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Industrial History

Early Whaling on Long Island

November 12, 2018 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoA whaling frenzy gripped the East End of Long Island in the mid-1600s. Prominent settlers in the area fought the elements and each other to pursue this often brutal, bloody, yet extremely profitable trade. And the most sought-after crews were drawn from the local Native American population: Shinnecock, Unkechaug, and Montauketts.

Dr. John Strong, professor emeritus of Southampton College, documents this history in his latest book, America’s Early Whalemen: Indian Shore Whalers on Long Island, 1650-1750. Combing records and primary sources from across the Island, he pieces together a portrait of a neglected period of American history. [Read more…] about Early Whaling on Long Island

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Industrial History, Labor History, Long Island, Maritime History, Native American History, Podcasts

Antique Engines Festival at Hanford Mills Saturday

September 6, 2018 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Hatt Parr tractor and Ahrens Fox fire pumperThe 35th annual Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree and Powerfest has been set for Saturday, September 8th from 10 am to 4 pm at the Hanford Mills Museum. The Museum grounds will be filled with the rumbles and whirs of antique tractors, cars, trucks, motorcycles, outboard motors, hit and miss engines, water-cooled and air-cooled gas engines.

The Museum’s Steam Team will be operating the wood-fired steam boiler plant and horizontal and vertical steam engines. Hanford Mills is one of the few historic sites in the country where visitors can see a wood-fired steam boiler and steam engines in operation. [Read more…] about Antique Engines Festival at Hanford Mills Saturday

Filed Under: Events, History Tagged With: Agricultural History, Hanford Mills Museum, Industrial History, Transportation History

Remembering Onondaga’s Split Rock Explosion

May 1, 2018 by Natalie Willliams-Dardaris 1 Comment

split rockAs Rich Miller remembers, it was sometime around 1984 that a colleague at the bank where he worked first mentioned Onondaga’s Split Rock Explosion of July 2, 1918.

This was not the first time that Rich’s interest was piqued by the Split Rock Explosion. He had read former newspaper columnist Dick Case’s columns on that event, but this was the first time someone offered to take Rich up to explore Split Rock.

Over thirty years later, his research has lead him to write a four volume series about Split Rock – before, during and after the explosion that changed the lives of the people who worked there and the communities nearby. [Read more…] about Remembering Onondaga’s Split Rock Explosion

Filed Under: History, Western NY Tagged With: Industrial History, Onondaga County, Onondaga Hist Soc, Syracuse

Maritime Museum Offering Riveted Steel Structure Workshop

April 14, 2017 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will offer a four day Riveted Steel Structure Workshop on May 20-21 and 27-28, 2017. In this hands-on workshop for ages 16+, participants will learn the basics to the craft of riveting from Instructor Jeff Dardozzi, while participating in the creation of a full-scale riveted steel and timber structure to be erected on site by the participants. The workshop will also include a tour of one of the oldest riveted steel ships on Lake Champlain. The workshop will be held from 9 am to 4 pm each day. Workshop fee is $300, $275 for Lake Champlain Maritime Museum members. [Read more…] about Maritime Museum Offering Riveted Steel Structure Workshop

Filed Under: Events, History Tagged With: Industrial History, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Maritime History

Playing the Hand You’re Dealt: Billy Richards, ‘the Armless Wonder’

February 28, 2017 by Lawrence P. Gooley Leave a Comment

While researching a pair of books on North Country iron mining, I unexpectedly became privy to tragedies that many families faced. Mining accidents were frequent and involved excessive violence, often resulting in death. Victims were sometimes pancaked — literally — by rock falls, and their remains were recovered with scraping tools. Others were blown to pieces by dynamite explosions, usually as the result of, in mining parlance, “hitting a missed hole.”

The “missed hole” nomenclature refers to unexploded dynamite charges accidentally detonated later by another miner when his drill made contact with the material or caused a spark. The resulting blast was often fatal, but not always. Those who survived were usually blinded, burned badly, or maimed in some fashion.

In 1878, in Crown Point’s iron mines at Hammondville, near Lake Champlain, a young laborer, Billy Richards, was tasked with holding a star drill (basically a hand-held chisel with a star point) against the ore face while his partner — his step-father, Richard George — struck it with a sledge hammer. Through this commonly used teamwork method, a cadence developed whereby the star drill was struck and the holder then turned it slightly before it was struck again. [Read more…] about Playing the Hand You’re Dealt: Billy Richards, ‘the Armless Wonder’

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Industrial History, Labor History, Medical History, Public History

Robert Moses’ Least Controversial Triumph

February 9, 2017 by Rock Brynner Leave a Comment

robert mosesThe many controversies that surrounded Robert Moses during his long career as New York’s “Master Builder” were sharpened by his long battle with Jane Jacobs and by Robert Caro’s 1974 biography, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York (1974).

But his least contentious achievements are also the most unknown: the construction of the New York Power Authority’s hydroelectric plants along the St. Lawrence and Niagara Rivers. [Read more…] about Robert Moses’ Least Controversial Triumph

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Industrial History, Labor History, New York Power Authority, Niagara Falls, Niagara River, Public History, Robert Moses State Park, St. Lawrence River, Tuscarora

A Short History Of The Hudson River Day Line

February 4, 2017 by Peter Hess 3 Comments

the-hudson-river-paddlewheel-towboat-oswegoAbraham Van Santvoord, a descendent of one of the earliest Dutch settlers in Albany, was born in Schenectady on December 18, 1784. At the age of 14, he worked with his granduncle John Post who owned a shipping business in Utica. Since, at the time, there were few roadways, and the ones they had were snow covered in the winter and mud bogs in the spring, most shipping was done by water.

Van Santvoord successfully ran a shipping business on the Mohawk River. During the War of 1812, he contracted with agents of General Stephen Van Rensselaer of Albany to store and ship provisions westward on the Mohawk to support Van Rensselaer’s troops planning to invade Canada. [Read more…] about A Short History Of The Hudson River Day Line

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Albany, Hudson River, Industrial History, Kingston, New York Central RR, Schenectady, Transportation History, Utica

A Visit to the Pergamena Tannery in Orange County

January 31, 2017 by MJ Hanley-Goff Leave a Comment

Pergamena Tannery A walk around the Pergamena warehouse in Montgomery, NY in Orange County, is a step back in time. Rows upon rows of animal skins, of all kinds, are carefully laid on shelves, in piles and are in various stages of processing.

Some will turn into leather, some into parchment, some will become covers for drums and books, some will be made into shoes, handbags, dog collars, and the list goes on.

Pergamena – Italian for “parchment” – is a tanning business, and Jesse Meyer, co-owner with dad Karl and brother, Stephen, is providing this tour in a cold warehouse off of Montgomery’s Route 211. [Read more…] about A Visit to the Pergamena Tannery in Orange County

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Industrial History, Material Culture, Orange County

Copake Iron Works Designated National Heritage Site

December 5, 2016 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

friends-of-taconic-state-parks-efforts-to-save-the-copake-iron-works-have-included-the-stabilization-and-preservation-of-the-iconic-19th-century-blast-furnaceThe Copake Iron Works historic site in Taconic State Park has been designated a Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Site.

The recognition, awarded through the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, in partnership with the National Park Service, recognizes the Copake Iron Works as a nationally-significant cultural and natural resource of the Hudson River Valley. [Read more…] about Copake Iron Works Designated National Heritage Site

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Architecture, Copake Iron Works, Historic Preservation, Industrial History, Taconic State Park

New Book On Buffalo’s Waterfront Grain Elevators

October 22, 2016 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

american chartresBruce Jackson’s new book American Chartres: Buffalo’s Waterfront Grain Elevators (Excelsior Editions. 2016) documents Buffalo’s surviving grain elevators, capturing these monumental buildings in all seasons and in various light; from the Buffalo River, the Ship Canal, and Lake Erie; from inside and from the top floors and roofs; in detail.

Invented in Buffalo by Robert Dunbar and Joseph Dart, the city’s first grain elevator went operational in 1843. By the mid-1850s, Buffalo was the world’s largest grain port, and would remain so well into the twentieth century. Grain elevators made Buffalo rich, and they were largely responsible for the development of the Port of New York. [Read more…] about New Book On Buffalo’s Waterfront Grain Elevators

Filed Under: Books, History, Western NY Tagged With: Agricultural History, Buffalo, Industrial History, Transportation History

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