Mohawk Valley

B-52s Were Ready to Fly in Central New York

March 4, 2022 by Bob Cudmore 1 Comment

This week on The Historians Podcast Jim Coulthart, an amateur aviation historian, tells airplane tales based on a collection of aircraft incidents, and accidents dating back to the Second World War with ties to Central New York.

Coulthart spent a year and a half curating family accounts, newspaper clippings, online resources, and official reports to develop a program on local aviation history. Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY, was in use from 1942 until 1995 when the federal government closed the base. At one point B 52 bombers were assigned to Griffiss which is now the Griffiss Business and Technology Park. [Read more…] about B-52s Were Ready to Fly in Central New York

State Campgrounds Set Attendance Record for 2021

March 3, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Overnight reservations at campgrounds operated by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) climbed to record highs this year.

Over the last decade, as improvements were being made statewide under the NY Parks 2020 capital program, total overnight stays at State Parks campgrounds have risen nearly 45 percent. [Read more…] about State Campgrounds Set Attendance Record for 2021

Revolutionary Albany: Supplying Ticonderoga, Dealing With Loyalists & Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Relations

March 2, 2022 by Peter Hess Leave a Comment

In early May, 1775 the Revolutionary War was underway on largely local scale. The attack on the British forces leaving Lexington and Concord had happened less than a month earlier, and 4,500 British troops had landed in Boston.

The lightly defended Fort Ticonderoga was taken on the morning of May 10, 1775, in a surprise attack by the Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, with the help of Benedict Arnold. The fort had been held by the British for 16 years, since it was taken from the French in 1759. [Read more…] about Revolutionary Albany: Supplying Ticonderoga, Dealing With Loyalists & Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Relations

Archaeology of Indigenous Plant Use in the Mohawk Valley

March 1, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In the Mohawk Valley, archaeological data from Mohawk Native American sites can help researchers understand Mohawk cuisine preferences and how the arrival of Europeans in this area impacted Native American communities.

The Schenectady County Historical Society will host “The Archaeology of Indigenous Plant Use in the Mohawk Valley,” a virtual program set for Thursday, March 10th. [Read more…] about Archaeology of Indigenous Plant Use in the Mohawk Valley

A Grave Marker for an American Veteran

February 25, 2022 by Bob Cudmore Leave a Comment

This week’s guest on The Historians Podcast is Peter Betz of Fulton County who explains how he was able to help a family acquire a grave marker at no cost for a deceased family member who was a United States Army veteran.

Betz is a member of the Perth town council and president of the Perth Center Cemetery Association. He found that a veteran who died in recent years was buried next to his wife who had died in 2010. His wife had a headstone but the veteran, Howard Forgette, did not. [Read more…] about A Grave Marker for an American Veteran

A Free Black Man’s Revolutionary World: Jacob Francis, 1754-1836

February 25, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

William L. Kidder’s book The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis, 1754-1836 (Self-Published, 2021) tells the story of Jacob Francis of Amwell township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey who was indentured out by his free Black mother to the age of 21.

Five different men “owned his time” during his indenture and each provided a different experience for him. The last man lived in Salem, Massachusetts and Jacob lived there between 1768 and 1775 during the buildup to fighting in the American Revolution. [Read more…] about A Free Black Man’s Revolutionary World: Jacob Francis, 1754-1836

Erie Canalway 2021 Annual Report Available

February 19, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has announced the release of the 2021 Erie Canalway Annual Report.

The report features highlights of efforts made to preserve and promote the nation’s most successful and influential constructed waterway, the Erie Canal, and to connect people with its recreational and economic opportunities, distinctive heritage, and scenic beauty. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway 2021 Annual Report Available

Radio Station WGY’s 100th Anniversary of Broadcasting

February 18, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Capital Region radio station WGY, New York State’s oldest broadcaster, will celebrate their 100th year with a live afternoon of broadcasting on Sunday, February 20th.

WGY’s original licensee was General Electric (GE), headquartered in Schenectady. In early 1915, the company was granted a Class 3-Experimental license with the call sign 2XI. That license was canceled in 1917 due to the First World War, but 2XI was re-licensed in 1920. [Read more…] about Radio Station WGY’s 100th Anniversary of Broadcasting

Fort Plain Museum February Book Sale

February 15, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

For the entire month of February, the Fort Plain Museum Bookstore has been celebrating the George Washington’s birthday and Black History Month with an online book sale. Buyers can save 10% (members 15%) and get free shipping on book purchases that help support the museum. [Read more…] about Fort Plain Museum February Book Sale

Herkimer County Loyalist Raids & The Battle of West Canada Creek

February 15, 2022 by Louis Baum 6 Comments

During the American Revolution, British loyalists frequently raided the farms and homes of their former friends and neighbors in what is now Herkimer County, NY, with the support of their Native allies.

Among the communities raided were Andrustown (July 18, 1778), Rheimensnyders Bush (April 3, 1780, also known as Yellow Church), Shells Bush (August 6, 1781) and Little Falls (June 1782). The Loyalists knew the landscape well, for many of them had lived there for a generation or two. Many were relatives and friends of the recently deceased Sir William Johnson who had been Commissioner of Indian Affairs for North America.

One of these raids resulted in what has become known as the Battle of West Canada Creek, which occurred in September 1781. [Read more…] about Herkimer County Loyalist Raids & The Battle of West Canada Creek