Early Settlement Above The Helderberg Escarpment
From 1630 until the Anti-Rent Movement of the 1840s, most of what is now Albany and Rensselaer Counties, along with parts of Columbia and Greene Counties, was part of the estate of the van Rensselaer family. They leased the land, but did not generally sell it.
Running north-south through Albany County is the Helderberg Escarpment, a vertical limestone cliff hundreds of feet high (Thatcher Park forms a part of this geologic feature) that separates the Hudson Valley lands in the eastern part of the county from the lands to the west, above the cliffs. Because the land above was difficult to reach, and the soils poorer, that area was settled somewhat later by Europeans. [Read more…] about Early Settlement Above The Helderberg Escarpment
Baseball: The 1944 St. Louis Street-Car Series
I often wish one of the great play-writes like Moss Hart or Arthur Miller, or a screenwriter like Billy Wilder, had been bigger baseball fans, as the game would often make a very funny script.
If I had a mind to write one, I would set the plot in St. Louis, at the height of the Second World War. Baseball had a large presence there, and for plenty of seasons including the war years, the Gateway City was home to two major league ball teams.
The National League entry had played in St. Louis since 1892, as one of the surviving franchises from the American Association, which had failed financially the year before. The Brown Stockings took their name from their hose color in the best 1890s baseball tradition. The team changed their name in 1899 to Perfectos and in 1900, mercifully changed it again to Cardinals. [Read more…] about Baseball: The 1944 St. Louis Street-Car Series
Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, & The Expanding American Mainstream
Some Americans believe that inevitable demographic changes will create a society with a majority made up of minorities for the first time in the United States’ history.
Richard Alba argues that this narrative obscures a more transformative development: the rising numbers of young Americans from ethno-racially mixed families, consisting of one white and one nonwhite parent. He believes young Americans with mixed parentage will play pivotal roles in the country’s demographic future. [Read more…] about Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, & The Expanding American Mainstream
Perch River WMA Habitat Management Plan Meeting Oct 21st
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is holding a virtual public information session on the Habitat Management Plan (HMP) for Perch River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located in the towns of Brownville, Orleans, and Pamelia, in Jefferson County, on Thursday, October 21st from 6 to 8 pm. [Read more…] about Perch River WMA Habitat Management Plan Meeting Oct 21st
DEC’s Opens New Division of Marine Resources Headquarters
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) new Marine Resources headquarters has opened in the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s Nissequogue River State Park, Kings Park, in Suffolk County. [Read more…] about DEC’s Opens New Division of Marine Resources Headquarters
Galway’s Gristmill: A Short History
Galway in Saratoga County, NY had more than a half dozen churches in the early 1800s, but very little industry. It was first settled by immigrants from Scotland in 1774.
A lack of large rivers or a railroad connection stifled the growth of the town, although by 1855 it had six sawmills, two grist mills, two broom handle factories, and eight blacksmiths within the village of Galway. [Read more…] about Galway’s Gristmill: A Short History
Albany’s Thurlow Weed: Seward, Lincoln’s Election, & The Civil War Years
The second Republican Party Presidential election was held in 1860. Thurlow Weed wanted supporters of the recently formed Republican Party to nominate William Seward.
Working against Weed was the fact that the Republican convention was to be held in Chicago, Illinois, home state of Abraham Lincoln. Weed knew that his man, Seward, was far better known throughout the country. In addition to being New York’s Governor, Seward had been a U.S. Senator and as a leading anti-slavery proponent he had received extensive publicity. His biggest drawback was that he had been considered at one time to be the most radical anti-slavery member of the Senate. [Read more…] about Albany’s Thurlow Weed: Seward, Lincoln’s Election, & The Civil War Years
Help Track Spotted Lanternfly: Claim a Grid Square to Survey
Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive pest from Asia that feeds on a variety of plants including grapes, hops, and maple trees. It poses a severe threat to New York’s forests and agriculture.
SLF has been found in several locations in New York State, but has not yet spread into much of the state. One potential pathway for the spread of SLF is its preferred host plant, tree-of-heaven, which is already found in many locations across NY. [Read more…] about Help Track Spotted Lanternfly: Claim a Grid Square to Survey
Rome NY Olympic Athletes (Virtual Program)
Since 1977 Rome Sports Hall of Fame (RSHF) has annually inducted local athletes, coaches, and sports personalities into their Hall of Fame. Alongside the Hall of Fame, they have a museum exhibiting local sports artifacts and memorabilia at their facility located at 5790 Rome New London Road.
The Rome Historical Society (RHS) will host “Rome Olympic Athletes,” a virtual program by Rome Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director, David Sbaraglia on Wednesday, October 20th. [Read more…] about Rome NY Olympic Athletes (Virtual Program)
The Fighting Quakers: A Civil War Story
The Marlborough Historical Society in Ulster County, NY will host “The Fighting Quakers,” a presentation by Dr. Anthony M. Pascale on the book The Fighting Quakers: The True Story of the War for Our Union by A.J.H. Duganne, on Sunday, October 24th at the historic Milton Train Station.
The Fighting Quakers was first published in 1866. It tells the story of the three boys and their exploits and deaths at Gettysburg and Libby Prison. [Read more…] about The Fighting Quakers: A Civil War Story