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Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

Potsdam Public Museum and Archives

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Potsdam, NY
Potsdam Public Museum and Archives

OPEN:
Tuesday - Friday 10am-4pm
Saturday 10-2
Call 315-265-6910
Email: [email protected]
(1)

A small local history museum and public archive with an active website:
www.PotsdamPublicMuseum.org
the archive and research area caters to the public and assists with family research utilizing local birth and death records, cemetery records, military and census records.

06/12/2026

This Day in Local History

Reported on this day in 1952 was the happy news that the Racquette River Paper Company’s mill in Unionville had gone a full year without an accident.

After 367 days and over a million hours worked, there had been no recorded accidents. This beat the previous record in 1950 of 211 days. To mark the achievement, the National Safety Council planned to give the mill a green Award of Merit flag. The company said their next goal was 3 million hours without an accident, expanding upon an industry leading safety record.

Courier and Freeman, June 12, 1952

06/11/2026

Museum News

On Monday, June 1st, the Museum hosted 105 6th graders from A. A. Kingston Middle School for tours of the village and museum

Students learned what a museum does and the history of Market St, Fall Island, and other local landmarks. The field trip was the culmination of research projects students conducted on local topics such as sandstone, the Raquette River, and Native Americans.

We were thrilled to host this wonderful group for a history filled day!

06/10/2026

Then and Now

Here’s a photograph of what used to be the scenery looking north from the village’s east bridge on Fall Island in 1955.

Compared to a modern view, it is quite different. The tall chimney visible on Depot St was once part of a cheese factory and was torn down not long after this photo was taken. The large bush in the center of the photo sat atop a small island in the river that only just peeks above the water today. Garner Park now occupies the space once home to several buildings in 1955.

P567-View looking north from village’s east bridge, c. 1955

06/09/2026

Potsdam People

Here is a photograph of Marie Adele Schuette, the second director of the Crane School of Music following its incorporation into the Potsdam Normal School.

Born in 1885 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to Fred and Helen Gieseler Schuette, Marie graduated from the Oshkosh State Normal School in 1906. In 1912, she enrolled in the Crane Institute and graduated two years later. From 1914 to 1922, Marie held teachings positions in Michigan, Oregon, and Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 1923 and afterwards joined the Crane School faculty as a teacher. Not long after joining the faculty, Marie was appointed to be the school’s second director and served for six years. After stepping down as director in 1929, she continued to teach at Crane until retiring in 1947. Outside of Crane, Marie was a member of the Wisconsin State Historical Society, American Association of University Women, Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Brown County Historical Society, and DePere Antiquarian Society. Marie died on March 9, 1965 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery.

P1449-Marie Schuette, c. 1948

06/08/2026

Guess the Object

Here's another item to ponder. Give us your guesses and we'll give the answer tomorrow.

06/05/2026

This Day in Local History

Reported on this day in 1958, the upcoming presentation of ‘Oscars’ for the local theatre community, presented by Potsdam Mayor Harry Van Ness.

The award banquet was held at the Sunset Lodge on June 9 with groups from across the county in attendance. Mayor Van Ness presented the awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress to the winners. Following the banquet, a dance was held for attendees. Robert Spink won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Dr. Lyman in “Bus Stop” and Allison Green won Best Actress for her portrayal of Anastasia in “Anastasia.” Both performances were productions of the Potsdam Community Theatre. Who do you think would win a local Oscar today?

Courier and Freeman, June 5, 1958

06/04/2026

Potsdam People

Here is a photograph of Calvin “Cal” B. Sherman, a Potsdam businessman.

Born on Nov 29, 1912 in Orangeburg, NY to George and Minnie Beeman Sherman, Cal came to Potsdam in the mid-1940s. In partnership with Harold Gaines, he opened the Gaines and Sherman excavating firm in 1946. He married Rosella O’Brien in 1944. The couple had two daughters and a son. He married Mabel Sanborn Frary in 1973, gaining four stepchildren. In 1955, Cal was elected Village Trustee and served on the police and fire commissions. An avid aviator, he joined with other business leaders in Potsdam Airways Inc., serving as its president, and worked to expand facilities at the Damon Field airport. Cal founded C. B. Sherman and Sons Inc., which was involved in many of the village’s major demolition and construction projects as haulers. Outside of work, he was a member of the Elks Lodge, Rotary Club, and National Pilots Association. Cal died on Oct 6, 1998 and is buried in Bayside Cemetery.

P3406-Calvin B. Sherman, c. mid-20th century

06/03/2026

World Bicycle Day

Potsdam residents love their bicycles, with many riding them to work or school daily.

In 1898, the village trustees passed an ordinance mandating all bicycles have bells on them during the day and lanterns at night. A fine of five dollars was given to those violating the ordinance. Unfortunately for the trustees, they failed to specify what kind of bell to put on bicycles. Local boys paraded around the village with sleigh bells, cow bells, school bells, and other kinds of bells they could find. At night, they did the same with lanterns. The ordinance wasn’t repealed but many other residents probably wished it had been.

Courier and Freeman, June 15, 1898
Courier and Freeman, Aug 24, 1898
The St Lawrence Herald, June 24, 1898

06/02/2026

National First Ladies Day

The First Lady may not be the at the forefront of politics or even a topic of daily life, but she has the ear of the president and can quietly influence the course of events long after leaving the White House.

Potsdam has only been visited by two First Ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. Along with her husband, then Governor Roosevelt, Eleanor came to Potsdam in 1930 as part of a tour of the St Lawrence River region. In 1933, she traveled with Nancy Cook from Washington DC to Massena, stopping to visit Mrs. Ruth Perrin and Mrs. Patrick McCarthy on the Madrid Road. Coming again in 1955, she spoke at Potsdam State Teachers College to a crowd of 1,500 on the United Nations and other issues. Clarence Premo, a local photographer, took a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt on this occasion which was then used for a commemorative stamp in 1963.
Hillary Clinton visited Potsdam in 2001 as Senator, speaking in SUNY Potsdam’s Hosmer Hall to a crowd of 500. She spoke about a wide range of subjects concerning New Yorkers and the recent aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Courier and Freeman, Oct 10, 1963
The Racquette, Oct. 27, 2001

Address

2 Park Street
Potsdam, NY
13676

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm

Telephone

+13152656910

Website

https://www.potsdammuseumny.gov/

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