History Unbound: Schuyler County

Stereographs from around New York State, especially of Watkins Glen, Havana Glen (now Montour Falls), and the gorges and waterfalls around Ithaca.

Motorsports photographs by photojournalist Kathie J. Meredith documenting professional race events at “the Glen,” now Watkins Glen International, an automobile racing circuit located in Schuyler County, New York.

The United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen Collection encompasses representative photographs and documentation, as well as the official program, of each of the 20 years of the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. This international competition was hosted by the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Corp. from 1961-1980.

The majority of this collection is comprised of photographs from the 1935 flood. There is also a set of correspondence between the mayor of Watkins Glen and other politicians about getting flood control measures put in place in the 1940s and 1950s.

Schuyler County is known for its dozens of waterfalls. Watkins Glen has the most famous waterfalls and state park, but visitors to the county can see other falls, including Montour Falls (which is directly next to the main street in the village), Aunt Sarah's Falls, Deckertown Falls, and Eagle Cliff Falls, among others.

In addition to its fame as a racing destination and its long history of salt production, Schuyler County has other industries and, of course, farmers. One major business in Montour Falls was the Shepard-Niles Crane and Hoist Corporation. There was also a steel mill in Montour Falls, named Montour Steel.

The Watkins Salt Company was established at the south end of Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, NY, in 1898. It was owned and operated by the Clute family until its 1976 sale to Cargill Inc. At the time of the sale, Watkins Salt was one of the largest, independent salt companies in the nation. Brine extraction from wells drilled deep into the salt layer and evaporation before refinement have been the manufacturing processes since the beginning. Cargill products are used in the agricultural, food and medical industries.

Photo of the bandstand and entrance to the Indian Trail at Watkins Glen State Park in Schuyler County, New York, visited by A. Selden Millward during the 1920s when he was a missionary based in Rochester, New York.

Titles range from 1849 to 1919

Search for Schuyler in the top right to generate a table of Schuyler County newspapers, including coverage of Schuylerville, Montour Falls, and Watkins Glen.