The positive impacts of the Delaware & Hudson Canal on Sullivan County were indisputable. With its opening in 1828, the 108-mile-long waterway made it possible for the first time to easily transport goods in and out of the area, and directly led to the growth of the tanning and bluestone industries. Entire communities, such as Barryville, Wurtsboro and Phillipsport, owe their very existence to the D & H, and while the canal was in operation, each was among the largest communities in the county in terms of commerce and population. [Read more…] about One Not-So-Benign Influence Of The D&H Canal
Public Health
George Waring’s Men In White
George Waring was born in Pound Ridge, New York, the son of George E. Waring Sr., a wealthy stove manufacturer. Trained in agricultural chemistry, he began to lecture on agricultural science. In 1855, he took charge of Horace Greeley‘s farm at Chappaqua, New York. [Read more…] about George Waring’s Men In White
Take A Lesson from History, Marshal Kids to Defeat COVID-19
As neighborhoods in New York City and towns in New York State face a COVID-19 resurgence, it’s time to learn a lesson from New York’s past and marshal kids to combat the crisis.
Not only can school children play an important role in convincing adults to wear masks, wash hands, and maintain social distancing, activism will give young people a sense of efficacy during trying times where they feel isolated from friends, teachers, and extended family members. Enlisting our kids helped New York and the country address past crises and can again. [Read more…] about Take A Lesson from History, Marshal Kids to Defeat COVID-19
Sad Side of TB Treatment History Has Echoes Today
During the era of TB in New York State the fresh air cure wasn’t all a bed of roses.
First-hand accounts left behind in letters, photographs, diaries, and memoirs paint a picture of life in Saranac Lake during the TB years. It’s an incomplete record that can lead us to believe curing was an overwhelmingly positive experience. It takes energy, time, and a degree of mental and physical well being to leave behind a personal record. People who were very ill, illiterate, or struggling with poverty did not have the same opportunity to create, or later preserve, accounts of their experiences. [Read more…] about Sad Side of TB Treatment History Has Echoes Today
Fresh Air Schools: Teaching Outdoors For Public Health
As autumn approaches, schools are thinking about ways to keep students safe by maximizing time outdoors. The concept of outside instruction is not new.
Leading up to the Second World War, open air schools were built in the United States and Europe to protect children from tuberculosis.
In Saranac Lake, in the heart of the Adirondacks, where temperatures in the winter tend to stay well below freezing, some children attended unheated, open air classrooms. [Read more…] about Fresh Air Schools: Teaching Outdoors For Public Health
A History of TB Treatment at Saranac Lake
This week on The Historians Podcast, Amy Catania of Historic Saranac Lake explains how that upstate New York community became a center for the treatment of tuberculosis. [Read more…] about A History of TB Treatment at Saranac Lake
Social Isolation: Live Long and Prosper Together
I imagine there was a lot more hand-wringing prior to the Covid-19 lockdown in Switzerland as compared to other countries, because since 2008 it has been a federal crime there to isolate social animals. Makes you wonder if Swiss authorities have brought charges against themselves yet, or whether they’re waiting until after the crisis lets up. [Read more…] about Social Isolation: Live Long and Prosper Together
State Launches ‘Play Smart, Play Safe, Play Local’ Campaign
DEC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) have launched PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL Campaign to encourage safe, responsible and local recreation this summer.
The campaign invites people to take the pledge, and promise to use common sense to protect themselves and others when enjoying the outdoors. [Read more…] about State Launches ‘Play Smart, Play Safe, Play Local’ Campaign
NYS Pandemic Documentation Initiative Underway
The Office of Cultural Education (OCE), made up of the New York State Archives, Library and Museum, has been working to support New York State’s cultural community throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. [Read more…] about NYS Pandemic Documentation Initiative Underway
Iroquois Indian Museum Cancels All 2020 Special Events
In response to COVID-19 and in the interest of public health, The Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, Schoharie County, NY, has announced they are cancelling all special events for 2020. [Read more…] about Iroquois Indian Museum Cancels All 2020 Special Events