New York History

This Week's New York History Web Highlights

2012-05-25T15:00:00.000-04:00

Each Friday afternoon New York History compiles for our readers the previous week's top weblinks about New York's state and local history. You can find all our weekly round-ups here.Subscribe! More than 2,800 people get New York History each day via E-Mail, RSS, or Twitter or Facebook updates.

This Week's Top New York History News

2012-05-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Each Friday morning New York History compiles for our readers the previous week's top stories about New York's state and local history. You can find all our weekly news round-ups here. Subscribe! More than 2,800 people get New York History each day via E-mail, RSS, or Twitter or Facebook updates.

Beatrix Farrand Garden's Centennial Celebration

2012-05-24T13:13:00.000-04:00

The Beatrix Farrand Garden Association is presenting a Centennial Celebration for the Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield on the property of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park. The Beatrix Farrand Garden Association is a not for profit organization dedicated to showcasing the environmental and design legacy of America’s first female landscape architect,

Adirondack Museum Reopens Friday:New Audio Tour Features Locals, Free Residents Days

2012-05-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Adirondack Museum will launch a new audio tour when museum reopens for its 55th season on Friday, May 25, 2012. Year-round residents of the Adirondack Park are invited to visit free of charge every Sunday, and on all open days in May and October. Proof of residency such as a driver's license, passport, or voter registration card is required. This year, visitors will be invited to take a

Bruce Dearstyne: Waiting For The Common Core

2012-05-23T13:06:00.001-04:00

The State Education Department has not yet released the proposed new Common Core standards for English Language Arts, which includes “Literacy in History/Social Studies.” Several previous posts have explored the implications for state and local history in our state. Here are four additional new sets of perspectives on the Common Core and social studies. They may be helpful to consider as we

Utica Landmarks Society Holding 'Picnic in the Park'

2012-05-23T08:27:00.000-04:00

The Landmarks Society of Greater Utica’s second Picnic in the Park will be held Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m.-8:00 p.m. at the Society’s mansions at 1 and 3 Rutger Park, Utica. Day-long activities include guided tours of the mansions, live musical entertainment, face painting, a classical car show on the lawn, an art exhibit featuring local artists, book signings and sales by area authors, and

Jehudi Ashmun, Founder of Liberia (Part 2)

2012-05-22T12:32:00.003-04:00

In 1822, three months after Champlain, New York, native Jehudi Ashmun’s colony of freed slaves landed on Africa’s west coast (and two months after losing his wife), the group faced impending hostilities from surrounding tribes. The attack finally came on November 11. Ashmun, a man of religious faith but deeply depressed at his wife’s death, was suddenly thrust into the position of impromptu

Saratoga National Park Opens Benedict Arnold Exhibit

2012-05-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Saratoga National Historical Park has opened a new exhibit: Broken Trusts, the Chequered Career of Benedict Arnold. On display through April 2013, the exhibit examines the twists and turns of Arnold’s path from active supporter of American Independence to his betrayal of his country and comrades. “People are always puzzled as to why Benedict Arnold changed sides,” notes Park Ranger Joe Craig. “

Social Studies Curriculum: A Modest Proposal II

2012-05-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Regular readers of my posts know that the role of civics was an important point of contention raised at the recent annual conference of the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Such readers also know I have consistently advocated on behalf of local history both for the pedagogy of teaching critical skills beginning with one's own backyard to the civic benefit of developing a sense of

1862 Focus of Peterboro Civil War Weekend

2012-05-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

The Peterboro Civil War Weekend Committee invites the public to step back to 1862 on June 9 and 10 to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The 12th U.S. Infantry hosts the encampment. For two decades the Peterboro encampment has demonstrated aspects of military and civilian life. In recent years exhibits and programs on abolition and the Underground Railroad have been added.

This Week's New York History Web Highlights

2012-05-18T15:00:00.000-04:00

Ice Hockey: Old and New Richard Stout: 19th Cent French Prints at The Hyde Report: Adirondack RR Has Large Economic Impact Mike Lynch: Naming Backcountry Features Wolfson Judge: Young, Popular Historians 'Damaging Academia' Harvey Road: Mount van Hoevenberg Ski History Each Friday afternoon New York History compiles for our readers the previous week's top weblinks about New York's state and

War of 1812 Bicentennial Event in Prescott, Ontario

2012-05-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

The War of 1812 bicentennial is a big deal in Canada, and our neighbors in Prescott, Ontario, will kick off their commemorations May 19-21 at Fort Wellington. In the spirit of international cooperation members of the Fort La Présentation Association and Forsyth’s Rifles will be there to support the Garrison Weekend Re-enactment. “In the community of War of 1812 re-enactors, there has been a

This Week's Top New York History News

2012-05-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Saratoga-NC RR Expands Season Nebraska Brace Dead at 83 Historians: Older Historic Sites in Danger Toronto Star Puts Hemingway Online NBC Drops Genealogy Show Last Rev War POW Camp Saved NNY Casino Causes Tension Kodak Closing Rochester Unit Each Friday morning New York History compiles for our readers the previous week's top stories about New York's state and local history. You can find all

Bungalows of Rockaway: Film Screening, Discussion

2012-05-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

The Historic Districts Council (HDC) will show the 2010 documentary film, “The Bungalows of Rockaway,” produced by Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Logan Harris follwed by a panel discussion. The film highlights the rich history of the Rockaway bungalows. Although of the more than 7,000 bungalows dotting the peninsula in 1933, fewer than 500 remain today. The documentary, narrated by

Digital Storytelling: Optimizing Your Web Presence

2012-05-17T14:41:00.000-04:00

Many local organizations invest time, energy and money to build a website, but just how visible is your website in the infinite space of the internet? With the small staff and smaller budgets of non-profits, web developers need to be strategic, and generating a lively and engaging webpage is only part of the battle. In this article, we will explore the various opportunities and tools that are

Champlain Bridge Grand Celebration This Weekend

2012-05-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

After many months of planning the Lake Champlain Bridge Community (LCBC) will host its two-day Grand Celebration which celebrates the re-opening of the Lake Champlain Bridge and the re-connected New York and Vermont communities that surround it. The bridge re-opened to traffic on November 7, 2011, but the celebration was postponed until now. The Grand Celebration will take place on Saturday and

War of 1812 Naval Bases at Sackets Harbor and Kingston

2012-05-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Annual Meeting of the Sackets Harbor Battlefield Alliance, Sackets Harbor Historical Society, and the Sackets Harbor Area Cultural Preservation Foundation will feature a talk by John R. Grodzinski entitled “A Tale of Two Dockyards: The Naval Bases at Sackets Harbor and Kingston in the War of 1812.” The War of 1812 witnessed the unprecedented employment of naval power on Lake Ontario. From

Museumwise Recognizes Museum Community

2012-05-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

Museumwise (formerly Upstate History Alliance) in Oneonta, NY presented this year’s Awards of Merit to winners at a special reception in Albany on April 22nd to recognize outstanding work in the museum community, reward staff and volunteers, and provide encouragement for development of new and innovative projects. A total of seventeen projects from around the State, ranging from exhibitions to

Teaching NY Social Studies: A Modest Proposal

2012-05-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

What do we need to do so when we pass the torch to next generation it is ready to grab it? With the upcoming vote by the New York State Regents on the social studies requirements for a high school diploma and the ongoing issue of the Common Core Curriculum with its lack of citizenship as a goal and probable minimizing of local history, I thought I would take this opportunity to issue my own

Researching NY: Science, Technology, Environment

2012-05-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

The organizers of the Researching New York Conference invite proposals for panels, papers, workshops, roundtables, exhibits, and documentary and multimedia presentations on any aspect of New York State history —in any time period and from any perspective. The conference will be held at the University at Albany on November 15-16, 2012. This annual conference brings together historians, archivists,

Cooperstown: Milo Stewart Photo Exhibit Opens

2012-05-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

The New York State Historical Association Research Library and The Cooperstown Graduate Program has announced the opening of a new exhibition celebrating the late Milo Stewart’s work, entitled Reflections of Home: Photography by Milo Stewart. The exhibition highlights Cooperstown landscapes and portraits taken by Mr. Stewart between 1965-1992. Split into three sections emphasizing Stewart’s eye

New York's Jehudi Ashmun, Founder of Liberia

2012-05-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

Thursday, April 21, marked the birthday of one of the most famous men you never heard of, and surely the least known of all North Country figures who once graced the world stage. It is also appropriate to recall his story at this time for two other reasons. It has ties to slavery and the Civil War as we mark the 150th anniversary of America’s darkest period. And, in relation to recent world news

New Exhibit on the Great Fire of Troy

2012-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

On May 10, 1862, as the nation was consumed by the ravages of the Civil War, Troy NY faced a devastating fire. As a train crossed the Hudson River on the Troy-Green Island Bridge, a spark from the engine ignited the wooden bridge. The fire spread rapidly, ultimately destroying over 600 buildings in the heart of the city in only six hours. Newspaper accounts, personal letters and even artist

Place-Based Education Resource Fair Wednesday

2012-05-14T15:00:00.001-04:00

Teaching the Hudson Valley (THV) invites teachers, 4H and scout leaders, home schoolers, PTA activists, and others working with children and teens to drop in for a free place-based education resource fair between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 16, at the Wallace Education & Visitor Center on the grounds of the FDR Home and Presidential Library in Hyde Park. Many educators are familiar

Lakes to Locks Passage Summer Travel Suggestions

2012-05-14T12:06:00.000-04:00

Over 600 local travel suggestions have been submitted to the Lakes to Locks Passage website, just in time for the summer travel season. The site, which is co-branded with National Geographic, emphasizes travel and tourism opportunities that are submitted by local residents and locally-owned business owners. A national advertising and marketing campaign is currently underway to promote the