Boston Purchase Map found in Broome County

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) -- The Broome County Clerk’s office unveiled the recently found Boston Purchase Map, a piece of history that was lost and forgotten about for 31 years.

Broome County Clerk Joseph Mihalko noted that many would be surprised to find out the area they live in was once owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, giving the map the title of “The Boston Purchase.”

How the map was found was quite a tale. Deputy County Clerk for Records Management Valerie Falzarano was the one who discovered in a warehouse. She told 12 News that she was sent to the warehouse one day to fulfill a records request. In the warehouse, there was a piece of cardboard that was overlapping two aisles, and it was always in everybody’s way. The documents needed for that day’s request were underneath the cardboard.

Curiosity got to her, so she had to see what was in the cardboard.

“I opened up the pieces of cardboard and I started seeing some words on the map”, Falzarano said. “I went to the computer and I started googling a lot of the words I was reading. The search results were coming up saying what she was googling was about The Boston Purchase. So, I called County Clerk Mihalko and I said, ‘Joe, I think I just found the Boston Purchase Map.’”

After being checked over by a historian, it was confirmed that what she came across was, indeed, the Boston Purchase Map.

Falzarano told 12 News that County Clerk Mihalko was elated that it was found.

The Broome County Clerk extends an open invitation to the community to come to view the map for themselves anytime.

Copyright 2024 WBNG. All rights reserved.