Natural History

Adirondack Museum Lecture Series Begins Sunday

January 2, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

From snowmobiles to Iroquois culture, from North Creek to Old Forge, the Adirondack Museum’s “Cabin Fever Sundays” series will present a wide-ranging look at life in the Adirondacks – yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The series kicks off with “Lost Ski Areas of the Southern Adirondacks,” featuring speaker Jeremy Davis, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, at View, on Route 28 in Old Forge, NY. Admission is free for museum members, students, and children; $5 for non-members. [Read more…] about Adirondack Museum Lecture Series Begins Sunday

Judge OKs Tower Over Hudson River Palisades

August 15, 2013 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

In a lawsuit filed by two public interest groups and four individuals, Judge Alexander Carver of the New Jersey Superior Court yesterday upheld the grant of a variance to LG Electronics that would allow it to construct a 143-foot tower atop the Hudson River Palisades, four times higher than the 35-foot height limit respected for decades by all other companies.

The variance, approved by the Borough of Englewood Cliffs in February 2012, authorizes construction of a building that would rise 80 feet above the tree line, ending an unbroken natural sweep of the Palisades north of Fort Lee. Despite this, the court ruled that the Englewood Cliffs Planning Board had not abused its authority in granting the variance that exempted the LG tower. [Read more…] about Judge OKs Tower Over Hudson River Palisades

NY Weather History: The 1856 Chateauguay Tornado

June 3, 2013 by Lawrence P. Gooley Leave a Comment

Tornados in upstate New York, like those that struck recently in the Capital Region, are comparatively rare events, but are by no means anything new. Similar storms in the past have wreaked devastation in New York and New England, but few have had the incredible impact of the twister that struck northern Franklin County on June 30, 1856. The results bore strong similarities to the recent destruction near Oklahoma City.

The storm system caused chaos across the North Country, in lower Quebec, and in northern Vermont as well, but the villages of Burke and Chateaugay in New York bore the brunt of the damage when a tornado touched down, causing destruction of historic proportions. [Read more…] about NY Weather History: The 1856 Chateauguay Tornado

Animal Fancy At The Armory Spring Show, NY

May 9, 2013 by Kathleen Hulser Leave a Comment

Clinton Howell Gallery — Rosewood Lion. India. Clinton Howell Antiques

Lions, toucans, dolphins, dogs, cocks, — critters galore tread the echoing halls of the Park Avenue Armory in this year’s annual Spring Show, NYC of Art and Antiques.

Made of glass, paint, leather, rosewood, bronze, silver and precious jewels these fanciful creatures are testimony to the enduring pleasures of the animal kingdom as a theme in art and design. And since the ASPCA is the sponsor and even beneficiary of a portion of some sales at this year’s event, tracking the artistic fauna forges a trail through the riches of an extravagant spring ritual. [Read more…] about Animal Fancy At The Armory Spring Show, NY

Eliakim Briggs: Horse Power Inventor

April 1, 2013 by Lawrence P. Gooley Leave a Comment

In the 1830s, hundreds of inventors around the world focused on attempts at automating farm equipment. Reducing the drudgery, difficulty, and danger of farm jobs were the primary goals, accompanied by the potential of providing great wealth for the successful inventor. Among the North Country men tinkering with technology was Eliakim Briggs of Fort Covington in northern Franklin County.

Functional, power-driven machinery was the desired result of his work, but while some tried to harness steam, Briggs turned right to the source for providing horsepower: the horse. [Read more…] about Eliakim Briggs: Horse Power Inventor

Connecting History And Public Policy

January 3, 2013 by Bruce Dearstyne 1 Comment

Four recent developments remind us of the opportunities to tie history to other initiatives here in New York. Doing that successfully will continue to require leadership, persistence, and imagination.

*New York pride…and history? The New York State Economic Development Corporation is running ads in business journals to attract businesses to the state. The ads link to the Development Corporation’s Web Site. The ads say, among other things: [Read more…] about Connecting History And Public Policy

Chip Reynolds: Jupiter, Galileo and the Half Moon

December 17, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

What follows is a guest essay by Chip Reynolds, Half Moon Captain and Director of the New Netherland Museum.

Don’t miss a great opportunity that presents itself over the next two months — and not on the ship, the Half Moon is in for the winter! Just step outside on a clear night and take a look overhead.

Jupiter is clear and distinct in the constellation Taurus, which can be seen in the east early in the evening, overhead about midnight and in the west before dawn. It is the brightest object in the sky (except when the Moon is around), flanked by Orion below and Gemini above. [Read more…] about Chip Reynolds: Jupiter, Galileo and the Half Moon

The Real Lake Placid: Alligators in Mirror Lake?

December 11, 2012 by Lawrence P. Gooley 2 Comments

In 1999, Fox 2000 Pictures released the film Lake Placid. Despite the title, the story takes place on fictional Black Lake in Maine. The folks at Fox apparently figured the name of an internationally renowned Olympic site in New York might attract more attention than Black Lake, which was, after all, placid, just like the title said. Except for those times when a giant killer crocodile was thrashing on the surface, gulping down humans for lunch. [Read more…] about The Real Lake Placid: Alligators in Mirror Lake?

Public History and Debate of Public Issues

December 3, 2012 by Bruce Dearstyne 4 Comments

How important is “public history?”

The essay on public history in the newly published second edition of the Encyclopedia of Local History, provides some fresh insights. The Encyclopedia, edited by Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen, a long-time leader in the field, and Amy H. Wilson, an independent museum consultant and former director of the Chemung County Historical Society in Elmira, is a rich source of fresh insights on all aspects of local history. [Read more…] about Public History and Debate of Public Issues

Northern New York Survival Stories

November 27, 2012 by Lawrence P. Gooley 1 Comment

I recently covered some pretty tough hombres from Lyon Mountain in far upstate New York. Rugged folks, for sure, but by no means had they cornered the market on regional toughness. Here are a few of my favorite stories of Adirondack and North Country resilience. [Read more…] about Northern New York Survival Stories