New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Dutchess County

Should We Still Teach Cursive Handwriting?

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01679vAn ad like the one in the January 21, 1869 issue of the Malone Palladium which announced the opening of a new writing school in Malone, NY, was not uncommon during the post-Civil War era.

According to the ad, Professor T.M. Tobin, a former teacher at the Vermont Business College in Burlington, was offering to teach “ladies and gentlemen the Spencerian system of penmanship.”

Students were expected to provide their own foolscap paper, “good” ink, and pens. Tobin’s ad stated that specimens of his penmanship could be seen at the post office and that he would award a gold pen to the student who showed the most improvement. His fee for twelve lessons in today’s money was about $35.00, payable in advance. [Read more…] about Should We Still Teach Cursive Handwriting?

Dutchess County:
Digging For An Underground Railroad Station

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3(2)No one knows when African Americans first settled at Baxtertown, but in 1848 the Zion Pilgrim Methodist Episcopal Church was built. The church burned and its roof collapsed in 1930; all that remains visible is a grove of trees on the property of Ron Greene.

Greene, a retired social worker, began researching the history of his land in 2010. “I’ve been hearing about a church here for years.” he said. What he discovered inspired him to lead the effort to get the site recognized as historically important. [Read more…] about Dutchess County:
Digging For An Underground Railroad Station

The Misnamed Columbia County ‘Battle of Egremont’

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MilitiamenA small, but important part of the American Revolutionary War took place during 1777 at Livingston Manor, Albany County (now Columbia County), New York. The few historical references about this event identify the event as the Battle of Egremont, implying that it happened in Massachusetts.

While it was customary to name a battle after its location, participants or some other feature, these conventions were overlooked in this case and the involvement of Egremont, Massachusetts militiamen seems to be the primary reason for the naming of the battle. However, many participants were from New York militia units, and the battle actually took place in New York. The battle was actually a series of four skirmishes that occurred over two-days. [Read more…] about The Misnamed Columbia County ‘Battle of Egremont’

Sudden Demolition of Fishkill Landmark Criticized

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Jackson House DemolitionDutchess County Legislator Alison MacAvery will be holding a press conference tomorrow, Saturday, December 7, at 10:30 AM, to address this week’s sudden demolition of the landmark Jackson House in Fishkill, New York.

The swift destruction of one of the most visible historic structures in the National Register Historic District of Fishkill, has left some residents of this Hudson River Valley municipality stunned. MacAvery will hold the Press Conference in front of the Jackson House site, at the intersection of Main Street and Jackson Street, in the Village of Fishkill. The historic structure, once the nineteenth-century home of Dutchess County Judge Joseph I. Jackson, was a unique asset to the cultural landscape of the Village of Fishkill. [Read more…] about Sudden Demolition of Fishkill Landmark Criticized

Rehabilitated Mount Beacon Fire Tower Re-Opens

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Beacon Fire Tower Before RenovationWhat follows is a guest essay by William Keating about the opening of the rehabilitated Mount Beacon Fire Tower in June.

The colonials used the 1,400 foot north peak of Mount Beacon along the Hudson River during the Revolutionary War to set warning fires to alert General Washington at his headquarters on the western side of the river of any British presence in the valley below.  From this activity, the City of Beacon got its name.  [Read more…] about Rehabilitated Mount Beacon Fire Tower Re-Opens

Old Roads: Byways of the History Community

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US9_Freehold_NJRoute 66 is perhaps the most culturally iconic road in American history. Not to take anything away from other byways, but how many have had TV shows and become tourist destinations?

New York has its share of numbered roads with historic connections. In Westchester County where I live there is Route 1 (the Boston Post Road into New England); Route 9 (the Albany Post Road from NYC to Montreal), and Route 22  (the White Plains Post Road to the Canadian Border). These roads follow the lay of the land and have been used for centuries. We should be promoting them as access points to our history community.
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Preservationists Seek Support For Fishkill’s Jackson House

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Jack House Through The YearsThe Friends of Jackson House, an organization that has come together to advocate for the preservation of the historic Jackson House in Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York is spreading the word about their attempt to save the house from relocation or demolition, and asking for signatures on an online petition.   [Read more…] about Preservationists Seek Support For Fishkill’s Jackson House

Public History Lessons from Dutchess County

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dutchess county 1829If there is one county where local history should loom large on the political landscape that should be Dutchess County. It was less than a century ago when it had arguably the most famous local historian in America, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That historical legacy contributed to the disappointment over the fact that Dutchess County did not have a county historian when I began writing at New York History.

In a series of posts surveying the various New York State history community constituencies I devoted one post to the County Historians. I noted that some counties were not complying with the state regulations. Dutchess County was one violator, but I anticipated that would be rectified following the County Executive election for since both major-party candidates endorsed filling the position. There is a story to be told in how that happened that sheds light on the position of county historians throughout the state as well as with implications for the Path through History project. [Read more…] about Public History Lessons from Dutchess County

Elijah Hunter: Revolutionary War Spy

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first baptist church ossiningSpying was a major component of the strategy and the tactics of the American Revolution. However it’s only recently that historians have focused on the intrigues, subterfuges and skullduggery that were used by all sides. Except for the spying of British Major John Andre, his collaboration with Benedict Arnold, and of the failed spying of Nathan Hale, undercover intelligence gathering operations during the Revolution is a mostly forgotten aspect of that conflict.

Nonetheless, spying was quite common in that era and George Washington was its chief proponent.  Washington made full use of the 1700s tools of the spy trade including invisible ink, hiding messages in feather quills, and small silver balls for hiding messages that could be swallowed in the event of capture. He also encouraged forging documents and making sure they fell into British hands. [Read more…] about Elijah Hunter: Revolutionary War Spy

Peter Feinman: A Fork In The Path Through History

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PathThroughHistoryOn January 25, I attended the Mid-Hudson regional meeting of the Path through History project. What follows is my report on the meeting which may, or may not, be the experience and take-away of others who attended (or what is happening in other regions). The Mid-Hudson Valley region includes the Hudson River counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, and Rockland, along with Sullivan County in the Catskills. [Read more…] about Peter Feinman: A Fork In The Path Through History