Welcome!

The Bristol Hills Historical Society is a combination of the Town of Bristol and the Town of South Bristol’s historical societies.  In the Town of South Bristol the meeting place is located in the historic Grange Hall at 6457 State Route 64, Naples, NY 14512.  Built in 1923, it is has a large working kitchen, dining room, and second floor dance hall which houses local historic artifacts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As a volunteer not-for-profit community education organization, the BHHS is committed to the preservation of the area’s past as well as the promotion of its future.

Bristol Hills Historical Society Website:   www.bristolhillshistory.org

Honoring Local Veterans

Our campaign to place wreaths on every veteran’s grave in two local cemeteries is off to a strong start. This is the historical society’s first year to participate in the national Wreaths Across America project, and we started modestly, with only two of our many cemeteries, to test local support. The two cemeteries are Bristol Center Cemetery, in Bristol, and Coye Cemetery in South Bristol.

Let’s keep the momentum going to surpass our minimum commitment. For every wreath sponsorship above the 52 we need locally, you’ll be helping to honor veterans nationwide at this December 17 event and generating financial support for the historical society and our work to preserve and honor the memory of our veterans in the many cemeteries of Bristol and South Bristol. (The 52 number is higher than when we first announced this campaign because our volunteers found more veterans buried in Coye Cemetery.)

Four weeks remain in this campaign (the November 29 cutoff gives Wreaths Across America time to make and ship wreaths to participating groups nationwide in time for the December 17 ceremonies). Please help us exceed our goal and prove the concept for expanding to more cemeteries next year. Most important, help us remember during the holidays the local veterans, individually, for the sacrifices they and their families made.

Follow this link for details about our December 17 events and the background on this national campaign.

https://bristolhillshistory.org/honoring-our-veterans

Any questions or to make an appointment about Town of South Bristol history, please contact Historian, Beth Thomas at 585-704-7209 or beththomas1015@gmail.com.  Thank you.

Genealogy Links:

www.rootsweb.ancestry.com

www.ontario.nygenweb.net/cemeteries.htm

South Bristol Historical Society Blog

Lament for Local Legends

One day, just six hours, to learn all the history that was in John Brahm’s brain was definitely not enough. When you are given a job and you know you have a lot to learn, you ask for a mentor. South Bristol history, I was told, “is the specialty of Roger and John Brahm.”