Located high atop the hill of the Newtown Battlefield Reservation, with a commanding view of the valley below, The Living History Center is one of Upstate New York's newest and most picturesque attractions.
A melding of Nature, History and Education, the Center has something for everyone! The Newtown Battlefield Reservation overlooks the site of one of the most decisive battles of the American Revolution.
Sent by General Washington, John Sullivan and his men successfully routed the Iroquois from the Chemung River Valley, thus opening the territory to settlers during the American Revolutionary War. Now marked with an impressive obelisk, (pictured above left) the Newtown Battlefield Reservation is the home for the Living History Center.
(Click Image for Detailed View of Original Monument)
Schedule of Events for 2003
History of the Chemung Valley
Camping at Newtown Battlefield State Park
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General Meeting Minutes:
Dec. 12, 2002 | Jan. 9, 2003 | Feb. 13, 2003 | March 6, 2003 | April 3, 2003
May 1, 2003 | June 5, 2003 | July 10, 2003
General Meetings are now held on the first Thursday of each month - 7p.m.
Friends of Newtown Minutes:
May 29, 2003 | June 5, 2003 | June 19, 2003
Schedule of Events (Descriptions)
General Phone Number: 607-733-0950 Volunteers Needed! Please contact Ruth Walters at darwalters@juno.com
Native American Festival
June 28 & 29!
View
for September 20 & 21, 2003!!!
Fall Mountaintop Music Festival
Seeks Participants & Vendors
Mother's story aims to save lives...
Ben Newton Memorial
Books...
The
Business of Captivity in the Chemung Valley : Elmira and
Its Civil War Prison
by Michael P. Gray
A long overdue look at Helmira, December 11, 2001
Reviewer: Eric J. Chandler from Capital of the Confederacy, Virginia
This was an excellent piece of non-bias work dedicated to telling the truth of the business of prison management in the North during the War of Northern Aggression. Michael P. Gray was very meticulous in detailing facts and figures about the day to day obstacles that confronted the U. S. Gov't and the management staff in running Elmira Prison. The enormous amount of food, lumber, clothing, staff, paper and every other item that is necessary to operate a prison is well documented along with its many atrocities. It must have taken many months for Michael to review the receipts and records that were kept by the prison staff. Also documented was how Elmira gained financially by being a training area for soldiers and then as a prison town. This book is also a great genealogy reference because of the many individuals quoted and referred to. Every aspect of running a prison is covered from dealing with a budget that was too small(more money was spent on Elmira than any other prison), prison escapes, disease, flood, corrupt or incompetent officials and staff, contractors, transportation and the unforgiving winter weather. As I read this book, I kept picturing what my ancestors my have been doing to occupy the long, boring days as they dragged by behind the walls of Elmira Prison. The end notes are just as interesting as each chapter was with the many quotes and references. I would like to thank Mr. Gray for this factual and non-biased look into my ancestors past experiences.
Death
Camp of the North : The Elmira Civil War Prison Camp
Book Description
The Civil War prison camp at Elmira, New York, had the highest death rate of any prison camp in the North: almost 25 percent. Comparatively, the overall death rate of all Northern prison camps was just over 11 percent; in the South, the death rate was just over 15 percent. Clearly, something went wrong in Elmira. The culmination of ten years of research, this book traces the story of what happened. Author Michael Horigan also places the prison in the context of the greater Elmira community by describing the town in 1864 and explaining its significance as a military depot and draft rendezvous.
About the Author
Michael Horigan taught and lectured in American History for more than twenty years. Recognized locally as an expert on the Elmira Civil War prison camp, his views were included in a 1993 Public Television documentary on the subject entitled Helmira: 1864-1865. This is his first book.
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