Oral Histories of Tompkins County

History Center in Tompkins County

John Wertis, the Town Historian for Ulysses, NY - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

Dates of Original:

c. 2015-2018

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Historical Context

Tompkins County is in the west central part of New York State, south of Syracuse and northwest of Binghamton. It is usually geographically grouped with the Finger Lakes region, but some locals consider themselves to be part of Central New York or the Southern Tier. The city of Ithaca is the county seat. The county is also home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College. The Cayuga people, part of the Haudenosaunee, call this land home.

Scope of Collection

The History Center in Tompkins County understands that we all have a history, a story to share, and are part of the community’s collective history. The Oral History of Tompkins County Collection aims to amplify this collective history. The collection contains audio recordings that were conducted beginning in 2015. The people interviewed reside and/or work in Tompkins County. Many of the interviews are conducted by young people in the community – either high school students or students at one of the colleges. The interviews are accompanied by a photo of the interviewee and the transcript of the interview.