Federal authorities arrested 2,197 people across New York last month during what they have derisively named “Operation Rotten Apple,” the highest monthly immigration arrest total since the Trump administration’s round-ups began in New York State. [Read more…] about With ‘Operation Rotten Apple’ Upstate Police Round-Ups Surge
Rye
Saratoga Race Course’s Featured Jump Race: Some History
The Jonathan Sheppard Memorial Stakes race is scheduled to be run at Saratoga Race Course on September 2, this season. This Grade 1 steeplechase race, with a purse of $150,000 will kick off the final week of this year’s track season.
The featured jump race at Saratoga was renamed in 2021, and had formerly been the New York Turf Writers Cup, which had been run previously at other racetrack locations in the Empire State. [Read more…] about Saratoga Race Course’s Featured Jump Race: Some History
The Grove: Abolitionist Congregations in Rye, NY
Spring sun warmed the air early Saturday morning, May 12, 1855, when the famous abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass and his associates started their ten-minute walk from the New Haven Railroad Station in Mamaroneck to their destination in Rye Neck, an inconspicuous corner of Rye, in Westchester County, New York.
Leading the group was the Reverend Levin Tilmon, president of the First Colored American Congregational Grove Company of Rye Neck, the formal dedication of the “Meeting Grove” being the reason for Douglass’ visit. [Read more…] about The Grove: Abolitionist Congregations in Rye, NY
John Jay’s Early Leadership in the Revolutionary Era
Now that we are beginning to note the 250th anniversary of the Revolution, we will have a good opportunity to highlight New York’s role – and the roles of individual New Yorkers.
One leader whose role is often overlooked or slighted is New York’s John Jay (1745-1829). He was an important “founding father” – member of the Continental Congress, lead writer of the New York State Constitution, first Chief Justice of the state and later of the nation, and New York’s second governor. [Read more…] about John Jay’s Early Leadership in the Revolutionary Era
New York State Birding Trail Adds 12 Locations
Twelve new locations have been added to the New York State Birding Trail. The new additions, in Central New York and Hudson River Valley, provide affordable opportunities for quality birding experiences.
The new additions provide a diversity of habitats that include forests, meadows, vernal pools, streams, and peat bogs. Although habitats vary across the locations, these sites offer great opportunities to observe seasonal migrating birds such as woodland warblers and flycatchers. [Read more…] about New York State Birding Trail Adds 12 Locations
Sojourner Truth’s Groundbreaking 1828 Court Case
This episode of A New York Minute in History podcast commemorates Women’s History Month by uncovering the groundbreaking 1828 court case of Sojourner Truth, a self-emancipated Black woman who took on a white slave owner to free her young son from slavery in the South. [Read more…] about Sojourner Truth’s Groundbreaking 1828 Court Case
A Ramble in the Jay Estate Gardens
The newly revitalized and award-winning Jay Estate Gardens at Jay Heritage Center in Rye, Westchester County, NY, are an expansive, educational, green space where American history, sustainability, and diverse cultural narratives all converge in an accessible, and visually powerful way. [Read more…] about A Ramble in the Jay Estate Gardens
Nearly $1 Million in Urban Forestry Grants Awarded
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced Environmental Protection Fund grant awards totaling $978,820 for urban forest assessment and planning projects across the state. [Read more…] about Nearly $1 Million in Urban Forestry Grants Awarded
Jay Heritage Center Property Management Agreement Renewed
New York State Parks and Westchester County Parks have approved the renewal of the Jay Heritage Center’s (JHC) stewardship of the 21.5-acre Jay Property for another 10-year period. Westchester County Executive George Latimer personally sponsored Westchester County’s ACT 2023-312 in July to reaffirm the public-private partnership among the County, New York State Parks, and JHC. [Read more…] about Jay Heritage Center Property Management Agreement Renewed
Jay Heritage Center Recognized for Excellence in Historic Preservation
The Jay Heritage Center (JHC) was honored with a New York State Historic Preservation Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Achievement last week in recognition of its rehabilitation and stewardship of the Jay Estate Gardens.
The award was one of only ten conferred this year for excellence in the preservation and revitalization of New York State’s historic and cultural resources. It was the only award made to a Westchester County non-profit. [Read more…] about Jay Heritage Center Recognized for Excellence in Historic Preservation
The Hudson River Steamboat Poughkeepsie; Later Known As The Westchester
This essay was written for the Kingston Daily Freeman in the 1930s, transcribed by Hudson River Maritime Museum volunteer Adam Kaplan and reproduced here in a slightly edited form.
The tale of the steamboat Poughkeepsie is the story of a vessel that is still in service [in the 1930s] – although today the name Westchester has replaced Poughkeepsie and she is no longer a familiar figure on the Hudson River. [Read more…] about The Hudson River Steamboat Poughkeepsie; Later Known As The Westchester
Jay Heritage Center Receives $1.5 Million Gift
The Jay Heritage Center (JHC) has announced the receipt of a transformative gift of $1.5 million to open the Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Exhibit and Performance Center at the Jay Estate in Rye, Westchester County, New York. [Read more…] about Jay Heritage Center Receives $1.5 Million Gift
Nieuw Amsterdam Soirée at Jay Heritage Center in Rye
Jay Heritage Center on the Old Boston Post Road in Rye, NY, will host a Nieuw Amsterdam Soirée fundraiser this Saturday, October 17.
The evening will celebrate New York’s rich Dutch history with authentic Dutch tastes and treats. There will be dinner and dancing at the Jay Mansion with live music from Hank Lane’s band Octane and food catered by Scarborough Fair. One lucky guest will go home with a Dutch Van Moof bike. [Read more…] about Nieuw Amsterdam Soirée at Jay Heritage Center in Rye
Slavery in New York: An Angolan Case Study
Angolans are in the news. Recently there has been a surge in migrants from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. After a decade of hardly any migration from these countries, suddenly the numbers have increased specifically to Portland, Maine and to San Antonio, Texas. The surge has reportedly overwhelmed some in those communities. Central African migrants are less likely to have relatives already in the country to whom they can turn for assistance. [Read more…] about Slavery in New York: An Angolan Case Study
Slave Dwellings In Rye Program Set For Sunday
“Dwellings of the Enslaved and Freed in the City and Town of Rye,” will be the topic of a program at the Jay Heritage Center this Sunday, June 9th, beginning at 2 pm.
Participants can learn more about the places where enslaved men, women and children lived, worked, and died in the City and Town of Rye before and after Emancipation. There will be a focus on the original Jay Estate on the Post Road in Rye, and the recent archaeological discovery of a Dutch brick building on the property by Prof. Eugene Boesch and a group of volunteers.
[Read more…] about Slave Dwellings In Rye Program Set For Sunday
Rye’s African American Cemetery Preservation Event Sunday
On Sunday, September 10th at 5:30 pm, David Thomas, Founder of the Friends of the African American Cemetery, will give a talk about the current efforts to preserve this National Historic Register site in Rye, NY.
The event is co-sponsored by the Jay Heritage Center, and will take place at 210 Boston Post Road, in Rye.
Attendees can learn how ongoing genealogical research is expanding an understanding of the families that are buried there and their place in the narrative of Westchester County’s history. Thomas will link the Purdy family of Harrison and Rye to two generations of an emancipated family at the Jay Estate. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. [Read more…] about Rye’s African American Cemetery Preservation Event Sunday