In August of 1931, many newspapers around the country published a human-interest story about a postcard mailed from Lake George that arrived at a Northville, NY address seven years later. Reportedly, the postcard departed the Lake George post office in 1924, but it circulated to several wrong destinations before reaching its journey’s end. [Read more…] about 1931: A Lake George Postcard Arrives Seven Years Later
Fulton County
Driftwood Sculptor Caitlin Roben’s Artistic Evolution
If you’ve always been drawn to the timeless beauty of driftwood, you’ll surely appreciate the exquisite elegance of Hope Falls (in northern Fulton County, NY) artist Caitlin Roben’s driftwood sculptures. Roben’s work embodies the alluring mystique that beachcombers and river walkers alike savor when they stumble upon a piece of aged wood, worn smooth by the forces of nature.
A lifelong driftwood scavenger, Roben grew up on the banks of the Mohawk River in Glenville, Schenectady County. “With access to the water from my parents’ house, I was always collecting interesting pieces. Going out and searching for driftwood is fun and definitely part of the inspiration for my artistic process,” she said. [Read more…] about Driftwood Sculptor Caitlin Roben’s Artistic Evolution
Climber Falls 30 Feet; 66-Acre Wildfire; Injured, Unprepared Hikers in Dix Range
New York State Forest Rangers recently responded to a 53-year-old Mohonk Preserve rock climber who fell 30 feet; a 66-acre wildfire started by debris burning in Franklin County; three hikers in distress in the Dix Range of the Adirondack High Peaks over just two days; and more. [Read more…] about Climber Falls 30 Feet; 66-Acre Wildfire; Injured, Unprepared Hikers in Dix Range
Hudson Valley Architect Henry S. Moul
On July 13, 1905, the Columbia Weekly Republican reported that the prominent Hudson, NY architect Henry S. Moul (1857-1925) had prepared the plans and specifications for construction of the Railway Steel Spring Company’s new foundry building; he presumably also designed the sand house that supported its operations.
Moul was from a family with a long history in the Columbia County area. The son of a masonry contractor, Moul came to Hudson in 1875 and apprenticed with James E. McClure, a local carpenter and builder, while studying architecture in the evenings. He was subsequently employed by McClure and took over the latter’s business after McClure’s death in 1888. [Read more…] about Hudson Valley Architect Henry S. Moul
Rangers Respond to Stranded Vehicles, Snowmobile Accident, Schaghticoke Search
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.
This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Rangers Respond to Stranded Vehicles, Snowmobile Accident, Schaghticoke Search
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a singular leader, thinker, and organizer whose fight for women’s emancipation stretched from the 1840s to her death in 1902, a full fifth of America’s history. Yet her legacy is marked by controversy.
In a new biography, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life (Basic Books, 2026) historian Ellen Carol DuBois paints a fresh portrait of this complex woman whose work helped make contemporary feminism possible. [Read more…] about Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life
Dealing With British Loyalists in Johnstown During the Revolution
In January 1776, American Revolutionaries disarmed and arrested those accused of Loyalist sympathies in Johnstown, NY. Some would remain under watchful parole. Others were brought to Albany or sent out of the Province of New York for imprisonment, far from home and family. [Read more…] about Dealing With British Loyalists in Johnstown During the Revolution
Forest Rangers Kept Busy With Searches and Rescues
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.
This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Kept Busy With Searches and Rescues
Philip Terrie’s ‘Wild Forest Lands’ Revisits Adirondack History & Culture
The Adirondack Forest Preserve is the largest publicly protected wilderness in the Eastern United States, with a state constitutional provision guaranteeing that it be “forever kept as wild forest lands.”
But just what does “wilderness” mean today? How has our understanding of that concept shifted, from the colonial implications of the term as first applied to the Adirondacks to a more inclusive usage, still contested, today? [Read more…] about Philip Terrie’s ‘Wild Forest Lands’ Revisits Adirondack History & Culture
Fall Bird Migration is Underway
Each fall, migrating birds can be seen flying south to their wintering grounds.
This is the ideal time of year for New York residents and visitors to head to Bird Conservation Areas across the state for great bird watching opportunities. [Read more…] about Fall Bird Migration is Underway
Matthias Hildreth: First Attorney General to Serve Separate Terms
Very little is known about Matthias Bernard Hildreth, who holds the distinction of being the first person to serve as Attorney General of New York in two separate terms.
Serving as the 9th Attorney General from 1808 to 1810, he worked during a period when New York was under Governor George Clinton’s leadership and the United States was edging toward the War of 1812. [Read more…] about Matthias Hildreth: First Attorney General to Serve Separate Terms
Great Sacandaga Lake Discovery Center Future Uncertain
“Fulton County’s long-envisioned Great Sacandaga Lake Discovery Center project is facing mounting financial pressures and uncertain political support after a presentation at a July Board of Supervisors meeting revealed that construction bids have come in millions over budget.”
That’s the message Gloversville 5th Ward Supervisor Greg Young recently posted to his Facebook page. [Read more…] about Great Sacandaga Lake Discovery Center Future Uncertain
As the Funding Landscape Changes, Adirondack Philanthropy Adapts
Adirondack Community Foundation has been tracking the significant changes happening at the federal level and how they will affect the Adirondack region.
Some impacts are immediate, such as the drop in Canadian visitors, while others will happen over time, including cuts in Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding scheduled to take effect in 2027. [Read more…] about As the Funding Landscape Changes, Adirondack Philanthropy Adapts
King Louie, Beloved Whitetail Buck Killed by Poacher, Was Record Size
On December 5, 2024, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received complaints regarding the potential poaching of a well-known whitetail buck nicknamed “King Louie” in Johnstown, NY, by a local hunter. Photos of the impressive deer, known for its unique antlers, circulated through social media and text chains, eliciting concerns in the community. [Read more…] about King Louie, Beloved Whitetail Buck Killed by Poacher, Was Record Size
Battlefield Trust Hopes to Acquire 1781 Battle of Johnstown Lands
On October 25, 1781, an American militia under the command of Col. Marinus Willett fought a British raiding party under the command of Maj. John Ross and Capt. Walter Butler in Johnstown (Tryon, later Fulton County). It’s known as the Battle of Johnstown.
The American Battlefield Trust has launched a campaign to save 58 acres of Battle of Johnstown battlefield land that connects with Johnson Hall State Historic Site. [Read more…] about Battlefield Trust Hopes to Acquire 1781 Battle of Johnstown Lands
State Parks Announces 20 Nominations for State and National Registers of Historic Places
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced the most recent recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 20 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The nominations include John Steinbeck’s writing cottage in Sag Harbor; Cluett, Peabody buildings in Troy; Lake George’s Mohican Point; a small surviving commercial historic district on Seneca Street in Buffalo; the architecturally significant post Vatican II St. Peter’s Church in Manhattan; the home of prominent Black community leaders George and Theodora Bragg in Elmira; as well as additional documentation of LGBT history for the Louis N. Jaffe Art Theater Building in New York City. [Read more…] about State Parks Announces 20 Nominations for State and National Registers of Historic Places
Lafayette’s Visits to the Mohawk Valley
In 1824 and 1825 Marquis de Lafayette, the French nobleman who volunteered and became an invaluable leader during the American Revolution and was then the war’s last surviving major general, toured the United States in a celebrated “Farewell Tour.”
He visited several sites in the Mohawk Valley, his third time there. [Read more…] about Lafayette’s Visits to the Mohawk Valley
Injured Hawk Released; Sick Bear Euthanized
On April 22, a red-tailed hawk, reported injured in the Bronx and rescued by ECOs, was set free after making a full recovery. The raptor was rescued on February 28th by Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Ableson and Baldwin behind The Children’s Learning Center. The bird was able to walk slowly but had trouble flying.
The ECOs safely captured the hawk with a net, placed it in a blanket, and transported it to the Wild Bird Fund rehabilitation center in Manhattan. [Read more…] about Injured Hawk Released; Sick Bear Euthanized
The Great Seneca Turnpike
Today’s State Route 5 crosses New York State from Buffalo to Albany and parallels state Route 20 and the New York State Thruway. The part of Route 5 between Utica and Canandaigua in Ontario County, some 105 miles, is still called the Seneca Turnpike.
Originally a Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) path, the route has been referred to in various accounts as the Great Genesee Road, the Great Genesee Trail, the Genesee Turnpike, the Great Seneca Turnpike or Seneca Road. Previously it had been known as the part of the Great Indian Trail or Iroquois Trail. [Read more…] about The Great Seneca Turnpike
Mountain Bike Trail Upgrades at Wheelerville Trails, Fulton County
In 2024, the Town of Caroga in Fulton County, NY, was awarded $99,700 through DEC’s Community Smart Growth Grant Program to build and upgrade trails at Wheelerville Trails, the town’s mountain biking area.
This project is expected to add beginner and intermediate level trails to the area, extending biking opportunities to families and recreational trail users as well as more experienced riders. [Read more…] about Mountain Bike Trail Upgrades at Wheelerville Trails, Fulton County