History, Natural History & the Arts
Old Fort Niagara will host “Winter Warriors,” a day of family-oriented programming highlighting colonial era winter survival skills on Saturday, January 15th.
This event will focus on how people survived in 18th century New York during the winter months. [Read more…] about 18th Century Winter Survival Skills Focus of Old Fort Niagara Event
What was your favorite story this past year? Whatever it was, it cost money to produce. Now we need your help.
We have less than $1,980 to reach our goal for 2021. Please chip in to support New York Almanack‘s 13th year of providing stories about New York State history, natural history and culture.
We rely on our readers; we receive no public money.
Please make a contribution online at our Rally.org page: https://rally.org/f/4LBVKo9zYjO Or, send a check to: [Read more…] about What Did You Learn This Year At New York Almanack?
The Genesee Country Village & Museum’s (GCV&M) Nature Center will be opening its doors and trails this winter for Nature Sunday Experiences – opportunities for visitors to enjoy the snowy Museum grounds, learn about natural wildlife, and enjoy outdoor family fun.
The Museum will be open for Nature Sunday Experiences starting Sunday, January 9th, through Sunday, March 13th, from 10 am to 4 pm. [Read more…] about New Classes, Outdoor Adventures at Genesee Country Village & Museum
The Oneida County History Center has named Lou Parrotta the 2021 Volunteer of the Year. Volunteers are essential to the daily operation and long-term care of the organization, and are an invaluable asset to the community. Parrotta was chosen by his co-volunteers, staff, and the Board of Directors for his enthusiasm, loyalty, and many contributions to the History Center. [Read more…] about Oneida Co History Center Names Lou Parrotta Volunteer of the Year
When bare-knuckle “fair fight” pugilism reached a height in popularity in England in the early 1820s, many English boxers moved to the city of New York. Some simply for greener, less crowded professional pastures and others out of frustration over corruption or suppression of the sport by British authorities.
In the United States, these men bolstered the “manly art of self defense” by competing in local matches, opening gymnasiums, arranging fights, and training a new generation of American boxers. [Read more…] about The Oysters Sign: 19th Century Boxing’s Most Prized Trophy
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) have announced that nine projects and one individual are being recognized with a 2021 New York State Preservation Award for their efforts to preserve the state’s history.
The honors include the restoration of a Mohawk Valley Carnegie Library, the adaptive reuse of a Buffalo grain silo, and the recognition of a historic neighborhood on Fire Island. [Read more…] about NYS Historic Preservation Awards Announced
“I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left.”
So it was that Sharon, Vermont native Joseph Smith, who supposed himself a prophet of God and founded what is now the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (informally the LDS or Mormon Church), rather mistakenly announced the demise of these United States on May 6, 1843.
It would be Smith however, who met an untimely fate, murdered and mutilated by a mob of vigilantes in Illinois on June 27, 1844. In the feud that erupted after his death, native New Yorker James Jesse Strang would proclaim himself Smith’s appointed successor. [Read more…] about The Strange Life of James Jesse Strang, New York’s Other Mormon Leader
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, has announced that seven organizations have been selected to receive Erie Canalway IMPACT! Grants totaling $64,323.
Funded projects include work to showcase canal heritage and welcome people to explore the Erie Canal in their local communities. [Read more…] about 64k Awarded To Support Erie Canal Education, Tourism
Lighting up Niagara Falls at night goes back to before the Civil War, when simple chemical flares that burned blue were used in honor of visiting English royalty.
In 1907, Walter D’Arcy Ryan, a General Electric lighting engineer used 44 searchlights with gelatin filters (similar to “gels” used in film production today) to project various colors onto the falls. [Read more…] about Lighting Up Niagara Falls: The Schenectady Connection
There is a fascinating letter from Evan Evans of Turin, Lewis County, NY to his relatives back in Wales. It is written in Welsh and dated August 1856.
The letter tells the story of a young man who had recently arrived in the United States who was struggling with homesickness and wrestling with doubts about whether he had made the right decision to move to America. He describes the sea-crossing, his arrival, and his new life in north-central New York State.
The letter now resides in the Meirionnydd Archives in northwest Wales. [Read more…] about A Welsh Immigrant Writes Home from Upstate New York, 1856