Here’s a fascinating look back at the Mohawk Valley more than 70 years ago.

This 1951 film, The Thruway and Utica-Rome Tomorrow!, was produced at a time when the New York State Thruway was still in the planning stages and people were trying to imagine just how much the new highway would change the region.

The film takes you through Utica, Rome and the surrounding Mohawk Valley, with downtown streets, the Erie Canal, farms, factories and everyday scenes from the area. There’s even a reference to WKTV, which had only recently gone on the air. We also found this 1952 film from inside Utica’s Horrocks-Ibbotson fishing rod factory.

The fun part now is seeing the valley before the Thruway. A lot of the names and places are familiar, but the roads, the landscape and especially the cars can look like another world.

If you grew up in the area, see how many places you recognize.

🎥 The Thruway and Utica-Rome Tomorrow! (1951)
Archival film courtesy of the New York State Archives / New York State Thruway Authority.