Year: 2010

Lois McClure at Champlain Canals Hudson Crossing

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On Wednesday July 28, from 10am to 5pm, the 90-foot canal schooner Lois McClure while will be docked at Hudson Crossing Park, located on Champlain Canal Lock 5 Island, off of Route 4 just north of Schuylerville, Saratoga County.

The schooner Lois McClure is a full-scale replica of an 1862 sailing canal boat. These unique vessels were designed to sail from lake cities to canal ports using wind power and then to lower their masts and sails when traveling along canals. The schooner staff will share stories about the boat and its role in New York State history.

Hudson Crossing President Marlene Bissell welcomes the Lois McClure back and says, “Seeing and boarding this exquisite replica of an authentic canal boat makes you feel like you’ve stepped back to another era. It’s an exciting way to experience the continuum of history that the Hudson River and Champlain Canal holds.”

Hudson Crossing is a bi-county educational park project centered on and near the Champlain Canal Lock 5 Island of the Hudson River. For more information about this event or to learn more about Hudson Crossing Bi-County Park, please call Marlene Bissell at 518.859.1462 or visit their website.

Event: Last Encampment of the Continental Army

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On Saturday August 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM visitors to the New Windsor Cantonment in Orange County can experience by candlelight the recreated dramatic last days of the encampment at New Windsor, before most of the Continental Army returned home after 8 years of war. Costumed historians will interact with visitors as if they were in 1783 at the re-created huts, owned by the Town of New Windsor and administered by the Last Encampment of the Continental Army, on the west side of Route 300 and on the north side of Causeway Road.

After 8 years of war, most of the army was finally allowed to go home, but some soldiers had to remain under arms until the British evacuated New York City. There was tension in the air. Knowing that their time was short, soldiers lashed out at their officers. One, they hung in effigy. Causing further resentment, the soldiers would not receive their long overdue pay, only certificates for three months pay, redeemable in six months.

Visitors will here tales of past glories, suffering, and share their hopes and aspirations for an uncertain future and tour the encampment grounds by the glow of tin lanterns and experience the tense days before the army left New Windsor, with the soldiers and civilians who once made their homes in the area.

The “residents” have no knowledge of any events past June 1783, like the fact that their beloved General Washington will one day be the President of the United States, with strong powers enumerated in the 1787 Constitution.

Visitors will meet few, if any, names that they recognize from history, but instead humble souls whose efforts combined with thousands of others, helped forge a nation. This type of presentation, called “first-person living history,” has developed into a very exciting way to make history more meaningful to visitors. This technique is used at Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

The event is co-sponsored by the National Temple Hill Association and New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site. The National Temple Hill Association administers the Last Encampment of the Continental Army for the Town of New Windsor and owns the historic Edmonston House.

Photo: Two Soldiers of the Massachusetts Line, in a Hut, at the Last Encampment of the Continental Army, New Windsor, New York

This Weeks New York History Web Highlights

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Niagara Falls State Park Celebrates 125 Years

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The nation’s oldest state park, Niagara Falls State Park, celebrated its 125th Anniversary this week with a concert by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on Goat Island and the dedication of a restored pocket park.

On July 15, 1885 then Governor David Hill dedicated the land and created Niagara Falls State Park. Created to protect its natural beauty from the continued industrialization of the river and to allow public access to its scenery, Niagara Falls became a blueprint for public parks across the country-both state and national parks. Eight million people now visit Niagara Falls each year, making it the most popular park in the New York State Park system.

Ancestors of Thomas V. Welch, the first superintendent of Niagara Falls State Park and a member of the Free Niagara Movement, were on hand to dedicate Heritage Park which is the site of a renovated pocket park just outside of Niagara Falls State Park. The park which serves as a connection for visitors between the city and the park is now the home of several plaques and markers from historical events and figures of Niagara Falls State Park. New pavers were also installed and landscaping was done by volunteers from the community.

Anniversary events continue through the reminder of the year including the &#8220History Comes Alive&#8221 program where historical figures including Annie Edson Taylor, Frederick Law Olmsted, Nikola Tesla, Father Louis Hennepin and others who spent time at Niagara Falls State Park share their stories of the park with visitors. See www.niagarafallsstatepark.com for a full listing of events.

NYS Military Museum Wins History Award

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An online project created by the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center and the Saratoga Springs Public Library has won one of two First Prize awards in a contest sponsored by the History Channel.

Honoring Saratoga Veterans, a page available at the library website, features interviews with six Saratoga County residents who served in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and Iraq. The videos, recorded as part of the museum’s Veterans Oral History Program, help tell the story of Saratoga residents in America’s wars.

The History Channel prize, awarded in conjunction with the Institute for Museum and Library Services, recognizes libraries which created local programs, exhibits or media projects to tell about the role of their communities in the larger American story.

The contest was created in conjunction with the History Channel series: &#8220America: The Story of Us.&#8221 It was open to libraries around the country and recognized 13 winners, which shared $35,000 in prize money. The Grand Prize Winner-the Lower Macungie Library in Macungie, PA-received a $15,000 prize for an exhibit on the impact of the Apollo 13 flight, on the local community.

The Saratoga Springs Public Library will receive $5,000 in prize money which library director Issac Pulver says will be shared by the museum. The other First Prize Winner was the Erie Community Library of Erie, Colorado, with a project called &#8221 Erie: From Working Coal Town to Suburban Boom Town.&#8221

Ten second prize winning libraries received ten $1,000 prizes.

The New York State Military museum houses over 10,000 artifacts dating from the Revolutionary War to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that relate to New York State’s military forces, the state’s military history and the contributions of New York’s veterans. The artifacts include uniforms, weapons, artillery pieces, and art. A significant portion of the museum’s collection is from the Civil War.

The museum also owns the largest collection of state battle flags in the country and the largest collection of Civil War flags in the world. Of the over 1700 flags in the collection, more than 60% are from the Civil War.

The library and archive holdings in the Veterans Research Center include a 2000 volume library of military and New York State history, over 6,000 photographs, unit history files, broadsides, scrapbooks, letters and maps.

Revolutionary War Comes Alive In Vermont

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The public is invited to experience the Revolutionary War and the road to American independence as the site of the largest colonial fortification hosts two days of battle re-enactments, demonstrations, and living history activities. The annual “Soldiers Atop the Mount” living history weekend takes place at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25.

Both days offer opportunities to visit the American and British camps and speak with re-enactors whose units portray some of the actual units that garrisoned Mount Independence.

On Saturday, the camps open at 10:30 a.m. with ongoing demonstrations of camp life, a history scavenger hunt, and children’s activities. At 11:00 a.m. visitors can learn how to drill the American way for children and the young at heart- and at 11:30 there will be a choice of guided tours of the camps or attendance at Mistress Davenport’s School.

Later, at 1:00 p.m. there will be an artillery demonstration followed by a 2:00 p.m. reading of the Declaration of Independence and music by the Seth Warner Mount Independence Fife and Drum Corps.

Finally, the day concludes at 3:00 p.m. with a narrated military tactical demonstration with exciting battle action encircling the audience.

On Sunday, the camps open at 10:00 a.m. and the history scavenger hunt is on. At 11:00 see the artillery demonstration, go on a guided camp tour at 11:30 or attend Mistress Davenport’s School, and experience the narrated military tactical demonstration at 1:30 p.m.

The camp closes at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, but at 2:30 p.m. site interpreter Karl Crannell will give a short talk in the auditorium on Gen. John Stark, hero of the Battle of Bennington.

Constructed in 1776 and 1777 on a rugged peninsula jutting into Lake Champlain, Mount Independence was perfectly positioned to defend the southern lake and New England against British attack from Canada.

On the night of July 5, 1777, the American Army under General Arthur St. Clair withdrew from Mount Independence in Orwell and Fort Ticonderoga across the lake after British General John Burgoyne sailed down, planning to split New England off from the rest of the colonies.

Faced with a British force more than twice his size that had occupied high ground from which they could bombard him with impunity, St. Clair abandoned the fortifications without a fight.

Two days later at the Battle of Hubbardton soldiers from Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire fought in a savage rear guard action to halt Burgoyne’s army.

The fact that these actions preserved the army while stopping the British advance –helping lead to the stunning American victory in October at the Battle of Saratoga – didn’t prevent an outraged Congress from officially censuring St. Clair for the loss of the forts.

He argued that his conduct had been honorable- demanded review by a court martial- and was ultimately exonerated. The British and Germans occupied Mount Independence until November of that year.

Tickets are $6.00 for adults and free for children under 15. This includes admission to the event, the museum, and access to all the trails.

Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark, is near the end of Mount Independence Road six miles west of the intersection of Vermont Routes 22A and 73 in Orwell and is one of the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War sites.

It includes an air conditioned visitor center and museum and nearly six miles of hiking trails, including the award-winning Baldwin Trail, which meets outdoor standards for handicapped accessibility and features new interpretive signs.

Call (802) 948-2000 for more information or visit www.HistoricVermont.org/sites.

Photo: American Revolutionary War Soldiers firing at Mount Independence. Courtesy Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

Increased Visitation Trend Continues at NYS Parks

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The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced that Fourth of July holiday weekend attendance numbers were consistent with the strong showing in the early part of the summer season. Attendance over the three-day holiday weekend increased by six percent over last year.

All totaled, nearly 1.9 million people spent a portion of their holiday weekend at a state park or historic site.

Last year, the state park system recorded nearly 56 million visits. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 178 state parks and 35 historic sites. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456, visit www.nysparks.com.

Free Guided Bicycle Tours at Saratoga Battlefield

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Explore the history and scenery of Saratoga National Historical Park, located on Route 32 and 4 in Stillwater, by joining a Park Ranger for free guided bike tours of the battlefield at 6:00pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday July 21 and Wednesday August 18. Participants will meet at the flagpole at the Visitor Center parking lot. Because the rides are weather dependent, call the park at 664.9821 ext. 224 by 4:30pm to learn the bike ride status.

Touring the battlefield by bicycle combines the relaxation of fresh air, fantastic scenery, and the experience of touching history. These guided bike tours will cover various sections of the Battlefield, giving riders a unique opportunity to learn about the Battle of Saratoga and the history of the park, all while breathing in the ambience of a rural summer evening.

Helmets are required for riders 14 and under, and are recommended for all riders. Please bring water and wear insect repellant.

For more information about the bike rides or other programs at Saratoga National Historical Park—the national park in your own backyard—call the Visitor Center at 518-664-9821 ext. 224 or check the park website at www.nps.gov/sara.

Minnewaska State Park Master Plan Adopted

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The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission have adopted a master plan for Minnewaska State Park Preserve. State Parks has reinstated the master planning process throughout the park system, and Minnewaska State Park is among the first to complete a new master plan. Park master plans define a long-term, sustainable vision for parks by helping to identify best uses for a specific site, make the most of limited resources, and protect the environment.

The Minnewaska master plan includes natural resource protection measures and more avenues for recreation, including expansion of hiking, biking, equestrian and climbing opportunities, and reuse of the former Phillips House as the preserve office and visitor center. [LINK]

The master plan outlines OPRHP’s vision for potential capital improvements, operational enhancements and natural and cultural resource stewardship within Minnewaska State Park for the next ten to fifteen years. Factors such as the availability of funding, the need to invest in rehabilitation of existing park infrastructure, and other pressing needs in the entire state parks system will influence the sequence and timing of the improvements.

Highlights of the plan include:

• Developing a climbing management plan to indicate additional areas suitable for rock climbing-

• Creating a looped single track mountain bike trail system and enhancing the existing woods roads for hiking and horseback riding-

• Implementing ridgewide efforts focused on fire management, deer impacts on biodiversity and invasive species control- and

• Reusing the former Phillips House as the preserve office and visitor center and improving parking lot designs.