Pieces of New York’s fascinating history can be found all over our state, well preserved and at the ready to teach us about our past. It’s always stunning to seeing historic buildings and artifacts that date back to well before we were around, but sometimes it takes looking at an old photograph to really bring us back in time. Giving you a glimpse of what life was like over a hundred years ago, these are some of the oldest photos that have been captured around the Empire State.

1. Captured in 1900, this historic photo shows the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad station in the city of Rochester.
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2. Scenic boat rides have long been a favorite activity for New Yorkers, this shot from Fourth Lake captured in 1894 up north further proves so!
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3. My oh my how things have changed! Many of the buildings on Main Street that were captured in this shot of Buffalo from 1901 are no longer standing.
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4. You've most likely seen photos of Taughannock Falls before, but have you ever seen one that was captured back in 1895? Well now you can say that you have.
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5. Taken sometime during 1898 and 1906, this photo shows The Old Oval and other historic buildings like Steele Hall that make up Syracuse University.
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6. Founded in 1906, this photo from 1916 gives you a glimpse at what it was like to visit Watkins Glen State Park during its early days.
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7. Vineyards surrounding Keuka Lake were just as stunning back in 1894.
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8. Pictured here you can see residents of New York out on the water back in 1894.
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9. An important part of our history, the main building of Ellis Island the immigrant landing station captured in 1905.
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10. Pictured in its original location back in 1905, the Philip Eckel Monument was originally set up at Butternut and North State Streets in 1901.
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To check out more historic photos of the Empire State, see how incredible these 16 Rare Photos Taken In New York During The Great Depression are!

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