away in these rooms.

But please keep in mind that it's not always easily done - meetings and other tasks that aren't done during the museum season to allow for visitors to receive our undivided attention in case you would like a tour and/or have questions about the exhibits or just need to know where the bathroom is....they're typically packed into the off-season and can't always be rearranged easily.

The off-season is a great chance to get the know the museum through the special programs and events that are offered. These events like the Dashin' & Dancin' concert are fun ways to support the museum.

All proceeds from these programs and events go directly towards caring for the collection of historical items, documents, and photographs that are stored and displayed at the museum, and for the museum's daily operations to continue to preserve and teach the history of Waterford, NY.

To sum up with an easy list, here's what to remember about the Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center's "off-season":

1. Yes, the museum is definitely still around during the "off-season". 
2. If you happen to stop by, you aren't being purposefully ignored if you're turned away ("it's not you, it's me" sort of situation) - we ask that you please keep in mind that "off-season" tasks and operations are scheduled for this time of year and walk-in visits most likely will not be able to be accommodated.
3. The reason we have these "off-seasons" unlike larger institutions open to the public for visits at any time during their regular hours throughout the year (the NYS Museum for example), is because there is not enough staff and time to do so AND to prepare the next upcoming exhibit while doing all those other behind-the-scene tasks vital to operating a museum.
4. You can still get in touch with the museum, as the director is in the building during the week. You can contact the museum at 518-238-0809 or email us at info@waterfordmuseum.com
5. You can schedule a visit to the museum's permanent exhibit Wed-Fri between 10am and 3pm - it is dependent on the availability of the director, so the museum asks you to make your reservation a week in advance and to be aware of the possibility of the need to reschedule or cancellation of your visit (which the museum will always work to avoid if possible). Fees for the museum are $6 adults $5 children/seniors (65+)
6. You can still make use of  the O'Connor Research Library & Archive - an appointment is always required, regardless of open or off-season when you'd like to visit. Hours are Tues-Fri only, from 10am to 3pm. Fee of $5
7. Group tours are also available at the museum - during the "off-season" they are limited to the permanent exhibit. Group rates are $5 per person
8. Programs and special events are presented during the museum's "off-season"
9. You can join the museum as a member at any time of the year 
10. Volunteer opportunities are available at the museum year-round: Board of Trustees is in need of members and is a very active board that is involved in museum activities and operations

Empire State Paranormal Society Presentation

The Empire State Paranormal Society and the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center have been talking about working together more for a few months and on Nov. 9th, we were able to welcome them to the museum to present a talk on "Conducting Paranormal Investigations".


And it looks like it's definitely still a hot topic, even with Halloween behind us - it was standing room only. It was great having so many people join us for their presentation and get a chance to visit the museum!

Definitely take a look at their page on Facebook for more on their group @empirestateparanormal

Thanks to every member of the society for presenting on all aspects of their investigations, and sharing some of your stories.




Hearing how the group was founded, some of your personal experiences, and then learning what tools and protocols you follow was an interesting night!

Photo from the Ghost Hunt at Waterford Rural Cemetery 2018

Some of those tools are the fancy gadgets, but it was interesting to hear that one of the most liked tools from the group is the flashlights used to try and communicate. Another tool to aid in hearing what can't always be heard are the voice recording devices. Finding "shut it off" on one of the voice recordings must've been quite a find!

EMF detectors (electromagnetic frequency) come in all shapes and sizes, with the K-II meter being displayed at the talk - it's also a good way to see if there is power in the room too, which could influence whatever other equipment you might use.

The popular "Ghost Box" is run on a radio frequency, and you can attach a portable speaker to it to make it louder to hear if anything comes through. According to the society, these are good for one or two-word responses. They also like to use laser grids (which kinda look like some of those Christmas decorations that airports tell people not to shine and blind pilots with...)

After the presentation, everyone had a chance to wander the museum
 and take a closer look at their pictures and equipment

They showed off some of their other equipment and then talked about some of the things to keep in mind when planning and doing your own investigation - patience and respect for the people and property was one of the big things to keep in mind. Along with some sensible shoes so your own footsteps don't get in the way of recordings or other peoples' recordings (and so you can last the night walking around or standing around).

You also might want to bring along some duct tape since that fixes all problems. Duct tape might even help with the co-investigator who just can't keep still or quiet....just kidding....maybe....

The group even had some of their "Dos & Don'ts" printed out for attendees to the lecture to take home with them!

They also brought some of their findings from investigations that they've done - not just in New York State.


There was even some sweets to finish up the night with - brownies, donuts, pumpkin bread, apple pie bites and some hot cider - yum!

Hopefully we'll have them partnering with us again soon - they took a quick trip through the exhibit spaces and found that one of the areas in the permanent exhibit where the trunk owned by Isaac Newton Eddy had some unusual and interesting readings on their equipment.

We'll let you know when they come back to take another look at the Waterford Historical Museum!

Treasures In The Closet

Treasures in the Closet, September 2018

Everyone has something that has some story attached to it, right? Whether it's a t-shirt you got at a concert to remind you of that time you finally made it to see TSO, or the program to Don Quixote at SPAC, or that hand-painted wooden box from the Russian Festival.....

Chances are that even the I'm-so-not-a-sentimental-person has something that has some meaning to them. Or, at the very least, we've all got that pile of "stuff" that just hasn't been able to get tossed out because there might be something worthwhile in there.

Historical artifacts are much the same way - without knowing a little about where it came from, who owned it, what it was used for, and other details, it's just an item.

That photograph with a bunch of smiling faces -or stoic gazes? Just a bunch of people that got together for something and thought the moment special enough to warrant taking a picture. No names, no places, no events....just people in a photograph.

But there is a possible way to help prevent descriptions like some of the ones in the museum's database for these kinds of photographs, reading "A well-dressed man" (yes...we do have some of these highly informative "descriptions" for photographs, like this one c. 1940s supposedly of a man from the Waterford Lion's Club.)

How to solve this?  Simple - talk to one another!

A conversation can go like:

Person 1: "I have all these milk bottles because they were something my family was a part of, so I tried to get one of each kind from over the years."

Person 2: "Oh, that was your family? There's an interesting bottle that we've been keeping in the kitchen for years that we knew had something to do with Waterford, but weren't sure all the details."

Person 1: "Really? I'd love to get a look at it sometime."

Person 2: "Sure!"

So now you have a new friend too (The museum holds no responsibility for the addition of friends you may or may not want to have only as acquaintances; please share history stories responsibly).

Helen Anderson, museum member, shares
family photographs & documents

The Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center has created the opportunity for you to be able to do just that with your favorite items. It's called our Treasures In The Closet program!

This program is designed to be a discussion forum. You bring in your item or items, and it's your event. Even if you're not looking to have the blanks filled in on a photo or with an item - if you want to bring in those earrings that you like to make, go ahead!

Items brought to these programs DON'T HAVE TO BE HISTORICAL! It might be hard to believe coming from a historical museum, but don't forget we're also a cultural center too. While it's always an added bonus when it's a historical item, you really can bring in that cup that you earned from the Fire House for being a members for however many years. We want to hear your stories!

Identifying who, where, and what are important to help give an outsider context of what's going on in this photograph or what this alien-looking contraption may be (probably for some mundane device - imagine what fidget spinners will be interpreted as by archaeologists 1,000 years in the future...).

Waterford Town Historian, Russ VanDervoort,
shares family photos & his book,
Canal Canaries

But the why is also important and reminds people of the fact that real people made history - a good way to think of this is with the 2008 Jamey Johnson song, "In Color":

"A picture's worth a thousand words.

But you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered;

You should've seen it in color."

So let's add some color to history with our stories! If you'd like to share, contact the museum at 518-238-0809 or at info@waterfordmuseum.com

Mary Pliska, museum member, brought a variety of items to share with us!

Village Mayor, Bert Mahoney, shows WHMCC Trustee,
Kevin Millington, his naval books