For the third straight year, the Waddington Museum and Historian benefitted from the talents of students from the Honors program at Clarkson University.
Clarkson University students Catherine Koran, Remington (Remy) Hafer, Lauren Nelson, Lucas Lacerda and Keona Ly played a big role in helping with Waddington’s Celebration of History in October. The students helped with organizing and setting up the exhibits and were present during the event to help with set up, recording, interacting with attendees, and clean-up. They also helped create and organize museum collections and files.
“I have been happy to be a part of the Clarkson Honors program for the past three years. I have met some wonderful students working in this program,” Waddington Historian Kathy Putney said. “Our museum space is very small but the students have helped me to sort and organize many of the boxes and files that would have taken me years to go through.”
Hafer was responsible for reproducing a pre-Seaway map of St. Lawrence Avenue, which showed the location of the businesses, houses and land that was taken by Seaway construction. He then overlaid a Google map showing what the street looks like today to give people an idea of how much it changed. It was a big hit during the event.
In their end-of-semester presentation, the group highlighted the experiences they were given and the opportunities they had to grow as individuals because of their experiences. The students appreciated the opportunity to learn about Waddington’s local history and form a deeper connection with the local community.
“Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you and your sisters at the museum this fall. My time there didn’t feel like merely putting in hours – it was getting to know a new community and gaining a greater appreciation for local history,” Koran wrote in her thank you to Putney. “Before I worked with you, I had never heard of the St. Lawrence Seaway and I didn’t really know much about the local history of Waddington and the North Country outside of Clarkson. I loved getting to hear and see the stories that I never would have been able to find anywhere else. I was floored by how tight-knit Waddington is as a community – how well everyone knows each other, and how much people are involved and care about their neighbors and the community at large.”
“The Lost Villages event created a particular impact on me,” Koran added. “It was amazing to see so many people turn up and to talk to them as they identified their younger selves and family homes in the exhibits. It was then that I truly got to appreciate just what the museum does to preserve the people of Waddington, both past and present, and the locations and items that have made up their lives.”
Putney is grateful for the students’ help on these projects, but also appreciates the opportunity to share her passion for local history.
“I enjoy learning about their life and where they come from, and watching the change in them as they learn about our small town history. It makes me smile to see how excited they get when they read a story or document that was written 150 years ago,” she said. “I think it’s important for students to get out into the local communities and see things from a different perspective. Learning about our past history is important for our future. I would like to thank Professor Krueger for always including the Waddington Museum and look forward to many more years of working with Clarkson University.”
Kate Krueger, Director of Clarkson Honors, is also deeply grateful for the partnership with Putney and the Waddington History Museum.
“This has been such an impactful experience for all our students,” Krueger said. “Kathy, her sisters, and the Waddington community have opened their arms to our Clarkson students and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of preserving this local history.”