New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Tompkins County

NYS Nominates 13 Places for State, National Registers of Historic Places

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An information table set up by the Gay Liberation Front on the University of Rochester’s Eastman Quadrangle in 1970 (Photo by Anthony Boccaccio)The New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 13 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places and submitting one request to the Columbia Turnpike East Toll House to the National Park Service.

The nominations include a key site associated with Rochester‘s LGBTQ+ history, a historic synagogue in Manhattan‘s Upper West Side, a public park in Ithaca, a church connected to Yonkers’s civil rights history, a re-built Lustron House in Erie County, the Oneida County History Center, and more. [Read more…] about NYS Nominates 13 Places for State, National Registers of Historic Places

NY State, Counties Still Not Fully Engaged With American 250th Anniversary

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This week on The Historians Podcast, New York State Historian Devin Lander joins host Bob Cudmore. Lander previews the 250th anniversary of American independence which will be observed from 2025 through 2033.

The state has authorized a commission to oversee events, however some of the 13 appointees to a state commission have not yet been named, and the vast majority of counties in the state have taken no action to remember this important anniversary. [Read more…] about NY State, Counties Still Not Fully Engaged With American 250th Anniversary

Verdelle Louis Payne: Ithaca’s Tuskegee Airman

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a new york minute in history podcastIn the latest episode of A New York Minute In History, Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts tell the story of Verdelle Louis Payne from Ithaca in Tompkins County, who joined the Army Air Forces during the Second World War and became a pilot.

During the war, Payne served in the 99th Fighter Squadron, which became part of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, an all-Black group of pilots serving in the then still-segregated U.S. Army. [Read more…] about Verdelle Louis Payne: Ithaca’s Tuskegee Airman

Census Exhibit Opens at The History Center in Tompkins County

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assage through Time - Timeline of the Census exhibit from reCOUNT: Facing our Census by Peter FiducciaThe History Center in Tompkins County has announced the opening of “reCOUNT: Facing our Census,” celebrating the release of the 1950 United States Census by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

reCOUNT builds on the constitutionally-mandated process of counting everyone in the United States, and explores stories and narratives of Tompkins County dating back more than 23 decades. [Read more…] about Census Exhibit Opens at The History Center in Tompkins County

Central-Finger Lakes Segment of Statewide Birding Trail Opens

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bird watchers courtesy DECNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the grand opening of the Central-Finger Lakes segment of the New York State Birding Trail to highlight the state’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities.

The Central-Finger Lakes segment includes 54 locations throughout 15 counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. [Read more…] about Central-Finger Lakes Segment of Statewide Birding Trail Opens

Featured Natural Area: Connecticut Hill Wildlife Area

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aerial view Connecticut Hill taken in 1953 showing abandoned farmlandConnecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area is New York State’s largest Wildlife Management Area (WMA) at 11,237 acres and lies within two counties — Schuyler and Tompkins.

A diversity of habitats, including streams and ponds, small fields, and some regenerating hardwood forests, can also be found across the property. [Read more…] about Featured Natural Area: Connecticut Hill Wildlife Area

126-Acre Tompkins Co Conservation Easement Announced

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Six Mile Creek Watershed courtesy of Finger Lakes Land TrustThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) have announced the acquisition of a conservation easement on 126 acres in the town of Caroline in the Six Mile Creek Watershed as part of New York State’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program. [Read more…] about 126-Acre Tompkins Co Conservation Easement Announced

Carol Kammen Awarded 2020 Prize for Service in NY History

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Tompkins County NYTompkins County Historian (and occasional contributor to the New York Almanack) Carol Kammen has been awarded the 2020 Lehman Prize for Distinguished Service in New York History.

She is being recognized for her career writing, promoting, and contributing to local community history. [Read more…] about Carol Kammen Awarded 2020 Prize for Service in NY History

Carol Kammen On The Historians Podcast

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The Historians LogoThis week on The Historians podcast, Carol Kammen from Ithaca talks about her experiences as Tompkins County historian. Kammen is well-known in the New York State history community and also has done work on the history of Cornell University. This interview is the 200th episode of “The Historians” podcast.

Listen to the podcast here. [Read more…] about Carol Kammen On The Historians Podcast

Tompkins Co Legislature Recognizes Suffrage Centennial

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tompkins county legislatureOn January 3, 2017, in recognition of the centennial of the passage of the suffrage act in New York in the year 1917, the Tompkins County Legislature passed a proclamation declaring 2017 the Year of the Woman in Tompkins County.

The proclamation recognizes the long struggle for a woman to be able to take her place in in the world outside her home. [Read more…] about Tompkins Co Legislature Recognizes Suffrage Centennial