Mr. Richey’s presentation will explore how Joan of Arc, an illiterate teenage peasant farm girl, a nobody from nowhere, achieved the seemingly impossible. In the space of a single year, 1429, she rose up from total obscurity to take command of the defeated and demoralized French army and led that army in a series of astounding battlefield victories to free her French homeland from the English invaders.
Stephen Richey was raised in Greece, graduating from Olympia High School in 1976. He graduated from the United States Military academy at West Point in 1984. He served out his military career in various places around the world, to include four tours of duty in wartime Iraq, until his retirement in 2010. He is the author of the scholarly book Joan of Arc: The Warrior Saint. He also appeared as an expert authority in the television documentary “Saint Joan of Arc: Maid for God.”
Join Geoffrey Zeiner, creator of the award-winning Gonechester blog, on a captivating journey across Rochester’s Main Street Bridge—a structure that once housed buildings along its span, concealing the Genesee River from view until 1965 . In this immersive exploration, Zeiner delves into the bridge’s unique history, revealing how it transformed from a bustling thoroughfare lined with storefronts to the open crossing we see today.
Through a rich tapestry of archival photographs, historical maps, and personal narratives, Zeiner brings to life the stories embedded in the bridge’s stones and the river’s flow beneath. Discover how this iconic structure served not just as a physical connector but as a vibrant hub of commerce and community, reflecting the evolving identity of Rochester itself.
On April 21, 2024, from 2 pm to 4 pm, we will be hosting two of our top researchers and presenters Maureen Whalen and Marie Poinan are often the face of Local History in our town and the broader community. They both have given many informative talks at the Greece Museum, the Charlotte Branch Library, and several other sites around town. Their subjects have covered a wide range of topics from “A to Z” (ancestors to zoo!) Each has published and assisted others in numerous books and articles. Their audiences are always eager to hear their well-researched presentations.
M & M Sunday will honor them, along with other leaders of the Greece Historical Society. Come to thank Maureen and Marie along with other “behind the scenes” folks who make our historical society one of the best in New York State.
While there, enjoy M & M Sundaes, prepared by Jane Grant.
Nellie Gardner will give us a history of the flower industry here in Western NY and will tell us about the industry today and about her own flower business. She will show us her unique style, having had no formal design classes, as she demonstrates making a bouquet with flowers from her garden. Growing up on a self-sufficient horse-powered farm on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, gave Nellie the experience, incentive, and perspective to work her way through college, graduating from Cornell University with no high school education and no money. Nellie started her own cut flower business in 1992, has restored several Frank Lloyd Wright landscapes and now consults on horticulture and agriculture. Her Flower Barn and shop is in Adams Basin, NY. This was an outdoor event.
On September 21, 2020, Wally Rust discussed public shortcuts and sidewalks, with a particular focus on the Music Box Steps popularized in Laurel & Hardy films. He also highlighted other distinctive walks, including some located in the Rochester area.
Marie Poinan Looks at some of the Irish families of Mother of Sorrows parish who settled on or near Latta Road. Many rare photos included in the presentation are from families who have shared their family histories and have donated them to the collection of the Greece Historical Society.
Jack Stecher, a member of the Genesee Valley Bottle Collectors Association, discusses the hobby of gathering antique bottles and explores the historical background of the companies responsible for their production.
MOUNTAINS OF HOPE: Marilyn Nolte talks about Mt. Hope Cemetery and the notable African Americans interned there, followed by Frederick Douglass family descendant, Jacqueline Sprague Cooper who talks about African American burials and promoting genealogy research and the importance of telling your families stories. Presented at the Greece Historical Society Museum on February 10, 2019
Aiša Purak discusses her book, “Bosnian Immigrants: Opportunities and Challenges”, which studies a sampling of 100 Bosnian families who immigrated to Rochester and found a way to adapt to life in the new society—presented at the Town of Greece Museum on July 15, 2018.
On June 10, 2018, Mike Warner from the Rochester Genealogical Society delivered a talk at the Greece Historical Society. He detailed safe and responsible techniques for cleaning cemetery headstones.
Lynn Sullivan, (former) Chief Executive Officer of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery and Ascension Garden, presents a program on the history and special features of the cemetery. Holy Sepulchre Cemetery was founded in 1871 and is the largest and most active of Rochester’s cemeteries.
On April 8, 2018, Dave Shields from the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum conducted a program at the Greece Historical Society. He discussed the history of the Erie Railroad in the Rochester area and shared details about the R&GV Railroad Museum’s evolution.
