History, Natural History & the Arts
Central New York is renowned as one of the snowiest regions in the world. In the past, major snowstorms have crippled cities, towns, and farming country for weeks at a time.
From the Lake Ontario port in Oswego to the busy streets of Syracuse and Utica, every community in the region has found themselves buried from brutal snowstorms. [Read more…] about Historic Snowstorms of Central New York
The 1840s brought about a transformation in the nature of transatlantic shipping. With the development of European colonial empires, the forced transportation of African slaves had become big business.
Liverpool was the focus of the British slave trade. As a result of crusading abolitionist movements and subsequent legal intervention, the brutal practice declined there during that decade. But more or less simultaneously a new form of people trafficking took its place. [Read more…] about Massacres & Migrants at Sea: Deadly Voyages To New York
Much has been written about September 21st, 1938, the day that a massive hurricane hit Long Island. For Jonathan C. Bergman, the more interesting story began the day after.
His extensive research focused on the cleanup and disaster relief efforts orchestrated by a shifting network of Red Cross officials, New Deal workers, Suffolk County agencies, churchgoers, and volunteers. [Read more…] about The Aftermath of The Hurricane of 1938
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes, which ravaged the mid-Atlantic and northeast region in June 1972. At the time, it was the most destructive tropical cyclone in American history and the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time. [Read more…] about Its Been 50 Years Since Hurricane Agnes Swept Through New York
In this episode of Second Look, Chris Brock takes the lead in this interview with Cheri L. Farnsworth, author of a multitude of books about Northern New York history, about her newest book Historic North Country Disasters.
In it, she compiles both the man-made and natural disasters that shocked the North Country in the hundred years between 1850 and 1950. [Read more…] about Historic North Country Disasters (Podcast)