Dansville Area Historical Society, Dansville, New York - Livingston Co.

03/01/2026

Casandra's manumission (release from slavery) was recorded in Dansville in 1811. As reported by GCV&M, we are finding that many freed slaves continued to be indentured and work for no pay.

One of the former homes of Nathaniel Rochester currently stands at Genesee Country Village and Museum. Though Nathaniel Rochester is known for being the founder and namesake of the City of Rochester, it is also important to acknowledge that Rochester was an enslaver who profited from the labor and sale of enslaved people for most of his life, from Maryland to New York.

Little is known about the ten enslaved people that Rochester brought to New York upon his 1810 move, but we do know that two enslaved children by the names of Benjamin and Casandra lived in this house. Benjamin and Casandra were both freed in 1811. Records show that Rochester indentured Casandra for four more years after this date, meaning she continued to work unpaid, under similar conditions to those she experienced in slavery.

Here at GCV&M, we highlight the stories of Benjamin and Casandra, along with other individuals enslaved in New York, through our Seeking Freedom Initiative. Learn more here: https://gcv.pulse.ly/bwjzkbdeom

01/30/2026

to the Maxwell Block of North Dansville as it appeared in 1979. After finding success in the plant nursery industry, Olney B. Maxwell built the historic Maxwell Block on Main Street in 1874. Over the years, its three stories were home to many hardware, grocery, department, and book stores, as well as a Masonic Lodge.

Looking for more photos from our local past? The County Historian has made hundreds of images available from throughout the County here: https://buff.ly/RP8mjNU

Many thanks to the Livingston County Historian's Office for this image, part of the Daniel A. Fink (1938-1995) Collection.

Dansville NY Community Group Dansville Village Community Group Dansville NY Group Dansville Area Historical Society, Dansville, New York - Livingston Co.

01/24/2026

Almost exactly 101 years ago, Dansville was hit by a paralyzing snowstorm. How will this weekend's forecasted snow compare to January 29, 1925?

01/21/2026

Missing the Poag's Hole Hill Climb.

In 1903, Glenn Curtiss created what was probably America's first two-cylinder motorcycle engine to demolish the competition at a Decoration Day hill climb in New York City. Since 1996 the usually-quiet hills of Dansville have reverberated with the sounds of the Poags Hole Hill Climb -- a 700-foot challenge that attracts professional riders from across the country. The 21st iteration will take place (rain or shine) on August 20. We thank Bob Magee and the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau for this breathtaking, if vertiginous, image. We imagine Glenn Curtiss would have been impressed... both as a professional racer, and as a professional photographer (during his bicycle days).

01/21/2026

What do you think? In particular, about the now-condemned and partially torn-down St. Patrick's and former Assembly of God properties? Not interested in Monday- morning quarter-backing about Code Enforcement, but rather where do we go as a village to preserve and celebrate our Church Park? Our museum was due to be repainted with necessary exterior repair this summer. Now on indefinite hold. Our board was posed to pursue steps for a desparately needed addition. Now impossible for how long?

Your town spent $100,000 to demolish a building and $0 enforcing codes on the other 50 buildings falling apart.

Make it make sense.

Every year I watch cities pay a fortune to tear down “blighted” buildings. Meanwhile, they completely ignore the code violations that created the blight in the first place.

It’s like watching someone with a cavity refuse to brush their teeth, then pay thousands for a root canal, then still refuse to brush.

Demolition is not a strategy. It’s a surrender.

Code enforcement is boring. It’s not sexy. There’s no ribbon cutting. No press release. No way for a politician to take credit.

But it works.

Every building that falls apart does so slowly. First a broken window. Then some peeling paint. Then a sagging roofline. Then it’s “blighted” and needs to be demolished.

At every single stage, code enforcement could have stopped it.

But enforcement requires having standards. It requires telling property owners “no, that’s not acceptable here.”

Most cities would rather pay for demolition than have an uncomfortable conversation.

How many buildings has your town torn down that could have been saved?

01/07/2026

Jane Oakes program, this Friday, Jan.9 at 4 pm in Bath.😊

Oscar Wilde. Maud Adams. Tom Thumb. John L. Sullivan. James Whitcomb Riley. Sidney Smith. Robert Ingersoll. William Jennings Bryan. Many movers, shakers, and performers made public presentations in Steuben County, often in the halls known as opera houses. At 4 PM on Friday (Jan. 9, in Bath fire hall), Jane Oakes will give us a free illustrated presentation on opera houses, in or around Steuben County… we hope you’ll come and see. Here’s Savona’s opera house, on the second floor, much of which was a single large space. Notice that if you were waiting for the doors to open, you could treat yourself to a Moxie.

01/04/2026

Join the Watershed Education Center for this FREE program on Jan. 14th at 6:30 p.m.
Register here today: https://buff.ly/DgaLccv

01/03/2026

Our Museum is open this Saturday, Jan.3, from 10 till 2. It will be cozy warm!