Oswego & Oswego County Collections

Anthony Slosek Autobiography, 1920-1984 Physical collection only

Anthony Slosek was a resident of Oswego. Slosek wrote about his time in primary and secondary school, as well as several important events in United States history, such as the Great Depression, prohibition, and the introduction of the automobile.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Papers, 1850-2001 Physical collection only

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, one of Oswego's most well-known residents, was known for her civilian service as a surgeon during the Civil War; she is the only woman to have ever received the Medal of Honor. She was also an abolitionist and a prohibitionist. The articles, photographs, and other items in our collections are primarily about Dr. Walker, rather than her own personal papers.

• Please also see our Dr. Mary Edwards Walker bibliography! It contains information about additional items we have about Dr. Walker, including books and oral histories.

Edith Nunn Wallace Letter, 1977 Physical collection only

Edith Nunn Wallace was a resident of Oswego. Her letter to Dr. Judith Wellman (a former history professor here at SUNY Oswego) details what it was like growing up Black in Oswego.

Frederick Leighton Collection, 1915-1918 Physical collection only

Frederick Leighton was the principal of Oswego High School from 1910-1920, and served as the Oswego Superintendent of Schools from 1920-1939. These papers include magazine and newspaper clippings about the schools, as well as information about school events during these years. The papers also include some correspondence.

Grace Knitter Papers, 1931-1979 Physical collection only

Grace Knitter grew up in Oswego. Our collection contains correspondence, essays, and poetry about her early life in Oswego.

Joel Penfield Diary, 1832-1834 Physical collection only

Joel Penfield was a resident of Oswego during the early 19th century. His diary entries focus primarily on his activity within the First Presbyterian Church, and his work managing a dry goods store.

John C. Churchill Diary, 1845 Physical collection only

John Churchill was an attorney and judge in Oswego in the latter half of the 19th century. However, prior to opening his law practice, he served as a tutor at Middlebury College in Connecticut. The diary in our collection covers some of his time at Middlebury.

John Restuccia Papers, 1945 Physical collection only

John Restuccia and his wife Bettijoe both grew up in Oswego. John was unfortunately killed in Japan during World War II. Our collection is composed of sympathy letters sent to Bettijoe after his death.

Laura Stowell Diary, 1891 Physical collection only

Laura Stowell was a young woman who lived in Oswego County. The diary covers the period of a few months during the summer of 1891, and discusses social activities.

Lena Schneider School Copybook, 1879-1880 Physical collection only

Lena was a secondary school student in Oswego. Her copybook contains a letter written to a friend, and essays written in English and German.

Leon N. Brown Match Collection, 1864-1975 Physical collection only

Leon N. Brown lived in Oswego, and worked at the Diamond Match Company, which once had a plant in Oswego. This collection contains information about the history of fire making, the history of match production, and background information about various match companies and their founders (including Diamond).

Orrin Stone Diary, 1814-1819 Physical collection only

Orrin Stone moved to Scriba, NY as an adolescent. The diary in our collection covers several years during his twenties. He wrote about his experiences as a farmer and a logger, as well as his experiences during the War of 1812.

Shubal Stowell Diary, 1850-1851 Physical collection only

Shubal W. Stowell was a resident of Oswego, New York. He traveled west during the gold rush of the 1850s and later returned to Oswego. His diary describes his travels and his failure to "make it rich."

Violet King Sherman Scrapbook, n.d. Physical collection only

Violet King lived in several towns within Oswego County during her lifetime, including Mexico, Scriba, and Fulton. Her scrapbook contains a number of postcards and calling cards, which along with a letter from her niece, indicate she was an active member of the community.

Babcock Family Papers, 1801-1930 Physical collection only

These papers are primarily focused on surveying done in Oswego County - including field notes, maps, deeds, and mortgages. Although the papers are named for the Babcock family, A.H. Foster created much of the material in this collection.

Danenhower Collection, 1879 - 1903 Physical collection only

John W. Danenhower was an Arctic navigator, and one of the few survivors of the ill-fated Jeannette Expedition. Our collection includes some documents about this expedition, as well as some some unrelated papers from John's son, Sloan Danenhower.

Laura Parker Coye Correspondence, 1840-1864 Physical collection only

The Coye family papers include correspondence with friends and relatives across what is now the United States. Some of the letters discuss the (Colorado) Gold Rush and the hardships of frontier life in what is now Iowa. The majority of the collection is made up of numerous letters, essays, and poems that were collected by or written by Laura Coye Parker.

Mildred and Gerald Skinner Collection, 1909-1947 Physical collection only

Mildred and Gerald Skinner were siblings that lived in Oswego. Gerald served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican Border War and World War One. The collection is primarily letters written by Gerald, but also includes a scrapbook created by Mildred focused on life in Oswego.

Pennellville Diaries, 1897, 1907 Physical collection only

This collection gives a glimpse of life in Pennellville during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pennellville is a rural farming community that's part of Schroeppel, NY. The diaries were written by residents Lulu Perry and Frederick Thompson, who are believed to have gotten married sometime after the diaries were written.

Ecological Action of Oswego papers, 1970-1977 Physical collection only

The Ecological Action of Oswego group was made up of concerned citizens interested in environmental issues. The main effort of the group was to postpone the development of nuclear power in Oswego County, until there was more research about the safety and environmental impact of nuclear reactors. Our collection contains petitions, newspaper clippings, and more.

First Presbyterian Church records, 1824-1985 Physical collection only

The First Presbyterian Church in Oswego has been a part of the community since 1816. They've undergone a number of changes in two centuries - including new buildings, a fractured congregation, and eventually, the two factions rejoining. Our collection includes papers from 1824-1916, and 1937-1985.

Minetto Bicentennial Collection, 1976 Physical collection only

The items in this collection were created by students at the Minetto Elementary School. They created class projects, background articles, and conducted interviews with elderly Minetto citizens. (The collection refers to the nation's bicentennial; Minetto was established in 1916.)

One Room School House Association, 1973-1980 Physical collection only

The One Room School House Association served as a museum and learning center for SUNY Oswego during the 70s and 80s. The papers consist mostly of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and administrative records - however, there are also some original artifacts from when the building operated as a school in the 1800s.

Oswego Valley League of Women Voters Collection, 1953-1979 Physical collection only

The Oswego Valley League of Women Voters was created in 1964 and disbanded in 1979. The collection is extensive, and includes correspondence, publications from local, state and national chapters, newspaper clippings, the chapter’s newsletter (the “Valley Voter”), and more.

Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter: Safe Haven Physical collection only

In August of 1944, 982 refugees from war-torn Europe were placed in an internment camp at Fort Ontario to await the outcome of the Second World War. Our collections includes books, papers, oral histories and videos.

West Baptist Church Historical Collection, 1853-1965 Physical collection only

This collection contains five independently written histories of the church, written at different points in the church's history. It also contains papers about births and baptisms, marriages, deaths and funerals, and more.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union Collection, 1940-1977 Physical collection only

The Women's Christian Temperance Union was founded in 1874 to endorse prohibition and promote Christian beliefs; they also eventually lobbied for women's right to vote in the United States. Our collection contains meeting minutes, correspondence and more from the Orwell, NY chapter of the group, spanning from the 1940s through the 1970s.

147th Regiment New York Volunteers Officers' Photographs, n.d. Physical collection only

The 147th New York volunteer infantry served in the U.S. Civil War. This collection contains 7 black & white photographs of officers from this regiment.

If this topic of is interest, we have some additional books and collections related to the 147th regiment.

Cayuga and Oswego Counties Legal Documents 1825-1940 Physical collection only

This small collection contains deeds, records of government appointments, a list of Grand Jurors, and a Writ of Subpoena. All documents were produced in Cayuga or Oswego County during the the 19th century.

Kingsford Foundry Papers, 1907-1914 Physical collection only

The Kingsford Foundry & Machine Works was created to produce and repair machinery; while originally a subsidiary of Kingsford Starch Company, it became its own business in 1869. The foundry closed in 1967. Our collection contains correspondence with customers, diagrams, and descriptions of problems with faulty products.

Oswego County Bonds, 1868-1897 Physical collection only

In the middle and late 19th century, communities in Oswego County granted bonds for the construction of railroads through their towns and cities. Our collection contains bonds that were granted to support the Oswego Midland Railroad Company, the Lake Shore Railroad Company, and the Syracuse, Phoenix, and Oswego Railroad Company.

Oswego County Stock Certificates, 1859,1911 Physical collection only

Oswego County sold stock certificates from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century, in order to support local business. This collection contains stocks sold to support the Oswego River Starch Company of Battle Island, New York, and the Oswego Hotel Corporation of Oswego County.

St. Lawrence and Eastern Ontario Commission Building Survey Records, 1981 Physical collection only

In 1981, a survey was conducted of historical buildings in Sandy Creek, New Haven, Scriba, Oswego, Richland and Mexico. Our collection contains includes detailed information about the buildings, including written descriptions, photographs, maps, and more.