Make a stop at the Cortland County Historical Society to see what’s new in the Suggett House Museum! CCHS is the memory bank of Cortland County, and each time you visit, you’ll learn something new about the past. So many stories to share!

We’ve got some special exhibits lined up for 2026 that you won’t want to miss.

• Music in Our Lives
• The Art of Living
• America at 250

Bring the kids to explore the changes in the Then & Now Children’s Room, too!

Admission to the Suggett House is free, but donations are always cheerfully accepted.

Life of a Soldier – JUNE 30th, 6:30 PM

Haudenosaunee Influence on American Democracy – July 1, 6:30 PM

This informative talk will show how the founding documents and principles of the United States government were influenced by ideas found among the Haudenosaunee. Participants will learn about the Peacemaker, the story of how the Five Nations joined together, and how the Great Law of Peace guides their traditional form of government. Discussion about the Founding Fathers (such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington), American relationships with the Haudenosaunee, how Native ideas influenced the Constitution and other foundational principles of democracy, and symbols that highlight this influence will be included.

Lunch & Learn July 9

86% of the milk in NYS is harvested by Hispanic labor. Mike McMahon shares his experience with this migrant workforce and explains how and why this transition has occurred and how it has impacted the farmers who employ them and the lives of the workers who have made the journey here.

Mike McMahon is a resident of Cortland County and a former dairy farmer who has spent the last 25 years advocating for changes to immigration that will benefit dairy farms and migrant workers.

Bring your own lunch if you wish; we’ll provide a beverage and dessert! CCHS members receive free admission, and CCHS members-to-be pay just $5.

Please call us at 607-756-6071 with any questions, and we’ll be glad to help.

Deeds to Discoveries Workshop – July 14

The history of Central New York, our beloved home, is comprised of both land and people. The Haudenosaunee were here when the French arrived in the 1600s, followed by the British, and during the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army.
Each of these groups of people contributed to how history has played out and how we see this history today. This talk will focus on the period of American settlement immediately after the Revolutionary War, when Cortland County was part of the Central New York Military Tract. Whether you’re interested in the Revolutionary War, early settlers, or genealogy, this talk is for you.

Michael Brewster is a teacher, writer, and editor from the Finger Lakes region of New York. He has an MA in English from SUNY Cortland and works as a secondary teacher. He researches and writes about local history, focusing on the early settlements in the area.

Bring your own lunch if you wish; we’ll provide a beverage and dessert! CCHS members receive free admission, and CCHS members-to-be pay just $5.

Please call us at 607-756-6071 with any questions, and we’ll be glad to help.

Lunch & Learn – July 23

Businessman Edwin Hastings bought a building on Copeland Avenue in Homer for the Phoenix Hardware Company in 1902, the same year he purchased the David Harum House at 80 South Main Street. The Phoenix Hardware Company suffered a devastating fire in 1912, after which Edwin and his daughter purchased twenty acres in Homer to establish the Homer Poultry Farm. Hastings also purchased a house at 122 North Main Street that would become the Hastings House/Tea Room. Tony Kissel reveals the trajectory of the life and business world of Edwin Hastings. A tale with a pirate, a bull, Dick Cheney, a beheading, the Sheriff of Nottingham, a woodshed, and chicken poop all rolled into one.

Tony Kissel from Cortlandville and now Florida gave his first presentation almost 35 years ago about the Cortland Wagonmakers minor league baseball team. He stumbled upon the Hastings family of Homer when he saw a minor mention of Edwin Hastings’s return to Cornell back in 1907.

Bring your own lunch if you wish; we’ll provide a beverage and dessert! CCHS members receive free admission, and CCHS members-to-be pay just $5.

Please call us at 607-756-6071 with any questions, and we’ll be glad to help.

 BOOK CLUB – July 16

The next meeting will be on July 16 at 6 pm

The book selected is Jacob’s Land: Revolutionary War Soldiers, Schemers, Scoundrels and the Settling of New York’s Frontier by Charles Yaple. Charles Yaple is a local author and the former director of the Lime Hollow Nature Center. You can read more about the book and Yaple’s career here: https://www.amazon.com/Jacobs-Land-Revolutionary-Soldiers-Scoundrels/dp/1537023519/ref=sr_1_3?crid=WL2M10MEVIC9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.s-PhdFXwE9ruEP5Ge1XvCVzlFAYGZnJf4MMvMyy4HjJSb-GVKpDP1ZiHAvzUZfHM.Q691HlNyOGjuvpjAiaOl-6MRrW7Otl31Y-34-4QqO0o&dib_tag=se&keywords=charles+yaple&q