History, Natural History & the Arts
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Delivering news, notices and knowledge in the tradition of an independent press is hard work, but we think it’s important. Have you been skipping your responsibility as a reader to help out? [Read more…] about Have You Updated Your Support? Now Is The Time
The New York State 250th Commemoration Commission will be meeting on October 29th, 2026, from 10 am until noon at the New York State Museum in Albany. [Read more…] about NYS 250th Commemoration Commission Meetings
The New York History Conference is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. [Read more…] about 2027 New York History Conference Call for Proposals
In 2027 New York will commemorate two significant anniversaries. On July 4/5, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in New York State. It’s legal end. Then on August 29th the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first twenty-two African men and women enslaved in the founding Dutch colony of New Netherland. [Read more…] about Tolling Bells Will Mark New York’s Slave Experiences: Organize Now
The rail line between Boston and Albany dates back to the birth of American railroading in the 1830s. Its construction was fueled by the economic rivalry between New England and New York exacerbated by the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. Today, a new effort is underway to better link Albany and Boston by passenger rail. [Read more…] about Historic Boston and Albany Railroad Revival Efforts Underway
Communities across New York State are at risk of more severe impacts from increased heat due to climate change. Infrastructure traps and stores heat throughout the day and reduces cooling at night, which is known as the urban heat island effect. This effect can exacerbate the dangers of extreme heat events. [Read more…] about New Heat Island Mapping Tools Now Available
Anyone who loves French and Indian War and American Revolution history will want to be present at Lake George Battlefield Park for the premiere of Voices of the Lake George Battlefield, a free, self-guided audio tour of the popular historic site. The unveiling takes place at the Battlefield Park Visitor Center, 75 Fort George Road from 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday, October 10. [Read more…] about New Audio Tour at Lake George Battlefield Park
October marks the point in the American Revolutionary War’s Saratoga Campaign when the story moves from battlefield to siege, surrender and captivity. After the American victory at Bemus Heights on October 7, British General John Burgoyne‘s army withdrew north toward Saratoga. American forces surrounded the British position, and negotiations followed. On October 17, nearly 6,000 British and German troops surrendered their arms near the ruins of Fort Hardy in what is now Schuylerville, NY. [Read more…] about Victory Season at Saratoga Bringing Siege of 1777 to Life
In the aftermath of his stunning defeat of Maj. Gen. James Abercrombie‘s much larger army at the Battle of Carillon, French General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm sent several scouting parties from Ticonderoga to attack and harass the soldiers and convoys along the road between the head of Lake George and Fort Edward.
On July 20th, 1758 one of these groups fell upon the Massachusetts provincial militia, led by Colonel Ebenezer Nichols (1703–1777) who were quartered at the Half-Way Brook block house, which had been constructed shortly after Sir William Johnson had the road built in 1755. [Read more…] about Ambuscade Slaughter: The 1758 Half-Way Brook Massacre
Cranberries are a common part of holiday celebrations, whether they’re used as garland decorating a Christmas tree or in the holiday meal. One of the few native North American fruits, New York State was once the third largest producer in the nation. [Read more…] about Cranberries: The Great American Native Fruit
Alice Mabel Allen (1886-1976) grew up in the village of Adams in Jefferson County. In 1908, while attending Syracuse University, Mabel, as she was known, kept a diary which New York Almanack is publishing each week. This week she records a busy schedule with her social connections. [Read more…] about Mabel Allen’s 1908 Diary: Busy With Friends
This October 4th, the Feast Day of St. Francis, the world commemorates 800 years since the Saint’s death in 1226. Every day I pass our living room where, prominently framed on our wall, is a copy of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis, a famous Christian prayer that seeks to make the speaker an instrument of peace, love, and understanding.
This version of Francis’ peace prayer was printed in calligraphy and gifted to many by Adirondack wilderness conservationist Paul Schaefer (1908-1996). [Read more…] about St. Francis’ Peace Prayer & Paul Schaefer’s Early Writing
Aside from the beautiful flowers, native plants, shrubs and trees are more than being visually attractive – they are also attracting birds. Now that the cold weather is setting in and winter is on the way, what can you do to entice these feathered friends to continue to visit? [Read more…] about Attracting Birds To Your Landscape This Winter
The New York State Wildlife Action Plan for 2025–2035 is now finalized. An assessment conducted for the report found 570 species of special concern, including 269 native plants. Of these, 147 are designated as a high priority. [Read more…] about New York State 2035 Wildlife Action Plan Finalized
The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has reopened the Lincoln Bathhouse at Saratoga Spa State Park after multimillion-dollar renovation projects inside and out. It now includes a new mineral springs museum focused on cultural history of Saratoga waters. [Read more…] about New Saratoga Mineral Springs Museum; Spa Park Lincoln Bath Upgrades
NYS Forest Rangers recovered the bodies of a 45-year-old hiker in the Giant Mountain Wilderness and a 60-year-old found in the water under the bridge at Ausable Chasm, in addition to responding to a wildfire in Long Lake and several other lost and injured Adirondack hikers. Three incidents occurred on a single day. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Bodies at AuSable Chasm, Giant Mountain; Fight Fire & More
For those who choose two wheels, bicycles are celebrated as eco-friendly, low-barrier alternatives to the automobile. A bicycle license plate recently highlighted by the Vermont Historical Society however, reveals a time when they were subject to the same municipal oversight, state regulation, and licensing as motor vehicles.
In fact, municipal bicycle licensing and registration was widespread across Vermont, New York State, and indeed the United States, from the 1930s through the mid-1970s. [Read more…] about Two-Wheel Bureaucracy: How America Once Governed Bicycles
New York pine barrens are unique woodland communities made up of pitch pine, scrub oak, and grassy areas. Blueberries and ferns blanket the ground. Dozens of threatened or endangered creatures prefer this vegetation, making this rare community their home. [Read more…] about Exploring Rare New York Pine Barrens
Restoration work on nearly three miles of the Minnewaska State Park Preserve’s Lake Awosting Carriage Road, a historic trail circling Lake Awosting, the largest “sky lake” on the northern Shawangunk Ridge is now complete. [Read more…] about Lake Awosting Carriage Road Restoration Complete
Oakley Corners State Forest is 1,160 acres of woodlands in the Towns of Newark Valley and Owego, in eastern Tioga County, that features a 15.3-mile multi-use trail system. The trails are available for all skill levels and offer family-based recreation, including hiking, wildlife viewing, mountain biking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and cross-county skiing. [Read more…] about Oakley Corners State Forest: Southern Tier Single-Track
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