AURORA - After moving to the village of Aurora during the late 1960s, Renate Rewald quickly became a strong presence and proud resident.

Having relocated from Germany, she went on to teach the German language and history to many, including a short career within the educational system.

Another grand passion of Rewald's was the Morgan Opera House and literature of all kinds.

So when she died in 1995, Morgan Opera House Committee members wanted to do something in her honor that would be just as strong and grand as she was.

“We thought that an annual series would be a great honor to her,” said Mary Ellen Ormiston during the annual Renate Rewald Literary Art Series held at the Morgan Opera House Sunday afternoon. “She was a strong leader in the museum as well as local history.”

Each year, committee members collaborate to decide what the topic of that season's series will be and a local is chosen to become its author.

This year, the topic was about raising awareness of the fading upkeep of the New York state cast iron historical markers that can be seen standing at the side of the road.

The program was titled “Historic Markers of Southern Cayuga County.” These markers tell their own little story of where, when and how a historical event took place.

“Without these signs, parts of our local history would be forgotten,” said Marsha (Mikey) Russell, this year's series author. “These signs do their little part to keep our history alive.”

Russell spoke of one sign in particular that belonged to Eliza Mosher, the first female physician in Cayuga County.

“This sign is so battered and beaten. It is covered with brush and almost fallen down,” she said. “We forget about her in part because the sign cannot be readily seen by passing traffic anymore.”

Russell said that it would be nice to see these signs taken care of and to preserve their presence for many more generations to come.

Although the series highlighted just five of the many historical markers that pepper our county, Russell said that they are all equally as important for our local history.

“Some of them are taken care of,” she said. “Yet many of the signs located in the country tend to be overlooked and forgotten about so that people don't even know about our local history.”

Among the other signs that were highlighted included, Chonodale “Peachtown,” Roswell Franklin, Patrick Tavern and Theodore Ledyard Cuyler.