TOWN OF WEBB
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Old Forge, NY Visit the Goodsell Museum Open All Year! P. O. Box 513, Old Forge, NY 13420 Phone/Fax: 315 369-3838 Museum Hours: Tuesday through Saturday - 10am - 3pm or by appointment Director: Gail Murray: director@webbhistory.org

The Goodsell Home is listed on the NYS and National Historic Registers. The dedication of a brass plaque commemorating this wonderful milestone in the history of our Association occurred on December 3, 2006.
(Link to the Goodsell Family Story)

New Exhibit on Railroads in Webb
2008 Exhibit - "All Aboard - Up the Tracks" - opened November 23, 2007 at the
Historical Association's Goodsell Museum.
Be sure to check the 2008 Events calendar for all our new postings and the latest Semi-Annual Spring 2008 Newsletter - is now online.

Our Mission: Sharing Our Unique Heritage

The Town of Webb is the largest township in New York State. Located in the northern section of Herkimer County, it was once part of the Town of Wilmurt. On September 21, 1895, a Notice of Application was made to the County Supervisors to divide the Town of Wilmurt into two separate towns. It was signed by 29 residents and freeholders below. The petition was granted in 1896. 

Emile Murer, H. D. Grant, A.. Alexander, John E. Ball, L. H. Lawrence, J. A. Harvey, Isaac Gibbard, Fred Rivett, Ira H. Parsons, Alonzo Wood, Milo E. Bull, Robert Ferris, C. M. Barrett. Riley Parsons, E. F. Abbott, David Charbonneau, E. H. Leggett, J. A. Wood, W. G. Cady, Theodore Seeber, M. D. Alger, D. F. Sperry, N. Powers, Jonathan Meeker, J. J. Wakely, J. J. Perkins, D. W. Codling, L. L Ingersoll, George C. VanDyke

The youngest town in the county was named for Dr. William Seward Webb, builder of the Mohawk and Malone Railroad through the region in 1892. The impact of the railroad upon the region was immediate. Thousands of people poured into the mountains to enjoy recreational and health-generating opportunities. Steamboats and guideboats brought them to the new hotels and guest houses along the lakes. Logging camps and mills provided plenty of work but claimed a fair share of the surrounding forests. Two decades of prosperity followed along with a great building boom. The jubilant citizens of the new township were unaware of the perils looming ahead in the new century -- of catastrophic forest fires, the decimation of forest lands and wildlife, spiraling land prices, unpredictable cycles of development, two major world wars and other global conflicts, the changes in transportation systems, the impact of technology, acid rain, and the powerful political forces that operate within the Adirondack Park and State of New York.

Webb is still a land of rugged mountains, nearly 200 sparkling lakes and ponds, and home today to nearly 1900 year-round residents living in small hamlets. Thousands more visit the region to enjoy boating, hiking, river rafting, skiing, snowmobiling or to spend time with their families at their seasonal camp properties. At the Historical Association in Old Forge, we are working to preserve our rich history and share our stories.  

In the late 1960's, Betty Cole, George Sponable, and Pitt Smith first talked about preserving local history. For a while, artifacts and photographs were collected and stored in the basement of the Town of Webb Health Center. Later, exhibits were displayed on the second floor of the old Fire Hall on Crosby Boulevard. In 1976, local businessman A. Richard Cohen deeded his parents' homestead to the historical group and to the library. In 1977, Marion Holmes, a retired Town of Webb teacher, was appointed town historian and then elected President of the Historical. Under her leadership, the Historical Association was incorporated in 1988 as a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and displaying the heritage of our region. 

In 1995, the Association inherited the Robert Goodsell property on Main Street, a beautifully restored Victorian turn-of-the-century home and carriage house, centrally located in the village of Old Forge across from the post office. It was built by Robert's father, George Goodsell, in 1899-1900 and was the Goodsell family home for nearly a century. We are open year-round Tuesday- Saturday from 10am-3pm or by appointment and invite you to visit our  museum which is FREE to the Public. Research and genealogical inquires can be made by phone, letters or email. (See our genealogy link) Special tours are available by contacting the Director, Gail Murray at 315 369-3838.

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Last Updated:  May 13, 2008