Between the more formidable island of Papscanee (previously spelled Papsickene, now a peninsula nature preserve) and where the Hoosac River meets the Hudson, more than a dozen streams flow into the Hudson River. Only at the Poesten Kill, which flows through Troy, was there enough farmland, room to grow, and sufficient water-power for the earliest industries. [Read more…] about Early Dutch Farms at Troy
Troy
Schaghticoke’s Congressman: John A. Quackenbush
When in doubt, take a dinner break.
That was the strategy for reaching unanimity in 1888 at New York’s 18th Congressional District nominating convention.
And the strategy worked, although some of the politicians from Washington and Rensselaer counties may have eaten crow, so to speak. [Read more…] about Schaghticoke’s Congressman: John A. Quackenbush
Troy’s Washington Park Assoc. Reorganizing After 181 Years
Troy’s Washington Park Association (WPA) is reorganizing after more than 180 years to become a new homeowners association.
Washington Park was laid out in 1840 and is one of only two privately owned urban ornamental parks in New York State. At the time, Troy was an industrial powerhouse and the houses surrounding Washington Park were home to captains of industry and commerce.
The buildings imitated the homes in wealthy New York City neighborhoods. As a stand-in for Gramercy Park, Washington Park provided the “old New York” scenery in films like Martin Scorcese’s The Age of Innocence (1993) and will appear in HBO’s upcoming The Gilded Age (2021). [Read more…] about Troy’s Washington Park Assoc. Reorganizing After 181 Years
The Fitzgerald Brewery: A Short History
Let us raise a glass to beer, the drink that has fueled America since its beginnings. Beer was such a popular drink that most cities during parts of the nineteenth century there were almost as many breweries as houses of worship.
One source lists 34 breweries in Troy at one point. Some only lasted a couple of years, while others endured, even beyond Prohibition. One of the oldest and largest of Troy’s breweries was the Fitzgerald Brewery. [Read more…] about The Fitzgerald Brewery: A Short History
John Morrissey: Toward Setting The Record Straight
John Morrissey was born in Ireland on this day, February 12th, in 1831.
As a result of bigoted attacks by his political enemies being carried forward by later writers like Herbert Asbury in Gangs of New York (1928), he’s been falsely accused of being in criminal league with Tammany Hall, for leading “the dead rabbits gang,” and for being involved in the killing of the nativist William “Bill the Butcher” Poole. [Read more…] about John Morrissey: Toward Setting The Record Straight
Troy’s Anti-Irish St Patrick’s Day Riot of 1837
On the Morning of St. Patrick’s Day, 1837, Troy’s Irish immigrants woke to an annual indignation – mocking effigies hung around the city. Boys spent the morning parading one along River Street. A lone brave Irishman attempted to pull it down but was turned away by its defenders. He left the scene, returned with members of the Hibernian Society, and together they moved a second time toward the offending stuffed figure.
“Stones were thrown and the wildest disorder prevailed” at the intersection of Ferry and River streets in the heart of the city. The Irish were outnumbered, and during this short melee several men were injured, John Foster seriously. As word of the fight spread, rumors an Irishman had made an unprovoked attack on an American brought hundreds to the corner. “The crowd began to assume a fearful aspect,” one observer reported, “stones were flying in every direction.” [Read more…] about Troy’s Anti-Irish St Patrick’s Day Riot of 1837
The Gasholder House: A Troy Landmark
There are only eleven gasholder houses left in the United States. Troy has the largest, and one of the finest examples of this type of 19th century utility storage facility. [Read more…] about The Gasholder House: A Troy Landmark
The Hudson River’s Fortress of Shoddy in Troy
Driving north on I-787 approaching Troy you can see an iconic building – a tall red brick building with turrets that looks like a fortress.
It’s at 1 Jackson Street. What I like to call the Fortress of Shoddy. [Read more…] about The Hudson River’s Fortress of Shoddy in Troy
Troy’s Gurley Company: A Short History
The W. and L.E. Gurley Company was founded in Troy in 1845. William Gurley, and his younger brother Lewis E., were both engineering graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, (RPI) in Troy.
The brothers would have been looked at as techno-geeks of their time, specializing in the invention and manufacture of precision instruments. [Read more…] about Troy’s Gurley Company: A Short History
Women’s Labor History: Detachable Fashions & Laundry Work
Hannah Lord came from a family of doers. Her father, William A. Lord, was a Revolutionary War officer and author of Lord’s Military Tactics.
In 1817, Hannah married Orlando Montague, a blacksmith. Keeping in mind that most people back then didn’t have a lot of clothing, hand washing was tedious and time consuming, especially with everything else a young wife was supposed to take care of.
Throughout most of the 19th century, the attire of most men included a white shirt with starched collar and a knotted tie or cravat. Styles changed, but the need for a good white shirt did not.
[Read more…] about Women’s Labor History: Detachable Fashions & Laundry Work