About Us
The purpose of the Prattsburgh Community Historical Society is to gather, preserve and interpretively display and make available for study historical artifacts, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs and other records and materials relating to the state of New York and particularly to Prattsburgh and continuous areas. We also assist the county historian and state education officers in encouraging a greater knowledge of history of our Community, County, and State of New York by publishing historical material in newspapers, local newsletters, lectures, study groups and service to Franklin Academy for studies in the school’s curriculum.
This spring with the help of the fourth graders, we were able to get Robert B. Van Valkenburg inducted into the County Hall of Fame. He was born and raised in Prattsburgh and educated at Franklin Academy. He became a lawyer and later served in congress and was the first ambassador to Japan.
The Historical Society holds two quarterly meeting a year, on the last Thursday of April and October. April is our annual dinner meeting when the dues are collected for another year, someone in the society is chosen to be honored for service to the society. Their name is added to our service plaque. At this meeting everyone brings a dish to pass and their own tableware. The Society furnishes the meat and drink. We usually have a speaker and everyone enjoys an evening of fun. Our meeting in October is also a dinner, again, everyone brings a dish to pass and their own tableware. This meeting is held to induct a deserving person into our Town Hall of Fame. We ask for nominations from people in town and then the board makes the choice out of the nominations received. The recipient is honored at this October meeting and their family members are also invited to this meeting. A plaque is made with their picture and a short story about them. This plaque is placed into our Hall of Fame case located on Main Street.
Six newsletters are produced per year, and we are exploring ways of providing an online version for you to peruse. We currently offer snail mail and via Email.
This summer we host various events such as concerts in the town park. In addition to these concerts we take part in “Summer Fest.”
During “Winterfest” we also take part, conducting events such as the Festival of Lights, where town businesses and organizations decorate a tree. Georgia’s Tree Farm generously donates the trees, and the Society sets them up throughout the Town Park.