New York Almanack

National Wilderness Act Violations & Why They Matter in NYS

David Gibson — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:30:52 +0000

As an advocate for the “forever wild” Forest Preserve, Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve periodically reviews the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s work plans to ensure that activities such as trail maintenance on the public’s Forest Preserve are undertaken in compliance with Article XIV of the state constitution, the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan, and DEC regulations.

These work plans are regularly posted at the department’s website, and have become more transparent, conservative in terms of tree cutting or alteration of the Preserve’s environment, and descriptive about trail work involved since 2021.

Rensselaer County Search and Rescue Marks 50 Years

Editorial Staff — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:00:45 +0000

Rensselaer County Search and Rescue (RCSAR) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Established in 1976, RCSAR has been finding missing adults and children across the northeast for decades.

RCSAR started with a local family, the Onderdonks, and a bloodhound named Boozer, who arrived in a whiskey box.

The Onderdonks built a police auxiliary organization for the East Greenbush police and worked closely with them to find missing people. Since incorporating as a non profit in 1976, operations has expanded across New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, new Hampshire, and beyond.

Lake George Arts Project 2026 Summer Concert Series

NYS Music — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:00:47 +0000

The Lake George Arts Project (LGAP) has announced a lineup featuring local favorites and nationally touring acts for its 2026 Summer Concert Series.

The live performances will take place on the shores of Lake George every Wednesday evening through July and August. All concerts take place at the Shepard Park Amphitheater from 7 until 8:30 pm. Admission to all concerts is entirely free and open to the public. LGAP encourages concertgoers to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.

Reconstruction Conference Set for June 25-27

Editorial Staff — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000

The Reconstruction Era (1865–1877) was an exceedingly turbulent period after the Civil War. The federal government faced the challenges of reintegrating the 11 seceded Confederate states back into the United States, rebuilding the Southern economy, defining the legal, social, and political status of four million Black Americans newly freed from slavery, and more.

Reconstruction, a Massachusetts Historical Society conference and teacher workshop, will be held in Boston on June 25–27, 2026. This conference will bring together scholars to explore the broad themes associated with Reconstruction such as labor, legal issues, trans-national histories and comparisons, expansion, and memory, among others.

Everyday Military Life in the American Revolution

Dr. Liz Covart — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:13:32 +0000

When we picture the War for American Independence, we picture battles.

But for the men and women who actually lived and fought in it, the American Revolution was also a job with mess rotations, night watches, short rations, and children underfoot.

The latest Ben Franklin’s World podcast pulls back the curtain on everyday life in the military during the Revolution with a discussion of how the armies were structured, what soldiers actually ate, what camp followers endured, and how soldiers found humanity amid grinding hardship.

The American Revolutionary Committee System: 1765-1775

Guest Contributor — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:00:12 +0000

During the controversies over the enforcement of the Navigation Acts, the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765, committees were created in New York to correspond with those of other colonies and to contrive means of opposing those measures. Similar committees were organized elsewhere.

The Townshend Acts of 1767 reawakened the disturbance occasioned by the Stamp Act and furnished a renewed occasion for protests through committees.

These Acts provided (1) that customs officers should be sent to America to collect the duties; (2) that new customs duties should be placed on glass, paints, tea etc.; (3) that writs of assistance were legal; and (4) that concessions to the East India Company should enable it to sell tea in America at a price low enough to drive out smuggled tea.

Canadian Travel to US Down for 15th Straight Month

North Country Public Radio — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:00:17 +0000

Canadians continue to curb their enthusiasm for American booze and travel, with no end in sight.

Canadian travel to the U.S. is down for the 15th straight month, when President Donald Trump began his tariff war against Canada, and his rhetoric about the country becoming the 51st state.

Ordinary Canadians have been fighting back in the ways they can, choosing to vacation at home and choosing not to buy American products, especially booze.

19 NY Places Recommended for State and National Registers

Editorial Staff — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:00:48 +0000

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 19 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The nominations include a nineteenth-century church in Jefferson County that developed and promoted Universalism in Upstate New York, a pre-Revolutionary War house owned by seven generations of the Hulse family on Long Island’s North Shore, and additional documentation for New York City’s Hotel Chelsea recognizing its significance as a center of LGBTQ cultural and creative life.

Songs of Slavery and Emancipation Concert

Editorial Staff — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:15 +0000

The Abolition Hall of Fame will host “Singing a Journey of Freedom: Songs of Slavery and Emancipation Concert” in Utica, NY on June 16th.

Led by Dr. Kathy Bullock, the concert features the duo Mat Callahan and Yvonne Moore, and the Jubalo Singers performing works drawn from the Songs of Slavery and Emancipation project — a book, CD, and film by Mat Callahan, about songs of resistance, hope, and freedom composed more than a century ago and arranged for modern audiences.

George Foster Peabody and Lake George

Anthony F. Hall — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:48 +0000

Glen Underwood, the author of the recently published Discovering George Foster Peabody (Abenia Cottage Press, 2025) was at the Lake George Historical Association recently to discuss the life and legacy of the banker and philanthropist. The program included the unveiling of a portrait of Peabody that will hang in the museum.

Appropriately enough, the museum overlooks Shepard Park, named in honor of Peabody’s close friend, Brooklyn politician Edward Morse Shepard (1850-1911).