Untold stories of the 18th-century Susquehanna Valley

Join the Sidney Historical Association for a special program on Saturday, June 13 at 11:00 am at the Sidney Public Library (8 River Street, Sidney).

Terry McMaster explores the complex web of:

• Colonial Immigration: How early settlers navigated the edge of the known world
• Border Warfare: The brutal realities of life on the Revolutionary frontier
• The Johnston legacy: The journey of a 60-year-old minister who dared to build a new life at the confluence of the Unadilla and Susquehanna Rivers (sound familiar?)

Meet the Speaker: Terry McMaster

As a direct descendant of Reverend William Johnston, Terry brings a personal passion to his rigorous historical research. His ancestors were pioneers who helped shape the Mohawk and Susquehanna valleys long before the United States was born.

(Psst: You can read a bit about Rev. Johnston here, courtesy of the Delaware County Genealogy and History Site.)

In the summer and early fall of 1779, American forces all but wiped out the Iroquois as a military force in Upstate New York. But why? In part, as retribution for the Cherry Valley Massacre, when British and Iroquois committed one of the most horrific frontier massacres of the war, targeting non-combatants and killing dozens.

On October 19, 1780 troops from the United States and Great Britain faced off twice in the Schoharie and Mohawk River valleys: the battles of Stone Arabia and Klock’s Field.

Hear what happened from Revolutionary War historian Scott J. Payne as part of his yearlong series of Revolutionary War programs to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States.

Revolutionary War historian Scott J. Payne presents a yearlong series of Revolutionary War programs to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States.

The Sullivan-Clinton Expedition was ordered by George Washington during the American Revolutionary War against four nations of the Iroquois (aka the Haudenosaunee) in what is today central New York. The goal was “the total destruction and devastation of their settlements.” Hear what happened in Scott’s program, “Total Destruction and Devastation; The Sullivan-Clinton Expedition Against the Haudenosaunee.” 

The program is free, of course — just come down to the library Saturday, July 18 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm!