I spent about 12 years as a kid in Utica, Ithaca and Syracuse. Even then, I loved the local history and the people who came to NY from Europe as well as the natives. I loved learning about the Seven Tribes of the Iroquois. I remember having my mom take me to Taughannock Falls State Park to look for Indian arrowheads (didn’t find any). Mom was a great sport! You cannot beat a name like “Taughannock.”
Seventh Grade History was the best — NY State.