Page 19 - 2025 Cortland Travel Guide

HISTORY
Happened

History Here

Join us on a journey through famous faces, iconic buildings and historic gems
that have shaped this vibrant county into what it is today.

opera’s stage. The library’s hidden gem
lies in its stunning stained-glass windows,
visible only at night or during special
events.

INSIDERS’ TIP | The historic opera house is open to
the public during the 1890 Union Fair and CNY Maple
Fest, for the bi-annual book sale.

MCGRAW
The former “Corset City”
with a waist-slimming history!
P.H. McGraw & Son kicked off
the corset craze in the 1880s,
until the Warner Bros.
stepped in with a healthier
alternative. This paved the
way for subsequent companies like the
McGraw Corset Company and the Empire
CINCINNATUS Corset Company, who cinched their way
up to international fame with innovative
One of the original six towns of Cortland
styles such as “Never Rust,” “Sorosis” and
County, Cincinnatus was the birthplace
“Reduzyou.”
of Adelaide Hawley Cumming, the first
Betty Crocker. Alice’s Dowry for the Arts INSIDERS’ TIP | Visit McGraw Box Brewing Co., once
documents the town’s history and displays home to The McGraw Box Co., known for crafting
restored antique items curated by the corset packaging.
Cincinnatus Area Heritage Society. VILLAGE OF HOMER
Don’t miss the 1820s streetlight that hung TRUXTON
Explore Homer beyond its charming
at the four corners of the town. In Truxton, baseball
facade to uncover its fascinating ties to
INSIDERS’ TIP | The small town hosts the annual buffs can uncover
Abraham Lincoln. Dive into its history
G-Bar-T Rodeo with live music at the Rodeo Grounds history tied to
to uncover how locals influenced the
(5703 Rt. 23). the legendary
legacy of the 16th president, from Francis
manager, John
CITY OF Bicknell Carpenter’s iconic artwork to
CORTLAND William Osborn Stoddard’s pivotal role McGraw. Standing
at 5-foot-7, this fiery
Cortland’s musical as a presidential secretary and Eli DeVoe
Irishman revolutionized the game with
legacy shines with thwarting an assassination plot.
his spirited tactics and led the New York
Ronnie James Dio,
INSIDERS’ TIP | Pick up a copy of Lincoln’s Gift from Giants to glory as a player-manager. In
a hometown hero
Homer, New York: “A Painter, an Editor, and a 1938, the “Greatest Sporting Event in the
turned global rock
Detective,” written by municipal historian, Martin History of Cortland County” unfolded, as
icon. From his humble
Sweeney at Bev & Co.
beginnings at Cortland High to legendary over 8,000 fans witnessed the Truxton
Giants take on MLB powerhouse New
status with Black Sabbath and more, his VILLAGE OF MARATHON
legacy is immortalized not just in music, York Giants at McGraw Field (which still
Downtown Marathon boasts the impressive stands today).
but also on the local map, with a street
Peck Memorial Library, a 2.5-story land-
named after the legendary metal singer – INSIDERS’ TIP | Visit John McGraw’s Monument,
mark from the 1890s. The eclectic late
“Dio Way.” which stands tall today on the very sandlot where
Victorian architecture originally housed
McGraw’s baseball journey began (3674 NY-13 in
INSIDERS’ TIP | Dio Day, celebrated annually at a library, bank and opera house. Explore
Truxton).
Rose Hall on July 10, is the official hometown tribute remnants like the bank’s vault and the
concert dedicated to honoring Ronnie James Dio. 19