The Edinburg Historical Society will meet on May 21, 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center. Centenarian Norma Porteus will talk on “The Last Hundred Years.” She will take questions during her talk. Norma has three children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is a photographer of local historic buildings and landscape. Norma has been an active member of EHS since 1994 and served on the Board in various positions.

Do you have any historic pictures from Edinburg’s Plateau Sky Ranch airport? The airport has a rich history and EHS is seeking pictures of some of the events that have been held during the years to preserve that history. Breakfast was served on Sundays and people spent the day picnicking, playing games and watching the planes. For many years the Edinburg Volunteer Fire Company held their annual Field Days at the airport. Logging shows and the Edinburg BiCentenial was held here in 2001 with a parade, woodsmen show, outhouse races, food, music and fireworks. During the fly-ins people camped for the night. The airport is over 60 years old and just recently was used to medivac someone to Albany Medical Hospital. Please contact us at Google Voice Mail 518 460-1746 and leave a message or call Claudette Koza 518 863-4844. Pictures will be scanned in and returned to you. If you have any personal stories to go along with the pictures, we would like that too.

Have you a bought a share in the Copeland Covered Bridge? Shares on still available for $25. What a wonderful way to commemorate the loss of a loved one or wish someone a happy birthday or just to honor them. Send your request to the Edinburg Historical Society, PO Box 801, Northville, NY 12134.

Historic Edinburg Day will be held on Saturday, July 13. The Society will be selling potato and macaroni salads and baked beans along with their annual bake sale. If you would like to contribute baked goods, salads or baked beans call Claudette at 518 863-4844.

Crafters are needed for the Edinburg Fall Festival being held on Saturday, September 28. Applications are available on the web site or call George and Andrea Blackwood at 518 863-6772.

Join us for first meeting of the year at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road on Tuesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. There will be a short organizational meeting and then Maria Spaeth will present a program on the History of the Sand Hill One-room Schoolhouse located on Tange Road. The Society has had a new roof put on the back room and hopes to renovate the back room that was added in the 1930s when it became the Sacandaga Grange Hall. In the 1990s Roy Pearsall purchased the building and kept the schoolroom intact. In 2017 Roy passed away and left the schoolhouse to EHS.

PICTURES WANTED OF THE PLATEAU SKY RANCH AIRPORT: The Edinburg Plateau Sky Ranch airport has a rich history and EHS is seeking pictures of some of the events that have been held during the years to preserve that history. Breakfast was served on Sundays and people spent the day picnicking, playing games and watching the planes. For many years the Edinburg Volunteer Fire Company held their annual Field Days at the airport. Logging shows and also the Edinburg BiCentenial was held here in 2001 with a parade, woodsmen show outhouse races, food, music and fireworks. During the fly-ins people camped for the night. The airport is over 60 years old and just recently was used to medivac someone to Albany Medical Hospital. Please contact us at Google Voice Mail 518 460-1746 and leave a message or call Claudette Koza 518 863-4844. Pictures will be scanned in and returned to you. If you have any personal stories to go along with the pictures we would like that too.

Interested in local history? For $5 for an individual or $10 for a family you can be a member of the Edinburg Historical Society. Have you a bought a share in the Copeland Covered Bridge? Shares on still available for $25. What a wonderful way to commemorate the loss of a loved one or wish someone a happy birthday or just to honor them. Send your request to the Edinburg Historical Society, PO Box 801, Northville, NY 12134.

On Tuesday, November 20th, Matt Ginter will give a presentation on “Raising Bees”.

The meeting starts at 7pm at the Edinburg Community Center.

Pie will be served.

Veterans especially are invited to our last meeting of the year to share their memories about their service to our country.

On Tuesday, September 18th, the Edinburg Historical Society will hold a Potluck Dinner at 6 p.m. and a business meeting at 7 p.m. with the collection of dues and elections of the EHS Board.

The Society welcomes everyone to its meetings. You do not have to be a member to attend. But for $5 to become a member or $10 for a family why would anyone pass up this opportunity. Are you a snow bird? Many of our members are and participate only during the summer. Wonderful programs and new friendship are just waiting to happen. There are many ways to help out the Society like baking, staffing a table or sitting at the Nellie Tyrrell Museum for a few hours during the Festivals, organizing demonstrators of old time crafts, or be the Sunshine Chair and send cards to members for all occasions.

A donation has been received from Karen and Leon Barnish. There is a correction in last month Copeland Covered Bridge shares: Eight shares were purchased by John Christman in memory of Michael McMahon.

The Copeland Covered Bridge Share Sign had to be replaced and it will not be finished until late in the Fall.

EHS wants to honor our Veteran’s at our November 20th meeting. If you are a veteran or know one who would like to attend and share some memories of your service, please contact our President, George Blackwood (at 518 863-6772) or Priscilla Edwards (at the Town Hall) for more details.

On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, Town of Edinburg Historian Priscilla Edwards will lead a field trip to tour Edinburg Cemetery on the Edinburg-Northville Road by the Edinburg Common School. School children are invited to participate. This meeting is not at the community center, but some car pooling will be arranged from there or you can drive directly to the site. Please arrive by 6:30pm to have more daylight. We will also have a brief meeting at the cemetery beforehand with a Nominations Report.

In November, we will be having a special activity at our Pies and Reminiscences meeting to honor veterans. If you are a veteran or know one who would like to attend and share some memories of your service, please contact our President, George Blackwood (at 518 863-6772) or Priscilla Edwards (at the Town Hall) for more details.

The Edinburg Historical Society will meet on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. Cynthia Kurtz, Curator for the Rural and Nellie Tyrrell Museums, will discuss our exhibits, museum pieces and other collections and ideas for displaying them. Cynthia is the author of the Working with Stories in Your Community or Organization textbook, the accompanying NarraFirma software, and the Narratopia story sharing card game.

Roy Pearsall’s Sand Hill one-room schoolhouse, circa 1813, on Tange Road is now in the hands of the Society and plans are being made to possibly update the living quarters for a meeting place, research area, and/or computer classes for seniors while preserving the classroom. Roy Pearsall left the old desks, books, wood burning stove and things that he had acquired and preserved. It will be open during our festivals or by arrangement.

A new addition to the Rural Museum on trapping, hunting and fishing will be added this year. The interior walls are going to be painted to make the museum brighter and bring out the antique items on the walls. Edinburg residents have taken home some projects like our doll house donated by Lucille Groat that was in need of painting, furniture and new electrical wiring.

If anyone is experienced in applying for Federal Grants and are willing to assist the Society on applying for a Grant to help preserve the Carriage Factory, please call the Edinburg Historian, Priscilla Edwards on 518 863-2034, ext 22. The Carriage Shop located at the Copeland Site is well over 100 years old and during its operational lifetime served as a carriage shop and then a machine shop totally powered by water from the Beecher Creek. Arad Copeland operated this shop as a Wheelwright and maker of cabinets, furniture and coffins. John Latcher converted the Carriage Factory into a machine shop and at one time made hand-made gun barrels.

Mark your calendars for the Edinburg Fall Festival on Saturday, September 29, 10 am to 3 pm. Applications for crafters and vendors are available on our website or contact Andrea and George Blackwood 518 863-6772.

Copeland Covered Bridge shares are available for $25 and make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries or in memory of a loved one. Send your request to the Edinburg Historical Society, PO Box 801, Northville, NY 12134. Eight shares have been purchased by John Christman in memory of Michael McMahon. Two shares have been purchased by Carol J. Fortin.

Contributions to the Edinburg Historical Society have been received in memory of Michael Koza by the following: Aida and Joseph Bunk, JoAnn and Tom Masterson, Bonnie Fish, Maryann and Edward Frye, Bob and Donna Travis, Doug and Kathy Grabo, Andrew and Sharon Janik, Wendy and Chuck Haugh, David and Patrice DeCoster, Daniel and Carol Nastars and Harry and Judith Dufresne.

All meetings and programs are free and open to the public.

Please note: This meeting will start with a Pot Luck Dinner at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome to bring your favorite dish.

John Ferguson will talk on “The 50s in Northville & Sacandaga Park” starting at 7pm. Feel free to wear your poodle skirts and leather jackets.

The society wishes to express condolences to our secretary, Claudette Koza, on the loss last month of her husband of 57 years, Michael.

The Edinburg Historical Society will meet at the Rural Museum on Tuesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. at the Rural Museum. Members will be asked to help remove wall hanging at the Rural Museum in preparation for the painters to spruce up the walls.

The monthly meeting will follow at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center where President George Blackwood will speak on upcoming plans and events for the Society. All meetings and programs are free and open to the public.

If you are interested in belonging to the Historical Society to learn more about the area and its history, this is your chance. Membership is $5 a year for an individual and $10 for a couple/family. Young people are an asset to EHS contributing their time and energy on different projects while earning their volunteer hour requirements for graduation. Many of our members are snow birds who are with us from May to October/November.

The Edinburg Historical Society continues to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the Copeland Historic Site which is comprised of the Copeland Covered Bridge and Carriage Shop. Your donation of $25 will purchase a share certificate for yourself, as a gift, in honor of a loved one or in memory of a loved one. Upon receipt of your donation, a certificate will be sent to the recipient you request and the name will be posted in the Copeland Covered Bridge. Please see this page for more information on shares.

Reminder: Crafters wanted for Edinburg Fall Festival

The Edinburg Historical Society will meet on April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Edinburg Community Center. Denise Ferguson, Edinburg Town Clerk, will speak on “The Duties of the Town Clerk.” Denise has lived in Edinburg most of her life. She is married to Joel and together they own J & D Percherons and provide horse and carriage rides for weddings, family reunions and provide free rides during the Society’s festivals.

All programs are held on the third Tuesday of the month at the Edinburg Community Center on Military Road. All meetings and programs are free and open to the public.

The Society has the DVD of John Bennis old photographs of Edinburg entitled Saving the Dream, narrated by our speaker Denise for $15. The DVD Harnessing Nature: Building the Great Sacandaga is also available for $20. Both DVDs are available in the Historian’s office Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon at Edinburg Town Hall or arrangements can be made to mail you either DVD for a $5 postage and handling fee.

Please renew your membership so you don’t miss out on what the society is planning this year. Dues are $5 for an individual, $10 for a family or organization. Send your check or join us on April 17.