New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

An Army of Hunters: On Foot and in Verse

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Stephen Crane HuntingOn November 20, 1956, the New York Times described “an army of hunters” descending upon Sullivan County, leading to traffic jams “here and there” on area roadways. The county was among the most popular hunting grounds in New York, the Times reported, and had led the state in the number of deer killed for several years.

In fact, Sullivan County has a long history as a paradise for hunters. And also for those who spin hunting yarns. For nearly two hundred years, observant writers, beginning with the poet Alfred B. Street, have chronicled the triumphs and tragedies, the successes and failures, of hunting big game in the county. [Read more…] about An Army of Hunters: On Foot and in Verse

Reimagining A Classic Catskills Story

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KaatscastIn the latest episode of Kaatscast, the podcast about the Catskills, author Christine Wade speaks about her retelling of a classic Catskills ghost story.

In 1819 Washington Irving published his tale of Rip Van Winkle, who wanders off into the woods to escape his nagging wife, and meets up with the ghosts of Henry Hudson and his crew. They bowl, they drink, andRip falls asleep for 20 years. If you don’t know the story, it’s a quick read and an iconic piece of Catskills folklore. [Read more…] about Reimagining A Classic Catskills Story

Dog Rescued From Ruined Kaaterskill Hotel Cistern

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Husky at bottom of the well prior to rescue Kaaterskill Hotel siteOn October 17th at 4:15 p.m., Greene County 911 contacted NYS Department of Conservation Forest Ranger Fox about a dog that fell into a cistern at the ruined Kaaterskill Hotel site in the town of Hunter, in the Catskills.

Ranger Fox and Assistant Forest Ranger France reported that they responded to the location to assess the situation, along with Forest Rangers Martin, Mitchell, and Skudlarek. [Read more…] about Dog Rescued From Ruined Kaaterskill Hotel Cistern

Thurlow Weed, Stephen Van Rensselaer III and the Disputed Election of 1824

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A Young Thurlow Weed (2)Thurlow Weed was born on November 15, 1797, the son of Joel and Mary (Elis) Weed, in Cairo, Greene County, NY where his grandfather settled after the Revolutionary War. His father was a farmer who was apparently hard working but never prosperous, occasionally spending time in jail for debt.

In 1799, the family moved to Catskill where young Weed received a small amount of schooling. His first job was pumping a blacksmith’s bellows while the blacksmith formed heated iron. He made six cents per day. At nine, he got a job as a cabin boy on a Hudson River sloop. [Read more…] about Thurlow Weed, Stephen Van Rensselaer III and the Disputed Election of 1824

When Sullivan County Entered The Dial Telephone Age

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telephone operators at the Monticello Telephone CompanyIt was August of 1961, and what was called “the most complex project of its kind ever undertaken by New York Telephone” was just getting underway in Sullivan County, NY.

By March 21, 1965, the project would be complete, and dial telephone service — long taken for granted in most parts of the country — would finally become a reality for the majority of residents. [Read more…] about When Sullivan County Entered The Dial Telephone Age

Wide Awakes, Half Asleeps, Little Giants and Bell Ringers: Catskills’ Civil War Politics

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The latest episode of Empire State Engagements features a conversation with Prof. Melissa Franson, PhD candidate in the History Department at Binghamton University and an instructor in the history department at SUNY New Paltz, about her New York History journal article “’Wide Awakes, Half Asleeps, Little Giants and Bell Ringers’: Political Partisanship in the Catskills of New York During the Elections of 1860 and 1862.” [Read more…] about Wide Awakes, Half Asleeps, Little Giants and Bell Ringers: Catskills’ Civil War Politics

D.W. Griffith’s Orange County ‘Magic Hour’ Discovery

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D.W. Griffith and cameraman Billy Bitzer in 1919A few people sitting on the front porch of a Barryville home on the Delaware River last weekend learned firsthand what movie makers in the region discovered more than 100 years ago. There is a light that sweeps down the river valley shortly before dusk that is pure magic.

G.W. “Billy” Bitzer, the master cameraman who accompanied influential director D.W. Griffith to Cuddebackville, in western Orange County, NY, in the early part of the last century, dubbed it magic hour, and “the light Mr. Griffith waited for.” It brought Griffith and his crew back to the area year after year before he discovered the advantages of filming in California and became known as “the man who invented Hollywood.” [Read more…] about D.W. Griffith’s Orange County ‘Magic Hour’ Discovery

The Catskills Slot Machine Racket

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Sullivan County District Attorney William Deckelman (left) and Sheriff Harry Borden (standing at right)In April of 1931, eight slot machines were seized by Troopers in raids on a number of hotels in the Catskills town of Fallsburg, including the Elm Shade, the Ambassador, and the Flagler. The machines were destroyed “in the public square” before more than 150 onlookers and the $130 found inside them was turned over to the Town’s poor fund. [Read more…] about The Catskills Slot Machine Racket

Fort Delaware Museum Reopening Under New Management

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Fort Delaware MuseumThe Delaware Company, a non-profit history education group started in 2012, is taking over management of the Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg, Sullivan County, under a public-private partnership with the county legislature.

Their first event, “Patriots and Loyalists: The Declaration of Independence in the Upper Delaware Valley” will take place on Saturday, July 10th, from noon until 3 pm. [Read more…] about Fort Delaware Museum Reopening Under New Management

Plans For A Firetower On Catskills’ Bramley Mountain

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KaatscastAt one time, New York state had more than 100 active fire towers, the purpose of which was to help lookouts – you guessed it – spot fires. These days, some of the remaining towers have been repurposed for recreational use. At Bramley Mountain, in the Western Catskills, the fire tower was dismantled in the 1970s, but a local family has been keeping it safe in a nearby barn.

Now that Bramley has an official hiking trail, that tower is destined, once again, for the summit. In this episode of Kaatscast, Laurie Rankin tells the story, as she takes listeners on a Bramley Mountain hike. [Read more…] about Plans For A Firetower On Catskills’ Bramley Mountain