New York Almanack

Frederick Law Olmsted’s Reports on Slavery in the South

Alan J. Singer — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:00:32 +0000

From December 1852 until August 1854, Frederick Law Olmsted, who later gained renown as a landscape architect for designing New York City’s Central Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, traveled through the American South as a special correspondent for the New-York Daily Times, the predecessor of The New York Times.

His reports published by the Times under the name Yeoman, were included in a 1856 book as A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States; With Remarks on Their Economy.

Peter Pan in the Catskills and Other Historical Essays

Editorial Staff — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:00:57 +0000

Peter Pan in the Catskills and Other Historical Essays (Purple Mountain Press, 2026) is a collection that evokes the magic of the region, from Rip Van Winkle to Maude Adams, whose renowned portrayal of Peter Pan made her famous.

This illustrated volume celebrates all that is extraordinary about the Catskill Mountains. In 33 essays, 28 writers dig into Catskills culture and history, bringing to light fossils, flora, and fauna, as well as art, railroads, baseball, and more.

DEC Considering Hiking Limits in Most Popular Adirondack, Catskill Areas

Editorial Staff — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:30:47 +0000

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of two report regarding Visitor Use Management (VUM) for the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness and Kaaterskill Clove region of the Catskill Park.

DEC is soliciting feedback from the public to help inform additional actions the State may take to enhance safety and the visitor experience. These actions include recreation limits at the two Park’s most popular areas.

Over the last decade, visitation to public lands across the country, including New York’s Forest Preserve, has been on an upward trend and the Adirondack High Peaks and the Catskill Park’s Kaaterskill Clove are among the most highly visited regions in the State.

Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution

Editorial Staff — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:30:39 +0000

A crucial strategic site for both the Patriots and the British, the city of New York played an instrumental role in the founding of the United States.

The city was arguably the most significant strategic hub of the American Revolutionary War, serving as the British base of operations for seven years of their occupation (1776–1783) and later becoming the first capital of the United States. Its deep-water harbor and central location between the northern and southern colonies made it a strategic key for both sides.

New Interactive Map Celebrates Greenwich Village Jazz History

Editorial Staff — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:31:33 +0000

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and Village Preservation in New York City is celebrating with a new way to explore the history of this art form in their neighborhoods: an interactive Jazz Map of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo.

This map traces the legacy of jazz in these streets, where legendary musicians lived and groundbreaking performances and recording sessions took place.

Map users can discover dozens of historic venues, recording studios, archives, and homes of major jazz artists, with photos, sound samples, and stories about their role in shaping jazz history.

Mabel Allen’s 1908 Walk in the Park

Phil Brown — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:00:37 +0000

In 1908, while attending Syracuse University, Alice Mabel Allen (1886-1976) kept a diary which is being published each week. In this week’s entries, she takes a walk with a suitor and enjoys a visit from her older sister.

Monday, April 6

Had to recite again in math. Roman History report of [?] in the quiz. Splendid letter from Alice with a picture of herself enclosed.

Poetry: False Casting

K. Gordon Tidball — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:00:35 +0000

False Casting

Fishes Eddie
mile marker 89
one white birch
and a two-day old blood stain
beneath the soft shoulder sign.

The smell of the Beaverkill
or was it the Delaware?
…competing for the spotlight
candidly groping
the cannonball in tight jeans
stepping off of the progressive
charter bus.

My mouth wide like a Kentucky strip mine.

Critical Mass and the Road to Revolution, 1763-1776

James F. Sefcik — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:30:20 +0000

According to Webster’s American Dictionary, “critical mass” is the time when a turning point is reached in a series of events leading to a major action. Scientifically, the term is used when sufficient size of matter leads to a chain reaction, as in a nuclear reactor.

Thus, “critical mass” can help explain the American Revolution.

Typically, historians cite 1763 as the beginning of the American Revolution although a case can be made that major unrest occurred in the 1740s in the Carolinas with the Regulator Movement (1766-1771), whereby colonists residing along the frontier openly revolted against colonial governments located on the East coast and acted indifferently toward crises in the western parts of those colonies.

Why Do Frogs Cross the Road?

Guest Contributor — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:30:12 +0000

In spring, when temperatures rise above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and usher in gentle rains, a plethora of life emerges from the forest. Last year, I went out on such a night to catch the spring migration of amphibians. I could feel the rain coming before it hit the ground.

Cold damp air sank through my rain gear as I donned my reflective vest and walked the length of North Lincoln Street in Keene, New Hampshire.

Bald Eagle Rescued from Beneath George Washington Bridge

Editorial Staff — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:30:20 +0000

On February 17, New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Ableson and Baldwin responded to a call from the New York City Police Department Harbor Unit regarding an injured bald eagle recovered from a sheet of ice floating beneath the George Washington Bridge.

The NYPD safely captured the bird, wrapped it in a blanket, and placed it on their police vessel.

The ECOs met the Officers at a nearby pier, transferred the eagle to an animal carrier, and transported it to The Raptor Trust, a bird-of-prey rehabilitation facility in New Jersey, for treatment.