Mohawk Valley

Rensselaerswyck, Beverwyck & Schenectady: The Stuyvesant, Van Rensselaer and Van Slichtenhorst Conflict

December 5, 2021 by Peter Hess 2 Comments

In spite of his involvement and investment, Kiliaen Van Rensselaer never visited his new patroonship Rensselaerswyck; it was managed by his agent, and cousin, Arendt van Curler, commissioner general of the colony of New Netherland.

The second patroon, Johannes Van Rensselaer (1625–1662) succeeded his father after his father’s death in 1643 but also never came to America. He governed through an agent, Brant van Slichtenhorst. [Read more…] about Rensselaerswyck, Beverwyck & Schenectady: The Stuyvesant, Van Rensselaer and Van Slichtenhorst Conflict

New York Lunatic Asylum at Utica: A History of Old Main

December 3, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Book purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

The book The New York Lunatic Asylum at Utica: A History of Old Main (North Country Books, 2015) by Dennis Webster looks at the New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica, also known as “Old Main,” which opened in 1843 as the first institution of its kind to treat “madness” as a medical illness, not a curse.

Although closed in 1978, the building was placed in the National Register of Historic Places, and its iconic columns still fascinate the public today. [Read more…] about New York Lunatic Asylum at Utica: A History of Old Main

Empire State Trail Printed Map Now Available

December 2, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The newly designed printed map of the Empire State Trail is now available. This printed map showcases the 750-mile Empire State Trail and many of New York’s special places, diverse history, and iconic landscapes along the route. [Read more…] about Empire State Trail Printed Map Now Available

New York, New France: French Ambitions at Oneida Lake in 1634

November 30, 2021 by Daniel Koch 1 Comment

When a Dutchman, Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert, traveled from Albany (then Fort Orange) to the main village of the Oneidas in the dead of winter 1634, he was on a mission to thwart the French, who had found their way to Oneida Lake.

In the struggle for influence in Iroquoia, there was no time to lose. The Dutch had a firm hold on the Hudson Valley at this point and a profitable relationship with the Mohawk, but New Netherland’s trade was threatened by New France, which controlled the St. Lawrence River from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic. [Read more…] about New York, New France: French Ambitions at Oneida Lake in 1634

Fort Plain Museum: Author Book Fair, Christmas at the Fort Dec 4th, Dueling Pistols on Display

November 29, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Fort Plain Museum will be open 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays through December. The gift shop will also be open for holiday shopping.

The Christmas at the Fort even will be held Saturday, December 4, 2021, from 10 am to 4 pm. The event features an Author Book Fair (12 pm to 3 pm) with over 20 authors selling and signiong their books. There will also be 15% off all bookstore and gift shop purchases and refreshments served.

Marinus Willet, Tammany Hall & The Treaty of New York

November 28, 2021 by James S. Kaplan 5 Comments

Every year in October the Lower Manhattan Historical Society holds its Saratoga/Yorktown celebration in Trinity Churchyard to celebrate the American victories at the Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown.

At that ceremony wreaths are lain on the graves of Revolutionary War figures associated with those battles — Horatio Gates, Alexander Hamilton and Marinus Willett. [Read more…] about Marinus Willet, Tammany Hall & The Treaty of New York

The Wild Turkey in Winter

November 24, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

There are only a few dozen species of birds capable of surviving the rigors of an Adirondack winter, and of these, the wild turkey is one that is more closely associated with the warmer and less snowy regions of New York than those to the north. [Read more…] about The Wild Turkey in Winter

Utica Marsh Wildlife Area Comments Sought

November 23, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a draft Access and Public Use Plan (APUP) for the Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The draft plan is available for public comment until December 22nd. [Read more…] about Utica Marsh Wildlife Area Comments Sought

Erie Canal Balladeer Tom Kilboy: A Short Biography

November 21, 2021 by David Brooks 5 Comments

This might just be the image of a once well-known but now forgotten canal man who boasted fast cash and could bellow sweet, eloquent canal ballads near Waterford and Cohoes, active for decades between the 1870s to the early 20th century.

On December 22, 1938, Works Progress Administration (WPA) worker R. P. Gray came into the acquaintance of one Tom Kilboy. Gray was part of the Federal Writers’ Project, created in 1935 “to provide employment for historians, teachers, writers, librarians, and other white-collar workers” according to the Library of Congress.

It was in that work that Kilboy had been interviewed in his apartment at 2307 Broadway, West Troy – today’s Watervliet. [Read more…] about Erie Canal Balladeer Tom Kilboy: A Short Biography

Oneida Indian Nation During The American Revolution (Virtual Program)

November 13, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Rome Historical Society (RHS) will present “The Oneida Indian Nation and The Revolution,” a virtual program discussing the role of the Oneidas during the American Revolution and how the war impacted their lives, set for Wednesday, November 17th.

Fort Stanwix and the Oriskany Battlefield are examples of the many Revolutionary War sites in and around Rome. [Read more…] about Oneida Indian Nation During The American Revolution (Virtual Program)