City of Little Falls history

Formed as the village of Little Falls in 1811, Herkimer County's only city is full of history.

A pile of rubble is all that is left of the brick home at the corner of Albany and Mary streets which was built in 1830 by Doctor Milton Gray.

The whole affair was known "Watch Meeting." Herkimer County's oldest operating paper; The Evening Times, is still flourishing here, and in 1833, the county's first bank was built here.

In the mid-1840's settlers began to arrive.

The community was settled in 1848, and the following year a dam and sawmill were built.

On October 1, 1849, the Little Falls Mills and Land Company was formed and a dam was built, the first in a succession of four dams, each an improvement over its predecessor.

Secession and the politics of the Civil War, 1860–65The coming of the warThe political course of the warMoves toward emancipationSectional dissatisfaction

The railroad arrived in 1878, after which a lumbering industry, aided by local hydropower and waterway facilities, developed.

Grover Cleveland’s first termThe surplus and the tariffThe public domainThe Interstate Commerce ActThe election of 1888

1892 The members of the New York Liederkranz society lay claim to being the first gentleman to ride over a part of the Little Falls & Dolgeville railroad.

Off topic a bit, but as a valuable point of reference, Burrell also donated the land and funds for the construction of the YMCA which was completed and opened to the public in 1913.

Frank Shall was mayor on March 3, 1914 when Burrell offered the City of Little Falls a staggering sum – $50,000 – to build a city hall if the city could raise a duplicate total.

The October 7, 1916 Evening Times headline read:

The May 18, 1918 Evening Times headline read: “STRONG VERDICT OF APPROVAL – Local People Highly Pleased With City Hall – Building Visited Yesterday By 4000 People.” The paper went on to report:

Following WW 1, Prohibition began in 1919 and the Roaring 20’s followed.

In 1927, the resourceful, independent 25-year-old made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris, a feat which brought him instant fame and recognition.

Smith went on to an unsuccessful run for president in 1928; he was the first Catholic to do so.

An interesting 1936 photo was taken of Republican presidential candidate Alf Landon sitting in an open topped car in front of City Hall.

World War IIThe road to warThe United States at warWar productionFinancing the warSocial consequences of the warThe 1944 electionThe new United States role in world affairs

The peak Cold War years, 1945–60The Truman Doctrine and containmentPostwar domestic reorganizationThe Red ScareThe Korean WarPeace, growth, and prosperityEisenhower’s second termDomestic issuesWorld affairsAn assessment of the postwar era

The Evening Times headline on October 8, 1948 read:

His candidacy paved the way for JFK to become the first Catholic president following his defeat of Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential election.

While running for the United States Senate, Robert Kennedy visited Little Falls on October 20, 1964; the Evening Times headline read:

The Little Falls Thruway exit and Wind bridge were completed in the mid-1970’s amidst controversy over whether or not the new bridge should be anchored on the east end of Moss Island.

To the west of Shopper’s Square is a six-block area that was redeveloped as Downtown Renewal Project II, which was completed in 1974.

Original "View of the Canal at the Little Falls Mohawk River" engraving by T. S. Woodcock, from a drawing by W. G. Wall; image ©1998 Martha Magill. "At Little Falls may be seen perhaps the most wild and picturesque scenery upon this route.

As published in the Evening Times, September 2008

The pool had been closed for three years and, in early August 2009, the completely renovated pool and bathhouse reopened.

City Hall was also the starting point of the September 2010 “Envisioning Workshop” conducted by Synthesis Architects of Schenectady and organized and paid for by the citizens group Main Street First.