Oswego County Historical Society

Independence: The True Story of Dr. Mary Walker
2024-10-05 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Oswego High School, 2 Buccaneer Blvd, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Tickets for Independence: The True Story of Dr. Mary Walker are now available for purchase on the Oswego High School Drama Club site.

Purchase tickets

The Oswego High School Drama Club, with support of the Oswego County Historical Society, proudly presents Independence: The True Story of Dr. Mary Walker, written and directed by Lloyd J. Schwartz and performed by Kathie Barnes.

This one-woman show brings to the forefront the life of Doctor Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to have been awarded our country’s highest honor, The Congressional Medal of Honor.

One day Lloyd J. Schwartz read a one page article on Dr. Mary Walker, Civil War surgeon and the only woman to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Yet he had never heard of her. Normally adverse to one-person plays, Schwartz couldn’t shake the idea that Dr. Walker’s life was dramatic, intense, pertinent and could captivate an audience. The rest is history.

Independence had its world premiere fittingly in Seneca Falls, New York, the birthplace of the women’s movement, as part of the 100th Anniversary Celebration of women getting the right to vote in New York.

The Haunting – Classic Movie Night 2024
2024-10-10 19:00 - 22:00 | NY
Get ready for a fright! Oswego County Historical Society is once again hosting our Classic Movie Night, this time with the 1963 film The Haunting based on Shirley Jackson’s masterpiece “The Haunting of Hill House.” Tickets are now available to purchase in-person at the Richardson-Bates House Museum, River’s End Bookstore, and Oswego Cinema 7 for $20!

Widely regarded as the best haunted house film ever made, The Haunting features a team of investigators who decide to stay at Hill House to uncover its secrets. The film starts out with a sense of dread, which increases throughout the film. Once begun, the atmosphere of palpable horror never lets up and keeps the viewer entranced until the surprising ending.

The film stars the distinguished actresses Julie Harris and Claire Bloom, who are faultless in their roles and keep the audience feeling their increasing sense of unease as the story develops. This is a perfect film for the Halloween season, so you won’t want to miss seeing it on the large screen.

Trivia Night 2024
2024-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | NY
Gather a team of six brainiacs and challenge yourselves to five rounds of trivia! First place wins a basket of goodies, courtesy of Man in the Moon Candies.

2024 Holiday Open House
2024-12-01 13:00 - 17:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Experience Victorian Christmas through the eyes of the Bates family. Christmas decorations and Victorian children’s gifts are on display through the month of December.

The Princess Bride – Retro Movie Night 2025
2025-03-13 19:00 - 22:00 | Oswego Cinema 7, 138 W 2nd St #2763, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
The Princess Bride?! On the big screen?! Inconceivable!!

Oswego County Historical Society proudly presents The Princess Bride, the movie for our 2nd annual Retro Movie Night, sponsored by Robert Berkley Physical Therapy. Tickets are now available for purchase in-person at the Richardson-Bates House Museum, The Rivers End Bookstore, and Oswego Cinema 7. There are also limited quantities available here on our website.

Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name, The Princess Bride is presented as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson that tells the story of a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, on a mission to rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. In 2016, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant,” and has garnered a cult following since its first release in 1987. We hope to see you there!

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National Medal of Honor Day 2025
2025-03-25 11:00 - 13:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Join us in celebrating Oswego County’s Medal of Honor recipients. More information to come closer to the event.

Seating limited to 40 in the Richardson-Bates House Museum’s drawing room.

2025 Not-So-Silent Auction
2025-04-25 18:00 - 20:30 | Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center – Best Western, 26 E 1st St, Oswego, New York, 13126
Mark your calendars for our biggest fundraising event of the year; guaranteed to be an evening of fun, friends, food and fantastic finds!

The Not So Silent Auction is the Oswego County Historical Society’s largest annual fundraiser for the Richardson-Bates House Museum. Participate in a silent table auction where donated antiques and collectibles, gift certificates and products from local businesses plus antiques, and more are up for grabs. Many of the artifacts and artworks are from Oswego history!

We kick off the evening at 7:15 with a live auction of particularly important and high-ticket items, hosted by Jerry Petro of Iroquois Auctions. Before the live auction, you can find Jerry at the appraisal table, where he’ll appraise one antique item that you can bring with you as part of your ticket purchase.

There are raffle baskets, a lottery board, and much more! And don’t forget refreshments and a cash bar, as provided by the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center.

We hope to see you there!

Become an Event Sponsor!

If you’re a local business interested in sponsoring the Not-So-Silent Auction, please consider donating at one of the following sponsorship tiers. All event sponsors receive sponsorship recognition in marketing material for the auction, and will have their business name and/or logo featured prominently on a donor thank-you panel at the event itself.

LevelAmountBenefitsPlatinum$1,0005 sponsored tables; 12 event tickets; 20 complementary museum tour tickets.Gold$7503 sponsored tables; 8 event tickets; 10 museum tour tickets.Silver$5002 sponsored tables; 5 event tickets; 6 museum tour tickets.Bronze$2502 event tickets; 5 museum tour tickets.Supporter$1501 ticket to the event. Thank you for your support!

Support from local businesses is a crucial component of this event, and others like it. It helps the Oswego County Historical Society not just host these kinds of fundraisers, but supports our mission to connect the community to the history that shapes their pasts, presents and futures.

Thank you for considering a contribution.

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Captured Memories: The Photos of Frank Barbeau
2025-05-16 17:30 - 19:00 | Oswego Public Library, 120 E 2nd St, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
In collaboration with the Friends of the Oswego Public Library, the Oswego County Historical Society will be exhibiting photographs from the Frank Barbeau Negatives Collection in their first public showing! Frank Barbeau (1893-1983) was an Oswego-based photographer and proprietor of Barbeau Photo Studio from 1915 to 1978. Throughout his career, he photographed scenes of daily life throughout Oswego.

Thirty photographs are to be featured, showcasing nostalgic locations of Oswego from the 1940s to the 1970s, depicting a variety of unknown group photos and locations. We’re asking the public’s help in identifying and labeling the locations found in these photographs, and a form will be available to provide information.

The exhibit is free, but we ask that those who wish to attend register by contacting the Oswego Public Library front desk or online through this form: Captured Memories Event Registration →

Oswego Garden Club 20th Annual Plant and Bulb Sale
2025-05-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Join us on the south lawn of the Richardson-Bates House Museum for the Oswego Garden Club’s 20th annual Plant and Bulb Sale!

In addition to the titular plants and bulbs, the club will also have garden-related crafts and a couple of Master Gardeners to answer questions about planting and gardening. Look forward to walks around the grounds of the museum, and learn about what the garden club’s plans for the flowerbeds and gardens in the springtime.

Riverside Cemetery Tour
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Riverside Cemetery, 4024 County Rte 57, Oswego, 13126
The Oswego County Historical Society, along with the Friends of Riverside Cemetery, will host a guided tour of the historic Riverside Cemetery. Due to limited space, please pre-register by contacting the museum. The cemetery tour will begin at the Page Memorial Chapel at the main entrance of the cemetery.

Pictured is an interior view of the Page Memorial Chapel, built in 1906 by the family of Alanson and Elsie (Benson) Page in their memory. The chapel is famed for its Tiffany stained glass windows and memorial tablets.

The Riverside Cemetery was incorporated in 1855 and is situated just outside the Oswego city line. It was designed as a rural cemetery by landscape architect Burton Arnold Thomas. In the mid-19th century, rural cemeteries became a popular choice for a final resting place in a park-like setting on the outskirts of town, running counter to earlier condensed cemeteries that frequently ran out of space in growing neighborhoods. Sometimes referred to as a ‘garden style,’ rural cemeteries were seen as places to visit and enjoy the landscape along with the artistry of the monuments.

“The History of the YMCA in Oswego” — 2025 Annual Meeting
2025-06-01 13:30 - 14:30 | St Joseph’s Catholic Church, 240 West First Street, Oswego, NY, 13126
Members: Please join the Oswego County Historical Society’s Board of Trustees for our 2025 annual meeting, where we will present our annual report. Following the meeting, Patricia Levine will be presenting “The History of the YMCA in Oswego.”

Patricia Levine is the Communication and Marketing Director and Health and Wellness Director of the YMCA. Levine will talk about the organization’s 170th anniversary being celebrated this year, and describe the mission and programs of the YMCA in Oswego through their long history. The Young Men’s Christian Association was a very new organization in the United States when it was formed here in 1855, and it has occupied many buildings on the west side of Oswego, but only one was built to be a YMCA in 1903. The organization currently occupies another historic building that was the New York State Armory built shortly after.

We look forward to seeing you there!

2025 Landmark Lawn Sale, Day 1
2025-08-15 09:00 - 13:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Oswego County Historical Society is holding their annual Landmark Lawn Sale! Join us on the south lawn of the Richardson-Bates House Museum for a sale of books, Oswego memorabilia, household items, collectables, vintage jewelry, historic photo reproductions, and more. No early sales.

2025 Landmark Lawn Sale, Day 2
2025-08-16 09:00 - 13:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States

2025 Family Fun Day
2025-08-17 13:00 - 16:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Play traditional Victorian games on the south lawn of the museum for free. Ice cream sundaes courtesy of Stewart’s Shops.

A Victorian Tea Party
2025-09-07 13:00 - 16:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Julius LeBlanc Stewart (b. 1855), An Interesting Letter (detail), c. 1884. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Buy Tickets

The Oswego County Historical Society cordially invites you to our second annual Victorian Tea Party! Enjoy an afternoon of tea and conviviality in a historical setting. The menu will include tea sandwiches, scones, sweets and other delicacies from a traditional afternoon tea.

Standard tickets are $45; tickets for members are discounted to $35 using coupon code “MEMBER” at checkout.

A special exhibit of 1880s wedding gowns from notable Oswego families will be on display for this event. Dressing up is highly encouraged!

The Murder of Cora Sweet: Book Talk and Author Signing (MEMBERS ONLY)
2025-09-30 13:30 - 14:30 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Local author Lee Hickey (Girl in the Glass Coffin) will be at the Richardson-Bates House Museum for a book talk and signing for her new novel, The Murder of Cora Sweet.

The Murder of Cora Sweet is a gripping historical fiction thriller that tells the true crime story of the 1905 murder of 12 year old Cora Sweet in Scriba, New York. Hickey’s book asks readers to consider the unsettling question of whether the murderer was simply born a monster, or a victim of his own tragic past, driven to repeat the pattern of violence and abuse.

Copies of the book will be available on-site for purchase.

This event is free and open only to members of the Oswego County Historical Society.

For those unable to join us at this special members-only event, we have partnered with the Oswego Public Library for the public book talk and signing to be held on Saturday, October 18, at 1:30 PM in the Community Room at the Oswego Public Library (120 E. 2nd St.).

Arsenic and Old Lace — Classic Movie Night 2025
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:30 | Oswego Cinema 7, 138 W 2nd St #2763, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Oswego County Historical Society is once again hosting our Classic Movie Night, this time with the 1944 film Arsenic and Old Lace. Tickets are now available to purchase in-person at the Richardson-Bates House Museum, River’s End Bookstore, and Oswego Cinema 7 for $20!

Cary Grant plays Mortimer Brewster, author and nephew of Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair). Recently married, Mortimer visits his aunts with the intention of sharing the news, but secrets are revealed and hijinks ensue in this hilarious screwball black comedy.

Filled with good macabre fun, this is the perfect film for the Halloween season. You won’t want to miss seeing it on the large screen and laughing out loud with fellow fans of film and history.

Trivia Night 2025
2025-11-13 19:00 - 21:00 | G.S. Steamers, 70 E 1st St, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Test your trivia skills with Oswego County Historical Society’s 4th annual Trivia Night! Gather a team of up to six brainiacs and challenge yourselves to five rounds of trivia, with categories ranging from local history, to general trivia, to literature, sports and more!

Tickets are available for purchase in advance or at the door at G.S. Steamers. First place wins a snazzy gift basket of goodies—donated by Man in the Moon Candies—featuring chocolates, merchandise from local businesses and organizations, and other surprises.

We hope to see you there!

2025 Holiday Open House
2025-12-07 13:00 - 17:00 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States

Victorian Christmas Magic Lantern Show
2025-12-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
Joseph Boggs (J.B.) Beal’s collection. Image Courtesy Wikimedia Commons. More information: magiclanternsociety.org.

In the Victorian era, lanternists created captivating stories with painted or photographed projections, sound effects, and light. For one special evening at the Richardson-Bates House Museum, David and Todd McLean, along with the Goodnight Ladies, bring this tradition to live by weaving tales of ghost stories, some Christmas themed, in a special Victorian Christmas Magic Lantern Show.

David and Todd McLean have created many innovative adaptations and artistic performances, including a November 2024 adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Telltale Heart” presented by the Scriba Historical Society. The Goodnight Ladies feature Katie Donovan and Sarah Galvin and their string instrumentals for a perfect soundtrack.

This event starts at 6:00 P.M. Reservations are required due to room capacity; please call the museum at 315-343-1342 to reserve a seat.

National Medal of Honor Day 2026
2026-03-25 11:00 - 12:30 | Richardson-Bates House Museum, 135 East Third Street, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
The community is invited to attend a special event commemorating National Medal of Honor Day at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at the Richardson Bates House Museum at 135 E. 3rd Street in Oswego. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, but seating is limited to approximately 40 seats in the drawing room.

2026 Not-So-Silent Auction
2026-04-24 18:00 - 21:00 | G.S. Steamers, 70 E 1st St, Oswego, NY, 13126, United States
