This week on The Historians Podcast, Jerry Snyder of Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet called Amsterdam’s Arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York. [Read more…] about Amsterdam’s Arts: Visual Artists, Actors & Singers
Montgomery County
Palatines in the Mohawk Valley: 300 Years of History
The earliest European settlers in the Mohawk Valley came from what is now southwestern Germany. Under near constant threat of destruction, whether from multiple wars, invasions, or the plague, in the near hundred years leading up to the 18th century, the southwest German population experienced extreme hardship.
In some cases, entire towns and villages were wiped out. Commercial crops in the vineyards either failed or were destroyed. Invading French armies added to the hardship by burdening residents with housing and supporting soldiers, albeit with scant family resources, forcing many German homeowners to flee. [Read more…] about Palatines in the Mohawk Valley: 300 Years of History
Crossing Schoharie Creek: Erie Canal Stories from David Brooks (Podcast)
This week on The Historians Podcast, David Brooks of Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter, NY, explains how Erie Canal boats were able to cross the fast-flowing Schoharie Creek. [Read more…] about Crossing Schoharie Creek: Erie Canal Stories from David Brooks (Podcast)
Albany’s Ira Harris: From Rights Advocate to Lincoln’s Assassination
Ira Harris was born at Charleston, Montgomery County, NY on May 31st, 1802 to Fredrick Waterman Harris and Lucy Hamilton. When he was six years old, his family moved to Preble, NY where his father became one of the largest landowners in Cortland County.
Harris attended Homer Academy and graduated from Union College in 1824. He studied law for one year in Homer, New York and then moved to Albany where he assisted one of that city’s most highly regarded jurists, Ambrose Spencer. [Read more…] about Albany’s Ira Harris: From Rights Advocate to Lincoln’s Assassination
St. Johnsville’s Lion in Love Sculpture: A Piece of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Upstate
The Margaret Reaney Memorial Library is a fixture in the Erie Canal-side community of St. Johnsville, Montgomery County, NY. The Library contains a museum which features a wide array of art in a very fine collection.
An outdoor sculpture display in the north garden is listed in the Library’s catalog as “Nude Female and Lion” by Roland Hinton Perry. The bronze was cast in 1898 by Jno. Williams, Inc. foundry which was located on West 26th Street in Manhattan. [Read more…] about St. Johnsville’s Lion in Love Sculpture: A Piece of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Upstate
Ann Maria Schram: Volunteer Civil War Nurse
Ann Maria Bullock Schram of Amsterdam, was a volunteer nurse in the American Civil War, treating patients at a makeshift hospital in Maryland. This week on The Historians Podcast, Montgomery County NY historian Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar discusses her research on Schram’s life. [Read more…] about Ann Maria Schram: Volunteer Civil War Nurse
Growing Up in Amsterdam, NY, in the 1950s
This week on The Historians Podcast, David Pietrusza discusses his memoir Too Long Ago: A Childhood Memory, A Vanished World about his Amsterdam, NY, roots. Pietrusza is a historian who has written books about presidential elections and other topics. He and podcast host Bob Cudmore were raised in the Reid Hill section of Amsterdam, a primarily Polish-American neighborhood in the 1950s. [Read more…] about Growing Up in Amsterdam, NY, in the 1950s
Virtual Coffee with a State Historian November 13th
The Montgomery County Department of History & Archives has announced “Coffee with a Historian” with New York State Historian Devin Lander, a free virtual event set for Friday, November 13th. [Read more…] about Virtual Coffee with a State Historian November 13th
Mohawk Valley History Stories Podcast
This week on The Historians Podcast, Bob Cudmore reads three stories from an audio tour compiled by Montgomery County historian Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar: the Palatine Church, Charleston’s forests and the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine. Also the story of Amsterdam drama coach Bert DeRose and from the archives, historian David Pietrusza on the last years of Teddy Roosevelt. [Read more…] about Mohawk Valley History Stories Podcast
Erie Canal Biking in Montgomery Co
This week’s guest on The Historians Podcast is Montgomery County historian Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar discussing an audio tour along the Erie Canal Bikeway in that county. Bob Cudmore reads three vignettes from the tour — Fort Klock, the Noses and the Putman Canal Store. [Read more…] about Erie Canal Biking in Montgomery Co