See all those tourists in the photo? Probably not, because they are invisible. That is why I call them “stealth tourists.” On that table in the center of the photo is a registry book. Users of the Otis A. Thompson Local History room, in the basement of the Guernsey Memorial Library in downtown Norwich, sign in here. Some of them come from outside the county and some from outside the state.
They are invisible in that no one pays any attention to them. They arrive, carry out their missions, and depart. They do not come in large numbers or on special occasions; they just trickle in throughout the year. Some of them stay in motels, eat at local restaurants, gas up, snack up, drink up, and buy stuff. They do the same things other tourists do.
Stealth tourists come here for various purposes, but the ones I encounter are researching their family histories. Genealogy is their interest. They visit several of our local libraries. Some make regular pilgrimages here, because they enjoy their visits. Some grew up here and like to come back again and again to see their old buddies and check out their former haunts. Others are not motivated by nostalgia but rather by curiosity. They want to see where their ancestors lived.
Most people who were born here move away to other places. Our greatest export is children. I raised four kids here and exported three. I think it is advantageous for kids to venture forth into the world to seek their fortune. That is what I did and am richer for it. Other parents may disagree. Nevertheless, many natives return and when they do, they become tourists.
Population migrations are another source of tourists. Throughout the two century long history of Chenango County, vast hordes of people passed through here on their way west. They did not zip through like migrating birds. Instead they lingered, sometimes for a generation or so, but they eventually moved on. This is one reason we have so much state land. When slash and burn agriculture converted rich soil into hard-scrabble, the land ravagers abandoned their eroded hillsides and moved west to attack the prairies. However, while they were here, they gave birth and they died, and they left records of their presence. It is these records their descendants, our stealth tourists, now seek.
Cemetery records, birth and death certificates, church and club membership rosters, property deeds and transactions, arrest and conviction manifests, photographs, postcards, diaries, and various newspaper articles such as obituaries, engagement and wedding announcements, military notices, scandals, news stories, and the like form a great attractive resource. In fact, we have a monopoly, because we are the only place on Earth that has so many documents about Chenango County.
Exactly how much money stealth tourism actually brings in, I do not know. However, money coming in is always better than money going out.