History, Natural History & the Arts
This week on The Historians Podcast, the guest is Ben Kemp from Grant Cottage in Wilton, Saratoga County, New York, where Civil War general and President Ulysses S. Grant died.
Friends, including Mark Twain, arranged for Grant and his family to live in the cottage for the last weeks of his life. Grant was dying from throat cancer and had lost his family’s money in a fraudulent scheme. [Read more…] about Grant Cottage’s Ben Kemp on the Historians Podcast
In the year 1900, York Avenue on Saratoga’s East Side was a quiet working-class neighborhood with a mix of young families, as well as older citizens, all living side by side. Listed on the street in that year’s census were laborers, painters, liverymen, and surprisingly, actors.
The neighborhood folks representing the theatre were Edward “Eddie” Fritz Smith, his wife Kitty Sharpe, and their children, Catherine, Sidney, Eddie, Jeal, and William. This couple was no stranger to the life in the spotlight, for even as they settled into a quiet life in Saratoga Springs they were still known across the globe as international celebrities. [Read more…] about The Smith Family of Acrobats and Clowns & Saratoga Springs
The Saratoga County History Center has announce the publication of Off the Northway (Saratoga County History Center, 2022), a compilation of 83 articles written by longtime local journalist Stephen Williams, who retired after a 42-year career at the Daily Gazette in Schenectady, NY. [Read more…] about Off the Northway: A New Book by Journalist Stephen Williams
Solomon Northup, the free black man who was kidnapped from Saratoga Springs and sold into slavery (as portrayed in the film 12 Years a Slave), was known locally as a good fiddler. Northup probably mostly played at dances, and there is no evidence that he played at any of Saratoga’s posh hotels.
But as a black musician, Northup probably could have found acceptance in such venues, because the way had been paved by Francis “Frank” Johnson. Johnson, a black resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, performed with his band during many summers at the best hotels in Saratoga. [Read more…] about Black Musician Francis Johnson at Saratoga, 1822-1843
The Capital Region segment of the NYS Birding Trail is now open and is the sixth region to be completed. The region includes 29 sites on a mix of public and private lands throughout five counties. [Read more…] about Capital Region Segment of the NYS Birding Trail Opens
This Memorial Day, Wilton, New York’s town hall will begin work on an exhibit which tells the story of Wilton’s Second World War families.
[Read more…] about One Community’s Experience of the Second World War
Although little is known about the early history of the Order of Odd Fellows (OOF), it was already an established organization in England before 1730. No one knows exactly where the name “Odd Fellows” came from. One possibility is that prior to this organization, only the wealthy belonged to such fraternities. This organization was made up of common laboring men of England who at the time were thought to be an “odd” group to be forming such an organization.
Another, more probable theory posits that in 18th century England, major trades were already organized as guilds, and “odd fellows” from less typical “odd trades” organized themselves under the “odd fellows” name. [Read more…] about A Saratoga County Odd Fellows Hall Is Now A Place For History
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public comment on a draft management plan for the Edinburgh and Corinth Conservation Easement Tracts in Saratoga County. The public comment period is open until June 10th, 2022. [Read more…] about Edinburgh and Corinth Tracts Management Comments Sought
I think one of the most intriguing aspects of being a history buff is peeling back the layers of history beneath the surface of a well-known location. We drive by today and wonder – what was it like 50 years ago? 100 years ago? Even 200 years ago.
What homes, barns, taverns, and other structures were there, long since gone? Which buildings still exist along the road, often remodeled to the point where they might be unrecognizable to the original inhabitants? Who lived there? What roads did they travel to get to the next crossroads, the next village? Do we still follow the same routes that existed back in the day? [Read more…] about Ellis Corners: Before Saratoga Spa State Park & SPAC
Colton and Allie Clift received their Braggin’ Rights for producing the best tasting maple syrup made in their backyard at the Hadley Maple in April Festival in Saratoga County.
The Clift’s live in Argyle within a 50 mile radius of Hadley, they have 40 taps and boil their own sap. This is the fourth year the Hadley Business Association has awarded to locally produced maple syrup makers their braggin’ rights. [Read more…] about Backyard Maple Syrup Maker Earns ‘Braggin’ Rights’