New York State Historical Association

A Colonial Spade and Old Fort George Preservation History

March 20, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 1 Comment

In the summer of 1919, groundskeepers at old Fort George at the south end of Lake George discovered what was then called a “hand made spade” that dated to colonial times.

The artifact was uncovered during routine maintenance of the grounds around the fortification, whose construction was begun by British General Jeffery Amherst’s engineers in 1759. The find was made several feet below a large tree stump that was dug up by maintenance workers. [Read more…] about A Colonial Spade and Old Fort George Preservation History

Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background

September 11, 2025 by Bruce M. Venter 1 Comment

Tucked away between a car dealership and several corporate buildings at 25 Lafayette Street in Queensbury sits Hovey Pond Park, a serene oasis in the middle of suburban commercial development.

It’s a place for the jogger, the dog walker, the nature lover, and children seeking a playground. On a pleasant day, visitors may enjoy the park’s flower garden, fishing pond and wild life sanctuary, including a fast-running, bubbling creek that borders the park’s southern boundary. [Read more…] about Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background

Bruce Dearsyne: Strengthening Public History in NYS

October 27, 2014 by Dr. Bruce W. Dearstyne 2 Comments

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of discussion here on The New York History Blog about the status and role of local government historians, including, for instance, a summary of a special issue of the journal Public Historian three years ago on the status of history in New York State, and, most recently, Peter Feinman’s post “The State of Municipal Historians,” which resulted in many comments.

Local government historians are unique to New York State. They give us an edge over other states in the local history arena. Their potential is immense. But their status and role need to be strengthened. [Read more…] about Bruce Dearsyne: Strengthening Public History in NYS

Winslow Homer Scholar Addressing NYSHA Thursday

July 15, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Dr. David Tatham, professor emeritus of fine arts at Syracuse University, will address members of the New York State Historical Association at its 111th Annual Meeting. The meeting, held Thursday, July 17, at 4:00 pm in the Fenimore Art Museum Auditorium in Cooperstown, New York, is open to members of the association.

Dr. Tatham’s books on painting in nineteenth-century America include Winslow Homer and the Illustrated Book and also Winslow Homer and the Pictorial Press. An exhibition of Homer’s works, Winslow Homer: The Nature and Rhythm of Life, from the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie, is on display at the Fenimore Art Museum through August 24. [Read more…] about Winslow Homer Scholar Addressing NYSHA Thursday

NYSHA Annual Publication Awards Announced

July 14, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Historical Association will announce the winners of its three annual publication awards at its 111th Annual Meeting on July 17.

The winner of the 2014 Henry Allen Moe Prize for Catalogs of Distinction in the Arts is The Armory Show at 100: Modernism and Revolution by Marilyn Satin Kushner, Curator and Head, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections at New-York Historical Society and Kimberly Orcutt, Henry Luce Foundation Curator of American Art at New-York Historical Society. [Read more…] about NYSHA Annual Publication Awards Announced

Iroquois Indian Museum Names New Director

December 3, 2013 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

The Trustees of the Iroquois Indian Museum have announced the appointment of Maria Vann of Fly Creek, New York as Director of the Museum. Vann will assume her role as Director on January 1, 2014.

A statement from the museum to the press said: “Her qualifications in the museum field, in academia, and in business make her an excellent choice to lead the Museum forward. She will be concentrating on audience development, fundraising, and promotion of the Museum’s programs and exhibitions.” [Read more…] about Iroquois Indian Museum Names New Director

Call for Proposals:
2014 Conference on New York State History

November 25, 2013 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

The Conference on New York State History is seeking proposals for the 2014 conference to be held in Poughkeepsie, New York, at Marist College.

Presentations may consider any aspect and time period of New York State’s history. Conference sponsors are especially interested in proposals that highlight the role that partnerships among historical and cultural organizations can play in promoting better public understanding of New York State history. [Read more…] about Call for Proposals:
2014 Conference on New York State History

Dixon Ryan Fox Manuscript Prize Seeks Submissions

November 14, 2013 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Historical Association publications department has begun a call for submissions for the 2014 Dixon Ryan Fox Prize.

The Dixon Ryan Fox Manuscript Prize is awarded annually to the author of the best unpublished, book-length monograph dealing with some aspect of the history of New York State. Manuscripts may deal with any aspect of New York State history. [Read more…] about Dixon Ryan Fox Manuscript Prize Seeks Submissions

Bob Weible: Is NYS History Month Dead?

October 22, 2013 by Robert Weible 9 Comments

It’s true. November is New York State History Month.

In 1997, New York’s legislature added Section 57.02 to the state’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law and 1) designated November as New York State History Month, 2) defined the purpose of the month as the celebration of state history and the recognition of the contributions of state and local historians, and 3) authorized the Education Department to undertake projects to recognize the month (while the legislation failed to identify any specific projects, it did suggest student essay contests as one possibility). [Read more…] about Bob Weible: Is NYS History Month Dead?

History Community Coordination: An Update

September 18, 2013 by Peter Feinman 7 Comments

Readers of The New York History Blog may recall that in a previous post I asked if anyone had heard about what had been discussed in Cooperstown at the NYSHA conference in a private meeting involving the Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS), the New York State historical Association (NYSHA), and the New York State Historian among others.

Some of those discussions have now been reported in the APHNYS newsletter. The following excerpts are from the newsletter. [Read more…] about History Community Coordination: An Update

NYSHA Publication Award Winners Announced

July 24, 2013 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Historical Association (NYSHA) announced the winners of its three annual publication awards at its 110th Annual Meeting in July at Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

The winner of the 2013 Henry Allen Moe Prize for Catalogs of Distinction in the Arts is Audubon’s Aviary: The Original Watercolors for The Birds of America by Roberta J.M. Olson, the Curator of Drawings at New-York Historical Society. [Read more…] about NYSHA Publication Award Winners Announced

Colonial New York Scholar to Address NYSHA Meeting

July 8, 2013 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Dr. Timothy Shannon, Professor of History at Gettysburg College, will address members of the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA) at its 110th Annual Meeting. The meeting, held Thursday, July 18, at 4:00 pm at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, is open to members of the association.

According to the Fenimore Art Museum’s webpage, NYSHA is “a private, non-governmental educational organization. It is closely affiliated with its sister organization, The Farmers’ Museum.” The website also publishes what it calls NYSHA’s “strategic plan”, as follows: [Read more…] about Colonial New York Scholar to Address NYSHA Meeting

New York History Journal Editors’ Statement

July 1, 2013 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

What follows is a guest essay by F. Daniel Larkin, Thomas D. Beal, and William S. Walker, the new editors of the academic journal New York History. Editorial functions of the quarterly were recently transferred from the New York State Historical Association to the State University of New York at Oneonta.

In the 1919 inaugural issue of the journal New York History, the iconoclastic progressive historian Carl Becker published an article contrasting Patriot John Jay and Loyalist Peter Van Schaack, which, in an accessible style that appealed to both experts and non-experts, explored central questions of our fledgling democracy. Becker wrote that the story of these New Yorkers offered “a concrete example of the State versus the individual, of personal liberty versus social compulsion, of might versus right.” [Read more…] about New York History Journal Editors’ Statement

Conference on New York State History Taking Place June 6-8

May 28, 2013 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

Local historians and educators from across the state will gather in Cooperstown for the 2013 Conference on New York State History taking place June 6-8 at the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum. The conference highlights the latest research on New York History and culture. The conference is open to the public.

Several features of this year’s conference are of interest the general public: The keynote address is by Walter Stahr, author of Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man, the evening of Friday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fenimore Art Museum auditorium. On Saturday, June 8, the annual Wendall Tripp Lecture offers “Another Leatherstocking Tale: Susan Fenimore Cooper, the Episcopal Church, and the Oneida Indians,” delivered by Laurence Hauptman of SUNY New Paltz. This lecture takes place at 12:30 p.m. in the Louis C. Jones Center of The Farmers’ Museum. [Read more…] about Conference on New York State History Taking Place June 6-8

Recent Publications: The New York History Journal

May 27, 2013 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The latest issue of the New York State Historical Association’s digital quarterly journal, New York History, features the following:

“Editors’ Introduction” by F. Daniel Larkin, Thomas D. Beal, and William S. Walker [Read more…] about Recent Publications: The New York History Journal

NYS History Journal Ends Print Publication, Goes Digital

May 23, 2013 by John Warren Leave a Comment

The New York State Historical Association’s (NYSHA) quarterly journal New York History, published since 1919, is no longer available as a print publication and will henceforth be published as a digital pdf file. A statement published on the NYSHA webpage reported the change: [Read more…] about NYS History Journal Ends Print Publication, Goes Digital

A Historical Perspective on Historical Societies

May 6, 2013 by Dr. Bruce W. Dearstyne 4 Comments

Many of the posts on this New York History website highlight the programs of historical societies or raise issues about their mission, funding, and impact.

Sometimes, a look back in our own history is useful in reminding us how enduring some of the issues are, and perhaps reminding us of strategies that have been up for discussion before. [Read more…] about A Historical Perspective on Historical Societies

2013 Conference on NYS History Seeks Proposals

October 23, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Proposals are now being sought for the 2013 Conference on New York State History to be held at the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown on June 6-8, 2013. Presentations may consider any aspect of New York State’s History.

The Conference on New York State History is an annual meeting of academic and public historians, librarians and archivists, educators, publishers, and other interested individuals who come together to discuss topics and issues related to the people of New York State in historical perspective and to share information and ideas regarding historical research, programming, and the networking of resources and services. [Read more…] about 2013 Conference on NYS History Seeks Proposals

What Can New York Learn from Connecticut?

October 11, 2012 by Peter Feinman Leave a Comment

New York is not the only state turning to cultural heritage tourism or seeking to develop its historic community. Let’s look at our neighbor to the east and see what lessons we might learn from them.

Note – this post contains five items on what Connecticut is doing and four recommendations on what New York should do so it is too long to read on a computer at work in one sitting. [Read more…] about What Can New York Learn from Connecticut?

Cooperstown: Milo Stewart Photo Exhibit Opens

May 15, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Historical Association Research Library and The Cooperstown Graduate Program has announced the opening of a new exhibition celebrating the late Milo Stewart’s work, entitled Reflections of Home: Photography by Milo Stewart. The exhibition highlights Cooperstown landscapes and portraits taken by Mr. Stewart between 1965-1992. Split into three sections emphasizing Stewart’s eye for finding beauty in the ordinary, the exhibition includes quotations from his family and friends reflecting on his work as a teacher, friend, and artist. Reflections of Home opens May 16 and is free to the public.

Developed by second-year Cooperstown Graduate Program students Tramia Jackson, AshleyJahrling, Amanda Manahan, and Jenna Peterson, the exhibit is the culminating project of their Master of History Museum Studies coursework. Guided by Dr. Gretchen Sorin, the students produced the exhibition from concept to installation. “It has definitely been a learning experience,” says Jahrling. “But having the support of the program and the Stewart family has helped make this exhibit a wonderfully collaborative effort. We’re happy to share it with the greater Cooperstown community.”

Milo Stewart discovered his love for photography while growing up in Buffalo, New York. After graduating from Buffalo State University and marrying his high school sweetheart, Ruth, he taught high school English and Social Studies and helped his students incorporate photography in their reports. In 1961, he joined the staff at NYSHA and The Farmers’ Museum as an education associate. He went on to become the Director of Education and later the Vice President of NYSHA and The Farmers’ Museum. Over the course of twenty years he taught generations of teachers, local historians, and Cooperstown Graduate Program students. At the request of the Director of the New York Council on the Arts, he took on an important project documenting architecture and historic Main Streets throughout New York. He published several exhibition catalogues including Temples of Justice: Historic Churches of New York and At Home and On the Road, a collection of photographs from his travels through New York and abroad.

The exhibition opens May 16, 2012. The public is invited to see the exhibit at the library free of charge. The library’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Saturday hours are currently 1 to 4 p.m.

Photo: Augur’s CornerCooperstown, New York, 1988 by Milo Stewart.

New York State Historical Association

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