Octagon houses date back to ancient Greece, where they were symbols of rebirth and renewal. In the United States they were mostly built during the 1850s and 1860s, many of them in New York State. [Read more…] about Orson Squire Fowler & New York’s Octagon Houses
This page includes all our stories about New York State history.
Irish and Italian Immigrants (A Virtual Presentation)
Historian Ronald Bayor will examine the often troubled relationship between Irish and Italian immigrants in a virtual presentation hosted by the Irish American Heritage Museum on December 19th at 7 pm. [Read more…] about Irish and Italian Immigrants (A Virtual Presentation)
The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
The Rebellions of 1837-1838 were insurrections against the oligarchic government of the British colonies of Lower and Upper Canada in 1837 and 1838. The rebellion began in Lower Canada but quickly spread to Upper Canada as well. [Read more…] about The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
Old Fort Niagara Present Castle by Candlelight
Old Fort Niagara assumes a particularly festive air during the holiday season. Special activities kick off on Saturday evenings, December 9 and 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, as the Fort presents “The Castle by Candlelight,” a tour of the Great Lakes’ oldest building illuminated entirely by candles. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Present Castle by Candlelight
Covered Bridges: Common Questions Answered
Many reasons are offered for covering bridges such as providing shelter during inclement weather or so horses wouldn’t be afraid to cross the water. However, the true reason is much more practical – to protect the structure supporting the bridge. Without protection from the weather, the wooden timbers supporting the bridge would decay more rapidly and eventually collapse. [Read more…] about Covered Bridges: Common Questions Answered
New York State Science Policy Fellowships
The Rockefeller Institute of Government, in partnership with the Simons Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, has launched a new initiative to bring additional science and technology expertise into New York State government. The Institute is now accepting applications for the inaugural New York State Science Policy Fellowship cohort of 2024. [Read more…] about New York State Science Policy Fellowships
John Brown in Westport on Lake Champlain
By the 1861 outbreak of the Civil War, the United States was the world’s greatest slave power. For almost 250 years Americans and their ancestors had created, maintained, and spread systems of enslavement throughout much of our nation. It will take another 88 years before the lands of the United States will have known freedom for longer than they have known enslavement. [Read more…] about John Brown in Westport on Lake Champlain
Farming With Dynamite: The Stone Boom in Schoharie County
Thirty-one quarries dotted the limestone belt that stretches from end-to-end along the northern third of Schoharie County, NY.
Before the introduction of concrete in the early 1900s, these quarries supplied millions of tons of cut and finished stone to projects like the Brooklyn Bridge, the expanding NYS Barge Canal System, and hundreds of homes and prominent buildings meant to last for centuries. [Read more…] about Farming With Dynamite: The Stone Boom in Schoharie County
Samson Occom: Radical Hospitality in the Native Northeast
The Mohegan-Brothertown minister Samson Occom (1723–1792) was a prominent political and religious leader of the Indigenous peoples of present-day New York and New England, among whom he is still revered today. An international celebrity in his day, Occom rose to fame as the first Native person to be ordained a minister in the New England colonies. [Read more…] about Samson Occom: Radical Hospitality in the Native Northeast
The Last Days of John Brown: Martyr, Revolutionary or Terrorist?
This week marks the anniversary of John Brown’s execution on December 2, 1859. Had Brown escaped from Harpers Ferry rather than been captured he might well today be just a footnote, one of the tens of thousands that struggled to undermine the institution of slavery in America before the Civil War.
It’s often said that just one thing secured Brown’s place in the hearts of millions of Americans that came after him – his execution and martyrdom. There is another equally important reason Americans will celebrate the life of John Brown this week however – he was right that slavery would end at a heavy price. [Read more…] about The Last Days of John Brown: Martyr, Revolutionary or Terrorist?