The Tioga County Historical Society Museum, located at 110 Front St. in Owego, N.Y., invites the public to visit its current main exhibit, “Our Grand Old Flags” (And the Stories They Tell), through mid-May. Also on display are two mini-exhibits, “President’s Day” and “Teapots & Sets.”
Linda Williams, coordinator of the “Our Grand Old Flags” exhibit, explained that several of the flags were donated by area residents, and commented, “It took months of preparation, and a few of the older flags were restored by the museum’s curator.”
Pictured are several flags, as part of the exhibit – “Our Grand Old Flags” (And the Stories They Tell), on display through mid-May at the Tioga County Historical Society Museum in Owego. (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Each flag within the exhibit is labeled with an anecdote of history, and Williams said the intriguing stories attached to each flag connect the community to that history.
One engaging story surrounds a 32-star flag that extends a nod to the “Greybeard Regiment,” of which early Tioga County resident Printice Ransom was a member.
Born in Tioga Center in 1807, Ransom was an Owego merchant for over 25 years, was involved in the first fire companies, served as sheriff, and was elected as Village Collector. Ransom moved his family to Iowa in 1857 and by 1862 took part in the Iowa Greybeard Regiment during the Civil War, which was made up of men too old to be in the Army who served by guarding trains and transferring prisoners. Ransom returned to visit Tioga County after the war and in 1921, Ransom’s grandson donated a Greybeard Regiment flag to the museum in his memory.
Other examples include a modern flag that flew at the Courthouse Square during Tioga County’s rededication of the Civil War Monument in 1991, along with a World War I-era flag donated by the Searles family of Owego, and a possession of Howard O. Searles, a U.S. Navy veteran (1897-1962).
Pictured is the Tioga County Historical Society Museum, located at 110 Front St. in Owego, N.Y. The public is invited to visit the museum’s current main exhibit, “Our Grand Old Flags” (And the Stories They Tell), through mid-May. Also on display are two mini-exhibits, “President’s Day” and “Teapots & Sets.” A “Tioga County Railroads” exhibit is scheduled to begin May 15, postponed from last year. (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Williams thought it fitting to include a set of banners from the World War I era amongst the flags. As a way to help finance the Great War, communities were awarded a banner when a donation threshold was met. On display are three such banners, along with a letter dated October 8, 1918 that highlights the Liberty Bonds effort and what was referred to then as the “Spanish Influenza.”
In the main lobby of the museum visitors can browse the mini exhibit, Tea Pots & Sets, a classical collection featuring pieces adorned with striking colors and designs from the 1800’s to early 1900’s. Visitors will also like the advertisements of the day, such as the “Oh Come and See Us” at the New York Blue Tea Store, which once thrived on North Avenue in Owego.
Pictured is a mini-exhibit at the Tioga County Historical Society Museum, “Teapots & Sets.” (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Don’t miss stopping by the President’s Day Exhibit while you’re at the museum, and where you’ll find plenty of presidential trivia, including one-of-a-kind items.
For instance, a lace fragment from Mary Todd Lincoln’s bonnet that she wore at Ford’s Theater in April 1865, the night President Lincoln was assassinated, is on display. It was donated to the Historical Society in 1932.
A certificate presented by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 to Edward T. Gibson, M.D. of Owego, who served as a surgeon during four wars, is part of the exhibit, too, as is an 1893 copy of a resignation letter addressed to President Grover Cleveland from Apalachin-native Benjamin F. Tracy, who was Secretary of the Navy.
The museum also announced their upcoming “Tioga County Railroads Exhibit,” which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 15.
Postponed last year due to COVID-19, Executive Director Scott MacDonald is excited to introduce Tioga County’s rich history of railways, and believes the exhibit will interest visitors of all ages.
MacDonald remarked, “The Railroad exhibit will continue into the summer and fall months,” adding, “We have a special music event planned on July 10.”
Ridin’ the Rails, a three-piece band from Nashville, will perform songs related to trains and the American railroad in a folk, bluegrass and nostalgic rock style.
For information, call the museum at (607) 687-2460, visit tiogahistory.org, or find them on Facebook. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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