The Columbia County Historical Society has added two more road trips to its ongoing ‘Drive Through History’ series, ‘Good Apples’ and ‘Schoolhouse Stories.’
‘Good Apples’ explores the role of apple farming in Columbia County’s agricultural history, visiting seven heritage orchards and other points of interest. Stops include Vosburgh Orchards, which has been in the Vosburgh family since 1839, and Philip Orchards, one of the oldest continually operating family farms in New York State. Visitors may buy or pick their own apples at each stop.
‘Schoolhouse Stories’ revisits the not-so-distant era of one-room schoolhouses in Columbia County. From the 1800s through the early 1900s, more than 100 district schools served the County’s schoolchildren, providing a tight-knit learning environment that many families preferred to centralized schools, which replaced single-room schools in the mid-20th century. Visitors can see nine former one-room schoolhouses, including the c.1850 Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse and the c.1796 Riders Mills Schoolhouse.
‘Good Apples’ and ‘Schoolhouse Stories’ join the previous itineraries launched by CCHS: ‘Legends & Folklore,’ ‘Sacred Spaces, Part I,’ ‘Artifacts of Industry,’ and ‘Patriots & Patroons: Politics in Columbia County.’
The self-guided driving itineraries are free to download on the Columbia County Historical Society website.
For more information, email Communications@cchsny.org, or visit the Columbia County Historical Society website.
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Photo of Samascott Orchards, a stop on the ‘Good Apples’ Drive Through History road trip provided.
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