New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Saratoga County

33rd Annual Schuyler House 18th-Century Day

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On Sunday, August 14 from noon to 5pm, the 1777 Schuyler House on Route 4 in Schuylerville, will be the setting for dozens of artisans demonstrating their crafts much as they were plied over 200 years ago when household items were handcrafted.

Visitors to the 33rd annual 18th-Century Day will be able to enjoy free tours of the Schuyler House, listen to music of the period, see Punch and Judy puppet shows, plus see artisans demonstrating 18th century crafts such as tinsmithing, blacksmithing, broom-making, basket-making, rope-making, beer brewing, spinning, dyeing, weaving, soap making, butter-making and needlework. Also see colonial-era farm life activities such as discussions of farming methods, medicinal treatments and bee keeping.


Visitors are advised to dress for hot weather, bring water, and wear insect repellent and sunscreen. Free light refreshments will be available.

This traditional event is organized by the Old Saratoga Historical Association, a non-profit educational organization that provides furnishings for the Schuyler House and promotes interest in the history of Old Saratoga, Schuylerville, Victory and the Town of Saratoga, from Native American occupation through present times.

Saratoga National Historical Park presents special interpretive events and programs throughout the year. For further information about this and other programs, please call (518) 664-9821 ext. 224 or check their website.

Guided Hikes. Bike Rides at Saratoga Battlefield

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Visitors to the Saratoga Battlefield can join one, or all of a series of free guided walks or bike tours this summer. The bike rides will typically cover approximately 5 miles on each of four Wednesday evenings during the summer – July 6 and 20,and August 3 and 17, from 6 PM to 8 PM. Hike participants should be able to walk at least two miles over uneven ground; hikers should meet at the Visitor Center at 9 am, and bring insect repellent and drinking water.

The hikes are free, but entrance to the Battlefield is $5 per car, or a one-year pass is available for $10. The bicycle tours are free, and take place in the evenings, so no entrance fees are involved.

Hike Tour Dates

Wednesday, July 6th, 9:00 AM: “Why Saratoga?”
Why did the American forces choose to stand and fight here?

Wednesday, July 13th, 9:00 AM: “The First Battle”
The Battle of Freeman’s Farm, September 19, 1777

Wednesday, July 20th, 9:00 AM: “The Second Battle”
The Battle of Bemis Heights, October 7, 1777

Friday, August 5th, 9:00 AM: “Why Saratoga?”
Why did the American forces choose to stand and fight here?

Friday, August 12th, 9:00 AM: “The First Battle”
The Battle of Freeman’s Farm, September 19, 1777

Friday, August 26th, 9:00 AM: “The Second Battle”
The Battle of Bemis Heights, October 7, 1777

For more information about these or other events, please call the Visitor Center at 518-664-9821 ext. 225 or check the park’s website.

Photo: Guided Bicycle Tour at Saratoga National Historical Park (Photo: Saratoga National Historical Park)

July 4th at Saratoga National Historical Park

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Independence Day on Monday, July 4 will be celebrated at Saratoga National Historical Park on Routes 4 and 32 in Stillwater, with a 10:00am Citizenship Ceremony and traditional readings of the Declaration of Independence with free lemonade toasts at 1 and 3pm.

At 10:00 am, on the anniversary of our nation and upon the grounds where independence was won, 20 immigrants from countries all over the world will become new citizens of the United States of America. Fife and drums, color guard, musket and cannon firings frame this special event organized by Sons of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, Friends of Saratoga Battlefield and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

At 1 and 3 pm, as a messenger from 1776, park ranger Joe Craig reads from the Declaration of Independence with authentic 18th century toasts reflecting the insightful wit of the document signers. Enjoy free lemonade to share in the toasts, followed by celebratory musket and cannon firings.

Saratoga Monument in Victory and the General Philip Schuyler House in Schuylerville, both located 8 miles north of Saratoga Battlefield, will also be open from 9:00am to 4:45pm. The Battlefield is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

Saratoga National Historical Park, located on Routes 4 and 32 in Stillwater, offers a variety of special events throughout the season. For further information, please call (518) 664-9821 ext. 224, or visit www.nps.gov/sara.

Photo: John Neilson Farmhouse — mid-level headquarters for the American Army at the Battle of Saratoga (Photo: Saratoga National Historical Park)

Special Tour of Grant’s Cottage, Mt. McGregor Offered

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Adirondack Architectural Heritage is offering a special tour of Mt. McGregor in Saratoga County on Monday, July 18. Mt. McGregor is the home to Grant’s Cottage and Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility. The latter is a compound of buildings that sprawls along the mountaintop and was constructed in 1912 as a tuberculosis hospital by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company to care for its afflicted employees.

By the 1940s it had become a veteran’s camp, and then a center for people with developmental disabilities. After a period of vacancy, the site reopened in 1976 as a medium security prison. Just over the fence is the cottage where Ulysses S. Grant spent his final months completing his memoirs before succumbing to throat cancer in 1885.

The tour will be led by Wilton Town historian, Jeannine Woutersz, and will include a visit to the Wilton Heritage Museum, Grant’s Cottage, and Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility. The tour begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. The fee is $40 for AARCH and Wilton Heritage Society members and $50 for non-members. Reservations are required; the registration deadline is Friday, July 8.

Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is the private, non-profit, historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park region. This tour is one of over fifty events in their annual series highlighting the region’s architectural legacy. For more information on membership and our complete program schedule contact AARCH at (518) 834-9328 or visit their website.

Photo: The Wilton Heritage Society Museum, formerly the Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1871.

Saratoga Automobile Museum Names New Chair

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Trustees of the Saratoga Automobile Museum (SAM) unanimously elected Gloversville businessman Charles Montano as Board Chairman at their annual election meeting of the trustees in May.

Montano becomes the fourth Board Chair of the Museum, joining the late founder and initial chairman Lewis Golub of Lake George, Bob Bailey of Diamond Point and the most recent chairperson, Jean Hoffman of Clifton Park, as head of the Board of Trustees. Other board officers elected at the meeting included Seth Rosner of Saratoga Springs as Vice-Chairman, Dr. James Hoehn of Menands as Treasurer and Robert Ensign, Jr. of Latham as Secretary. Chairs of the board’s various sub-committees will be announced at a later date.

A Gloversville native, Montano owns and operates a commercial/industrial rental business with divisions specializing in apartments and luxury home development in the downstate area. He is also a well known automobile collector, with a number of “Woodies” from his collection the focus of a recent exhibit in the Museum’s Golub gallery.

“Cars with wooden bodies have always fascinated me,” offered Montano. “But they only represent a segment of my collection and my interests. I truly love all aspects of the automotive world.

“As chairman of the Board of Trustees, my goal is to continue and expand our programs that bring these diverse communities together. Whether your focus is woodies, the brass era, auto racing, classic cars, any of the diverse makes that highlight our lawn shows or our automotive-themed educational programs, the Auto Museum is your place and I want everyone to feel welcome here.”

“Charlie Montano epitomizes the caliber of leadership and automobile enthusiasm the Museum needs to continue advancing the exceptional cultural enrichment we strive to provide for our growing communities,” said Taylor C. Wells, SAM Executive Director.

SAM Board members fulfilling their current terms include Bob Bailey, David Darrin, Wayne Freihofer, Ron Hedger, Jean Hoffman, Tony Ianniello, Eric King, Ed Lewi, Lee Miller, and Alan Rosenblum.

The mission of the Saratoga Automobile Museum is to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts. We celebrate the automobile and educate the general public, students and enthusiasts regarding the role of the automobile in New York State and in the wider world. In addition to technical and design aspects, our educational focus is on the past, present and future social and economic impact of the automobile

The Museum is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York Department of Education as a not-for-profit institution. Additionally, the Museum is a member of the American Association of Museums (AAM) and the National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM).

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park at 110 Avenue of the Pines. For more information, guests can visit the Museum’s website at www.saratogaautomuseum.org or call (518) 587-1935.

Saratoga Battlefield New Exhibits, Audio Tour

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Saratoga National Historical Park, located on Route 32 and 4 in Stillwater, has opened a new exhibit called “They Had No Choice: Animals Exploited and Appreciated in the Revolutionary War” plus is also offering a free, downloadable iPod/MP3 narrated tour program of the “Wilkinson Trail” which is available on the park’s website.

The Animal in War exhibit, to be displayed for one year, features historical images, artifacts, contemporary artwork and original accounts depicting the multi-faceted roles played by horses, oxen, cattle, dogs and many other animals during the Battles of Saratoga and the Revolutionary War. It also reminds us that animals still play a vital role in modern conflicts as well. Park Ranger Joe Craig notes, “No army of the time could have functioned without using many different animals for transportation,
food and clothing. It wasn’t their conflict – but it became their fate.”

The new Wilkinson Trail iPod / MP3 narrated tour program features male and female actor’s voices describing personal experiences during the Battles of Saratoga. Visitors can listen to the program (on their own device) as they walk the scenic 4.2 mile trail. The free, downloadable file is available online.

For more information about these new offerings or other programs at Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the visitor center at 518-664-9821 ext. 224 or check their website.

Illustration: “Colonel Knox Bringing the Cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to the Siege of Boston” by John Ward Dunsmore. Courtesy Fraunces Tavern Museum.

Antique Car Rally Headed to Saratoga Springs

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The Great Race, America’s premiere old car rally, is coming to Saratoga Springs this Thursday, June 16, and is expected to bring up to 100 antique automobiles to the city. The overnight stop will be marked by a public event at the Saratoga Automobile Museum to mark their arrival in the Spa city, one of America’s premier vacation destinations.

The 2011 event, sponsored by Hemmings Motor News and Coker Tire, starts in Chattanooga, TN and finishes in Bennington, VT. Run from coast to coast from 1983-2007, it is not a speed race, but a time/speed/distance rally. The driver and navigator are given precise instructions each day that detail every move down to the second, then scored at secret check points along the way and penalized one second for each second either early or late. As in golf, the lowest score wins.

Cars start, and hopefully finish, one minute apart if all goes according to plan. The biggest part of the challenge, other than staying on time and following the instructions, is getting an old car to the finish line each day.

The first car is expected to arrive at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, located in the scenic Saratoga Spa State Park, around 5 p.m., with cars continuing to arrive each minute for an hour and a half. The cars will remain parked for two hours to allow spectators to visit with the participants and to look at the cars.

“When the Great Race pulls into a city it becomes an instant festival,” offered Jeff Stumb, from Huntsville, Ala. He and his wife Karen have competed in the Great Race several times in his 1916 Hudson. “We have seen as many as 40,000 people at stops like Huntington Beach, Calif., and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Participating cars range in age from 1911 to 1969, with most having been manufactured before World War II. For the first time, a 100-year-old car, a 1911 Velie owned by Howard and Doug Sharp of Fairport, N.Y, will participate in the race.

The Great Race was started in 1983 by Tom McRae and was sponsored by Interstate Batteries. It takes its name from the 1965 movie, The Great Race, a comedy based on the real life 1908 automobile race from New York to Paris starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Peter Falk.

The auto museum will not be open to the public during the event, with participants expected to move to their downtown hotel at approximately 8:30 pm.

Corinth, Hudson River, Palmer Falls Talk Tonight

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Tonight, Wednesday, June 8, at 7 pm the Chapman Historical Museum in Glens Falls will present an illustrated talk on the History of Palmer Falls in Corinth. The speaker will be Stephen Cernek, Prof. of Social Sciences & Humanities at Daniel Webster College and Director of the Corinth Social History Project, an online interactive exhibit. The program will take place at the museum and is free and open to the public.

In his talk Professor Cernek will present the visual and literary history of Palmer Falls from the 1820s to the 1990s, when the dam built there was most recently upgraded. The images will range from early romanticized renderings of the falls to detailed photographs that depict the sprawling International Paper Mill that dominated the site for many decades. To accompany the images he will share excerpts from written descriptions ranging from travelogues to works of fiction.

Stephen Cernek, who earned a Ph.D. in American History from Ball State University, teaches in the fields of American history and American studies. His scholarly interests in the study of organized labor, technology and industrial development in the paper industry led to the creation of the Hudson River Mill Project in 2005, and the Corinth Social History Project in 2010.

This lecture is the second in a series coinciding with the summer exhibit, Harnessing the Hudson. Funding for the project was provided by Brookfield Renewable Power, the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, the New York Council for the Humanities and National Grid.

The Chapman Historical Museum is located at 348 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801. For more information call (518) 793-2826 or go to www.chapmanmuseum.org.

Photo: International Paper Mill, Corinth, ca. 1914. Courtesy of Rachel Clothier.

Upcoming Events in Old Saratoga

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These events and items of interest are scheduled for the public in the Old Saratoga region (Schuylerville, Saratoga, Victory and nearby) for the month of June. All events are open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information contact oldsaratogahappenings@gmail.com, follow them on twitter @OldSaraHappenin, on facebook Old Saratoga Happenings or on the web.

Old Saratoga Happenings is a collation to promote cultural and heritage programs in the Old Saratoga region. The collation includes Hudson Crossing Park, Old Saratoga Historical Association, Saratoga National Historical Park, Schuylerville Area Chamber of Commerce, Schuylerville Public Library and the Town of Saratoga and Village of Victory Historian’s Office.

Guided Evening Bike Ride on Wednesday, June 1 at 6 pm at Saratoga NHP Battlefield in Stillwater. Enjoy scenic views in American and British fortified areas of the park with volunteer park guides. Rides usually cover 5 miles. Please bring water. Helmets required. For more information call 518-664-9821 ext. 224 or www.nps.gov/sara

Photo Scanning Session is planned for Thursday, June 2 at 9:30 am at Saratoga Town Hall. Saratoga Historian will scan photos of Saratoga, Schuylerville, or Victory and save them to CD for you and keep a digital image for the Town’s archives.

Guided Natural History Walk on Saturday, June 4 starting at 10 am at Saratoga NHP Battlefield in Stillwater. Discover an amazing array of beautiful flowers and trees in lesser-known areas of the park during this leisurely nature walk with staff and volunteer guides.

National Trail Day at Hudson Crossing on Sunday, June 5 at Hudson Crossing, Lock 5 Island, Schuylerville. National Trails Day brings together outdoor enthusiasts for the 19th annual celebration of America’s magnificent trail system. Details are of the event will be
at hudsoncrossingpark.org

Ranger Guided Evening Bike Ride on Wednesday, June 15 at 6 pm at Saratoga NHP Battlefield in Stillwater.

The Heritage Hunters of Saratoga County has their meeting on Saratoga County Genealogy: Finding A Place of Origin For Your Irish Ancestors Using Sources in the United States on Saturday, June 18 starts at 1 pm. at the Saratoga Town Hall. The meeting features Lisa Dougherty on researching Irish ancestors.

The Genealogy Group meets on Tuesday, June 21 at 10 am in the Schuylerville Public Library

Farmers’ Museum Exhibit: New York’s Good Eats!

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Do the words “Buffalo Wings” make your mouth water or do you prefer Shredded Wheat? Either way, you can thank New York State for bringing you both of these foods and many others as well. A new exhibition at The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown tells the story of the foods that got their start in New York State. New York’s Good Eats! Our Fabulous Foods opens this Saturday, May 28th.

Several foods commonly eaten everyday across the nation were invented or first produced in New York State. Buffalo wings and potato chips are probably the most famous, but Thousand Island dressing was also created in the Empire State, and celery was first commercially farmed here. The exhibition will profile over a dozen foods – everything from Jell-O to Lifesavers to ice cream sundaes.

“New York has a rich agricultural and culinary history,” says Museum Curator Erin Richardson. “The whole family will enjoy learning about their favorite foods, discovering how they got their start, how they’ve changed, and the impact they have had.” In addition to fun food facts, New York’s Good Eats! will showcase important objects and artifacts, such as the oldest known tomato ketchup recipe, classic Jell-O molds, and an original packing crate for Shredded Wheat.

This new exhibition promises to be popular—not only because of the topic, but also because of how it is designed. “The Farmers’ Museum has developed an innovative, hands-on approach to engage visitors of all ages with this exhibition,” says Richardson. “From recipe sharing to an interactive family guide to trivia quizzes and coloring stations, there is something fun for everyone.”

New York’s Good Eats! Our Fabulous Foods opens Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 28th in the Main Barn of The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. The exhibition will run through October 2012. It is sponsored in part by Price Chopper, The Tianederrah Foundation, WMHT, Savor New York, and The New York State Council on the Arts. Visit FarmersMuseum.org for more information.

Illustration: The Saratoga Specialties Company makes potato chips according to the original recipe used by George Crum. The chips are made by hand and packaged in replica Moon’s Lake House take-out boxes. Ccourtesy of Saratoga Specialties Company.