Pulitzer-prize winning historian David McCullough’s new book The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West (Simon & Schuster, 2019) is a good example of local and regional history well told.
The title is somewhat expansive. The book really is not about pioneers generally or the west as a whole. It is mostly about the development of Marietta, Ohio, the surrounding region, and to some degree the state of Ohio and the Northwest Territory. But some of its insights presented by McCullough may be applicable to the development of the western part of the country as a whole. [Read more…] about David McCullough’s The Pioneers: A Model of Local History
One of the trends in public history programs these days is to re-examine program mission, reach out to new audiences, and reach back into the histories of groups that have been neglected or marginalized.
New York’s aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss (1878-1930) warrants a more prominent place in history. He is often sidelined or slighted by historians who focus on the Wright brothers.
This is the time of year when the Governor is preparing his state-of-the state message, the Division of the Budget is assembling the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget, and legislative leaders are working on their priorities. What will be done to advance state and local history?
New York State has approximately 17,000 highway bridges. They are essential for traveling around our state and connecting our communities. Bridges – old and new – are part of community and state history. The story of the Blenheim Covered Bridge across the Schoharie Creek the town of Blenheim in Schoharie County is one of history, resilience, and restoration.
Victor Cardona, an attorney who lives in Guilderland, has developed a way to blend the capacities of smart phones, geolocation technology, and podcasts into a new tool for promoting history.