As we approach the 250th July 4th celebration in the United States, this writer thought it would be an ideal time to offer the public some opportunities to learn about the history of this region, and its role in the creation of the nation.
Starting on Thursday, June 18, and continuing through Thursday, July 16, from 6-8 p.m., I will be teaching my History of Broome County for SUNY Broome Community College’s Continuing Education Department. This is a 10-hour version of the credit-bearing Local History course that I taught at the college for 13 years as an adjunct faculty member. It takes the student from the time of the Indigenous People to today.
This area is rich in history and heritage, and this is a great way to learn and appreciate that history. The course takes you on a journey through time where you will learn about this area’s role in the American Revolution, and the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign.
You will hear about the Native American settlements and the arrival of the early settlers who located along the same paths and waterways that the Indigenous People used. These new settlers start the early settlements in the newly cleared lands that would become the places we know today.
I take the student along the path through the opening of the Chenango Canal that allowed goods and people to move with a reliable transportation system to the Erie Canal and connections to the Hudson River and the Great Lakes. We discuss the arrival of the railroads in the mid-19th century. The participants learn about the development of the cigar industry and how this area became the second in the nation for the making of cigars.
The creation of Endicott Johnson, the development of IBM and many more companies would bring thousands to this community, as we forged the Valley of Opportunity, and then saw much of that go away by the end of the last century. The History of Broome County course costs $89 per person and there is a class size limit, so call or sign up now.
Not to be outdone, I will also be conducting two walking tours this summer. The first is on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, from 2-4 p.m., and will be a sauntering tour of downtown Binghamton. Through several streets, I will take the participant along the streets that William Bingham’s land agent, Joshua Whitney, laid out in the 1790s.
We walk along the route of the Chenango Canal, go by local landmarks such as the Marconi Tower and learn about the importance of Willis Sharpe Kilmer and his involvement in patent medicine, newspapers, and racehorses. The attendees learn about the Binghamton Clothing Company fire, and the start of the industrial revolution that spurred Binghamton’s growth.
Two weeks later, on Sunday, Aug. 16, at the same times, I will be leading the Parlor City: A Tour of Binghamton’s West Side – again for SUNY Broome’s Continuing Education. We stroll along the streets and the homes that form the core of the West Side.
We learn about how the phrase Parlor City originated and how the development of the beautiful Victorian homes in the region demonstrates the increasing importance of Binghamton and the richness of its architecture.
Both tours cost $39 per person. However, there is a strict limit on how many can attend. Only 20 people can attend each tour, as it becomes too unwieldy for me to walk and talk to a large crowd. I would encourage you to sign up for these tours as soon as possible, as some have already signed up for each tour.
To take the history course, or to sign up for one or both tours, you need to contact SUNY Broome’s Continuing Education Department. You may go to their website at ce.sunybroome.edu/ and click on their online catalog. Both tours and the course are listed under the heading Personal Enrichment. You may also call them at 607-778-5012 or email them at workforce@sunybroome.edu.
This summer, consider taking some time to learn about your community and how this region has played such an instrumental role in the development of our nation, and what future may lie ahead.
Gerald Smith is executive director of the Tioga County Historical Society and a former Broome County historian. Email him at historysmiths@stny.rr.com.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Spanning Time: Take walking tour of Broome history in 2026
Reporting by Gerald Smith, Special to the Press & Sun-Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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