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Waterford

The 115th New York: The Iron Hearted Regiment During The Civil War

August 27, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Colonel Simeon Sammons of the 15th New York RegimentDuring the Civil War, Colonel Simeon Sammons received authority to recruit a regiment in the counties of Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, and Saratoga, with headquarters at Fonda. On August 26, 1862, it mustered into the service of the United States for three years as the 115th New York Infantry Regiment, known as the “Iron-Hearted Regiment.” [Read more…] about The 115th New York: The Iron Hearted Regiment During The Civil War

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Mohawk Valley Tagged With: 115th New York Regiment, Amsterdam, Ballston, Ballston Spa, Broadalbin, Brookside Museum, Canajoharie, Caroga, Charleston, Charlton, Civil War, Clifton Park, Corinth, Day, Edinburgh, Ephratah, Florida, Florida; Milton, Fonda, Fulton County, Galway, Glen, Greenfield, Hadley, Half Moon, Hamilton County, Johnstown, Malta, Mayfield Northampton, Military History, Milton, Minden, Mohawk, Montgomery County, Moreau, Northumberland, Oppenheim, Palatine, Providence, Root, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga Springs, St. Johnsville, Stillwater, Stratford, Waterford, Wells, Wilton

Side Paths: New York State’s 1890s Bike Trail Network

August 8, 2023 by Dave Waite Leave a Comment

East Avenue sidepath (Monroe County Sidepaths, 1899) Sidepaths were constructed for bicycles in the 1890sAs the 1890s took New York State toward a new century, the use of the bicycle for recreation by both the young and old was sweeping the country. One reason for this growth was the development of a safer, easier-to-ride machine with a smaller front wheel than the earlier high-wheeled bicycles.

Other advances in the development of the bicycle at this time were pneumatic tires and a chain drive that further eliminated the need for the large front tire. [Read more…] about Side Paths: New York State’s 1890s Bike Trail Network

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Ballston Spa, bicycling, biking, Glens Falls, Lake George, Legal History, Levi P. Morton, Mechanicville, Monroe County, Rochester, Round Lake, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Saratoga Springs, trails, Transportation History, Warren County, Waterford

361 Votes: Saratoga County’s 1898 Leadership Battle

April 2, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Saratoga County Supervisors 1898The recent battle for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives left many astounded that it took so many votes to reach a conclusion. However, Saratoga County once went through a situation that makes the House of Representatives battle look like very small potatoes. [Read more…] about 361 Votes: Saratoga County’s 1898 Leadership Battle

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Ballston, Charlton, Edinburg, Galway, Halfmoon, Malta, Mechanicville, Milton, Political History, Providence, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Saratoga Springs, Stillwater, Waterford

New York State Canals Bicentennial: Some History & Plans For Celebrations

March 23, 2023 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Erie Canal BicentennialThe Champlain Canal turns 200 this year and the Erie Canal will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2025.

The Champlain Canal between the Hudson River and Lake Champlain at Whitehall was the first to open. Worked started on the Champlain Canal in October, 1816. The first boats operated in November, 1819, and was fully completed in 1823, two years before the Erie Canal was finished. [Read more…] about New York State Canals Bicentennial: Some History & Plans For Celebrations

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Buffalo, Cayuga-Seneca Canal, Champlain Canal, Erie Canal, Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor, Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Erie, Maritime History, Mohawk River, NYS Canal Corporation, Oneida County, Oswego Canal, Rensselaer County, Rochester, Rome, Saratoga County, Transportation History, Troy, Utica, Washington County, Waterford, Whitehall

Taddeus Kosciusko: A Hero of Two Worlds (& The Name On That Bridge)

January 4, 2023 by Guest Contributor 10 Comments

Twin Bridges I-87 NorthwaySince it opened to traffic on April 11, 1960, millions of vehicles traveling the I-87 Northway have passed over the Mohawk River on what they think are called on “The Twin Bridges.” That bridge however, is really named for a Polish-American hero of the American Revolution – Taddeus Kosciusko. [Read more…] about Taddeus Kosciusko: A Hero of Two Worlds (& The Name On That Bridge)

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley Tagged With: American Revolution, Army Corps of Engineers, Battle of Saratoga, Engineering History, Essex County, Fort Ticonderoga, Hudson River, I-87, Immigration, John Burgoyne, Lake Champlain, Lake George, Military History, Mohawk River, Mount Defiance, Polish History, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Schuylerville, Taddeus Kosciusko, Warren County, Washington County, Waterford, West Point

The Button Fire Engine Company of Waterford: Some History

October 13, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Side-Stroke Fire Engine, 1872, L Button & Sons, Waterford NY - Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield HistoryFor much of the 19th and 20th centuries, New York State was a leader in fire engine and apparatus manufacturing. One of the main players in that industry was Lysander Button of Waterford, NY.

Starting around 1831, Button worked his way up the ladder from mechanic turned inventor to owner of the firm that would eventually take his name, the Button Fire Engine Company. [Read more…] about The Button Fire Engine Company of Waterford: Some History

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, Events, History Tagged With: Fires, Industrial History, Saratoga County, Schoharie Crossing SHS, Waterford, Waterford Historical Museum

Kayaker Alan Jay Paddles From Buffalo to Manhattan in 31 Days

August 5, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Alan JayIn June, the Hudson River Valley Greenway fielded a call from Alan Jay, who just completed paddling the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Waterford with his brother-in-law Michael.

The next day Jay would start his solo adventure paddling the Hudson River toward New York City – he needed a Hudson River Water Trail Guide. [Read more…] about Kayaker Alan Jay Paddles From Buffalo to Manhattan in 31 Days

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: Albany, Buffalo, Erie Canal, Hudson River, Hudson River Greenway, Liberty Island State Park, New York City, paddling, Statue of Liberty, Waterford

The Nolan Sisters: A Famous Waterford Poisoning Case

July 19, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Catherine and Elizabeth Nolan on trialThe Nolan Family immigrated from Ireland and settled in Stillwater, Ballston, and after the Civil War, in Waterford, all in Saratoga County. The Nolan’s were a large family, a good many had served in the war, and most enlisted for the rewards of the bounty paid to the volunteers.

Michael Nolan, the father of the Nolan girls, had enlisted in the storied 77th Infantry Regiment based out of Saratoga. The 77th fought in many of the war’s epic battles. Michael had enlisted for three years and served out his full term. Prior to the war he resided in Stillwater and was employed as a farm laborer. [Read more…] about The Nolan Sisters: A Famous Waterford Poisoning Case

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Ballston Spa, Crime and Justice, Lansingburgh, Legal History, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Saratoga Springs, Stillwater, Waterford

Cohoes Airman Eugene Chouiniere, Missing Since WWII, Being Memorialized

March 30, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

British Lancaster BomberEven before the United States entered the Second World War, Americans joined Great Britain’s war effort – among those who volunteered was Capital District native Eugene E. Chouiniere.

Chouiniere was 19-years-old when he died in a British Royal Air Force (RAF) mission to Germany. The crew included three Brits, two Canadians and three Americans. Letters to the families of the crew from the RAF stated that “it must be regretfully accepted and officially recorded that he [Eugene] does not have a known grave,” and thus their aircraft was “lost without a trace.”

Now independent historians think they know where the aircraft, a Avro Lancaster R5695EM-C Bomber, rests 80 years after it went down. [Read more…] about Cohoes Airman Eugene Chouiniere, Missing Since WWII, Being Memorialized

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Albany County, Aviation History, British Army, Canada, Canadian History, Cohoes, Military History, Saratoga County, Waterford, World War Two

The Eddy Family: Capital Region Industrialists

March 25, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Oliver Tarbell Eddy and Titus Egbert EddyWaterford, NY’s involvement in the Industrial Revolution was more significant than its geographical size would imply. Family-owned and operated business ventures were the norm and usually a first and second-generation operation.

Names that immediately come to the fore such families as brothers Hugh and Canvas White, the Knickerbocker, Kavanaugh, Button, Breslin, and King families all demonstrated the business model of the period; manufacturing firms that employed many hands from Saratoga County and surrounding communities. [Read more…] about The Eddy Family: Capital Region Industrialists

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Albany County, Cohoes, Industrial History, Iron Industry, Labor History, Publishing, Rensselaer County, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Troy, Waterford

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