Closson’s Cafe at 64 Congress Street in Troy (corner of Third and Congress) closed February 2, 1966 when bartender Mike Gallagher drew the last glass of beer and then abruptly, and without notice to the public, closed the doors.
[Read more…] about Bowling, Beers and Opera: Closson’s Cafe in Troy
Cold Temperatures, Dry Conditions In The Adirondacks This Weekend
Temperatures have taken a decided turn. We’re expected to see some 20s at night in colder mountain valleys this weekend.
If you’re headed into to the woods or onto the waters, now is the time to be sure you’ve got some extra clothing and be prepared to spend an unplanned night in cold temperatures.
Summit temperatures are not expected to rise out of the 30s this weekend. [Read more…] about Cold Temperatures, Dry Conditions In The Adirondacks This Weekend
Adirondack Conditions: Dry, Waters Remain Low, Popular Areas Remain Busy
Although colder spots have been seeing nighttime temperatures in the 40s, on Wednesday much of the region reached the lower 80s, and it’s remained warm enough for comfortable camping, with water temperatures warm enough for swimming. Temperatures are forecast to remain near normal for the next week.
There is some rain and morning fog in the forecast for this weekend however, so keep an eye on the weather. Summit temperatures are expected to remain mostly in the 50s, although Sunday morning could be windy and rainy at higher elevations. Be prepared against hypothermia by bringing extra clothing, and plenty of food and water. [Read more…] about Adirondack Conditions: Dry, Waters Remain Low, Popular Areas Remain Busy
Remembering Murdered Game Warden William Jackson
The LaGoy brothers were rough. A neighbor near Severence, on the road between the village of Schroon Lake and Paradox Lake in the Adirondacks, once wrote a letter to a local newspaper asking for a telling retraction.
“I was not lost,” D.S. Knox wrote. “My wife was much excited by the delay of about an hour of time over due, thinking as I have an organic heart trouble, caused to give her alarm, and not ever thinking of any of the LeGoy family causing any harm as neither of us believe that any of the LeGoy family ever would cause any personal harm without a provocation.”
It was rather important to Knox to make it clear to the world, that even if his wife had been talking out of school, neither of them harbored any ill will toward the LaGoys. [Read more…] about Remembering Murdered Game Warden William Jackson
The Case of the Missing Adirondack Game Protector
On October 16, 1932, twenty-one-year-old Special Game Protector Paul J. DuCuennois of North Creek, Warren County, disappeared while patrolling Jabe Pond near Lake George; his car was located at the end of the trail to the pond.
He was reported drowned by Charles Foote and Wilson Putnam, who said they saw him go into the water from the other side of water. They told authorities they rowed to the spot of DuCuennois’s swamped and overturned canoe, but could not immediately locate his body. Nearby his jacket lay floating, the men said, and in its pocket, the key to the game warden’s car. [Read more…] about The Case of the Missing Adirondack Game Protector
The Adirondack ‘Man in Chains’ Died Alone
He would claim that his chains, padlocks and handcuffs would shackle him to salvation. He would be forced to do as Jesus had done – fast for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. It was a quest to purify his body and his soul.
But his desert wasn’t exactly the howling wilderness Jesus had wandered, it was a patch of woods in North Hudson, about a half-mile from the Northway . [Read more…] about The Adirondack ‘Man in Chains’ Died Alone
July 1931: Prohibition Agents Seize A Still Near Lake George
During Prohibition the social life of so many Americans was made criminal overnight. Here’s a little nugget from the July 2, 1931 Ticonderoga Sentinel.
One wonders if the men arrested here ever served any hard time. I suspect they did. [Read more…] about July 1931: Prohibition Agents Seize A Still Near Lake George
Settler Fears of Indian Conflict Near Albany Before 1664
Noted local historical archeologist David R. Starbuck has said that the interconnected routes from the Richelieu River at the north end of Lake Champlain to Albany has the highest density of military sites in North America in the 1700s.
The large military encampments that attended the big campaigns of that era were among the largest cities in America, albeit for short intervals. [Read more…] about Settler Fears of Indian Conflict Near Albany Before 1664
King William and Queen Anne Wars in NYS
In the 1680s and 1690s the latest in a long string of European wars broke out. The War of the Grand Alliance, also known in New York State as King Williams War (1688-1697), pitted France against England, the Netherlands, and Austria.
It quickly spilled over to a bitter conflict of raids and counter-raids which took place between New France and frontier settlements of Eastern New York and Western Massachusetts. Each side employed their Indian allies to fight on their behalf and to guide their small armies to their respective enemies. [Read more…] about King William and Queen Anne Wars in NYS
William Fox Helped Create Modern NYS Forest Rangers
William F. Fox was born in 1840 in Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, and graduated from Union College in Schenectady in 1860. He served in the Civil War as Captain, Major and then Lieutenant Colonel in the 107th New York Volunteers and later wrote a number of books on both the Civil War and forestry.
Fox’s 1902 History of the Lumber Industry in the State of New York, written under the auspicious of Gifford Pinchot, is considered among the first authoritative works on the logging industry in New York. [Read more…] about William Fox Helped Create Modern NYS Forest Rangers