We offer these videos to help independent research on themes of justice and equal rights. All programs were supported by a grant from Humanities New York. Please give a like and subscribe to our Youtube channel for more videos in the future!
Commemorating Emancipation Day
Join Preston Pierce, Ontario County Historian; Chester Freeman, who arranged historic marker for Steward; Robin Nowell from AKWAABA, appearing as her ancestor Nancy Tolliver; and members of Rochester Women's Community Chorus commemorating the end of slavery in the British Empire. Held at Austin Steward’s grave, West Avenue Cemetery, 100 West
Juneteenth 2026: Talk with Tony Cohen and Guests
Talk by Tony Cohen and guest appearances from Austin Steward (a.k.a. Doug Curry) and General Gordon Granger (a.k.a. Peter Grassi), with strawberry shortcake social.
Heidi Ostertag: Commentary on ‘Running to Stand Still’
At Farmington Friends Meeting (across the road from the 1816 Meetinghouse at 187 County Road 8, Farmington), filmmaker Heidi Ostertag will share context and ongoing work about the timely and important film highlighting the human impact of U.S. immigration policies and the ongoing humanitarian crisis on the U.S./Mexico border. Co-sponsored
Meetinghouse Restoration Update — October 2025
1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse board members discuss the progress in restoring the historic meetinghouse. Using funds from the federal Historic Preservation Fund, NYS’s Environmental Protection Fund, and many private donors, we hired DGA Builders from Victor for major restoration work. Sub-contractor Sean Hyland completed major structural repairs, CSTM Roofers put
Haudenosaunee Representation in Elementary Education: Precedents and Possibilities
The M’Clintock Family: Quakers and Activists
Stephen Tyler presents the story of how the influential Quaker M’Clintock family turned disagreement in June 1848 (held at the transnational Genesee Yearly Meeting of Friends in the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse) into today's continuing movements for women’s rights, Native American rights, and African American rights. Co-sponsors: Women’s Rights National
Austin Steward: From Slavery to Freedom
Preston Pierce, Ontario County Historian, discusses Austin Steward’s life in slavery and freedom in western New York and Canada. Chester Freeman shares his work in erecting a marker for Steward’s grave in the Canandaigua Cemetery.
Freedom and Fairness: Nancy Tolliver’s Experience from Slavery to Freedom
The M’Clintock Family: Quakers and Women’s Rights
How Important Were African Americans at the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention?
Dave Bruinix, The 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse: Past, Present, and Future, Victor Historical Society
Mt. Hope Cemetery, Heroes of the Underground Railroad, a walking tour with Sally Millick and Anna Murray Douglass (a.k.a. Shirley Strothers)
Education for African American Children in Rochester: Past and Present
Memorial AME Zion Church, 549 Clarissa Street, Rochester, New York. Justin Murphy (journalist and author, Your Children Are Very Greatly in Danger) and Kesha James (co-director of Our Local History project) speak about the history of school segregation in Rochester along with current efforts to teach students, educators, and community
Rooted in Revolution: Quaker Families, Equal Rights, and the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse.
Visitors’ Center, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls. Dave Bruinix and Judith Wellman discuss the national importance of Quaker families and the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse in movements for equal rights for Haudenosaunee people, African Americans, and women before the Civil War. Co-sponsored with Women’s Rights National Historical Park.
Mary and Emily Edmonson: From Slavery in Washington, D.C., to Freedom in Macedon, N.Y.
Washington lawyer Mary Kay Ricks (author of Escape on The Pearl) speaks on the amazing story of Mary and Emily Edmonson, who left slavery in Washington, D.C., attended a Quaker school in Macedon and then returned teach in a D.C. school for Black children. Co-sponsored with Macedon Historical Society, AKWAABA,
1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse: Equal Rights for All, from Past to Future
Judith Wellman and Dave Bruinix discuss the historic importance of the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse for equal rights for women, African Americans, and Haudenosaunee people, as well as current restoration efforts. Co-sponsored with Howland Stone Store.
Open House & Garden Tour
The Ontario County Historical Society organized the Garden and Historic Building Tour, which took place on July 15, 2023, in Ontario County, NY. We were thrilled to be a featured stop! Here is a brief tour of our meetinghouse, and the surrounding area, including the 1876 Meetinghouse, cemetery, and nature
Carrying on the Vision
Presention of “Carrying on the Vision” award to Peter Jemison (Heron Clan, Seneca) and Jeanette Miller Jemison (Snipe Clan, Mohawk) and “Connecting Children to the Natural World,” by Jeanette Miller Jemison with Kalen Fontenelle and Angel Jimerson.
Reflections on a 50-Year Journey
Laurence Hauptman, historian and SUNY New Paltz professor emeritus, lectures and answers questions in this hybrid format.