New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Maine

After A 90% Habitat Loss, A New Plan for Adirondack Brook Trout Ponds

by Leave a Comment

Morley Brook TroutThe brook trout is New York’s state fish and an iconic symbol of the Adirondacks, but about 90% of brook trout pond habitat has been lost due to poor management.

Now, for the first time in 46 years, New York State has a new plan that identifies the current risks for lacustrine (lake and pond living) brook trout and it hopes will guide the State’s management actions at Adirondack brook trout ponds for the next 15 years. [Read more…] about After A 90% Habitat Loss, A New Plan for Adirondack Brook Trout Ponds

45 New York City Mayors Were Slavers Records Show

by Leave a Comment

Internal Slave Trade, Staunton, VirginiaOriginal research backed by compelling historical documents reveals that a staggering number of New York City mayors were enslavers or investors in slave ships. Forty-nine men — including acting mayors — served as mayor until New York legally ended slavery in the state in 1827.

Of those, forty-three (88%) are documented as enslavers or investors in the slave trade. After emancipation there were two mayors involved with slavery, which brings the total number of mayors directly connected to slavery up to forty-five. [Read more…] about 45 New York City Mayors Were Slavers Records Show

King George’s War and the Thirty-Year Peace

by Leave a Comment

King George’s WarKing George’s War and the Thirty-Year Peace: The Third Contest for North America (Westholme Publishing, 2025) continues the contest for North America from the end of Queen Anne’s War in 1713, marking the beginning of the Thirty-Year Peace, through the start of King George’s War in 1744, to its conclusion with the signing of Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle four years later.

While there would be little fighting between the French, Spanish, and British colonies in North America during the Thirty-Year Peace — the Franco-Spanish conflict of 1719 being an exception — for the French and British it did not prove to be peaceful. [Read more…] about King George’s War and the Thirty-Year Peace

Queen Anne’s War: The Second Contest for North America, 1702–1713

by 1 Comment

Queen Anne's WarAlthough King William’s War (1689–1697) had established the basic disputes between New France and the English colonies, the conflict had resolved little beyond making it clear that the smaller French colony was more than capable of defending itself.

When news of the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), or Queen Anne’s War as it would become known in North America, arrived in 1702, few envisioned that the resumption of the previous conflict would grow to engulf eastern North America from Newfoundland to Florida, pitting the Spanish, English, and French colonies along with their respective native allies into a concerted contest for control of the continent. [Read more…] about Queen Anne’s War: The Second Contest for North America, 1702–1713

The Returned Captive: Jonathan Dore

by 1 Comment

Fort William Henry, 1757 (a fictionalized account of the massacre)The story of sieges and massacres of soldiers at Fort William Henry in August 1757 and two years later to residents of the Indigenous village of St. Francis (Saint-François-du-Lac, a community in Quebec, Canada, also known as Odanak by the Abenaki), are well-known by those with even a casual interest in the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

The story of Jonathan Dore is a small, but interesting tale of capture and self-redemption. His actions during both of those events shed a little more light on their impact on the individuals caught in this harrowing conflict. [Read more…] about The Returned Captive: Jonathan Dore

1925: Floyd Bennett & The MacMillian Arctic Expedition

by Leave a Comment

Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett, co-pilot for Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd on the MacMillian Arctic Expedition in the Summer of 1925 and the Byrd Arctic Expedition of May 1926. For the later mission, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and commissioned to the warrant rank of Machinist. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)It was a carnival-like atmosphere as the two ships in Donald Baxter MacMillan’s latest Arctic expedition were about to sail from Wiscasset, Maine.

School children released multi-colored balloons, the 5th Infantry Band played “Aud Lang Syne,” and thousands of well-wishers gathered to see him off shouted, “See you in September, Mac,” the Associated Press reported on June 20, 1925. [Read more…] about 1925: Floyd Bennett & The MacMillian Arctic Expedition

Against the Flow: Spring Alewife Runs Were Once Immense

by 1 Comment

Alewives - AlewifeOne of the most exciting rites of spring is the alewife run, an annual event where throngs of fish race upstream from the ocean to inland water bodies on a reproductive journey. These “river herring,” as they are categorized, actually spend most of their lives at sea.

Come spring, when the water warms to at least 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), schools of alewives gather near river and stream mouths. [Read more…] about Against the Flow: Spring Alewife Runs Were Once Immense

Northern Forest Canoe Trail Celebrating 25 Years

by Leave a Comment

Thru-paddlers Robert and Katrina Luff set out for a paddle on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (provided by Katrina Luff)The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, an occasion that is expected to be marked with dozens of community events throughout the Northeast.

The NFCT is an inland water trail tracing 740 miles of Indigenous and historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire and Maine. The canoe trail starts in Old Forge, NY, and ends in Fort Kent, Maine, traversing 23 rivers and streams, 59 lakes and ponds, 45 communities and towns, and more than 65 portages. [Read more…] about Northern Forest Canoe Trail Celebrating 25 Years

Frost Quakes: The Groans of Old Man Winter

by Leave a Comment

frost crackAs the winter sun set on February 3, 2023, the Caribou, Maine branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) was flooded with reports of seismic activity. James Sinko, the office’s hydrology program manager, recounted Mainers calling in from across the state’s Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties to describe homes and buildings trembling and deep rumbles emanating from beneath their feet. [Read more…] about Frost Quakes: The Groans of Old Man Winter

The Extraordinary Life of Jehudi Ashmun (1794–1828)

by 2 Comments

Portrait of Jehudi AshmunResearching and sharing the stories of remarkable people is rewarding with the recognition that it often takes a book to be truthful and fair to the many interesting journeys their lives took. Such a remarkable person is Jehudi Ashman, a Clinton County, NY man instrumental in the development of the African nation of Liberia. [Read more…] about The Extraordinary Life of Jehudi Ashmun (1794–1828)

Northern Forest Canoe Trail Wraps 2024 Stewardship Season

by Leave a Comment

NFCT Allagash Crew at work in 2024The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) wrapped up its 2024 stewardship season earlier this fall, completing a diverse array of infrastructure and access projects across the 740-mile water trail that runs from Old Forge, NY, to Fort Kent, Maine, and connects New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine.

This year’s NFCT stewardship program set new benchmarks for the organization, with more staff and volunteers on hand than ever before and a record number of projects completed. [Read more…] about Northern Forest Canoe Trail Wraps 2024 Stewardship Season

Arctic Charr: A Long Lost Ancient Fish

by Leave a Comment

Arctic CharrIf you wanted to see the Sunapee trout, you might be inclined to search in its namesake, New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee. But this elusive fish has long been extirpated from the Granite State, and from neighboring Vermont, where it once lived in the Northeast Kingdom’s Averill Lakes. A variation may have once lived in a few New York State waters such as Lake George or Lake Champlain. Sunapee trout remains in 14 bodies of water in Maine, which harbors the last endemic populations in the lower 48 states. [Read more…] about Arctic Charr: A Long Lost Ancient Fish

Making Maine: A Journey to Statehood

by Leave a Comment

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, Joshua Smith, the interim director of the American Merchant Marine Museum in Kings Point, New York, and author of the book Making Maine: Statehood and the War of 1812 (University of Massachusetts Press, 2022), leads us on an exploration of Maine’s journey to statehood. [Read more…] about Making Maine: A Journey to Statehood

Solar Eclipses During The American Revolution

by 4 Comments

Solar eclipse of June 24 1778 drawn by Antonio de UlloaRecently there was tremendous interest in the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, especially for those living in or traveling to the 110 mile swath of totality. Television news, newspapers, and other media outlets had countless stories about where to find the best viewing places, how to get there and back, and how to safely watch the eclipse, as well as plenty of post event comments and impressions. Eclipse mania prevailed!

But was there similar interest in the 18th century, particularly during the years of the American Revolution? Between 1701 and 1800, there were 251 solar eclipses worldwide, of which 62 were total. More specifically, there were 54 between 1763 and 1783, of which 13 were total. Most were not easily seen in eastern North America other than two: June 24, 1778 and October 27, 1780. [Read more…] about Solar Eclipses During The American Revolution

When Travel Stopped: The 1872 Equine Influenza Epizootic

by Leave a Comment

Horses haul a canal boat under a low bridge on the Erie Canal at Vischer Ferry in Clifton ParkIn 1872, the economy of North America was threatened by an epizootic (animal epidemic) of equine influenza (horse flu), known as “The Great Epizootic of 1872.” The outbreak is believed to have been the most destructive recorded episode of equine influenza in history.

The virus was highly contagious among horses, spread mainly through droplets made when the animal coughs or sneezes. [Read more…] about When Travel Stopped: The 1872 Equine Influenza Epizootic

Covered Bridges: Common Questions Answered

by Leave a Comment

"Permanent Bridge with Covering and Tollhouse Portals” Painting by William Strickland, 1815 (The University of Memphis)Many reasons are offered for covering bridges such as providing shelter during inclement weather or so horses wouldn’t be afraid to cross the water. However, the true reason is much more practical – to protect the structure supporting the bridge. Without protection from the weather, the wooden timbers supporting the bridge would decay more rapidly and eventually collapse. [Read more…] about Covered Bridges: Common Questions Answered

Violent Appetites: Hunger in the Early Northeast

by Leave a Comment

Violent Appetites: Hunger in the Early NortheastHunger shaped the early Northeast. As Native peoples fought back against the invasion of British and French colonizers, everyone experienced, used, succumbed to, and survived hunger.

Haudenosaunee and Wabanaki peoples had spent generations honing their subsistence strategies to their environments. Colonizers, by contrast, struggled to adapt to North America and found themselves deeply dependent upon Native American foods.

In response, colonists constructed myths of starving Native people to justify colonialism and spent centuries attacking Native food sovereignty. [Read more…] about Violent Appetites: Hunger in the Early Northeast

Mystery Tusk: Searching for Elephants in the Maine Woods

by Leave a Comment

Mystery Tusk Maine Mammoth Elephant Old BetMystery Tusk: Searching for Elephants in the Maine Woods (North Country Press, 2022) chronicles Gary Hoyle’s search for the identity of a tusk found in the collection of an old, dismantled museum, when the author was the Curator of Natural History at the Maine State Museum. [Read more…] about Mystery Tusk: Searching for Elephants in the Maine Woods

Jehudi Ashmun: A Founder & Historian of Liberia

by Leave a Comment

Map of Liberia Colony in the 1830s, created by the ACS, and also showing Mississippi Colony and other state-sponsored coloniesBorn and raised in the town of Champlain, Clinton County, NY, Jehudi Ashmun (1794 – 1828) was a religious leader and social reformer who helped lead efforts by the American Colonization Society to “repatriate” African Americans to a colony in West Africa.

The organization, formed in 1816 by Quakers and slaveholders, founded the colony of Liberia as a place to resettle free people of color from the United States, believing in part that Black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. [Read more…] about Jehudi Ashmun: A Founder & Historian of Liberia

We Need Your Help Now More Than Ever

New York Almanack receives no public funds.

It’s supported only by readers like you.

Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best)

PayPal

Venmo

Patreon

Buy Me A Cup of Coffee

CashApp

Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check)

Thanks for your support! These are difficult times. Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack.

*Donations are not tax deductible.

(Click the X in the top right corner this box to not see this message again for 7 days).