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Albany County

Marquis de Lafayette at Albany During the Revolution

May 30, 2023 by Peter Hess Leave a Comment

George Washington and Lafayette at Mount Vernon, 1784 by Rossiter and Mignot, 1859Just prior to victory of American colonists at the Battles of Saratoga, the Continental Congress replaced Major General Philip Schuyler as Commander of the Northern Army with General Horatio Gates. Many colonial military units from New England had been reluctant to assist at Saratoga to serve under a “Dutch commander” but readily reported to serve under the English-born Gates. [Read more…] about Marquis de Lafayette at Albany During the Revolution

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, American Revolution, Battle of Saratoga, George Washington, Horatio Gates, Lafayette, Military History, Philip Schuyler

Multiple Upstate NY Wildfires Keep Rangers Busy

May 24, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Aftermath of the wildland fire in Blenheim in mid-May 2023 (provided by DEC)New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers were kept busy last week suppressing numerous wildfires around New York State as very dry conditions persisted and drove the Fire Danger to HIGH.   Fires were reported in at least five towns in four counties, including in Clinton, Sullivan, Schoharie, and Albany Counties. The fires burned about 50 acres total including a large 30-acre fire that burned ion the town of Black Brook, Clinton County, for two days.  At least two fires were caused by illegal debris burning despite the high danger for fire spread.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Multiple Upstate NY Wildfires Keep Rangers Busy

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: Albany County, Berne, Black Brook, Blenheim, Catskills, Forest Ranger Reports, Forestburgh, Neversink, Peekamoose Blue Hole, Schoharie County, Sullivan County, wildfires

Albany’s Abraham Ten Broeck: A Short Biography

May 15, 2023 by Peter Hess Leave a Comment

Abraham Ten Broeck portrait by John Roberts circa 1796-1800Abraham Ten Broeck was born in 1734 to Dirck Ten Broeck (1686-1751) and Margarita Cuyler (1682–1783). Abraham was one of twelve children born to the couple. Abraham first-generation grandfather had come to America from Holland in 1626 on the same ship with Peter Minuit, the first Director General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. [Read more…] about Albany’s Abraham Ten Broeck: A Short Biography

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Abraham Ten Broeck, Albany, Albany County, Albany County Historical Association, American Revolution, Mechanicville, New Netherland, Philip Livingston, Philip Schuyler, Political History, Rensselaer County, Rensselaerswijck, Saratoga Patent, Schuyler Mansion, Schuylerville, Ten Broeck Mansion, Van Rensselaers, Watervliet

New Yorkers Serving in Alaska Territory, 1908-1910

May 14, 2023 by Rebecca Rector 1 Comment

Schmitter_divorceWhile transcribing Alaska Territory records for the National Archives, I noticed two interesting men who were working with the native tribes. A little research revealed they were both from New York State. Here are their stories. [Read more…] about New Yorkers Serving in Alaska Territory, 1908-1910

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History, New York City Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Cultural History, Folklore, Herkimer COunty, Indigenous History, Montgomery County, Religious History

SUNY Albany Renames Pond in Honor of First Indigenous Students

May 10, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

SUNY Albany's Indian Pond in 2015, renamed Parker Pond in 2023 (photo by Paul Miller of SUNY Albany)The New York State University at Albany’s University Council voted Friday, May 5th, to formally change the name of Indian Pond to Parker Pond, and Indian Pond Lane to Parker Pond Lane. The new names acknowledge and honor the contributions of the Parker family, of which three siblings — Caroline (Ga:hahno), Nicholson (Gye-wah-go-wa) and Isaac Newton (Gane-yo-squa-ga-oh) — were among the first nine Indigenous students to enroll at UAlbany around 1850. [Read more…] about SUNY Albany Renames Pond in Honor of First Indigenous Students

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History, Nature Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Education, Haudenosaunee, Iroquois, Lewis Henry Morgan, Seneca Nation, SUNY Albany

New York’s Anti-Rent Wars & The End of the Patroonships

May 9, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

a new york minute in history podcastIn this episode of A New York Minute In History, Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts delve into the history of the Dutch Patroon system in New York State, and tell the story of the anti-rent movement of the 19th Century, during which tenant farmers banded together to (sometimes, violently) opposed the system under which they were not allowed to own their land outright. [Read more…] about New York’s Anti-Rent Wars & The End of the Patroonships

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Albany County, Anti-Rent War, Berne, Legal History, Podcasts, Political History, Rensselaer County, Rensselaerswijck, Van Rensselaers

Hudson River Steamboats & Gibbons v. Ogden: 200 Years of the Commerce Clause

May 3, 2023 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Historical Society of the New York CourtsOne of the world’s first steamboats successfully completed a maiden voyage on the river Clyde in Scotland in 1798. That same year, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston proposed to the New York Legislature that he would develop a new form of public transportation, the steamboat ferry, in return for a monopoly on steam navigation in New York waters. Despite the Legislature’s skepticism that steamboat technology was viable, legislation granting Livingston the monopoly was enacted. [Read more…] about Hudson River Steamboats & Gibbons v. Ogden: 200 Years of the Commerce Clause

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, Events, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, New York City Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Daniel Webster, Economic History, Historical Society of the New York Courts, Hudson River, Industrial History, Legal History, New York City, New York Historical Society, Robert Fulton, Robert Livingston, Steamboating, Supreme Court, Transportation History

Memorial Planned For Workers Who Died While Serving NYS

May 2, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus in Albany (courtesy the NYS Office of General Services)The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) marked Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28th by unveiling plans for a new, permanent memorial that will pay tribute to the State employees who passed away, including line of duty deaths, while serving New York State. The memorial site, which will feature a plaque, will be located near the reflecting pool in front of the Department’s office on the Harriman State Office Campus in Albany. [Read more…] about Memorial Planned For Workers Who Died While Serving NYS

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Department of Labor, Labor History, Monuments

Albany’s Seth Wheeler: Inventor of Modern Toilet Paper

April 11, 2023 by Peter Hess 1 Comment

Seth Wheeler Wrapping or Toliet Paper Roll Patent Sept 15, 1891Seth Wheeler was born in Chatham, Columbia County, NY on May 18th, 1838 to a successful and affluent family. His father, Alonzo Wheeler, owned Wheeler, Melick & Co. one of the foremost manufacturers of agricultural equipment; his mother was Harriet Hatch Wheeler. At the time, agriculture was the foremost industry supporting the Upstate New York economy and demand for agricultural equipment was strong. Begun in 1830, Wheeler, Melick & Co. moved to Albany in 1849. [Read more…] about Albany’s Seth Wheeler: Inventor of Modern Toilet Paper

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Agricultural History, Albany, Albany County, Albany Rural Cemetery, Chatham, Columbia County, Industrial History

William O. Stillman: Leader of Humane Societies, Friend of Animals & Children

April 3, 2023 by Peter Hess Leave a Comment

The Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society's building on Fourth Street inin Troy, NYWilliam O. Stillman was born on September 9th, 1856 in Normansville, now known as Elsmere in the town of the Bethlehem, Albany County, NY. His parents were Rev. Stephen Lewis Stillman and Lucretia (Miller) Stillman.

Rev. Stephen Lewis Stillman was a Methodist minister at the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Adamsville (now Delmar) and a descendant of a family that had emigrated from London, England. Lucretia (Miller) Stillman was of Dutch descent. Rev. Stephen suddenly died in 1869, when William was 12 years old. After his father’s death, William and his mother moved to Albany. [Read more…] about William O. Stillman: Leader of Humane Societies, Friend of Animals & Children

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany Med, Albany Rural Cemetery, American Humane Association, ASPCA, Bethlehem, cats, Colonie, Crime and Justice, Delmar, dogs, Education, Horses, Housing, Medical History, Menands, Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, New York State Library, pets, poultry, poverty, Saratoga County, Saratoga Springs, William O. Stillman

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