Little Falls NY Historical Society Museum, Little Falls, NY (2026)

Name: Little Falls NY Historical Society Museum
Address: Little Falls, NY, 13365, US
Telephone: (315) 823-0643

10/16/2026

From the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls …” On October 18, 1855, A. Bowie built the Octagon house on 102 West Gansevoort Street.”

Captain Andrew Bowie: The Mohawk & El Boeuf Mills ════════════════ ※ ═══════════════

The following article “Captain Andrew Bowie: The Mohawk Mills” written by noted Herkimer County historian Paul Draheim, appeared in the Evening Telegram on July 26, 1952.

The article provides a contemporary account of Captain Andrew Bowie, his octagon house overlooking Little Falls, and his association with the Mohawk Mills prior to the Civil War. Draheim's article began as follows:

“Picturesquely situated on one of the series of rocky terraces rising on the north side of the Mohawk River in Little Falls is a fine example of Octagon architecture in the Mohawk Valley.

It is the Captain Bowie Octagon House located at 102 West Gansevoort Street, overlooking the city from an altitude of more than 300 feet.

The eight-room dwelling, with the observation tower on the roof, was erected about 1855 by Captain Andrew Bowie, a Southerner who came North to accept the position of Superintendent of the mills for John W. Stitt’s Wool Grower’s Manufacturing Company.

The mills became known as the El Boeuf Mill and the Mohawk Mill and occupied the stone buildings along South Ann Street and the Mohawk River Bridge. At the time, the large stone building of the Mohawk Mill was growing by successive additions from the earliest mill, which was erected in 1839 by the Little Falls Woolen Company. This mill was founded by Stephen Brown, and at one time employed more than 300 people. The village of Little Falls was a village then greatly indebted to Brown, the merchant and civic-minded resident.

By 1853, both of the mills were known as the mills of the Wool Growers Manufacturing Company, owned by J.W. Stitts of Philadelphia from 1853 until 1875.

Captain Bowie came from the state of Virginia, and under his supervision the Wool Grower’s Manufacturing Company flourished. When the Civil War broke out, Captain Bowie resigned his position and returned to his native state to support the cause of the Confederates.

In addition to being an expert in the woolen business. Captain Bowie also knew a thing or two about the manufacture of gunpowder, and during the few years he spent in Little Falls, he had a laboratory in his octagon house.

At that time, very few houses were along that particular terrace, and a few that dotted the cliffside were far apart. No one objected to Captain Bowie’s gunpowder activities, and despite reports, “there was gunpowder everywhere.”

The house comprises four rooms on each floor. One of the highlights is the circular staircase, which forms the center of the house and leads from the first floor to the tower. The rooms are around this stairway, and each has an entrance leading to it.

The rooms are spacious, and from each, an excellent view is afforded of the city, as each room has a large window. The main entrance is on Gansevoort Street, and doors lead to either side from the hallway. There are also four sleeping rooms on the second floor. The kitchen is adjacent, built on the rear of the eight-sided original structure.

When Captain Bowie returned to Virginia, he immediately started making gunpowder in a big way, this time for the Confederate troops. He never returned to Little Falls.

Meanwhile, soon after he joined the cause of the South, the Union Government confiscated the Octagon House and everything that Captain Bowie had abandoned.

A few years later, the property was purchased by Horace Patrie, who later sold it to Frank Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. James Van Allen, of the Van Allen Flour & Feed Mills on West Mill Street, for many years were prominent residents of Little Falls. They acquired the property in 1894 and resided there until 1948 when it was sold to the present owners, Stanley and Agnes Przydatck, proprietors of the City Bakery.

Mr. Van Allen died in 1941, and Mrs. Van Allen and her daughter, Miss Eva Van Allen, continued to reside there until the sale was consummated.”

※ Early History of the Mohawk Mill

The earliest recorded industrial activity at the Mohawk Mill site dates back to 1839, when Arphaxed Loomis sold the property to the Little Falls Woolen Manufacturing Company. The enterprise was reorganized in 1850 as the Wool Grower’s Manufacturing Company under the management of Seth B. Stitt of Philadelphia. Upon his death in 1853, ownership passed to his son, John W. Stitt.

The mill once produced blue woolen cloth used to make uniforms for American soldiers during the Mexican War and later during the Civil War. Local tradition recalls that many village boys wore miniature soldier suits fashioned from defective cloth produced at the mill.

In 1900, Robert MacKinnon owned the Mohawk Mill and used the structure to manufacture boxes for his nearby textile mill, located on the site of present-day Sterzinar Park. MacKinnon's textile enterprise was one of Little Falls' largest employers, with a workforce of about 1,000. The textile mill was last used to manufacture shoes and was known as Alegro’s. The Mohawk Mill, known today as the Stone Mill at 410 Canal Place, remains as the oldest surviving building in the Canal Place district.

※ Early History of the El Boeuf Mill

The El Boeuf Mill was built by the Wool Growers Manufacturing Company in 1848 and initially operated as a woolen mill. In 1850, the company acquired the adjacent Mohawk Mill and continued to manufacture woolen fabrics in both facilities.

In 1855, the Ligneous Paper Company, under the management of George Beardsley of Albany, began producing wood pulp at the El Boeuf Mill. Beardsley helped establish Little Falls as one of the nation's earliest centers for wood-pulp manufacturing after securing a U.S. patent in 1854 for a process that produced pulp exclusively from basswood. The mill was damaged by both the Great Mill Street Fire of 1858 and the devastating flood of 1865. Following the flood, it was rebuilt in 1866 by the local construction firm of Thomas Dale & Sons.

From the New York Daily Times …” On December 18, 1854, MR. BEARDSLEY can make the pulp, and make a fortune out of it, by selling it at two cents the pound. The other is that an edition of the Albany Evening Journal will soon be printed upon the paper. MR. BEARDSLEY was last week engaged in building machinery for a paper mill under his new process. The white cedar is said to yield the finest and strongest paper. There is talk of setting that apart for bank notes.” Beardsley also received a patent in 1851 in Buffalo, New York, for a planning machine that finishes the surface of building lumber.

Alexander T. Stewart acquired both the Mohawk and El Boeuf woolen mills from John W. Stitt on November 3, 1875, for $160,000. The purchase included Water Lots Nos. 10 through 15 along the south side of West Mill Street. Stewart operated the mills for only a short time producing fine silk cloth and is best remembered as the founder of the "Marble Palace" at 280 Broadway in New York City, which opened in 1848 as one of the first department stores in the United States.

The El Boeuf Mill eventually passed to other hands, including Watts T. Loomis, who acquired the property in 1896 for use by the Little Falls Light Company. By 1910, the utility, then operating as the Utica Gas & Electric Company, had established a hydroelectric generating station farther west on West Mill Street, which is known today as the Powerhouse. During this period, the company acquired all of the water rights of the mills along the south side of Mohawk Street and consolidated all of the available water power. As a result, the Mohawk River generated a substantial portion of the electricity used throughout Little Falls in the early 1900s.

The mill later became home to the Stafford & Holt Manufacturing Company, established by Robert C. Holt and Walter Stafford. Beginning in 1901, the firm manufactured knitting machines on the upper floors of the mill and employed approximately 100 workers. Today, the historic El Boeuf Mill is home to the Little Falls Antique Center, located at 25 West Mill Street.

*Digitizing of Historical Photographs by Gail & Mike Potter, FROM THE COONEY ARCHIVES: THIS DAY IN THE HISTORY OF LITTLE FALLS by Louis W. Baum, JR, Article researched & written by Darlene Smith, Editing assisted by Grammarly.

👉🏻For those who wish to become a member of the Little Falls Historical Society, please go to: https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/become-a-member/

Sources:

• Beers, F.W.: Mohawk Mills, Page 192: History of Herkimer County New York: BOOK ONLINE | https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_Herkimer_County_N_Y/U5pImX8lGKkC?hl=en
• Cooney, Edward: Early Industries, Page 13; Little Falls, New York sesqui-centennial celebration, 1811-1961; BOOK ONLINE | https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433062512508&seq=13
• Draheim, Paul: Captain Alexander Bowie, Page ? : The Octagon House: Architectural Historic Houses of Little Falls: Notebook at the Museum
• Greene, Nelson: Robert Christopher Holt, Pages 226-227: History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925: BOOK ONLINE | https://www.schenectadyhistory.org/resources/mvgw/bios/holt_robert.html
https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/littlefalls/litprofile.html
• Introduction- Paper, Page 128 cxxviii (10) ARTICLE ONLINE |https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860c-04.pdf
• Joslin, Jeff: F & T Townsend: ARTICLE ONLINE | http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=868 (G. Bearsley planning machine)
• PROFILE OF THE TOWN OF LITTLE FALLS, HERKIMER COUNTY, NY: From Gazetteer and Business Directory of Herkimer County, N.Y. 1869-70: BOOK ONLINE | https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/littlefalls/litprofile.html
• The New York Times: Basswood Paper: ARTICLE ONLINE | https://todayinsci.com/Events/Technology/PaperBasswoodPulp.htm
• (B64/P49, B64/P464) Deed transaction for Stitt’s ownership
• (B105/P398) A.T. Stewart’s deed to both mills.

10/12/2026

News Release:

HISTORICAL SOCIETY HOSTS
NYS CANAL SOCIETY VISIT

🌊 After weeks of planning, the Little Falls Historical Society welcomed and hosted the NYS Canal Society for a two-day visit to Little Falls on Tuesday September 29 and Wednesday September 30.

The Canal Society has been in existence for over fifty years. Its primary purpose is to study and preserve New York State canals.

The organization’s visit kicked off Tuesday morning with both a several hour visit to the Old Bank Building Museum and a walking tour to view the Little Falls Historic Entry’s signage, historic markers, buildings, and monuments located in and around Ward Square. Around thirty-five Canal Society members took part in these two events.

On Wednesday, the Historical Society and the City of Little Falls jointly hosted fifty-one Canal Society members and other guests at Rotary Park for the purpose of viewing the five large-size Little Falls waterways historic panels created by Society members Allison Maricle and Darlene Smith. Historical Society president Jeffrey Gressler first welcomed the group and then spoke about both the creation of the panels and the history of Rotary Park. Little Falls mayor Deborah Kaufman next addressed the large group assembled in the terminal building about the city’s historic connection to its waterways.

Later that same day, Canal Society members boarded the Lil Diamond II for a Mohawk River and Erie Canal tour of other local historical sites, including General Nicholas Herkimer Historic Home and Fort Herkimer Church. The group also enjoyed locking through Lock 17, the tallest lock on the Erie Canal.

Canal Society tour director Craig Williams thanked both the Historical Society and the City of Little Falls profusely for skillfully hosting their two-day visit to Little Falls.

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OLD BANK BUILDING 🏦

10/11/2026

From the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On October 10, 1960, the sawmill at Andrew Little & Sons, Inc. on West Mill Street became the last industry in Little Falls to convert from water power to electricity. Andrew Little came to Little Falls in 1874 to build the woodwork at the Methodist church. When the project was completed, he started his company.”

Andrew Little & Sons: From Water Power to Electricity
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※ Andrew Litte: From Hawick to Little Falls

Andrew Little established a contracting career in Little Falls nearly 150 years ago, where he remained active in the industry well into his late 80s. As the head of Andrew Little and Sons, he managed the company's planning mill, sash factory, and lumberyard, which he built into one of the area’s largest construction enterprises during that era.

Little was born in Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland, on October 15, 1837, to William and Janet (Thorbun) Little, natives of Dumfrieshire, Scotland.

At age fifteen, he entered the carpentry trade as a joiner in an apprenticeship program in the next village, four miles from his home. After nearly four years of training, he returned to his village and worked as a qualified joiner until 1862, when he then sailed for New Zealand on the clipper ship Star of Tasmania.

Following a stormy voyage, he arrived in Dunedin on November 9, 1862. After securing work as a carpenter, fellow shipmates persuaded him just two days into the job, to join them for a walk on a wagon trail to the goldfields, as no roads yet existed. He spent the next seven years mining for gold with varying success before leaving Dunedin in 1869.

Little arrived in London, England, on June 5 and spent the next year working to save money for a journey across the Atlantic. He arrived in the United States and eventually established himself in Cooperstown, New York.

※ Newell & Little

Arriving in Little Falls from Cooperstown in 1876, he served as lead foreman for the construction of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In April 1881, Little entered the contracting business on his own account. He was soon to form a partnership with Charles A. Newell.

Newell & Little established their business on the south side of West Mill Street in 1882, leasing the former Dorr Mill. The mill had previously been operated by William M. Dorr and his son, James B. Dorr, both master carpenters who worked on the Octagon Church under the direction of John Porteous. The property itself had a long industrial history. During the 1870s, it housed the Cheney Hammer Company, where Henry Cheney manufactured hammers and axes. In 1881, the mill became the Ira Trask Axe Factory. It later served as Charles Dettinger's cheese-box factory in 1896 and as a manufacturing site for C. J. Lundstrom's bookcases in 1902. By 1911, the property was occupied by Utica Gas & Electric Company. Today, the site is privately owned and known locally as the Powerhouse.

Three years later, in 1885, the firm of Newell & Little expanded into Byron Houghton's planning mill property, a few buildings east of the Dorr Mill. This site also had a long industrial history. In 1808, a blacksmith shop was established on the site where Thomas Windsor manufactured scythes, axes, and augers, which were tools used to produce the hollowed-out pump logs that supplied fresh spring water throughout the village. In 1846, A. G. Harris, a native of Little Falls, and Clark Houghton of Eatonville erected a mill on the property to process plaster and fertilizer. They soon added machinery to the mill to manufacture sash and blinds, but that new venture failed the following year. The property was then acquired by Clark's brother, J. G. Houghton, who established a planning mill on the site. Known as the Houghton Planning Mill, the operation remained under his management until 1863, when his son, Byron Houghton, joined the business.

Newell & Little acquired the planning mill from the estate of Byron Houghton in 1885 and continued operations there, employing as many as sixty-five workers to produce sawn lumber, sashes, blinds, doors, and millwork for the firm's numerous building contracts. Among the many structures that they erected in Little Falls were the Robert MacKinnon Mill once known as Allegro’s, the Enterprise Mill, the former residence of Franklin Bramer which is known today as the Little Falls Public Library, the homes of Walter Whitman and Rodney Whitman, the later known today as the Elks, James Aldrich residence at 502 East Gansevoort Street, and Nelson Rust Gilbert’s residence, known today as the home of the New York State Association of Health, Dance, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance at 77 North Ann Street, and also the Presbyterian Manse at 562 East Gansevoort Street. These projects, along with many other substantial and attractive structures reflect the company's architectural influence found throughout the city today.

※ Little at Home

Andrew Little married Miss Anna Gordon on June 14, 1886, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Anna was born January 6, 1860, in Belfast, Ireland, and was just five years old when she immigrated to the United States with her parents, Thomas Johnston Gordon and Emma (Dickson) Gordon, in 1865. The family resided in New York City for several years before settling elsewhere.

Andrew and Anna were parents of at least three sons. Their son, Gordon D., was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on January 30, 1887. Following his father's death, he assumed the management the construction company.. Their son, William T, was born in 1889 in Canada. As a graduate from Cornell University, he served as a master engineer in the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I. He later became chief chemist for the Metal & Thermite Corporation of Chrome, New Jersey. Their last son, Desmond, was also born in Canada, in 1894.

※ Andrew Little & Sons

Little purchased Newell's share of the company in 1892 upon Newell's retirement and conducted the business independently until June 30, 1908, when his eldest son, Gordon D. Little, joined him in a partnership. The firm thereafter operated as Andrew Little & Sons.

In addition to its construction and millwork operations, the firm also engaged in logging as late as 1918, with the use of portable gasoline-powered sawmills in the surrounding area.

Andrew Little passed away on April 27, 1935, leaving the business to his son, Gordon D. Little, who had worked alongside his father since he was twenty. The third generation of the family, represented by Gordon's son Andrew, later joined the enterprise. In 1938, the company expanded its facilities by constructing an office and storage building opposite the original mill on the north side of West Mill Street, known today as 57 West Mill Street.

※ Stephen “Pitt the Painter” Nichols

The former planning mill property at 57 West Mill Street was later occupied by the Little Falls Construction Company. During that era, local artist Stephen Nichols made his home and studio on the building's upper level. Known locally as “Pitt the Painter,” he left a lasting mark on Little Falls through the many works he created here. Sadly, he passed on September 4, 2007.

From the Cooney Archives: THIS DAY IN THE HISTORY OF LITTLE FALLS…” On December 9, 2005, artist Stephen “Pitt” Nichols created a 34- foot mural on the west side of the 1855 stone building housing the Little Falls Antique Center. Nicholas’ piece relates the river and time to the historical area.”

From the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On August 12, 2006, Stephen “Pitt the Painter” Nichols won the blue ribbon at the first Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts regional art show. ”Pitt” made his living as a sign painter and was skilled in eglomise, or reverse painting on glass. He is best known for his painting of “The Man on the Bateau,” an image that is seen repeatedly throughout Little Falls.”

※ A West Mill Street Landmark

When Andrew Little & Son finally converted from water power to electricity in 1960, it marked the end of an era of Little Falls' water-powered industries, a tradition that had begun in 1725 with Johan Jost Petrie's gristmill, the village's first industry. Yet the story of the old mill property did not end there. After serving as the home and studio of local artist Stephen "Pitt the Painter" Nicholas, the site continued to evolve. In 2019, the former planning mill entered a new chapter as the home of Rock City Brewery, linking Little Falls' industrial heritage, artistic legacy, and ongoing revitalization.

*Digitizing of Historical Photographs by Gail & Mike Potter, FROM THE COONEY ARCHIVES: THIS DAY IN THE HISTORY OF LITTLE FALLS by Louis W. Baum, JR, Article researched & written by Darlene Smith, Editing assisted by Grammarly.

👉🏻For those who wish to become a member of the Little Falls Historical Society, please go to: https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/become-a-member/

Sources:

• Cooney, Edward J.: Andrew Little & Son, INC.:Little Falls, New York sesqui-centennial celebration, 1811-1961: BOOK ONLINE | https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433062512508&seq=18
• Cooney, Edward J.: Andrew Little: Page 11: BOOK ONLINE | Little Falls, New York sesqui-centennial celebration, 1811-1961 | https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433062512508&seq=17
• Directory of the Town of Little Falls 1869-1870: BOOK ONLINE |https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/littlefalls/littledir1.html (William Dorr)
• Green, Nelson: Andrew Little: Pages, 754-757: History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-192: BOOK ONLINE | https://www.schenectadyhistory.org/resources/mvgw/bios/little_andrew.html
• Hardin, George Anson: Andrew Little, Page 65: History of Herkimer County, New York: BOOK ONLINE | https://archive.org/details/historyofherkime00hard/page/64/mode/2up
• Laubenthal, Laura: He Still Sustains: Pitt the Painter’s Studio Loft: ARTICLE ONLINE: https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/writing-series/he-still-sustains-pitt-the-painters-studio-loft-by-laura-laubenthal/
• Little, Andrew: Residential building blueprints New Homes by Andrew Little & Sons: BOOK ONLINE | https://www.historicnewengland.org/explore/collections-access/gusn/362649

10/06/2026

From the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ..."On October 6, 1887, a huge boulder, called “Spook Rock," stands close to the road on the shore of the river just east of the village. The rock is so called because superstition avowed that someone had been murdered nearby, and a ghost or spook haunted the place and often appeared to passersby."

The following article "SPOOK ROCK: The Natural Landmark Well Known to Residents to Little Falls” was found in a historic newspaper, the Saturday Globe of Utica, NY, in the Cooney Archives dated December 4, 1908, and is as follows:

” Standing on the north shore of the Mohawk River, east of Little Falls, and beside the picturesque “River Road” is the shapely rock of our illustration.

Far and near, this natural prominence is known as “Spook Rock,” but exactly why it bears the title, a considerable amount of casual inquiry among the older residents has failed to establish satisfactorily.

Years ago, if not at present, many of the youngsters in that section used to see mysterious lights proceeding from the stone sometimes at night. There was a tale of a figure that sometimes walked the roadway before it, finally passing around the back of it and disappearing. However, the story lacked the detail and local color to give it a lasting grip as one of the legends of Rocky City, and today, one can hear nothing about the big stone so ghostly as its name.

It pleases the imagination, however, to fancy that this may have been a place of significance in days of Indian occupation and that something of their superstition found its way into the minds of the early white settlers to die out gradually in their descendants. Such would be no remarkable case, and the neighborhood is said to have been a favorable place for the Red Men.

A little to the west rises from the river, the rocky elevation known to the Mohawks as “Astenrogan.” A little to the east of that is Moss Island and its Profile Rock, and the opposite is the Lover’ Leap, the original interest and contour of which was spoiled by the passage of the West Shore Railroad as Profile Rock will be by the barge canal.

The elder inhabitants called the rock “Spook Rock” because of its peculiar situation and because superstition avowed that someone had been murdered near there, and the ghost, or spook, haunted the place and often appeared to passersby.

The magnificent and huge boulder stands close to the road on the shore of the river. The rock itself may be seen as the largest and most wonderful pothole to be found in all the rocks around. It is at least 10 feet deep and possibly 5 feet in diameter. It shows evidence of having been used as a place of resort long ago and the fires that have been kindled in it for the use of savages. The rock is historical and classical and should never be destroyed, but it remains an old landmark and monument of the days long gone by. Let it not be desecrated for any purpose by barbarous hands.”

[Note: “Spook Rock” was primarily destroyed when the City of Little Falls built the sewage disposal plant on River Road. At that time, little, if any, consideration was given to the historical significance of important landmarks.]

*Digitizing of Historical Photos by Gail & Mike Potter, From the Cooney Archives: THIS DAY IN HISTORY by Louis Baum, JR, Post compiled by Darlene Smith

👉🏻The Little Falls Historical Society Museum is open for FREE TOURS for the Fall Season on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1-4 pm. The museum is also open on occasional Saturdays from 9 am- 12 pm. For an appointment for after hours, please contact either Louis Baum @ 315-867-3527, Mary Ann Terzi @ 315-823-1502, or Jeffery Gressler @ 315-823-2799 to schedule an appointment.

📷 : Circa 1908 Spook Rock, River Road, Little Falls, New York

10/01/2026

Little Falls— Home to the First U.S. Open-Air Cheese Market in 1861—will be Hosting the 2026 Cheese Festival on Saturday, October 3rd. 🧀 🧀 🧀

🧀 In anticipation of the upcoming 2026 Cheese Festival, the Little Falls Historical Society would like to present a look back at our city's rich history of the cheese market by highlighting Irving and Jacob Stacey. 🧀 🧀

From the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On April 22, 1864, Irving Stacey was born in Minden, New York. In 1889, when this village was the center of the cheese market, he organized the Stacey Cheese Brokerage company in a building that later became part of the Little Falls Felt Shoe Company. As the demand for milk increased in New York City, the condensed milk factories began diverting the local supply of fresh milk, causing fresh milk for the local cheese factories to dwindle, which compelled Irving to engage in the felt shoe business.”

THE STACEY BROTHERS: CHEESE AND SLIPPERS

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※ IRVING E. STACEY: A LITTLE FALLS CHEESE BROKER OF STATEWIDE INFLUENCE

Irving E. Stacey was the son of Jacob Stacey, a Swiss immigrant, and Araustena (Anstein) Hahn Stacey, who emigrated from Germany. Both arrived in America separately in 1845 and settled first in Dutchtown—now part of the Town of Minden—where they later met and married. The couple raised three sons who lived to adulthood: Frank (1845–1922), Irving (1864–1938), and Henry, whose birth and death dates remain unknown. As an adult, Henry made his home in Chicago, Illinois. Jacob supported his family through work in the trucking trade.

At sixteen, Irving moved with his family from Minden to Little Falls, where they settled at 63 Salisbury Street. On November 11, 1885, he married Anna C. Loucks of Little Falls. Together they became parents to two daughters: Edith May (1887–1954) and Edna Irene (1889–1970).

According to George Anson Harding, "Stacey, Irving E., Little Falls, cheese broker, is a native of Little Falls and began business as a clerk in 1880, at the age of sixteen, in the office of Landt & Mesick at Little Falls. After two years, he was given a percentage in the business. He became a partner within the company at the end of four years.”

The firm Landt & Mesick dissolved in 1889, prompting Irving to establish his own brokerage. His timing and skill proved exceptional: during an era when Little Falls was noted as the center of the American cheese market, Irving rose to prominence as one of the most significant cheese brokers in New York State outside New York City. He bought cheese for the wholesale trade and shipped it to nearly every state in the Union, earning a reputation for commercial acumen.

※ THE STACEY BROTHERS OF WAVERLY PLACE

Irving’s elder brother, Frank Stacey, played a notable role in shaping Waverly Place's early residential development. In 1899, he purchased much of the property on the west side of the street from Mary Petrie, a member of the long‑established Petrie family whose holdings once extended across large portions of the north side of Little Falls. The following year, Frank constructed his family residence at 12 Waverly Street, an attractive home situated beside the Little Falls Public Library.

In 1902, Irving followed his brother’s lead. He acquired a city lot from Frank and built his own residence at 28 Waverly Place—a home that remains a prominent fixture on the street and is today the residence of the Babinec family. The two Stacey homes, built within a few years of one another, reflected both the brothers' prosperity and the rising desirability of residing on Ward Square during the city’s turn‑of‑the‑century,

According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls …” On May 23, 1902, the handsome new home of Irving E. Stacey at 28 Waverly Place was nearly complete, and Mr. and Mrs. Stacey had begun moving into it. It is a fine ornament to that locality. Stacey had an Opus 559 pipe organ built by the Skinner Organ Company in 1925 for his home."

※ THE LITTLE FALLS FELT SHOE COMPANY

As demand for milk surged in New York City, condensed milk factories began diverting the region’s fresh milk supply, leaving local cheese producers with dwindling resources. As the cheese market destabilized and milk was no longer reliably available for cheese manufacturing, Irving shifted his efforts into the felt shoe business.

Irving and his elder brother Frank purchased Sheard’s old Eagle Mills in 1905 at the southwest corner of West Main and John Streets, and converted the buildings into a slipper manufacturing facility, establishing the Little Falls Felt Shoe Company. The brothers shared a business partnership in two local businesses, the Stacey Cheese Brokerage Company and the Little Falls Felt Shoe Company. Irving held a majority stake in both firms, owning three‑fifths of each, while Frank retained the remaining two‑fifths. Irving served as president of both companies, and guided their operations with steady leadership.

The shoe company’s first superintendent was Mr. Freigang, but Frank Engel soon succeeded him; he had previously worked in a felt and sounding factory for Alfred Dolge in Dolgeville, New York.

From the Cooney Archives: “On May 1, 1916, the Stacey Cheese Brokerage Company ceased operations when the executives foresaw the decline of Herkimer County as the center of the cheese trade.” As the cheese market shifted and milk supplies were diverted elsewhere, the Stacey brothers focused on the felt shoe business.

The Little Falls Felt Shoe Company thrived in the early 20th century. The West Main Street facility expanded twice—first in 1917 and again in 1920—to meet growing demand. In 1919, the brothers opened a Felt Shoe Company branch in St. Johnsville, New York. As production needs increased, they repurposed the former Stacey Cheese building on John Street into additional manufacturing space in 1938.

※ THE RIALTO THEATER

As a historical side note, Irving served as president of a syndicate of prominent local businessmen who organized and financed the Gateway Theater's construction in 1922. The theater opened on October 22, 1923, following seven months of construction. Built for $241,000 on North Ann Street, the site had previously been occupied by pioneer settler Eben Britton's tannery. In 1925, the syndicate sold the theater to the Schine Theater Circuit Dominion Operating Company, Ltd., of Gloversville, New York, which renamed it the Rialto Theatre and celebrated its grand reopening on August 12, 1925. As the Rialto, it became Little Falls' premier movie palace.

※ LEADERSHIP EVOLVED AS THE DECADES PASSED

According to the Cooney Archives: “Irving E. Stacey passed away on November 30, 1938, and Frank Engel became president of the firm, and Charles Brown became superintendent. After Mr. Engel's death on July 12, 1943, Frank M. Simpson, Irving’s son-in-law, became president. Frank passed away on February 23, 1957, and Irving Stacey Simpson, grandson of the founder, became president. The other officers were Samuel M. Simpson, also a grandson of Irving’s, as vice president; Richard Rasch, secretary and treasurer; John Kopek, assistant treasurer; and Marcus Wood, superintendent. Its only products are slippers.”

The Stacey family’s ties to the company spanned multiple generations. Edith May’s husband, Frank M. Simpson, whom she married on June 18, 1912, guided the firm through the mid‑20th century. Her sister, Edna Irene, took a different path in life and traveled to Great Britain in 1918 during the First World War, where she served with the Red Cross.

※ FRANK MITCHELL SIMPSON

Born on March 25, 1886, in Little Falls, Frank Mitchell Simpson was the son of George M. and Emily Simpson. George worked as an insurance agent, and the family was settled in a home on Center Street. Frank graduated as Valedictorian in 1904 from Little Falls High School, now known as Benton Hall Academy, and continued with his studies at Syracuse University.

After completing his education, he worked briefly for the Estate Stove Company in Ohio. He subsequently returned to Little Falls to serve as secretary and treasurer for the Little Falls Felt Shoe Company. He was later appointed as company president in 1942 and held that role for fifteen years.

Frank Simpson was the husband of Irving Stacey’s oldest daughter, Edith May. Through the course of their marriage, they welcomed seven children. They were Irving Stacey (1913), Frank Mitchell Jr. (1915), Samuel (1917), Ellen (1919), Anne (1920), Norman (1921), and Robert (1923).

According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls …” On February 24, 1916, Architect Dwight J. Baum, of Riverdale, N.Y., will draw the plans for Frank Simpson’s new home on Salisbury Street. Mr. Baum is a former Little Falls boy, and his talent as a draughtsman, early apparent, stands him in good stead in his profession. He eventually designed several other distinguished homes in Little Falls.” The Simpson residence became one of the city’s architecturally notable early‑20th‑century homes.

According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls... “On April 6, 1917, on this date, the United States entered World War I, and there was an immediate need for men, materials, and vast sums of money using patriotic loans to the federal government. The trust company organized a “Liberty Loan Club” to purchase bonds and stamps.”

During WWI, Frank chaired the Little Falls chapter of the Liberty Loan campaign. Congress authorized the Liberty Loan Campaign to sell U.S. War Bonds, also known as Liberty Bonds, to help finance World War I. The bonds let Americans support the war, especially those unable to take part in combat, and were issued five times between 1917 and 1919.

According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls..." On April 20, 1918, as part of the Liberty Loan campaign, a seven-foot-diameter ball was being rolled from Buffalo to New York City. Boy Scouts pushed the jouncing sphere through Little Falls ahead of a five-division parade with twenty-five hundred people in line, including fifteen hundred union members. After a speech by Mayor Zoller, the Scouts rolled the ball to East Creek." Boy Scout Troops across the state joined forces to roll the sphere from Buffalo, New York, to New York City to raise awareness of Liberty Bond purchases. When the ball reached NYC, it bore the marks of its long journey, showing heavy wear and tear.

From the Cooney Archives, "This Day in the History of Little Falls …On October 19, 1918, Little Falls’ allotment for the Fourth Liberty Loan was $1,270,500, which was quickly attained in less than one month under the chairmanship of Frank Simpson. In addition, $27,000 was raised by selling war-saving stamps.”

Throughout his life, Frank M. Simpson was active in civic and professional circles. He served on the boards of Benton Hall Academy, Herkimer County Trust Bank, Syracuse University, the Old Forge Golf Club, and the National Shoe Manufacturers Association. His affiliations extended to fraternal organizations as well—he was a member of the Elks, the Ziyara Temple of the Shrine in Utica. He held the distinguished rank of 32nd-degree Mason.

Frank Mitchell Simpson's legacy continued through his children and grandchildren, following his death from heart disease on February 23, 1957.

※ A MORNING MELODY ON NORTH ANN STREET

In the late 1950s, Irving Stacy Simpson—Frank’s son and Irving Stacey’s grandson—became known for stopping at the Rialto Theatre to play the Wurlitzer organ on his way to work as president of the Felt Shoe Company.

🧀 DID YOU KNOW ,,,That the Little Falls Historical Society hosts a virtual U.S. Cheese Market Exhibit that you can explore online at: https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/.../first-u-s.../ 🧀🧀

*Digitizing of Historical Photographs by Gail & Mike Potter, FROM THE COONEY ARCHIVES: THIS DAY IN THE HISTORY OF LITTLE FALLS by Louis W. Baum, JR, Article researched & written by Darlene Smith, Editing assisted by Grammarly.

👉🏻For those who wish to become a member of the Little Falls Historical Society, please go to: https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/become-a-member/

🏦The Little Falls Historical Society’s Old Bank Museum is open for FREE TOURS for the summer season on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM until noon. It will also be open every other Friday from 1 to 4 PM, beginning May 29th. If you would like to schedule a tour for off hours, please contact either Louis Baum @ 315-867-3527, Mary Ann Terzi @ 315-823-1502, or Jeffrey Gressler @ 315-823-2799 to schedule an appointment.

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