Stories from Western New York

Stories from west of Utica, including the Finger Lakes and Central New York, Oneida Lake, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and the communities around places like Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Niagara County and the Southern Tier.

1908 Swimming & Summer Reading At Camp

July 11, 2026 by Phil Brown Leave a Comment

Alice Mabel Allen (1886-1976) grew up in the village of Adams in Jefferson County. In 1908, while attending Syracuse University, Mabel, as she was known, kept a diary which New York Almanack is publishing each week.

Monday, July 13

Father and Edna [her sister] left for Adams about noon. We — mother and I — took up the matting in the hall and mother washed. Put up banners and sewed on Edna’s bathing suit. After lunch we made the acquaintance of little Laura Howard who lives here the year around. [Read more…] about 1908 Swimming & Summer Reading At Camp

Seven to Save Preservation Nominations Sought

July 10, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Preservation League of NYS has been helping communities retain, rehabilitate, and reuse threatened sites through its Seven to Save Endangered Sites Program since 1999. [Read more…] about Seven to Save Preservation Nominations Sought

Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend

July 8, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

NYS Forest Rangers had a busy July 4th weekend in which they recovered the body of a paddler; rescued two people on an inflatable kayak from rapids they didn’t know existed on the Saranac River; assisted with an overturned sailboat on Lake Champlain; rescued someone from the rapids in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness; and two teens hiding from a black bear near Lake George. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend

154th NY Infantry Descendants 40th Annual Reunion July 18th

July 6, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Descendants of members of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry, a Civil War regiment raised in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties, will hold their 40th Annual Reunion from 2 to 5 pm on Saturday, July 18, at St. Bonaventure University in Cattaraugus County.

The 154th New York — known as the Hardtack Regiment — was raised in the summer of 1862 and participated in many of the great campaigns and battles of the war, including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign, and Gen. William T. Sherman’s marches through Georgia and the Carolinas. [Read more…] about 154th NY Infantry Descendants 40th Annual Reunion July 18th

Reluctant Warriors of 1936: William Bleakley & Herbert Lehman

July 2, 2026 by Randall Whitestone 2 Comments

On a warm, clear afternoon in June 1926, 600 Westchester County Republican delegates gathered in the art deco casino at Playland Amusement Park on Long Island Sound to endorse their neighbor, state Supreme Court Justice William F. Bleakley (1883–1969), for New York Governor. [Read more…] about Reluctant Warriors of 1936: William Bleakley & Herbert Lehman

Empire State Trail Report Offers Insights Across New York State

July 2, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Empire State Trail is a 750-mile multi-use trail spanning New York State, making it the longest single-state multi-use trail in the United States. Completed in December 2020, the network connects New York City to the Canadian border and Buffalo to Albany, creating a continuous route for bicyclists, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

A landmark 2026 study commissioned by Parks & Trails New York found that the trail generates $1.87 billion in annual economic output, supports 9,680 jobs, produces $640.9 million in employee earnings, and generates $206 million in state and local tax revenue. [Read more…] about Empire State Trail Report Offers Insights Across New York State

Acclaimed Indigenous Historian Laurence Hauptman, 81

July 2, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Dr. Laurence Hauptman, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at SUNY New Paltz, has passed at the age of 81. He was the author, co-author, or co-editor of twenty-one books and numerous articles, mostly on the Indigenous peoples of North America. [Read more…] about Acclaimed Indigenous Historian Laurence Hauptman, 81

Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body; Respond to Overdue Hikers

June 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Rainy weather last weekend kept many people from seeking outdoor recreation opportunities, but NY State Forest Rangers and State Police recovered the body of a paddler from an overturned canoe who could not swim in Wyoming County. They also responded to a call about a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old separated from their hiking group in the Adirondack High Peaks, and a 24-year-old overdue and unprepared hiker in the Johns Brook Valley. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body; Respond to Overdue Hikers

Bass Tournament Permitting and Reporting System Year 1 Results

June 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The results are in after the first year of the New York State Black Bass Fishing Tournament Permit and Reporting System. This system is provides DEC with information on the type, scope, and scale of black bass tournaments in New York, in order to understand and track tournament impacts on black bass fisheries.

Below are some key takeaways after the first year: [Read more…] about Bass Tournament Permitting and Reporting System Year 1 Results

16 Socialists Poised for State Legislature, Most in New York State History

June 25, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

At least seven Democratic Socialist candidates have won primary elections for the New York Legislature in districts considered safe in November. The primary sweep included multiple victories over incumbent Democrats and in competitive open seats.

Not only will it more than double the socialist contingent in the state house to 16 across both chambers, it will mark the largest socialist contingent in the state legislature in New York history. [Read more…] about 16 Socialists Poised for State Legislature, Most in New York State History

Capital Projects Dashboard Offers Insight into State Spending

June 24, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Office of General Services (OGS) has launched the Capital Projects Dashboard, a new digital tool that offers the public insight into the multi-billion-dollar construction and rehabilitation portfolio managed by the OGS.

The dashboard enables New Yorkers to see how and where state investments are being made in communities across the state. [Read more…] about Capital Projects Dashboard Offers Insight into State Spending

Fake Turkey Shot From Road; Poaching Canada Geese; Illegal Fishing

June 24, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

An angler caught in the act filleting his illegal catch, and a large group ticketed for poaching more than a dozen striped bass are just some of the cases NYS Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) encountered in recent weeks.

The most surprising occurred on Sunday morning, May 10th, ECOs Brown, Dorrett, Heckler, and Hilton were using a robotic wild turkey decoy to catch people illegally road hunting in Williamstown, Oswego County, NY– it didn’t take long. [Read more…] about Fake Turkey Shot From Road; Poaching Canada Geese; Illegal Fishing

New York’s Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

June 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Approximately 35,000 orphaned oil and gas wells are estimated to exist in New York State, many drilled and abandoned before the existence of modern environmental regulations.

The latest DEC Does What? podcast, produced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), spotlights the work of their Division of Mineral Resources, which address the threats that unplugged oil and gas wells have on the environment and public safety across New York State. [Read more…] about New York’s Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

New York & America’s First Organized Soccer Team

June 22, 2026 by Guest Contributor 2 Comments

With the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup underway this is a good time to consider that in June 1993 the United States Soccer Federation recognized Gerrit Smith Miller of Peterboro, Madison County, NY, as the founder of the first organized soccer team in this country. [Read more…] about New York & America’s First Organized Soccer Team

Erie Canal Boat Replica Seneca Chief Returning to Buffalo

June 22, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Maritime Center’s Erie Canal boat replica Seneca Chief will arrive in Buffalo on Saturday, June 27, following a statewide voyage west from Waterford, New York.

The original Seneca Chief officially opened the Erie Canal in 1825. Buffalo Maritime Center‘s replica was built by over 200 volunteers over five years. The replica went from Buffalo to New York Harbor in 2025 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Canal’s opening. [Read more…] about Erie Canal Boat Replica Seneca Chief Returning to Buffalo

Karl Peterson: New York’s Crescent Wrench King

June 21, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

“A self-made man is the description which best fits Karl Peterson, a manufacturer of Jamestown. He has a natural gift for mechanics and is of an inventive turn of mind, quick to grasp the possibilities in any circumstance which may arise, and equally quick to develop the new idea presented to him,” wrote John P. Downs and Frederick Y. Hedley in their 1921 History of Chautauqua County. [Read more…] about Karl Peterson: New York’s Crescent Wrench King

After NY Wetlands Rules Struck Down, DEC Plans Webinar Tuesday

June 21, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In April, Albany County Supreme Court issued a decision in Chautauqua Lake Prop. Owners Assn., Inc. v State of New York annulling the recently revised 6 NYCRR Part 664 freshwater wetlands regulations in their entirety.

The court said the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) failed to comply with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) during the adoption process. [Read more…] about After NY Wetlands Rules Struck Down, DEC Plans Webinar Tuesday

Construction Hike for Hope Highlights Mental Health

June 18, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Construction Hike for Hope was created to shine a light on the mental health challenges facing those in the construction industry, whom studies have shown experience higher rates of suicide than many other professions, making awareness, education, and support critical.

In Jamesville, Onondaga County, NY, this year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at Clark Reservation State Park. [Read more…] about Construction Hike for Hope Highlights Mental Health

Rangers Fight Wildfires, Respond to Ill, Injured, Lost Hikers, Paddler

June 18, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers have seen a dramatic increase in missions with the advent of the summer hiking season. They recently responded to more than a half-dozen distressed recreationists in the Adirondacks, several of whom were poorly prepared, along with others in scattered other parts of the state. They also fought two wild land fires, one at a logging header. [Read more…] about Rangers Fight Wildfires, Respond to Ill, Injured, Lost Hikers, Paddler

Juneteenth Events Around New York State, June 18-22

June 17, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Juneteenth is Freedom Day for Black Americans, a celebration to mark the day when the last remaining enslaved Americans learned they were finally free from bondage.

United States soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865 with news that the Civil War was over and that enslaved people were free. [Read more…] about Juneteenth Events Around New York State, June 18-22

Stories from Western New York

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