History, Natural History & the Arts
Last year, archaeologists from the Public Archaeology Facility (PAF) at Binghamton University (SUNY) completed an exploratory cultural resources survey of Horse Island at Sackets Harbor.
Stewardship of the island by New York State Parks came after the American Battlefield Trust purchased the property as their first War of 1812 battlegrounds acquisition in the nation. [Read more…] about Horse Island’s War of 1812 Secrets Unearthed
In 1845, Amasiah Ford of Ballston Spa wrote a multi-page manuscript for his application seeking a veteran’s pension. The account of his military experience 30-plus years earlier would be used 150 years later as references in several books on the War of 1812. [Read more…] about Hard Times For War of 1812 Veteran Amasiah Ford
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British demands to move the northern border as far south as the Ohio River put New York on the first line of defense during the War of 1812. The leadership of Governor Daniel D. Tompkins however, distinguished the state’s contribution to the war effort, effectively mobilizing the considerable human and material resources that proved crucial to maintaining the nation’s sovereignty. [Read more…] about War of 1812: Politics, Society and Combat in New York State
In November, 1813, nine men met in the city of New York to sign an agreement, handwritten by Nicholas Low, to form the Ballston Spa Company for the manufacture of cotton, wool and linen fabrics. They pledged an initial capital of $100,000 in shares of $100 each. A month later the Company announced it would “extend the capital stock” to $800,000, a staggering sum for those days.
Low was a businessman and friend of the rich and powerful of the nation. One was his late colleague Alexander Hamilton. During the 1790s, Low helped midwife the birth of the village of Ballston Spa, in Saratoga County. He owned most of the land upon which it was laid out and spent a fortune developing the village, including the famous Sans Souci Hotel. [Read more…] about Ballston Spa’s Abandoned 1814 Factory Awaits Rediscovery
This week on The Historians Podcast, environmental educator Anita Sanchez has history stories from the War of 1812 (the invasion of Sandy Bay, Massachusetts) and the Civil War (President Lincoln and the Shakers). Malta historian Paul Perreault tells the tale of a missing metal eagle. And history authors are interviewed at the 2016 Chronicle Book Fair in Glens Falls. [Read more…] about War of 1812: The Invasion of Sandy Bay (Podcast)
An often overlooked and forgotten New York City landmark, Castle Clinton welcomed many of the city’s residents into its walls as a place of innovation, entertainment, and new beginnings.
The circular sandstone fort which currently stands in Battery Park, was built to improve harbor fortifications in 1811. The Southwest Battery, as it was known, never fired a shot. [Read more…] about Castle Clinton: New York’s Almost Forgotten Landmark
For a second time in US history, a 15th Infantry formed as the War of 1812 began. In the harsh winter of 1813, well-respected Brigadier General Zebulon Pike commanded this regiment on their perilous 180-mile march over-land from Plattsburgh at Lake Champlain to Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about War of 1812: The 15th Infantry’s 180-Mile March
The Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site is set to host the annual War of 1812 North American Grand Tactical on Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26.
Participants include hundreds of War of 1812 re-enactors, a dozen watercraft, musicians & dancers, living history specialists, and War of 1812 historians and authors. [Read more…] about Sackets Harbor War of 1812 Grand Tactical
Uncle Sam, an American icon and a national symbol for the United States of America, is believed to have originated during the War of 1812.
Samuel Wilson was a meat packer and inspector of beef and pork at the E&S Wilson Company, owned by Samuel and his brother Ebenezer. After the United States declared war against Great Britain on June 18, 1812, the E&S Wilson Company was chosen to supply meat for the northern army of the United States. [Read more…] about Uncle Sam: Progenitor of America’s National Symbol
On Sunday, 6 October 2019, members of the Quassaick Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, partnered with the Salisbury Mills Fire Company, and Linda Standish, Village Historian for Washingtonville, to clean and preserve the historic Soldiers’ Monument in Salisbury Mills, Orange County, at the corner of Clove and Orrs Mills Roads. [Read more…] about Salisbury Mills Soldiers’ Monument Gets Cleaning