Photo of the week! Eileen Hegedus, Renee Smith, Marcella D'Angelo, and Jean Jessiman, employees of the First National Bank of Cortland, work on a Dairy Parade display, circa 1980s. #cortlandcountyhistory #cortlandny #centralnyhistory #experiencecortland #cortlandcountyhistoricalsociety #history #historicalphotographs #historicalphotos #CortlandCountyDairyParade (fb)

100 Objects for 100 Years 65/100 Cortland's first Soap Box Derby took place on July 27,1957 on Owego Street where boys between the ages of 11-15 were challenged to race cars of their own creation. The winner of Cortland’s Derby would go to Akron, Ohio for a national event with $15,000 in college scholarships on offer. The cars should not cost more than $15 and not weigh more than 250 pounds. Races were conducted on a system of elimination by heats. Two cars raced at a time, starting simultaneously by gravity from a standstill off a 2-foot high, 8-foot long ramp. Ernest Stewart, who donated this car to CCHS, was among the 33 racers that competed, but I could not find out how he performed. The following year, Ernest’s brother, Ronald, earned third place in the Derby. Although the name “Ron’s Green Hornet” is painted on the sides of the car, it seems probable that both brothers used the same car, perhaps making improvements to it between races. In later years, the Derby took place on Court Street hill, and in 1972 the Cortland County Jaycees announced they would no longer be running the event: “The Derby, which the Jaycees picked up in 1964, has almost become an institution in Cortland and, for many families and youth, has become a way of life. The purpose of the program was to promote a sense of competition and self improvement in the youth and to provide an opportunity for the development of parent-child relationships. In this sense, the Soap Box Derby was a program that involved almost the entire family for the better part of a year " A separate committee appears to have been formed to take up the mantle the following year, but our records regarding the Derby are very spotty for anything after the 1970s! In 2025 CCHS is turning one hundred years old! In preparation of our landmark birthday, we are celebrating the unique collections you have entrusted to us over the years. ~Sophie, Collections & Research Assistant #100objectsfor100years #cortlandcountyhistory #cortlandny #centralnyhistory #experiencecortland #museum #cortlandcountyhistoricalsociety #history #100objectsfor100years (fb)