Hammondsport can lay claim to advances in the birth of aviation in the world, but other Steuben County towns led the way in other forms of transportation. Glenn Curtiss made his mark, but people in Pulteney built the first rickshaw, and the K and P in Wheeler boasted a woman conductor.
That leadership continues on display from now until Saturday during Local History Awareness Week held 9 am to 5 pm at the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, 8231 Pleasant Valley Road Hammondsport.
The event has drawn representatives from a couple dozen local historians and is expected to include roughly 320 students from local schools, according to county Historian Emily Simms.
Notable speakers on the county’s impact on transportation are scheduled for:
6 pm, Thursday, William Burt will speak on Steuben County’s Railroads: The First Century. 6 pm, Friday: Kirk House will present on Pioneer Women in Aviation.
Both lectures will be held in the Taylor Room at the Finger Lakes Boating Museum.
Reservations are still open for the free bus tour Saturday, leaving from the Finger Lakes Boating Museum at 10 am and returning at 4:30 pm.
The tour will stop at sites related to transportation around the county and also includes an event-fundraising raffle basket filled with travel necessities.
Reservations for the tour are required.
For bus tour reservations, more information or to schedule a visit for a school group, contact county Historian Emily Simms at (607) 664 -2199 or Historian@SteubenCountyNY.gov
