New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Holiday Music & Traditions of the Mohawk Valley

by Leave a Comment

Trinkaus lightsColonial America was a melting pot of people from varied nations and traditions. The Puritans of New England did not celebrate Christmas at all. The early German and English immigrants to the Mohawk Valley were more accustomed to celebrating the holiday. In combining elements from various cultures, America developed its own unique traditions.

The custom of burning the Yule Log goes back to before medieval times. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings. [Read more…] about Holiday Music & Traditions of the Mohawk Valley

Submitting Writing for Publication: An Adirondack Workshop

by Leave a Comment

SOS: Where Can I Publish This?The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) will expand its First Friday offerings on Friday, December 2nd with “SOS: Where Can I Publish This?” a program including a free, drop-in workshop on the subject of submitting creative writing for publication to magazines, websites, and other publications. [Read more…] about Submitting Writing for Publication: An Adirondack Workshop

The Rise and Fall of Charles Willson Peale’s Museum

by Leave a Comment

Behind the Crimson CurtainCharles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, and for establishing one of the first museums in the United States.

In 1786, Charles Willson Peale created what is considered the most important — and most famous — museum in Revolutionary era America. A fusion of natural history and art, Peale’s Philadelphia Museum was meant to be an embodiment of the Enlightenment. [Read more…] about The Rise and Fall of Charles Willson Peale’s Museum

Wild Center’s Wild Lights is Back: Bigger & Brighter

by Leave a Comment

Stickwork lit up courtesy Rick GodinThe Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY, has announced the return of Wild Lights presented by Merrill L. Thomas, Inc. This seasonal experience transforms The Wild Center’s 115-acre campus into a winter wonderland, with a variety of activities, displays, lights, and dates added this year due to popular demand.

Wild Lights will run on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5 to 8 pm, with tickets on sale now. [Read more…] about Wild Center’s Wild Lights is Back: Bigger & Brighter

The Story of Mohawk Airlines (1945 – 1972)

by 1 Comment

Mohawk AirlinesFirst headquartered in Ithaca, NY, Mohawk Airlines operated from the Oneida County Airport in Oriskany, NY. It was a regional passenger airline that covered the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from the mid-1940s until it was bought by Allegheny Airlines in 1972.

At its peak, it employed over 2,200 personnel. It was a pioneer in regional airline operations, including being the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant and the first to offer a pressurized cabin. [Read more…] about The Story of Mohawk Airlines (1945 – 1972)

Harvey Silver’s Portraits of 1960s and 1970s America Going On Exhibit

by Leave a Comment

High school students, NYC, 1975EV Gallery in New York City has announced their Holiday Photography Show, “Changin’ Times” by Harvey L. Silver is set to open on Saturday, December 3rd, with an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm.

[Read more…] about Harvey Silver’s Portraits of 1960s and 1970s America Going On Exhibit

Woodstock Historical Holiday Market Fair Starts December 3rd

by Leave a Comment

Historical Society of Woodstock Holiday Market FairThe Historical Society of Woodstock (HSW) will hold its annual Holiday Market Fair on December 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, Ulster County, NY. The sale will be open each Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm. [Read more…] about Woodstock Historical Holiday Market Fair Starts December 3rd

The Great Monopolist of Books: Henry Stevens Jr of Vermont

by Leave a Comment

Vermont Historical SocietyHenry Stevens, Jr. (son of the elder Henry Stevens who founded the Vermont Historical Society) was an American antiquarian in the transatlantic book world in the 1840s. Among his accomplishments was the purchase of a small collection of association copies from George Washington’s library at Mount Vernon, which highlighted differences between British and American collecting habits and perspectives. [Read more…] about The Great Monopolist of Books: Henry Stevens Jr of Vermont

Agency & Identity: Cherry Hill’s Would-Be Sisters

by Leave a Comment

“Kittie” Putman and “Minnie” Knapp“Kittie” Putman and “Minnie” Knapp each came to the Cherry Hill Mansion in Albany, NY after her mother’s death to be raised by Van Rensselaer descendant and 3rd-generation mistress of the estate, Harriet Maria Van Elmendorf.

Both wards, but not quite sisters, Kittie was herself a Van Rensselaer descendant while Minnie was likely descended from Dinah Jackson, an enslaved woman. [Read more…] about Agency & Identity: Cherry Hill’s Would-Be Sisters