Learning, preserving & sharing our history 

What is there about Gilboa that attracts residents, tourists, and international researchers?

Historically, Gilboa and Conesville have 3 major attractions that are highlighted in both permanent and rotating museum displays as well as our popular programs:

1. Gilboa Forest: The first broad exploration of this petrified forest by a professional geologist was made in the 1920s by Winifred Goldring, and since that time, scientists have found Gilboa Fossils throughout the world (Venezuela, Ireland, and Eastern Europe). The Gilboa Museum has a permanent exhibit on Gilboa Fossils, and rotating exhibits on the evolution of scientific theory, new discoveries about these ancient relics, and fossil games for children. The coverage of the Devonian period is in our Natural Science room.
2. The Village of Old Gilboa: The center of Gilboa in 1916 was a large hamlet with over 100 homes, large business and industrial centers, and adjacent to 3 square miles of rich Schoharie valley farmland. Within a decade, this cultural center had been documented, photographed, and culturally archived before it was razed and the valley filled with water. Just as Vesuvius created a timeless Pompeii for a study of ancient life, Gilboa today provides insights into turn-of-the-century life in rural America. Coverage of this 1915 agricultural center is in the Nicholas J. Juried History Center, along with cultural studies of neighborhoods, lifestyles, public schooling, and the reservoir.
3. New York City’s Schoharie Reservoir: In 1916, the Gilboa valley became the projected site for the northernmost reservoir in the New York City water supply. This reservoir is one of the smallest in the City’s west-of-the-Hudson operations, and yet collects its water from one of its largest watersheds. The combination of early public works, environmental importance to the city, the changing construction technology, and its compact area makes it an ideal microcosm for historical and educational research.