Exhibits

Treasures of the Erie Canal

In 1815, the state Legislature, prodded by political leader DeWitt Clinton, voted to survey the route an Erie Canal would follow. A crowd gathered in the early morning of July 4, 1817 near Rome as ground was broken to signal the beginning of construction of the canal. This exhibit features artifacts and archival material from the society’s collection, which help to tell the canal’s story from its opening in 1825 through the present day.

Items of interest include an Erie Canal commemorative pitcher from 1824, several scale packet boat models, a Barge Canal buoy lantern, and an invitation to a November 1825 canal opening celebration. Information about the Black River and Chenango Canals is also included in this exhibit.

Buildings of Wood, Stone, and Brick: Oneida County’s Architectural Treasures

The Oneida County Historical Society announces the opening of a new exhibit titled "Buildings of Wood, Stone, and Brick: Oneida County’s Architectural Treasures", taking place Saturday, May 16th from 12PM to 3PM. This exhibit showcases artifacts from historically and architecturally important buildings, past and present, from around the region.

Featured artifacts include items salvaged from Bagg’s Hotel in downtown Utica, architectural prints, and images of famous homes. Drafting kits, construction tools, and locally-made building materials are also shown. A brick from Utica’s original City Hall, which was designed by world famous architect Richard Upjohn, is also displayed.

Contributing partners include the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica and the Utica Free Academy Alumni Association.

Utica School of Commerce

The Utica School of Commerce has partnered with the Oneida County Historical Society to create a new exhibit covering the history of USC from 1896 to the present day.

Since 1896 the Utica School of Commerce has served Oneida County residents, providing business and administrative training to thousands of students throughout the region. USC graduates have gone on to work in the community and many have become leaders of local business and industry. The USC exhibit features office machines used by students through the years including typewriters, adding machines, and early IBM word processors, forerunners of the modern personal computer. The locations USC has occupied through the years in downtown Utica are also shown, including the Oneida National Bank building (1896-1914), the Mayro building (1915-1978), and the Boston Store Annex (1978 to today).

A Heritage of Service: Oneida County in the Military, 1754 to Today

From the American Revolution to the war in Iraq, Oneida County's citizens have served in the armed forces, protecting our nation in times of war and peace. Through wars won and lost, supported widely or bitterly opposed, young men and women from our area have answered the nation's call.

The Society has created A Heritage of Service to honor our region's veterans, utilizing artifacts from its own collections to detail military history from the French and Indian War that raged here in the 1750s up to the war in Iraq. Individual exhibits highlight Oneida County's wartime experience in every major armed conflict including the American Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican, Civil, and Spanish-American Wars, both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and more recent conflicts in the Middle East. This exhibit includes items loaned by county residents and also some provided by the Afro-American Heritage Association.