The mysteries of Mount Independence’s past will be revealed in the annual archeology hike into history at the historic site in Orwell, Vermont. Archaeologist Allen Hathaway will lead the hike on Sunday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. and share his extensive knowledge about what archeology can and has revealed about the original inhabitants of the Mount; the American Revolution; and even the earlier French and Indian War.
“Allen is a popular guide and has visited the Mount for years, so he really knows the trails and the history behind them as well as what kind of archeological finds have been made,” said Elsa Gilbertson, Regional Site Administrator with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
The event is part of Vermont Archeology Month, she said, and participants are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.
Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the best-preserved Revolutionary War archeological sites in America. Visitors can see the evidence of this vast fortification by walking along the six miles of trails.
The Baldwin Trail, circling much of the southern half of the Mount, has gentle grades and compacted surfaces, suitable for easy walking, outdoor wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.
In 1776, the sprawling military complex at Mount Independence was one of the largest communities in North America after some 12,000 soldiers built a massive fort to defend against an anticipated British attack from the north.
On the night of July 5, 1777, General Arthur St. Clair withdrew the American army from Mount Independence and nearby Fort Ticonderoga without firing a shot after a British force more than twice his size occupied high ground from which they could bombard him with impunity.
The British and Germans occupied Mount Independence until November of that year. Though his actions helped preserve the army, Congress was outraged and censured St. Clair for the loss. He later argued that his conduct had been honorable; demanded review by a court martial; and was ultimately exonerated.
Mount Independence is located near the end of Mount Independence Road, six miles west of the intersections of VT Routes 22A and 73 near Orwell village. Admission is $5.00 for adults and free for children under 15, and includes the guided walk, access to all the trails, and a visit to the air-conditioned visitor center with its exhibits.
Call (802) 948-2000 for more information or visit www.historicvermont.org/sites
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Archeology to be Focus Of Mount Independence Hike
By Editorial Staff
29th Annual Iroquois Indian Festival
By Editorial Staff
The Iroquois Indian Museum of Howes Cave, New York, has announced the 29th Annual Iroquois Indian Festival will be held on Labor Day weekend, Saturday, September 4 through Sunday, September 5. The two-day festival’s goal is to foster a greater appreciation and deeper understanding of Iroquois culture through presentations of Iroquois music and social dance, traditional stories, artwork, games and food. This year’s master of ceremonies will be Museum Educator, Mike “Rohrhá:re” Tarbell, a member of the Turtle Clan from the Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Nation.
The annual festival centers on the celebration of Iroquois creativity and self-expression by featuring an all Iroquois Indian Art Market open to Iroquois artists by special invitation only. Both traditional and contemporary arts are showcased.
The Sky Dancers from Six Nations Reserve in Ontario will perform traditional Iroquois social dances, and may invite the public out onto the dance floor to participate, as well. The Children’s Tent will feature arts & crafts activities including beadwork and cornhusk doll making. Local wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Martin will be available to discuss wildlife conservation in our bioregion and will present a variety of wild animals including birds of prey. Pamela Brown “Wolf Teacher” returns to promote understanding and awareness of wolves and the importance of their survival with a display of educational and informational materials and fundraising items. The Museum’s archeology department will be available to help identify archeological finds.
NEW THIS YEAR: Mohawk educator Amanda Tarbell will give a presentation of Iroquois stories each day. Wilderness survival teacher and mentor, Barry Keegan will share his expertise with a daily presentation on flinknapping and other early survival skills.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: Nature Walk with Mike Tarbell in the Museum’s 45 acre Nature Park.
Food is an important part of any culture, and a full array of Native foods will be available for purchase provided by Frank and Pam Ramsey from Onondaga. Delicious traditional entrees include buffalo burgers, Indian tacos, venison sausage, roasted corn soup and frybread.
The Festival will be held at the Iroquois Indian Museum on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day, rain or shine. Performances will take place in the Museum’s outdoor covered amphitheater and the artists participating in the art-market will be set up in adjacent tents. Visit the Museum’s web site at www.iroquoismuseum.org for a performance schedule.
The Festival is supported in part through grants from The New York State Council on the Arts, and donations from members and friends of the Museum.
The Iroquois Indian Museum is located just 35 miles west of Albany New York, near the intersection of highways 7 and 145. Take exit 22 from Interstate 88 and follow the signs. There is a fee for entrance to the Festival grounds. For more information call the Museum at (518) 296-8949, or go to the Museum’s website at www.iroquoismuseum.org.
Photo: Iroquois Sky Dancer at the 2007 Iroquois Indian Festival.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Senator Schumer Visits the Adirondack Museum
By Editorial Staff
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) spoke at the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, New York on Friday, August 27, 2010. The Senator discussed the Travel Regional Investment Partnership Act (TRIP); a bill designed to support and grow tourism. Approximately 30 people gathered to hear the Senator and share concerns. Pictured left to right: Bill Farber, Chairman Hamilton County Board of Supervisors; Caroline M. Welsh, Director of the Adirondack Museum; and Senator Charles Schumer.
Encampment Marks Battles of Saratoga
By Editorial Staff
On Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, September 18-19, 2010, Saratoga National Historical Park, located on Routes 32 and 4 in Stillwater, will present an 18th century living history encampment marking the 233rd anniversary of the “most important battle of the last 1000 years.”
On Saturday evening at 6:30pm, come to the American camp (tour road stop 2) to see British actor Howard Burnham give a hilarious and insightful portrayal of British General John Burgoyne. An encore performance of his program will be given at the park Visitor Center at 2pm on Sunday.
This 2-day long encampment will surround visitors with the sights, smells, and sounds of military camp life from the American Revolution. Dozens of re-enactors portray American and British soldiers, officers, and camp followers, as well as American Loyalists and Oneida Indian allies of American independence. Events will include a court-martial and that decides a soldier’s fate, musket drill, stories of the revolutionary war experience. Visitors will experience the roar of cannons, smell the acrid smoke of musket fire as well as the welcoming wisps of camp cooking fires.
The event is free, but the normal entrance fee to the park of $5 per car (good for one week entry) is charged. For more information about this or other events, please call the Visitor Center at 518-664-9821 or check the park website at www.nps.gov/sara.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Last Chance to See Inportant Photo Exhibit
By Editorial Staff
The Fenimore Art Museum’s popular summer exhibition In Our Time: The World as Seen by Magnum Photographers will come to a close on Monday, September 6. In Our Time was organized to celebrate 50 years of photography at Magnum Photos Inc. and the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography.
This exhibition of 150 black-and-white photographs is from a comprehensive survey of Magnum Photos, Inc., which is considered to be one of the world’s most renowned photographic agencies. These images are a result of the extraordinary vision of the many talented photographers who have been associated with Magnum since its founding in 1947.
The broad events captured in these Magnum photographs include the D-Day landing in Normandy, France (1944); James Dean in Times Square (1955); Castro delivering a speech in Havanna (1959); Martin Luther King receiving the Nobel Peace Prize (1963); Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy at Arlington (1963); women supporters of Ayatollah Khomeni in Iran (1979); and a crack den in New York City (1988).
In Our Time: The World as Seen by Magnum Photographers is toured by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film.
Other exhibitions currently on view at Fenimore Art Museum include John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Praise of Women (through December 31, 2010), Empire Waists, Bustles and Lace: A Century of New York Fashion (through December 31, 2010), Watermark: Michele Harvey & Glimmerglass (through December 31, 2010), Virtual Folk: A Blog Readers' Choice (through December 31, 2010). Ongoing Exhibitions include Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, The Coopers of Cooperstown, Genre Paintings from the Permanent Collection, and American Memory: Recalling the Past in Folk Art.
Museum hours: through October 11 (10 am – 5 pm), October 12 – December 31 (10 am - 4 pm) Adult admission (13-64) is $12.00 and senior admission (65 and up) is $10.50. Children 12 and under are free as well as NYSHA members, active military, and retired career military. Visit our website for more information at www.fenimoreartmuseum.org.
Brooklyn Museum Announces Major Change in Hours
By Editorial Staff
Beginning Wednesday, October 6, the Brooklyn Museum will open to the public eight additional hours a week, including remaining open until 10 p.m. every Thursday and Friday. When the new schedule goes into effect, the Brooklyn Museum will have a greater number of evening hours than almost any other New York City museum. Despite the challenging economic climate, the enhanced public hours will be implemented following an exhaustive year-long analysis of how the Museum's public hours might be reorganized to more effectively meet the current needs of its audience.
Chairman of the Museum Board of Trustees Norman M. Feinberg states, "The Board believes that the previous hours did not appropriately address the changing needs of its community. We are delighted, through this reorganization, to far better serve our visitors."
In announcing the expanded hours, Brooklyn Museum Director Arnold L. Lehman comments, "This important and positive change is an institutional priority that will enable us to better serve a twenty-first century audience by providing greater access for visitors who work during the day, for families, as well as for those who prefer to visit weekday evenings."
Under the new plan, the Brooklyn Museum will open each day at 11 a.m. On Wednesdays, it will remain open until 6 p.m. and on Thursdays and Fridays until 10 p.m. Weekend hours, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., remain the same. The Museum will continue to present Target First Saturdays, its popular free evening of art and entertainment, when it remains open until 11 p.m. the first Saturday of each month except September. School groups will continue to be admitted at 10 a.m. on weekdays for guided visits by reservation.
Admission during the new hours, with the exception of Target First Saturdays, will remain at a suggested admission price of $10 and $6 for older adults and students with valid I. D. Members and children under 12 continue to receive free admission.
Existing staff hours, particularly those of the security team, have been rescheduled. The Museum Café, which is managed by Restaurant Associates, will offer dinner options as well as light snacks and beverages, including wine and beer, in the Rubin Pavilion.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Boating Museum Donates Important Canal Marker
By Editorial Staff
The Finger Lakes Boating Museum commemorated the important role of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal in the development of Geneva by donating an historical marker for the city’s waterfront. City and boating museum officials dedicated the marker in a ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday on the lakefront near the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce building. Bill Oben, President of the Boating Museum, made the presentation to Mayor Stu Einstein.
The dedication ceremony coincided with the stopover in Geneva of the Lois McClure, an 88-foot canal schooner moored for three days on the lakefront just west of the Chamber. The McClure is a full-scale working replica of an 1862 canal schooner, a unique example of working vessels that carried goods throughout Northeastern waterways during the 19th century.
“The scheduled arrival of the schooner Lois McClure in Geneva harbor this week is a wonderful reminder of the significant role the Cayuga-Seneca Canal played in the development of Geneva and the region beyond throughout the 19th century,” said Oben. “The last vestiges of the canal along the Geneva waterfront disappeared long ago as the old waterway was filled in to make way for the arterial highway. As we plan the future home of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum on the site of the original entrance to this historic canal, it’s appropriate to recognize this with placement of an enduring marker identifying the former location of this important transportation artery.”
Oben said the historical marker at the original canal entrance will be similar to others already along the waterfront that note significant people and places in Geneva’s history. Geneva Granite donated the granite base for the plaque.
The plaque on the marker will read as follows: “At this point in 1828, water from Seneca Lake was first released into the newly constructed Cayuga-Seneca Canal, forming a navigable link to the Erie Canal. This waterway enabled commerce to flow between Seneca and the Hudson River and soon became an economic engine that brought wealth and prosperity to the City of Geneva and other municipalities along its path. Eventually supplanted by rail and truck transportation, this channel was abandoned in the 1920s and ultimately filled in.”
The boating museum reached agreement with the City of Geneva last fall to establish a permanent home on the Geneva waterfront in association with the Visitor Center. The facility, which will be located on the current Chamber site, is being enabled by a $3.5 million grant provided to the city by State Sen. Michael Nozzolio.
The boating museum has assembled a collection of 100 wooden boats built in the Finger Lakes over the past 100 years, as well as numerous related artifacts and extensive reference material. The collection is being moved to a storage facility in the Geneva Enterprise Development Center on North Genesee Street arranged by the Geneva Industrial Development Authority.
Portions of the collection will be displayed on a rotating basis within the new facility. Also planned are interactive workshops and displays to engage visitors in the design, construction and use of the boats and an active on-water program including sailing and small boat handling.
The boating museum is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation and was chartered by the New York State Department of Education in 1997 to “research, document, preserve and share the boating history of the Finger Lakes region.”
Additional information about the boating museum may be found on its website.
The canal schooner Lois McClure, whose homeport is Lake Champlain, is making a 1,000-mile journey across New York’s canals as it stops in 20 ports of call. The tour will culminate in September with a trip to the World Canals Conference in Rochester. The schooner also stopped in Geneva in 2007 on a similar tour.
The expedition is made possible by a partnership between the New York State Canal Corporation, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership. This voyage is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the region's interconnected waterways and the many activities found along the New York State Canal System and Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, highlighting the Canal System's roles in transportation, recreation and tourism. Tours of the boat with interpretive presentations, wayside exhibits and educational materials will be provided free of charge to the public at each stop.
The schooner is a full-scale replica of an 1862 sailing canal boat. Constructed in Burlington, Vt., and launched in 2004, the Lois McClure is an exact replica of canal schooners found shipwrecked in the waters of Lake Champlain. The unique sailing-canal boats were the tractor-trailers of the 19th century, designed to sail from lake cities to canal ports using wind power. Upon reaching a canal, the masts were lowered and centerboards raised, transforming the vessel into a typical canal boat.
The schooner is named for Lois McClure, who was born in 1926 and grew up in Burlington, Vt. In 1954, McClure married James Warren McClure, an owner and publisher of the Burlington Free Press, and later a major stockholder and Vice President of the Gannett Company, Inc. In 1971, the McClures left Burlington for Rochester, where Lois McClure continued her education. In 1978, after J. Warren McClure retired, they moved to Key Largo, Fla., spending summers in Charlotte, until they returned to Vermont in 2002.
In the 1970s, the McClures began to make significant financial contributions to organizations in the Burlington area and elsewhere. After her husband became ill in the 1990s, Lois McClure took on the leadership role in their philanthropy, a role she has continued since her husband’s death in 2004. The schooner was named in McClure’s honor for her major contribution to the schooner construction and support of many other community projects.
Photo: Bill Oben (left), president of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, presents Geneva Mayor Stu Einstein with a copy of the historical marker that the boating museum donated to the city to mark the entrance to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. In the background is the Lois McClure, a replica of a canal boat that stopped in Geneva on a tour of New York State canal waterways.
Twin Forts Day Features Am Rev Reenactment
By Editorial Staff
On October 6, 1777 a force of British regulars, Loyalists and Germans assaulted Forts Montgomery and Clinton while Royal Navy warships on the Hudson River bombarded the forts as well as American warships defending the Great Chain. Outnumbered 3 to 1, the Continental Regulars and Militia fought a brave and bloody action until at last their forts were overrun, the Continental boats were burned by their own crews and the Great Chain removed. Over half of the garrison was captured or killed.
The Fort Montgomery State Historic Site in the Hudson Highlands will commemorate this bloody battle on October 2-3. This year, the traditional Twin Forts Day will be expanded into a two day Brigade of the American Revolution event with different programs each day. On Saturday, visitors will witness the battle reenactment, cannon firings, and living history demonstrations throughout the day. Sunday will feature the aftermath of the battle, with the "Twin Forts" now under the control of the conquering Crown Forces. British and German troops will be on hand to establish guard posts and put their prisoners to work, while the Loyalist forces try to recruit wavering Continentals.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located at 690 Route 9W, in Fort Montgomery, NY.
Schedule:
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 30
7:00 PM – FREE LECTURE – Todd Braisted "The Hudson Valley's Provincial Corps: Loyalist Troops in Sir Henry Clinton's 1777 Highlands Expedition." – Fort Montgomery Visitor Center
SATURDAY OCTOBER 2
9:00 AM - Camp Opens
9:30 AM - Troop (formation) – Visitor Center Lawn
10:00 AM - Memorial Ceremony at Fort Clinton’s Redoubt
11:00 AM - People of the Twin Forts – Visitor Center Terrace
1:00 PM - Artillery Firing – Grand Battery
1:30 PM - Military Music Demo – Grand Battery
1:30 PM - Ladies Program – Visitor Center Terrace
2:00 PM - British Formation & Drill – Visitor Center Lawn
4:00 PM - Battle Reenactment – Fort Interior
5:00 PM - Camp Closes
SUNDAY OCTOBER 3
10:00 AM - Camp Opens to the Public
11:00 AM - Troop (formation) – Visitor Center Lawn
11:00AM - 2:00PM Crown Forces Occupation – Fort Interior
2:00 PM - Artillery Firing – Grand Battery
3:00 PM - Camp Closes
Presented by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Palisades Interstate Park Commission; Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area; Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association; and The Brigade of the American Revolution
The Brigade of the American Revolution has a nearly 50-year relationship with New York’s State Historic Sites, and has been at the forefront of the fight to keep them open during the recent state budget difficulties.
www.palisadesparksconservancy.org/historic/18/
www.brigade.org
nysparks.state.ny.us/historic-sites/28/details.aspx
www.hudsonrivervalley.com
Friday, August 27, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
- Adirondack Almanack: Comeback For A Once Famed Sailboat
- Bowery Boys: New York Public Transportation Recap
- New York Times: History of 3 Midtown Neighbors
- Brian Mann: The Myth of America's Last Stand
- Rural Blog: Lead Paint Flaking Bridges
- Bowery Boys: Evolution of Subway Art
- Algonkian Church History: NJ's Lenape and Nanticoke Indians
- American Folk Art: The County Atlas
- Canal Trek 2010: The Old Erie Canal
Franklin Co. Historical Offers Loon Lake Lecture
By Editorial Staff
Northern New York history buffs will enjoy the upcoming discussion of the history of Loon Lake in Franklin County, on Friday September 3 at 6:30 pm. The presentation and discussion of Loon Lake history, especially the era of the famous Loon Lake House hotel and resort, will feature Joseph LeMay, who is writing a book on the subject. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Members of the greater Loon Lake community are invited to share their memories and photographs and participate in the discussion, which will be held at the Schryer Center at the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society, 51 Milwaukee St., Malone.
The House of History museum is housed in an 1864 Italianate style building, most recently the home of the F. Roy and Elizabeth Crooks Kirk family. A museum since 1973, the House of History is home to the headquarters of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society and its historic collections pertaining to the history of Franklin County. The recently renovated carriage house behind the museum is the beautiful Schryer Center for Historical & Genealogical Research, which opened in 2006. The Schryer Center contains archival materials and a library of family history information and is open to the public. FCHMS is supported by its members and donors and the generous support of Franklin County.
The House of History is open for tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4pm through December 31, 2010; admission is $5/adults, $3/seniors, $2/children, and free for members. The Schryer Center for Historical & Genealogical Reseach is open for research Tuesday-Friday from 1-4pm through October 8, 2010 and Wednesday-Friday from 1-4pm October 13-May 1, weather permitting. The fee to use the research library is $10/day and free to members.
Information about Franklin County History, the collections of the museum and links to interesting historical information can be found on the Society's blog.
Contact the Historical Society with questions at 518-483-2750 or fchms@franklinhistory.org.
Photo: Loon Lake Hotel Staff, ca. 1896. From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society.
This Week's Top New York History News
By Editorial Staff
- Bill Seeks to Force Open Gov Archives
- Major Finds at Civil War POW Camp
- NYC Sues For Return of Central Park Drawings
- Disassembled Genealogical Society Now on Ropes
- Lockport: Fight Over Civil War Medal of Honor
- NEH Awards 1st Bridging Cultures Grants
- History Organizations Fight For History Grants
- Ghost Story Leads to Mass Grave
- Whitehall Marina Criticizes Free Canal Docking
- NY Wins $696M Federal Education Grant
- Farm Preservation Funds Dry Up
- SUNY System Considers Cuts
- Schumer: Give Fed Conservation $ to State Parks
- WWII Pilot's Remains Laid To Rest
- History Key to School's Renovation
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
New Netherland: Scholar in Residence Programs
By Editorial Staff
The New Netherland Research Center (NNRC), a joint endeavor of the New Netherland Institute (NNI) and the Office of Cultural Education, New York State Education Department (NYSED/OCE), with financial support from the Government of the Netherlands, announces a Senior Scholar in Residence program and two NNRC Student Scholar Research Grants for 2011.
Student Scholar Research Grants
The grant covers a period of up to three months in residence and provides a stipend of $5,000. A time frame for fulfilling the grant requirements will be established in consultation with the Director of NNRC. No housing or travel funds are provided but
office space is included.
Scholars beyond the undergraduate level and actively working on a thesis, dissertation, or scholarly article are invited to apply. Research must be conducted at the New York State Library and Archives, Albany, NY, in the field of New Netherland history and the Dutch Atlantic World utilizing the Records of New Netherland. Candidates must indicate their research topic in their application. Genealogical research topics are excluded. Considering that much of the secondary, as well as the primary, source materials are in 17th century Dutch, it would be to the student scholar’s advantage to have a working knowledge of the language.
The $5,000 stipend is payable in equal installment upon submission and acceptance by the Director of NNRC of a monthly progress report. At the conclusion of their residency, the student scholar must submit a written report based on their work and deliver a public lecture on their research findings prior to receipt of their final installment.
Applications, consisting of a curriculum vita, two letters of recommendation, and a cover letter outlining the research topic and work plan, must be submitted to the Grants Committee, New Netherland Institute, Box 2536, Empire State Plaza Station, Albany, NY 12220-0536.
Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2010 with awards announced on December 1, 2010.
Senior Scholar in Residence Program
Pre–and post-doctoral students, including independent, non-university-affiliated persons, are invited to apply for a 12-month residency beginning not earlier than January and not later than September 2011 with the specific time frame to be established in consultation with the Director of NNRC. The proposed research will occur at the New Netherland Research Center in Albany, utilizing the resources of the New York State Library and Archives for research in the field of Dutch Colonial America and the Atlantic World. Scholars are expected to include the primary sources of the Records of New Netherland in their research, so a reading knowledge of seventeenth-century Dutch is necessary.
The recipient will be required to produce a minimum 5000 word manuscript based upon his or her research in the primary sources in the field, with NNI/ NNRC having the first option to publish it and holding the copyright. In addition, a public lecture on an aspect of the research for delivery at Siena College, Loudonville, NY, is also mandated. Both requirements must be met no later than the final month of residency and are subject to the approval of the Director of NNRC.
No housing or travel funds are provided, but office space at NYSED/OCE is included.
The stipend is $30,000, to be distributed monthly in equal installments upon submission of a written progress report acceptable to the Director of NNRC. The final payment will be contingent upon meeting the terms cited above.
The application must consist of two copies of a curriculum vitae; one copy of a thesis, dissertation, published article(s) or book; two letters of recommendation; and a cover letter outlining your research interest and work plan. It should be submitted to the Grants Committee, New Netherland Institute, P.O. Box 2536, Empire State Plaza Station,
Albany, NY 12220-0536.
Applications must be received by September 15, 2010. The grant will be awarded and announced by November 1, 2010.
Golf Tournament to Benefit the Cayuga Museum
By Editorial Staff
The Cayuga Museum will host its first ever golf outing on Sunday, September 19, 2010 at the Highland Golf Club. This is an added event to help with the severe financial challenges the Museum is facing this year. To register, sponsor a hole or for more information call 253-8051.
This will be a 4-person scramble with a shotgun start at 1:00 PM. The cost is $75 per person, which includes 18 holes of golf, cart, cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres. We are also selling hole sponsorships at $100 per hole. Entry fees and sponsorships should be sent to the Cayuga Museum at 203 Genesee St, Auburn, NY 13021. The deadline for entries and sponsorships is September 3, 2010.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Stony Point Lighthouse Cruise
By Editorial Staff
Spend an evening aboard the historic M.V. Commander enjoying a two hour cruise along the scenic Hudson River. While on-board, discover the fascinating history surrounding Haverstraw Bay, the Lower Highlands, and the 1826 Stony Point Lighthouse as told by local history narrator, Scott Craven. Enjoy spectacular views of the illuminated Stony Point Lighthouse as participants sail up-river.
The cruise will take place in October 9, 2000 6 pm to 8 pm. Advanced reservations are required. Please call the site office for reservations and further information: (845) 786-2521. Admission: $30 adults, $25 seniors (62+), and $15 children (5-12).
The cruise departs Haverstraw Marina at 6:00 PM. Boarding by 5:45 PM; it is recommended you arrive at the parking lot by 5:30 PM. The Commander is located at the Haverstraw Marina. Light refreshments will be available for purchase on board. Directions can be found online.
The evening program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Stony Point Battlefield & Lighthouse and Hudson Highland Cruises, Inc. The evenings proceeds will directly benefit the Friends' Lighthouse Lens Fund that has been set up to help finance the restoration of the 4th Order Fresnel lens that will be moved from the Lighthouse to the more secure and environmentally stable Lighthouse Gallery in the site’s museum.
Photo: The historic M.V. Commander plies the Hudson River.
Adirondack Museum Receives Challenge Grant
By Editorial Staff
The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York is the recipient of a challenge grant in the amount of $20,000 from the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust. The funds will be used in support of a major renovation that will make the museum's Auditorium universally accessible.
Director of Institutional Advancement Sarah Lewin says that with the gratifying news of the award comes the hard work of raising a matching $20,000 by December 15, 2010.
The accessibility project will provide a wheel-chair entrance to the Auditorium - the site of lectures, films, and special programs such as the museum's popular Cabin Fever Sunday series -- from the campus side of the building.
By re-designing one of the doors at the rear of the Auditorium and creating an attractive, covered, ramped entrance, the museum will eliminate the need for those with a disability to leave the grounds and enter the program space from the parking lot.
The renovation will allow the interior of the Auditorium to be easily accessed by wheelchair, enabling everyone, regardless of mobility, to present or enjoy museum programs.
Lewin says that every dollar toward meeting the challenge will help; no contribution is too small. For further information or to make a donation, contact Sarah Lewin at (518) 352-7311, ext. 125 or via email at slewin@adkmuseum.org
The mission of the Syracuse-based John Ben Snow Memorial Trust is to make grants within specific focus areas to enhance the quality of life in many geographic regions.
Historically, the Memorial Trust has made grants in the program areas of arts and culture, community development, education, the environment, historic preservation, and journalism.
Illustration: Proposed renovation of the Adirondack Museum Auditorium.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Washington's Headquarters Annual Kite Event
By Editorial Staff
If you feel like flying a kite, or watching one in flight, come to Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, Saturday, August 28th from 2:00 until 4:00 PM for the free annual “Kites Over The Hudson.”
For the first 150 children, ages 15 and under, there are free kites and prizes in various categories. If you are over 15, enjoy the scenery and breezes blowing off the Hudson River. For all, there are free refreshments.
Admission to Washington’ Headquarters, the first historic site in the nation, will be underwritten by the Central Hudson Gas and Electric Company. The kites, refreshments, prizes and entertainment for the day all are being provided through the gracious patronage of the Friends of the State Historic Sites of the Hudson Highlands.
Guided tours, conducted by costumed historic interpreters, will address not only the history of the house and the role it played during the Revolutionary War, but also touch upon its importance in light of historic preservation. From its inception as a designated state historic site, it set the example for over 7,000 similar locations to follow.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is a registered national historic landmark. It is located at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets within the city of Newburgh’s East End Historic District.
NY Council for the Humanities Grant Deadline
By Editorial Staff
New York Council for the Humanities grants provide support for public programs presented by tax exempt organizations across New York State that bring humanities scholars and scholarship to a general public audience. The New York Council for the Humanities invites organizations from New York State to apply for a Council Major Grant (up to $20,000) by the September 15th post-marked deadline.
Applicants can apply for support of the implementation of a public project grounded in the humanities. Council grants have funded a variety of projects including the implementation of exhibitions, discussion programs, walking tours, and podcasts in communities across the state, from Buffalo to Fayetteville to Geneva to New York City.
For more information, visit nyhumanities.org/grants and review the list of past grantees along with brief descriptions of their awarded grant projects, or send an email to grants@nyhumanities.org.
The Council also has several other programs available, including Reading Between the Lines an adult reading discussion group, and Speakers in the Humanities an affordable speakers bureau with a variety of topics. For more information visit their website at www.nyhumanities.org.
Monday, August 23, 2010
NY Landscape Exhibit Opens at NYS Museum
By Editorial Staff
“Not Just Another Pretty Place: The Landscape of New York” opens at the New York State Museum September 3rd showcasing the many different ways views of New York have been captured and used by artists, photographers, scientists and others during the past 200 years.
This is the first exhibition of landscape art to be completely culled from the State Museum’s vast collections. On display in the Museum’s West Gallery, this exhibition takes a unique look at the landscape art form, looking beyond the purely aesthetic. It features more than 100 landscape scenes and includes paintings, photographs, prints, ceramics, furniture and much more.
The rich and varied landscape of New York State has been a subject of interest to artists, photographers, historians, and scientists alike for hundreds of years. Artists have used the landscape in their work to draw tourists to Niagara Falls or the Adirondacks, create allegorical scenes of the Hudson River for advertising, and document the ever-changing streets of New York City.
The exhibition includes works by Currier & Ives, Seneca Ray Stoddard, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Thomas Benjamin Pope, Fairfield Porter, Edward Gay, Asa Twitchell, E.L. Henry and William Henry Jackson.
A complementary photo exhibition will also open on September 3 outside West Gallery in the West Hall Corridor. “Wish You Were Here! New York State Photographed by You” will feature photographs of the scenic New York State landscape submitted by the general public. These can be photographs of a beloved vacation spot or even the backyard, neighborhood street or other favorite place. Images chosen for the exhibition, as well as others that are submitted, will also appear on the Museum’s website and flickr page. Photographs will still be accepted after September 3, since new ones will continually be added to both the gallery and website.
Those wishing to submit photos for “Wish You Were Here” will find further information online.
Writer, Historian Colin Wells in Whallonsbug
By Editorial Staff
The Adirondack Center for Writing presents author and historian Colin Wells in their annual Reading Series. The series hosts writers and poets from the North Country at local venues to share their recent work. Wells’ talk is titled “Potty Humor and History: The Strange Friendship of Nicolo Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini” and will explore Nicolo Machiavelli’s friendship with the “first modern historian.” He will speak on September 16th at 7pm at The Whallonsburg Grange Hall in Whallonsburg, NY. The event is FREE and open to the public.
Colin Wells has been interested in history since his undergraduate days at UCLA, and has published widely, from Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Changed the World, to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Saudi Arabia. Reviewing Sailing from Byzantium, the American Library Association’s Booklist said, “Wells brings vividly to life this history of a long-lost era and its opulent heritage.” His most recent book is called A Brief History of History: Great Historians and the Epic Quest to Explain the Past. The book brings together evocative sketches of the great historians with concise summaries of their most important works. Wells demonstrates how brilliant minds have changed our understanding of history, how history itself moved forward over time as a way of approaching the past, and why "history" is a startlingly fluid concept, with an evolutionary course--a story--all its own.
In addition to works of popular history, Wells has published a children’s mystery titled Stick Like Glue and is working on a new book called The Invention of God: The Origins of Faith in the Rise of Reason. He lives with his two Samoyeds and a crew of cats in Westport, where he writes for the local paper.
The Reading Series will also feature novelist Steve Stern in Glen Falls, NY on August 26 and poet Jay Rogoff on September 21st at the Saratoga Arts Center.
The Adirondack Center for Writing is an independent non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting literature and providing educational opportunities and support to both aspiring and established writers in the Adirondack region. We provide workshops, conferences, and readings throughout the year in locations all around the Adirondack Park. ACW is based at Paul Smith's College and is supported by a strong membership and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
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By Editorial Staff
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Local Foods Writer at the Adirondack Museum
By Editorial Staff
If you love to cook and support regional agriculture, join a discussion about cooking with local ingredients in the Adirondack region.
On Monday, August 23, 2010 food writer Annette Nielsen will offer a program entitled "North Country Foodways in the 21st Century" at the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, New York.
The final offering of the season in the museum's Monday Evening Lecture series, the presentation will be held in the Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. There is no charge for museum members. Admission is $5.00 for non-members.
Annette Nielsen is the editor of Northern Comfort, Recipes from Adirondack Life - the fall and winter edition, as well as the newly released Northern Bounty: Spring & Summer Recipes from Adirondack Life.
Drawing on recipes from both cookbooks, Nielsen will identify ways to obtain ingredients throughout the entire year, whether sourcing from forest, orchard, or farm.
Nielsen, a food writer, has contributed articles and columns on regional farms, food and folkways to a variety of publications and has conducted farm-to-table tours and cooking classes at the Battenkill Kitchen, in Washington County, N.Y. for youth and adults.
She worked earlier in her career with Glorious Food, a catering concern in New York, and taught principles of healthful eating and cooking to teens and parents in underserved areas of Washington, DC with Share Our Strength's Chef Outreach Program.
Photo: Annette Nielsen, photo by Elias Garfinkel.
Friday, August 20, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
- Bowery Boys: Evolution of Subway Art
- Algonkian History: NJ's Lenape and Nanticoke Indians
- American Folk Art: The County Atlas
- Canal Trek 2010: The Old Erie Canal
- Adk Almanack: Lumber Camp Cook Rita Chaisson
- Virtual Dime Museum: 1870s Beach Fashions
- Shrine Celebrates 125 Years
- American Folk Art: Split Personality Hotel Sign
- NY Fashion: The History of Indian Moccasin
This Week's Top New York History News
By Editorial Staff
- Tribes Gather on Cigarette Taxes
- Last U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq
- MJ Makes National Dance Hall of Fame
- Terror Concerns End VT Maple Tours
- Audubon's First Engraving Discovered
- Rural Kings Station Gets Makeover
- 98 Yr-Old Moose Lodge Faces Closure
- Cornwall Island Standoff Lingers
- Ti Cartoon Museum Closing
- Gift Gives Rest to 1903 Orphan Deaths
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Cazenovia College's Lecture Series
By Editorial Staff
The seventh season of Cazenovia College's Faculty Library Lecture Series: "Great Minds / Great Ideas," at Cazenovia Public Library and the Manlius Library, continues beginning Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010. The series, sponsored by Doris Eversfield Webster, Cazenovia College Class of 1946, features noted faculty members from Cazenovia College discussing the lives and work of important thinkers who opened doors of opportunity for the human spirit. Ample time for questions and conversation follows each lecture. Complete information may be found at www.cazenovia.edu/greatminds.
Sept. 21, 2010, at The Manlius Library, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue, Manlius, N.Y. "Real Horse Power!" presented by Karin Bump, professor of equine studies. This presentation will encompass a journey through time to provide an understanding of 'horse power' from past to present, and celebrate the remarkable power of the horse to capture the hearts and minds of young and old alike.
Sept. 21, 2010, at Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany Street, Cazenovia, N.Y. "What a Great Idea! The Inventive Minds behind Some of Our Favorite Toys," presented by Scott Jensen, assistant professor of visual communications. The creators of many familiar toys all started with a great idea... but didn't always know what to do with it. Discover the fascinating stories of these and some other familiar playthings in this fun, playful lecture.
Oct. 19, 2010, at The Manlius Library, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue, Manlius, N.Y. "What a Great Idea! The Inventive Minds behind Some of Our Favorite Toys," presented by Scott Jensen, assistant professor of visual communications. The creators of many familiar toys all started with a great idea... but didn't always know what to do with it. Discover the fascinating stories of these and some other familiar playthings in this fun, playful lecture.
Oct. 19, 2010, at Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany Street, Cazenovia, N.Y. "Numbers: How They Amaze Us," presented by John Livermore, assistant professor of mathematics. Number theory is the branch of mathematics that deals with the study of the properties of the natural numbers. Livermore will discuss our base 10 number system, some basic number theory proofs and how the results of these proofs are applied on the Internet to amaze us.
For more information about the lectures, contact: Cazenovia Public Library at 315-655-9322, or visit www.midyork.org/cazenovia ; or The Manlius Library, at 315-682-6400, or visit www.manliuslib.org
'You Are Needed at Headquarters' at New Windsor Cantonment
By Editorial Staff
"You Are Needed at Headquarters” a special presentation on the important role of the Continental Army military headquarters in Newburgh and New Windsor, will be held at the New Windsor Cantonment on September 25, 2010. The event includes special tours of the Edmonston House, headquarters for Major General Arthur St. Clair, Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Site and Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site.
Once the British captured New York City, in 1776, the natural defenses of the Hudson Highlands sheltered the Continental Army for the remainder of the war, except for a few weeks, in the fall of 1777. Many of the homes in the valley were used as military headquarters. Typically, the soldiers stayed in tents during mild weather and constructed log huts for the winter. The highest ranking officers vied with each other to stay in the most comfortable houses available. In the sparsely populated Highlands, there were few places large enough to accommodate the generals and their retinue, without being a major burden on the property owner, who often continued living in the house. Learn about the role of these headquarters and the interaction between the army and their often reluctant hosts.
The formal presentation, at the New Windsor Cantonment, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, will give visitors the background of the American military presence, in the Hudson Valley, during the Revolutionary War. General George Washington made his headquarters at the home of the widow Hasbrouck, south of Newburgh. The modest fieldstone home was used for 16 months, the longest occupation of any headquarters by Washington. Constructed in 1754, the elegant John Ellison house was the military headquarters for Quartermaster General Nathanael Greene and artillery commander General Henry Knox, in 1779. Knox returned in 1780-81 and over the summer of 1782. Appointed commander of the army at New Windsor, in October 1782, General Horatio Gates, victor of the Battle of Saratoga, resided there from November 1782-April 1783. First billeted at the Edmonston House, Gates complained directly to Washington that “your Excellency’s dog kennel at Mount Vernon, is as good a Quarter as that I am now in.” If the Edmonston House was any where near as bad as Gates intimated, it was fortunate that the New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Maryland Detachment commander, at the New Windsor Cantonment, General Arthur St. Clair, the next occupant, spent much of the winter of 1782-83 home on furlough.
From 2:00 to 5:00 PM, visitors are invited to visit Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site on Liberty Street, in Newburgh, New York, Knox’s Headquarters, at the intersection of Route 94 and Forge Hill Road, in Vails Gate and Edmonston House, located on Route 94, west of the Vails Gate intersection with Routes 32 and 300. There is a small fee to tour Washington’s Headquarters and the Edmonston House. For more information please call New Windsor Cantonment at (845) 561-1765 ext. 22. New Windsor Cantonment is co-located with the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor on Route 300 (374 Temple Hill Road) in the Town of New Windsor, four miles east of Stewart Airport. It is three miles from the intersection of I-87 and I-84 in Newburgh, New York.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Women and Divorce: 19th Century Outrage-21st Century Strategies
By Editorial Staff
The Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, in collaboration with co-sponsors Adrienne Rothstein Grace, Certified Financial Planner, and the Western New York Women's Bar Association, will present "Women and Divorce: 19th Century Outrage/21st Century Strategies," an evening of speakers on the topic of the changing rights and history of women and divorce in New York State on Thursday, August 26, at 7 p.m.
at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court (at Elmwood Ave.).
Keynote speaker Dr. Ilyon Woo is the author of The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother's Extraordinary Fight against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times (Atlantic Monthly Press). The book tells the story of Eunice Hawley Chapman, whose husband left her, taking their children, and joined the Shakers, a reclusive religious sect. At the time, a married woman in her circumstances had few rights and no legal identity. Chapman sought unprecedented intervention, and fought hard for the return of her children, rallying even the State legislature. Dr. Woo will speak on the topics addressed in her book. She will also sign copies of the book, which is available in the Museum's gift shop
Attorney Carol A. Condon will address present-day New York State divorce law. New York is the last state in America to consider putting no-fault divorce laws on its books. Condon is a member of the Family Law Committee of the Bar Association of Erie County, and of the New York State Bar Association. She is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to divorce and family law. Condon is the past president of the Western New York Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York.
Co-sponsor Adrienne Rothstein Grace, Certified Financial Planner and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, will present information specifically on the topic of divorce financial planning. Rothstein Grace has a widely varied background in financial services. She is currently with Mass Mutual/The Buffalo Agency. In concert with attorneys and mediators, Rothstein Grace helps clients in divorce gain clear ideas of their financial position, outline different settlement scenarios, and forecast long term effects.
The event is $7.00; Free to Historical Society and Western New York Women's Bar Association members. For more information log on to www.buffalohistory.org, e-mail bechspr@bechs.org, or call 873-9644 x319.
Mountain Men Return to the Adirondack Museum
By Editorial Staff
The grounds of the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York will become a lively 19th century tent city with an encampment of American Mountain Men interpreting the fur trade and a variety of survival skills this weekend, August 20 and 21, 2010.
The group will interpret the lives and times of traditional mountain men with colorful demonstrations and displays of shooting, tomahawk and knife throwing, furs, fire starting and cooking, clothing of both eastern and western mountain styles, period firearms, and more. This year's encampment may include blacksmithing as well as a beaver skinning and fleshing demonstration.
All of the American Mountain Men activities and demonstrations are included in the price of regular Adirondack Museum admission. There is no charge for museum members. The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Participants in the museum encampment are from the Brothers of the New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts segment of the national American Mountain Men organization. Participation in the encampment is by invitation only.
Mountain men are powerful symbols of America's wild frontier. Legends about the mountain man continue to fascinate because many of the tales are true: the life of the mountain man was rough, and despite an amazing ability to survive in the wilderness, it brought him face to face with death on a regular basis.
The American Mountain Men group was founded in 1968. The association researches and studies the history, traditions, tools, and mode of living of the trappers, explorers, and traders known as the mountain men. Members continuously work for mastery of the primitive skills of both the original mountain men and Native Americans. The group prides itself on the accuracy and authenticity of its interpretation and shares the knowledge they have gained with all who are interested.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Lecture on the Battles at Plattsburgh
By Editorial Staff
The Wilmington Historical Society invites you to their program with historian and author Keith Herkalo “September 11th, 1814: The Battles at Plattsburgh” to be held on Friday, August 20th at 7 pm at the Wilmington Community Center on Springfield Road in Wilmington, Essex County, NY.
Would the United States exist if our naval and land Battles at Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814 had been lost? For the United States, the War of 1812 is often referred to as “the second war for independence”. We have learned of the battles at Baltimore, Washington and Sacketts Harbor, but what about the Battles at Plattsburgh?
Keith Herkalo, using personal journals, military journals, contemporary newspaper accounts, and other original source documents, examines the evidence that leads to the conclusion that the Battles at Plattsburgh on land and on Lake Champlain, were actually the key battles of the War of 1812. He claims that were it not for the exemplary talents and skills of two young military officers, Commodore Thomas McDonough and General Alexander Macomb, a small force of regular army and navy personnel and New York Militia, a few thousand Vermont Militia, a handful of Native Americans and Veteran Exempts (those too old for military service), and a group of boys from a local school, the United States, as we know it today, would not exist.
Plattsburgh City Clerk and a charter member of the Battle of Plattsburgh Association, Keith Herkalo believes that the Battles at Plattsburgh and the individuals who fought in the War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley and surrounding area deserve national recognition. Karen Peters, President of the Wilmington Historical Society, notes that many area residents of that time period participated in the land battle, including Major Reuben Sanford of Wilmington who commanded a regiment of detached militia. Stephen Partridge, also of Jay and Wilmington was one of the first to be killed in action in a skirmish at Culver Hill on September 6, 1814, a few days prior to the main battle.
Having grown up in both Philadelphia and Plattsburgh, and spending more than a decade in military service, Keith Herkalo returned to Plattsburgh developing a keen interest in Plattsburgh’s history with a particular attention to Plattsburgh’s involvement in the War of 1812. He is a builder and member of the boat crew of the award-winning bateau “Rooster” (the 37-foot replica of an 1812 era work boat). As an 1812-era re-enactor and an amateur historian he is the research catalyst behind the archaeological re-discovery and preservation of the 1812 Camp Site known as “Pike’s Cantonment” and the Crab Island Graves location. He is the editor of The Journalof H.K. Averill. Sr.: An Account of the Battle of Plattsburgh and Early North Country Community, and author of September 11th, 1814: the Battles at Plattsburgh which documents Plattsburgh’s importance in the War of 1812.
The “September 11th, 1814: The Battles at Plattsburgh” program on August 20th is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For further information, contact Karen Peters at (518) 524-1023 or Merri Peck at (518) 946-7627.
Illustration: Naval battle on Lake Champlain. Engraving in 1816 by B. Tanner.
VT: British Raid on Addison County to be Recreated
By Editorial Staff
Addison County was “A nest of the greatest rebels in that part of the country,” when British forces led by Major Christopher Carleton invaded the area, determined to eliminate any possible supplies for rebel troops. Carleton’s 21 day expedition of 350 soldiers and 100 Indians, supported by naval vessels on the lake, proudly tallied up their success: crops destroyed, livestock slaughtered, barns and homesteads burned – nearly 100 structures and enough supplies to feed 12,000 men for four months.
On August 21 and 22, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s “Rabble in Arms” weekend offers an insider’s look at the experiences of British and Rebel combatants, and an average frontier family, during these volatile years of the American Revolution. With the defeat of General Burgoyne at Saratoga in 1777, the British feared a possible American counter-offensive from the Champlain Valley into Canada, and the following year Major Christopher Carleton, nephew of Canada’s Governor -General Sir Guy Carleton, led the invasion known as “Carleton’s Raids,” targeting homesteads in Addison County Vermont.
To recreate these dramatic events, some of the re-enactors take British roles, and even LCMM’s venerable gunboat Philadelphia II will be transformed into the captured American gunboat Jersey, carrying British troops. On Saturday, the British troops will make landfall and establish a foothold at the museum’s North Harbor, defended by local militia. A “homestead” will be raided and put to the torch on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, the public can meet the re-enactors of both camps, before a final skirmish with the departing British troops.
A further perspective on the Revolutionary War in the Champlain Valley is provided on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., when historians Paul Huey and Tom Barker, in Braunschweig Jaeger uniform, present the viewpoint of the Hessian troops in a special presentation “German Maps and Myths about the War for Independence.” Copies of their forthcoming book on the subject can be pre-ordered from the museum store.
Food service for the event is available on-site, or receive a 20% discount the Red Mill Restaurant with your museum admission. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, at 4472 Basin Harbor Road, is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information see www.lcmm.org or call 802 475-2022.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Cazenovia Fugitive Slave Law Convention Event
By Editorial Staff
Final preparations are underway for the celebration of the 160th anniversary of the Cazenovia Fugitive Slave Law Convention. An interpretive plaque, to be installed for year-round public view at 9 Sullivan Street (home of the Cherry Valley Apartments) will be unveiled on the afternoon of Friday, August 20th—and an evening celebration performance will then be held at the Cazenovia College Catherine Cummings Theatre on Lincklaen Street.
An extremely rare daguerreotype (shown here) in the collection of the Madison County Historical Society, Oneida, provides the central backdrop for the 160th anniversary events.
Taken by Cazenovia photographer Ezra Greenleaf Weld on the second day of the Convention, which was held at the Sullivan Street location on August 22, 1850, several prominent local and national figures appear in the photograph, including: Peterboro abolitionist and Convention organizer Gerrit Smith; famed escaped slave and orator Frederick Douglass; and Mary and Emily Edmonson, escaped slaves who had been recaptured aboard the ill-fated flight of the “Pearl.” More than 2000 people, including as many as 50 fugitive slaves, attended what many historians believe was the nation’s largest anti-slavery protest.
In tribute to the many individuals who risked much to support the cause of abolitionism at the 1850 Cazenovia Convention, a magical evening, in word and song, will take place at the Catherine Cummings Theatre at 7:30 pm and will be hosted by master of ceremonies Honorable Hugh Humphreys. Frederick Douglass (portrayed by the nationally-acclaimed actor Fred Morsell) will be the guest orator for the evening, and music of the period will be provided by featured vocalist Max Smith and the vocal sounds of Elizabeth Bouk, Moana Fogg and Lowell Lingo, Jr. The evening program will be followed by a reception at the Theatre. The plaque unveiling will take place earlier that day at 4 pm on Sullivan Street.
With generous support from Patti and Sparky Christakos; Cazenovia College; the Upstate Institute of Colgate University; the Gorman Foundation; the Madison County Historical Society; the National Abolition Hall of Fame; and many other charitable donors, both the unveiling and evening presentation are free, and the public is encouraged to attend.
For more information on the commemorative events to be held on Friday, August 20th, please contact Commemorative Committee member Sarah Webster at 655-8632.
Glimmerglass Opera to Perform at Adk Museum
By Editorial Staff
On August 17, 2010 Adirondack Museum visitors can enjoy early nineteenth century American music as the Glimmerglass Opera Company's Young American Artist program performs "They Heard American Singing," an evening of music by Aaron Copland and Charles Ives, as well as songs that influenced both of these original composers.
The program will include tunes that made up the fabric of American life at the turn of the twentieth century: hymns, folk tunes, opera, and a liberal sprinkling of ragtime.
The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for guests who wish to bring their own picnic. The performance itself will begin at 7:00 p.m. The cost of the concert only is $25. Tickets for the concert will be available at the door. Limited seating will be available. Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs or a blanket.
Proceeds from the performance will support exhibits and programs at the Adirondack Museum.
Glimmerglass is an internationally renowned opera festival that offers four productions each summer season in the Alice Busch Opera Theater on the shores of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, New York.
The Young American Artists Program was established at Glimmerglass Opera in 1988 to promote an artistically challenging environment for young American performers. The program provides training and performance experience for talented singers at the beginning of their professional careers.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Albany Institute Awarded Big Grant For Website
By Editorial Staff
The Albany Institute of History & Art has been selected to receive a 2010 Museums for America grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grant is specifically designated to help fund a website redevelopment project entitled, Digital Renaissance, which will evaluate, design, and repurpose the museum’s website so that virtual visitors can experience the rich history and cultural heritage of Albany and the Hudson Valley through the museum’s collections, education programs, and exhibits. The IMLS grant award of $147,904 will provide approximately 40 percent of the total estimated project cost of $369,914.
“It is difficult to overstate the importance of this grant for our museum right now,” said Christine Miles, executive director of the Albany Institute. “In the Information Age, with electronic communication technologies advancing exponentially every day, websites have become an indispensible tool for nonprofit organizations who need to reach much wider and more diverse audiences. This grant will enable us to make the virtual Albany Institute experience as enjoyable and enriching as the on-site experience of visiting the galleries, classrooms, and shop. It will also enhance efforts already underway to digitize our vast collection.”
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Museums for America is IMLS’s largest grant program for museums, providing more than $19 million to support the role of museums in sustaining cultural heritage, supporting lifelong learning; and serving as centers of community engagement. Museums for America grants strengthen a museum’s ability to serve the public more effectively by supporting high-priority activities that advance the institution’s mission and strategic goals.
“This year’s MFA grant recipients are truly an exciting and diverse group of museums, representing the remarkable ways that large and small institutions are serving communities,” said Marsha L. Semmel, IMLS’s acting director, in announcing the award. “Funded projects support digitization and collections management plans, enhanced accessibility, environmental literacy, and much more. The work of these institutions will educate and inspire citizens of all ages. IMLS is pleased to support museums as they engage their communities through programming tailored to their specific needs, and this round of MFA grants furthers this work.”
The Albany Institute’s Digital Renaissance project was one of 178 awards chosen from 510 applications to the 2010 Museums for America program. In total, the program awarded $19.5 million. To learn more about IMLS, visit www.imls.gov.
As part of Digital Renaissance’s evaluation process, the Albany Institute has partnered with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Language, Literature, and Communication. RPI Professor Patricia Search is the principal investigator for the research project and, along with RPI student Natt Phenjati, began formative evaluation phase of the project earlier this year. Launch of the Albany Institute’s new website is scheduled for early 2012.
“This research will help the museum create a dynamic, interactive website that will extend and enrich the total museum experience, particularly in the areas of personal engagement and community involvement,” said Search. “Museums have an opportunity to reach a wide audience with creative, engaging websites. With digital technology it is possible to display additional artifacts from the museum collections that add to the overall understanding of special and permanent exhibits. However, in order to create an effective website, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the demographics, interests, and needs of the people who use the website. The research we’ll be doing at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will evaluate how diverse groups of people will use the new website design to access information about the Albany Institute, including their collections, exhibitions, and educational programs.”
One of America’s oldest museums, the Albany Institute of History & Art was founded in 1791, during the presidency of George Washington, making it older than the Louvre, the Smithsonian, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
CFP: Staten Island, Am. History, 21st Cent. Education
By Editorial Staff
A Call for Papers has been issued for a conference entitled Staten Island, New York in American History and 21st Century Education, to be held at the College of Staten Island (City University of New York) on March 19-20, 2011.
An understanding of the role of place and the attachment to community in America has never been more critical than in our rapidly changing global environment. This conference seeks to explore major turning points and issues in American history as experienced by the residents of Staten Island past and present. Located at the entrance to New York harbor, Staten Island is one of the five boroughs that comprise New York City.
Since 1661, Staten Island has been the home of settlers and migrants from around the globe. Staten Island's cultural diversity and its regional and global interconnections are reflected in its institutions, cuisine, art and architecture, businesses, social movements, recreational tourism, transportation heritage, and in the service of its military veterans. The organizers' goal is to rethink the significance of Staten Island and its important historic sites, as part of New York City, the region, the nation, and the world through the interdisciplinary lenses of history and Place-based
Education.
In celebration of Staten Island's 350th Anniversary in 2011, the organizers invite
innovative proposals from scholars, curators, teachers and public historians related to community history and education. Proposals must be relevant to and illustrate the conference theme, including but not limited to the following topics:
*History of ethnicity and immigration
*History of race, gender, sexual orientation, and disabilities
*Staten Island in the transatlantic world, e.g. Huguenot refugees, the Loyalist Diaspora, the Free Trade Zone
*Staten Island in the history of New York City, e.g. Civil War Draft Riots, Consolidation, 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
*History of the arts, architecture, health, business, military, sports, transportation, religion, food and drink, education, childhood, or of the environment
*Geography, politics, and economics in the study of local history
*The historical interconnectedness of Staten Island to the New York/New Jersey region
*The role of the museum in public history and preservation
*Pedagogy, including Place-based Education, civic engagement and community-based research
*Memory and oral history
Proposals for complete panels and/or individual papers for this peer-reviewed conference are welcome. Proposals for panels must include the following: 1) a cover sheet with the panel title, paper titles, and the name, address, affiliation, and email addresses of the chair/commentator and of the panelists; 2) a 350-word abstract of the panel as a whole; and 3) a 350-word abstract for each paper included on the panel. Individual paper proposals for twenty-minute papers should include the following: 1) a cover sheet with the paper's title, and the name, address, affiliation,
and email address of the participant and 2) a 350-word abstract of the paper.
All materials should be e-mailed to Dr. Phillip Papas, Associate Professor of History and co-chair of the SI 350 Academic Conference/Education Symposium at papas@ucc.edu. Proposals for panels and/or individual papers must be received no later than October 15, 2010. Successful applicants will be required to send a completed paper no later than February 7, 2011. E-mail Dr. Margaret Berci, Associate Professor of Education and co- chair of the SI 350 Academic Conference/Education Symposium at berci@mail.csi.cuny.edu with questions.
For more information and resources please refer to their website at www.si350.org.
The event is co-sponsored with Wagner College, St. John’s University and SI350, Inc, with major support from the Staten Island Foundation.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Fort Montgomery to Host 18th Century Music
By Editorial Staff
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site will host an evening of music performed in Late Eighteenth Century America on Saturday, August 28th, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
Visitors will hear music popular during and after the American Revolution, performed by members of the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site staff and friends. This vocal, violin, and harpsichord performance will include music by Arne, Handel, Webbe, Linley the Younger, and others. Listeners will experience a concert similar to entertainments enjoyed by America’s founding fathers. The event is free.
The Fort Montgomery Visitor Center is located at 690 Route 9W,1/4 mile north of the Bear Mountain Traffic Circle in Fort Montgomery, NY 10922. For more information, call (845) 446-2134.
New Website Features Franklin County Mill Town
By Editorial Staff
There is a new website about the Reynolds Brothers Mill and Logging operation in the community of Reynoldston in the Township of Brandon (Franklin County) which was in operation from 1870 - 1940.
"We have created this website to document the history of this small community using oral history tapes and transcripts we created in 1969/70 as well as with historical photographs and a range of related historical documentation," according to local historian and website volunteer Bill Langlois.
Reynoldston is one of the many logging centered communities in the Adirondacks that prospered during the cutting of local forests but disappeared when those same forests were clear cut.
The site already features oral history interviews, photographs and documents and is expected to expand to include material on Skerry in the Township of Brandon and the Bowen Mill as well as a wide range of other tapes and transcripts on the early history of Franklin County.
Friday, August 13, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
- American Folk Art: A Split Personality Hotel Sign
- Adirondack Almanack: Plattsburgh’s Link to a Maritime Tragedy
- New York Fashion: The History of Indian Moccasin
- Way Back Machine: The Mayor Is Shot
- Long Lake, NY: Long Lake Wooden Boat Show
- Kingston Happenings: Kingston’s Industrial Past
- Times Union: 125 Yrs of Grant's Presence
- Photos: 18th Century Day at Schuyler House
