You’ve seen the names, walked past the storefronts, and maybe even uncovered a few stories on the Cortland Curiosities trail—but do you know the people who built them? Join the Cortland County Historical Society for a special talk with historian and former Cortland resident Dr. Diane Vecchio, as she reveals the real lives behind the signs.

From the English and Irish settlers who laid early foundations, to the Greek restaurateurs, Italian tradesmen, and Eastern European Jewish shopkeepers who opened some of Cortland’s most iconic businesses—Vecchio uncovers how waves of immigrants helped shape the economic heartbeat of our city and climbed into the American middle class.

These aren’t just names from history—they’re the very people who turned Cortland’s curious past into a thriving present. Come connect the dots between the stories you’ve seen on the trail and the real entrepreneurs who lived them.