Sophia Lopez, a summer fellow with Colgate University’s Upstate Institute, is working with the Chenango County Historical Society (CCHS) on the research project, “Revealing the Hidden Stories of Migrant Labor Camps Along the Chenango River Valley.” Community members interested in sharing related personal experiences for this initiative are invited to email stories@chenangohistorical.org. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH — This summer, the Chenango County Historical Society (CCHS) is facilitating a research project titled “Revealing the Hidden Stories of Migrant Labor Camps Along the Chenango River Valley.”

This initiative features an aspect of lesser-known histories within regional agriculture and farming. To accomplish this, CCHS is serving as a host site for Summer Research Fellow Sophia Lopez through Colgate University’s Upstate Institute. Lopez is a rising junior at Colgate University who is studying history, along with Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.

“Revealing the Hidden Stories of Migrant Labor Camps Along the Chenango River Valley” is specifically designed to understand more about the history of migrant farmers who helped sustain agricultural efforts in Chenango County. Migrant work occurs nationally, and has been an aspect of farming in Central New York for decades.

Within Chenango County, migrant labor was a very common way of maintaining the summer crops through the fall harvest. African American and Spanish-speaking migrants traveled to the region from southern states – specifically Florida – beginning in June. The migrants would stay for the season, picking beans and peas until early September, then travel back down south for the remainder of the year.