How to participate in the Greater Western New York 1786 Project? Historians, museums, tourism bureaus, and businesses unite for Revolutionary history and 2026 treasures across 17 counties. Click below for this week’s episode of The State of Greater Western New York Report to join!
In the first half of the show, host Chris Carosa introduces the Greater Western New York 1786 Project, tied to America 250, exploring the 1786 resolution of land disputes between New York and Massachusetts. A forthcoming book will detail each of the 17 counties’ histories, featuring unsung Revolutionary heroes contributed by local historians. Hidden treasure chests, valued at least $1,000 each, will spark a summer hunt with clues in the book and at museums.
In the second half, Carosa explains participation for museums, tourism bureaus, and businesses. Museums host QR code clues via micro-tours, driving foot traffic. Tourism bureaus co-brand treasure maps to highlight attractions. Businesses sponsor chests for exposure, with names inside treasures and promotional events. This low-effort initiative boosts visibility and community pride.
Our guest happily answered questions from the live audience. In fact, these are probably some of the same questions you had. Would you like to be a live audience member so you can ask our guests questions? Click here to join the growing number of members who share your feelings on StateOf.GreaterWesternNewYork.com because then we can automatically send you the link to watch our shows live.

Theme music by “mansardian” courtesy of FreeSound.org under Creative Commons License Attribution 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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