Ulysses Historical Society

04/14/2026

Taughannock Garden Club meeting - Correction of date!

The Taughannock Garden Club is meeting at the Ulysses Historical Society this Thursday, April 16, at 12:30 pm. Join them for a program titled "Tompkins Pollinator Pathway." Everyone is welcome!

The date in the Free Press is incorrect.

03/27/2026

Fantastic news for New York genealogy researchers!

The New York State Library and New York State Archives are working with global nonprofit genealogy organization, FamilySearch, in an exciting effort to expand access to some of the state’s most important ancestry records and historical collections. Through this collaborative effort, thousands of records will be made available online in digital format for the first time, providing researchers with greater access to the documents from anywhere in the world. Learn more: https://bit.ly/41uLcP2

12/29/2025

We hope you have enjoyed viewing the posts of 50 objects from our collection over the past year as we celebrated our 50th anniversary. Every object tells a story -- about our community and about how our ancestors lived. The full list is available on our website and entries often include additional photos not seen on the Facebook posts.

50 Objects for 50 Years The Ulysses Historical Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. To mark the occasion, we are sharing the stories of 50 objects from our collection – many of them not currently on display in the museum. Each object represents a piece of the history of Ulysses and...

12/23/2025

𝟱𝟬 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀
We’re celebrating UHS’s 50th anniversary by sharing the stories of 50 objects from our collection. Today's post marks the last of the series!

𝟓𝟎. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰
Our loyal mascot, “the horse in the window,” first came to Trumansburg in the 1890s. Silver Dan, also known as Truman, was made of paper-mache in France, shipped to New York City, and purchased for $90 by William P. Biggs, who owned the Biggs Company hardware store at 17 West Main Street, where the Gemm Store is now located. Silver Dan earned his keep modeling harnesses sold at the store and can be seen in the second floor window in early photos. For a time he wandered his way to Cornell University’s Big Red Barn, but thankfully returned home and now resides in our window, in a spot saved just for him when the building was designed.

12/17/2025

𝟱𝟬 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀
We’re celebrating UHS’s 50th anniversary by sharing the stories of 50 objects from our collection.

𝟒𝟗. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞: 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟑𝐃 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬
A stereoscope looks a little bit like a modern virtual reality headset and offers a Victorian-era version of 3d imagery. In the late 1830s a scientist discovered that two 2D drawings, viewed one through each eye, would be reassembled by the brain into a 3D image. With the development of photography, this new entertainment exploded in popularity. The stereoscope was an affordable item to have at home and people could purchase stereograph photos of faraway places or local sights, or have their own cards made in a photography studio. The image in this photo shows the miraculous (and fake) 1879 discovery of the Taughannock Giant, a full-size replica of which now rests across the street from the Farmer’s Market.

12/10/2025

𝟱𝟬 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀
We’re celebrating UHS’s 50th anniversary by sharing the stories of 50 objects from our collection.

𝟒𝟖. 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐨𝐰𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐭
This lovely tea set belonged to the Treman, Kelsey, Aiken, and Stone families and consists of a teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, and cup and saucer. Originally, there would have been additional cups and saucers. Spatterware (sometimes called spongeware) is a category of ceramic named for the decorative pattern blown or sponged onto the clay before firing and was developed in Staffordshire, England, in the late 1700s. In addition to the pattern, a hand-drawn illustration was often applied – a peafowl was a common design. Spatterware was most popular from the early 1800s to about 1850 and was considered a common, utilitarian ware.

12/03/2025

𝟱𝟬 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀
We’re celebrating UHS’s 50th anniversary by sharing the stories of 50 objects from our collection.

𝟒𝟕. 𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟕 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐰𝐧
This lovely blue and gray striped wedding dress was worn by Gertrude Boardman (1837-1904) when she married David Arnold (1834-1893) on December 22, 1857, in Covert. It has a detachable collar of pleated edging with a medallion on the back, a full skirt with inverted pleats, pagoda sleeves trimmed with lace, and lace covered buttons. It would have been worn with multiple layers of petticoats or perhaps a hoop skirt to create a wider skirt. White wedding gowns began to gain popularity after the 1840s, but it was still common to see color fabric throughout the 1800s. It was also more economical as a bride might simply wear her best dress or make (or buy) a gown that also could be worn on other occasions. The clothing in our collection spans approximately 175 years of fashions.

11/26/2025

𝟱𝟬 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀
We’re celebrating UHS’s 50th anniversary by sharing the stories of 50 objects from our collection.

𝟒𝟔. 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥
This brass school bell might have been used to call students in from recess at a local one-room school in the early 1900s. This is also an object that demonstrates the importance of provenance. We know what it is and that it was donated in 1998 by Mary Louise Enos Bicksler, but nothing else. Research can reveal some potential clues, or at least tell a fuller story about the donor. Mary Bicksler (1917–2009) grew up near Penn Yan. In 1990 she moved to Lower Covert Rd. and set up a care home for the elderly: The Bicksler Home. Did the bell come from her family or from one of the people she cared for? Unless we uncover more information in the records as we conduct an inventory, we may never know. Historic items are interesting by themselves, but it is the stories of the people who owned them that make them truly special.

11/23/2025

Trumansburg WinterFest

11/22/2025

Looking for a great local history gift for the holiday season? Head down to Significant Elements to pick up a copy of this beautiful calendar featuring drawings of Tompkins County barns by my friend Mary Ann Barr and written history by historic barn expert Rick Lazarus. One of the barns, as you'll see in the pictures, is the Wertis barn on Searsburg Road! This is a perpetual calendar (no days of the week) so you can use it to record birthdays or other important events and enjoy it year after year.