Mount Morris NY Historical Society

09/14/2026

What an incredible day for Mount Morris history!
We are incredibly proud to have a new sign in front of The Mills Mansion honoring the connection between Myron Mills and William Tallchief.
Thank you to the Buffalo Creek Dancers for a wonderful performance and thank you to all that came to celebrate this with us!

09/03/2026

Join us as we celebrate the connection between Myron Mills and William Tallchief and unveil a new sign honoring their shared story and the history of Mount Morris. This event is FREE and open to all!

Details:
Saturday, September 12, 2026
1:00 PM
Mills Mansion | Mount Morris, NY

09/01/2026

The Mills Mansion will be CLOSED on Saturday, Sept. 5th in honor of Labor Day

Join us Sept. 12th for a special event at 1:00 PM

08/29/2026

Meet George M. Shull:

•In 1875, Mr. Shull started the Mt. Morris Enterprise, which he conducted until 1912 when he retired and sold the paper to Raymond Haywood. 

• Beyond his work in journalism, Shull was a charter member of the first Board of Managers of Craig Colony and was the oldest living member of Bellwood Lodge, IOOF.

•Shull was also the last surviving Civil War veteran in Mount Morris. At just 18 years old, he enlisted in Dansville in September 1864 and served as a Private in Company I, 188th New York Infantry.

•George M. Shull died in Mount Morris in 1935 at the age of 89

08/13/2026

Check out the NEW Historical Society T-shirt featuring our logo on the front and a Mills Mansion graphic on the back. Also available in a polo or a sweatshirt - only available in Ash Gray, as shown. If you are interested in purchasing, please fill out the order form below. All proceeds benefit the Historical Society.

https://forms.gle/WY4RYfsEjWpzNeu38

07/31/2026

A BRIEF OVERVIEW ON MURRAY HILL

•It is the ancestral residence of Seneca Chief William Tallchief and original burial place before his remains were moved to the Mount Morris Cemetery

•John R. Murray Jr. built a "simple, but elegant" mansion in 1839. The grounds featured formal gardens and fishponds

•The estate later had several notable owners, including Laura Page Smith, the first female bank president, George L. Williams, who hosted President Theodore Roosevelt, and Charles O. Shepard, a former U.S. consul to Japan, during whose ownership, the original mansion was completely destroyed by fire, but was replaced with a less grand home

•In 1931, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt visited while considering the site for a state tuberculosis hospital. Legend says Eleanor's remark that it was "beautiful" secured the site, though it was chosen over Warsaw due to a blizzard

•The hospital opened in 1936 and closed in 1971 as antibiotics reduced the need for such facilities

•During the Great Depression, the hospital was adorned with over 200 paintings to provide comfort to patients and that collection is now housed in the New Deal Art Gallery on campus

•In 1972, Livingston County took over the property, converting it into government offices and opened Al Lorenz Park in 1974.

If you want to learn more, retired Livingston County Historian Amie Alden tells that story in a new book, “The History of Murray Hill: An Ideal Spot,” published as a limited edition by the Livingston County Historian’s Office.

07/21/2026

Ever wondered what being a 501(c)(3) nonprofit actually means for the Mount Morris Historical Society? It means every donation, membership, and volunteer hour goes directly into preserving our local history, caring for historic landmarks, and hosting educational community events. Thank you for helping us keep Mount Morris history alive!

07/16/2026

Church records, photos, diaries and more are available all online through the County Historian’s Office. Check it out through the link below!

: Main Street, Hunt, Town of Portage.

Looking west down Main St., in the village of Hunt, horse-drawn carriages line up in front of the former Hunt Country Store. General Stores like these carried a broad selection of goods as the ultimate one-stop shop and social anchor for rural communities.

Looking for photos and records from our local past? The County Historian has made over 4,000 images, postcards, yearbooks, church records and more available from throughout the County here: https://buff.ly/GzNNCnq

Special thanks to the Historian's Office for providing this glimpse into Livingston County's rich history. This image is part of the Portage Town Historian's Collection.

Government Appointed Historians of Western New York Dansville Area Historical Society Mount Morris NY Historical Society

07/14/2026

Do you remember the iconic Main Street with Sca’s Restaurant and Gormley’s Ice Cream Bar?
(Painted by Roger DeMuth- 1981)

Does Louis DiGioia’s station wagon bring you nostalgia or can you taste the Mexican Sundae right now?
Tell us your favorite memories!

07/09/2026

•Bingham Bros Bank was a prominent local financial institution during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, operated by brothers Charles and Lucius Bingham

•These private merchant banks were essential for discounting local promissory notes and issuing lines of credit to local farmers before standardized federal banks

•The building itself was an Italianate commercial building, shown by its tall narrow windows and decorative brick

•Records show that son, Charles W. Bingham acquired local landmarks, including the historic Queen Anne style home which stands today as the Blue Rose Bed and Breakfast, as well as having built the current BrickInn

•This image shows the intersection of Main St. and Chapel St.