Hudson Valley - Catskills

Historic Site Seeks Yonkers Immigration Stories

June 30, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is designing an exhibit about the rise of Yonkers as an immigrant city, set for a phased opening beginning in September 2016. From its start as a Lenape fishing village and Dutch patroonship, to the industrious peak of the 1900s, and into modern times, the growth of Yonkers can be attributed to the various ethnic groups that have settled in the area.

The site is seeking local first- and second-generation immigrants to assist with the creation of this exhibit. Interviews will be conducted on an ongoing basis through the remaining months of 2015. [Read more…] about Historic Site Seeks Yonkers Immigration Stories

Orange County Civil War Talk Wednesday

May 26, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

William E. Mapes, a native of Florida, New York, volunteered in the summer of 1862 to save the Union. In this he was no different from any of the 300,000 men who signed up to fight in a war they had expected to be already over. President Lincoln and the loyal governors of the North called upon the eligible male population to enlist before conscription began. If they did so, they could serve with friends and neighbors in a regiment commanded by men they had known most of their lives. [Read more…] about Orange County Civil War Talk Wednesday

A Century Ago: New York’s War on Animals

April 13, 2015 by Lawrence P. Gooley 3 Comments

Beware! Pictured here are your adversaries – the official enemies of the state. Don’t be distracted by the pretty colors, lovely feathers, or furry critters. These are vermin, and citizens are urged to kill them at every opportunity.

The poster, by the way, represents only the top nine targets from a group of notorious killers, presented here alphabetically: bobcat, Cooper’s hawk, crow, English sparrow, goshawk, gray fox, great gray owl, great horned owl, house rat, “hunting” house cat, lynx, porcupine, red fox, red squirrel, sharp-shinned hawk, snowy owl, starling, weasel, and woodchuck. Kingfishers and a number of snakes were later added, and osprey were fair game as well. [Read more…] about A Century Ago: New York’s War on Animals

The Dutch Wars of Independence, 1570-1680

April 12, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In The Dutch Wars of Independence: Warfare and Commerce in The Netherlands, 1570-1680 (Routledge, 2014), Marjolein ’t Hart assesses the success of the Dutch in establishing their independence through their eighty years struggle with Spain – one of the most remarkable achievements of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Other rebellions troubled mighty powers of this epoch, but none resulted in the establishment of an independent, republican state. [Read more…] about The Dutch Wars of Independence, 1570-1680

Greene Smith: Peterboro’s Avid Outdoorsman

April 9, 2015 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

The important contributions to the field of ornithology of citizen-scientist Greene Smith have been obscured by the Underground Railroad and abolition fame of Smith’s father Gerrit Smith. As important and well-known as are the Underground Railroad sites on the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark in Peterboro NY, it is Greene’s Ornithon that most piques visitors’ curiosity about the builder and collector of that bird museum.

This public fascination prompted Norm Dann to turn the focus of his Smith research to Greene Smith and his Birdhouse. Dann’s study of family letters, military records, Greene’s personal Catalogue of Birds, the pursuit of Greene’s hunting apparatus, and the ownership and investigation of the Birdhouse site, have culminated in the March printing of Greene Smith and the WildLife: The Story of Peterboro’s Avid Outdoorsman – the first publication on this absorbing story. [Read more…] about Greene Smith: Peterboro’s Avid Outdoorsman

Birds in History: New York’s Snoring Eagles?

April 6, 2015 by Lawrence P. Gooley Leave a Comment

From a lifetime of experiences, and reading nature books since childhood, it’s true that I should know a little more about wildlife than the average Joe, but I lay no claim to being an expert. Learning something new is a principal reason for reading books, and of late, I’ve had occasion to indulge in several excellent Adirondack-related titles written between 1840 and 1920.

In one of them, a particular passage caused me to stop, backtrack, read it again, and then one more time in disbelief. Since other animal behavior described in the book held true, I supposed this one should as well, but I had reservations. Above all, one thing was certain: confirmation would be hilarious, at least to my thinking. The claim was that bald eagles snore. And not only that: they snore LOUDLY. Experienced guides and hunters claimed it to be true. [Read more…] about Birds in History: New York’s Snoring Eagles?

Contemporary Exhibit Set For Thomas Cole, Olana Sites

March 23, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site and The Olana Partnership/Olana State Historic Site will co-host an exhibition of contemporary art to highlight the pivotal role that the two historic properties – and the artists who lived and worked there – played in shaping America’s culture of contemporary art.

The exhibition “River Crossings: Contemporary Art Comes Home” will open on May 3rd and run through November 1, 2015. [Read more…] about Contemporary Exhibit Set For Thomas Cole, Olana Sites

Artifacts From The Copake Iron Works Talk

March 11, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Friends of Taconic State Park will presents “Artifacts from the Copake Iron Works” on Sunday, March 15th from 2 to 4 pm at the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society in Copake Falls, NY.

Jim Mackin, vice president of Friends of Taconic State Park, along with members of the group’s museum committee, will speak about the history of the Copake Iron Works and efforts to catalog the many artifacts uncovered in the Iron Works machine shop. [Read more…] about Artifacts From The Copake Iron Works Talk

New Illustrated History of Hudson, NY

February 21, 2015 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

A new pictorial history authored by Lisa LaMonica, Hudson (Arcadia Publishing, 2014) features over 200 images depicting scenes of the City of Hudson and it’s surroundings’ history.

In vintage photographs, Hudson covers a history that includes the story of the Mohicans, whaling, and the multitude of factories in the Industrial Age, as well as the city’s modern-day transformation. [Read more…] about New Illustrated History of Hudson, NY

Washington’s Birthday: Guide To Hudson Valley Events

February 12, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Depending on where you are or who you talk to, the third Monday in February represents either Presidents’ Day or Washington’s Birthday. At three Revolutionary War historic sites in the Hudson Valley, the day is part of a three-day celebration of George Washington.

The Friends of the State Historic Sites of the Hudson Highlands (FSHSHH) have created an inclusive schedule to the array of activities taking place at Washington’s Headquarters, Knox’s Headquarters, and the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Sites on February 14th, 15th, and 16th. Each day offers something new. [Read more…] about Washington’s Birthday: Guide To Hudson Valley Events