New York Almanack

Mabel’s 1908 Diary: The Wedding Cake Ring

Phil Brown — Sat, 16 May 2026 18:00:05 +0000

Alice Mabel Allen (1886-1976) grew up in the village of Adams in Jefferson County. In 1908, while attending Syracuse University, Mabel, as she was known, kept a diary which New York Almanack is publishing each week.

Monday, May 18

Excused from math. Letter from Rosina asking Edith and me to dinner. Studied with Helen at Castle grounds.

Poetry: Wrong Place Wrong Time

Lawrence Venturato — Sat, 16 May 2026 16:00:48 +0000

Wrong Place Wrong Time

The odds of being at
That particular place at
That particular time
Were astronomical
Yet there he was at
The scene of the crime
Wrong place wrong time

Read More Poems From the New York Almanack

Troy’s Great Elephant Rampage

Dave Waite — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:00:41 +0000

Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth opened their 1882 season March 11th with a torchlight parade to Madison Square Garden. Every foot of their route through the city was shoulder to shoulder with spectators. Those who braved the cool evening were rewarded with a two-and-a-half-hour circus parade.

Their next stop, Philadelphia on April 24th, was just the beginning of a busy season that would take the circus across 129 cities in New England, New York, and down the eastern seaboard.

Ed Sullivan Theater Closing Marks A Century of Performance

NYS Music — Fri, 15 May 2026 15:00:03 +0000

On May 21st, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will officially end after being canceled by CBS. With that, the doors to the Ed Sullivan Theater will be shuttered for the foreseeable future.

While the immediate implications of Colbert’s cancellation are dire (considering the blatant censorship of political opinion and corporate cow-towing of CBS’ parent company Skydance Media) there is also a dramatic loss for the arts that comes with the uncertainty of closing such a historic venue.

Signs of the Times: A New Historical Society of Woodstock Exhibit

Editorial Staff — Fri, 15 May 2026 14:00:21 +0000

On Saturday May 23, the Historical Society of Woodstock will unveil its newest exhibit, “Signs of the Times.” The exhibit, open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 pm will run through June 28.

Admission is free. In addition, the Historical Society invites the public to an opening reception for the exhibit on May 23, beginning at 3 pm. The Historical Society of Woodstock is located at 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock, NY.

Talkin’ Bout a Revolution: A Haudenosaunee Response to the 250th

Editorial Staff — Fri, 15 May 2026 13:00:13 +0000

“Talkin’ Bout a Revolution: A Haudenosaunee Response to the 250th” is the featured exhibition at the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave, NY, now open and running until November 29, 2026.

The exhibit challenges the mainstream American narrative of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, exploring the often omitted negative impacts the Revolution had on Haudenosaunee sovereignty and the splitting of the Iroquois Confederacy.

There will be a special opening and panel discussion of the exhibition and the Revolution on Sunday, May 17, from 1 until 4 pm.

Rev War Remains Being Brought to Lake George for Reinternment

Editorial Staff — Fri, 15 May 2026 11:00:21 +0000

The skeletal remains of 44 people believed to have been associated with the Continental Army effort to invade Quebec in 1775 will be transported in historic U.S. military vehicles on Wednesday, May 20 from the New York State Museum in Albany to Lake George.

Scientists there have spent seven years identifying and reconstructing the remains. They will be reinterred in a new memorial at Lake George Battlefield Park being dedicated Friday, May 22.

Farm Architecture & Saturday’s Preakness Stakes

Bill Orzell — Thu, 14 May 2026 17:00:09 +0000

As the twentieth century dawned, precepts from the 1800s continued in many schools of thought and application, including the construction of buildings to house livestock. One tenet used was that of a round or multi-sided barn, thought to be more economically constructed than a rectangular structure, with good wind resistance and strength under snow loads.

By the late 19th century many round barns existed across New York State, though they have become a rarity in our time.

The Early History of Glass Making in New York State

Guest Contributor — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:30:32 +0000

According to J. Leander Bishop’s A History of American Manufactures from 1608 to 1860 among the early settlers on Manhattan Island was a glass maker Jan Smeedes who is supposed to have been among the first to receive an allotment of land on the present [1880] South William Street between Wall and Pearl.

He probably carried on the business of glass making on the east side of the street just north of Hanover Square.

46th Annual Antique Bottle Show & Sale Set for May 31st

Editorial Staff — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:01:13 +0000

The National Bottle Museum (NBM) is presenting its 46th Annual Antique Bottle Show & Sale at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds, 162 Prospect Street in Ballston Spa, NY, from 9 am to 2 pm on Sunday, May 31, 2026.

Admission is $5 for adults and children 16 and under are free. Early admission is available for $20 at 8 am. Food and refreshments are available on site, provided by the Brickyard Tavern. Parking is free.