History, Natural History & the Arts
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has opened the new Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park, restoring full access to the renowned Gorge and Southern Rim Trails.
The bridge reconnects visitors to the park’s iconic waterfalls, overlooks and trail network in one of New York’s most visited parks. [Read more…] about New Watkins Glen State Park Sentry Bridge Installed
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced the acquisition of 284 acres at the former Babcock-Hovey Scout Camp in the Town of Ovid in Seneca County.
Located between Willard Wildlife Management Area and Bonavista State Park, the acquisition will provide protection for 2,800 feet of Seneca Lake shoreline. [Read more…] about Former Scout Camp Purchase Protects Seneca Lake Shoreline
Known for its rolling hardwood forests, diverse wildlife, and scenic overlooks, Sugar Hill State Forest offers an inviting gateway to the natural landscapes of the Finger Lakes region.
Located just outside Watkins Glen, this state forest stands out in the area for its unique blend of hidden ponds and waterfalls, mountainous hills, and a noteworthy fire tower that rewards visitors with 15 miles of panoramic views. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Sugar Hill State Forest
The Finger Lakes National Forest is New York’s only National Forest. “Whether to hike, ski, or admire the fall foliage, diverse recreation opportunities draw in visitors year-round,” says the U.S. Forest Service website.
The Trump regime is planning to cut down more of the Finger Lakes National Forest in order to reach a goal of increasing United States timber production by 25%. “All relevant agencies shall eliminate, to the maximum extent permissible by law, all undue delays within their respective permitting processes related to timber production,” Trump’s Executive Order says. [Read more…] about Trump Seeks Increased Logging of Finger Lakes National Forest
There are many former race tracks across the Empire State, and one of them is an old race track in Watkins Glen, the county seat of Schuyler County, NY. Not a flat for thoroughbreds or an oval for trotters, but the original “open-circuit” Grand Prix track.
As the victors of the Second World War settled down after a few seasons at home they looked for some new entertainment. An early autumn festival in the marvelous Finger Lakes Region seemed like a siren’s call that extended the waning summer; the final rose of the season. [Read more…] about Racing Through The Streets of Watkins Glen
In 1904, the New York State legislature passed a bill to create the New York State College at Cornell. The bill created a land-grant college with an agriculture focus within Cornell and guaranteed fields of study related to agriculture would receive significant public funding. [Read more…] about Finger Lakes Technology: From Agriculture to Auto Racing
The geology and climate of the Finger Lakes region presented a landscape of great natural beauty that has attracted tourism and recreation for more than 200 years.
Wealthy elites from the city of New York began building homes at Skaneateles Lake as early as 1809, and mineral springs in Livingston County in the western portion of the greater Finger Lakes region attracted visitors starting in the 1820s. [Read more…] about A Short History of Finger Lakes Tourism
As the population of interior New York increased, developers pushed for a faster method of transportation between the area and developed population centers like the city of New York.
The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, revolutionized inland travel and ushered in a broader era of canal construction across the state, connecting the state capital of Albany on the Hudson River to Western New York and the Great Lakes. [Read more…] about The Canal Era in the Finger Lakes
According to archeological records, groups of nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled through the Finger Lakes region approximately 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. Small bands of these hunters and gatherers followed large game during the last stages of the Ice Age when the glaciers that formed the area’s notable lakes were receding.
Somewhat more recent early archaic archeological sites scattered across Western New York reflect a culture that was highly mobile and left little in terms of an archeological record. [Read more…] about Early Inhabitants of the Finger Lakes Region
Approximately 600 million years ago, during the Neoproterozoic Era, the Earth’s supercontinent began to break apart, and an ocean formed between land masses that roughly correlate to Europe and North America today. For the next 100 million years, this ocean continued to widen until the continents changed course and began to move back towards each other.
The eventual collision of these land masses formed a tall mountain range now known as North America’s Appalachians. [Read more…] about Geologic Formation of the Finger Lakes
On Tuesday, July 18th, the National Park Service delivered the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Feasibility Study to Congress. The feasibility study determined that the study area in the Finger Lakes region of New York state meets the criteria to be eligible for inclusion as part of the National Heritage Area System. [Read more…] about National Park Service Declares Finger Lakes Eligble For National Heritage Designation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will host an open house to share details about a recently completed habitat management plan for Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area, on Tuesday, November 1st.
The primary purposes of Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are wildlife management, wildlife habitat management, and wildlife-dependent recreation. At the southern end of Seneca Lake, between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls, an unusual natural area has evolved. [Read more…] about Catharine Creek Wildlife Area Meeting Planned
On this episode of A New York Minute in History, Devin and Lauren discuss a recently installed William G. Pomeroy marker recognizing a 1900 auto race in Suffolk County, New York, and the importance of racing in automobile history.
Was that race to Babylon really the first of its kind in the United States? And how did Watkins Glen International get its start? [Read more…] about Early Auto Racing in New York
Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check)
Thanks for your support! These are difficult times. Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack.
*Donations are not tax deductible.
(Click the X in the top right corner this box to not see this message again for 7 days).