Library Roundup

Activity in the Goshen Public Library’s local history room has been busy over the summer of 2025.

Many of the visitors from the RCLS Annual Road Trip have stopped in to see one of the most noteworthy objects of the collection: a walking stick that belonged to President Ulysses S. Grant. The room sees regular visitors that are engaged in research. Others just drop in to ask about something they are interested in like a historic home in the area or something about a family who lived in the Goshen area in the 1800’s. Some visit after seeing one of our display showcases and are simply curious about what we have in our collection of artifacts.

Recent visitors have had inquiries about the early 20th century jazz pianist Willie “The Lion” Smith, Col. Joseph Brandt, a Canadian born Mohawk tribe leader, a Canadian-born Mohawk leader who fought with the British in the American Revolution, and a student from the Salesian Seminary from the late 1960’s who came back to review yearbooks, scrapbooks and other items we have from the old school. The staff of the local history room also fields questions that come by email or by telephone.

The ongoing process of digitally cataloguing the room’s collection in the Past Perfect database continues. Nearly 400 accessions have been completed. Ultimately, library patrons will be able to see and learn about our possessions through the library’s website. Though convenient and informative, nothing will replace actually seeing the rare historic treasures in person with the help of our trained staff.

On that subject, it is important to announce that the GPLHS Local History Room will host an Archive Exhibit Day on Nov. 15, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Pomares Community Room in the library. This event is free and open to the public and will feature about 35 of the Local History Room’s most interesting and prized objects. We hope those in the library’s service area who are interested in local history will plan to attend.

The staff and volunteers of the local history room invite the public to visit us. We’re on the second floor and open Monday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Don’t let an interest in the subject of local history go unresolved. Pay a visit and let us try to help you find information and possibly an answer to your curiosities.