ICE HARVESTING
Ice harvesting was a job for a strong man, and no weakling needed to apply,” confirmed H.L. Van Deusen in a 1940 Kingston Daily Freeman column.
Dutchess County Historical
In 1909, a gentleman by the name of Frank Hasbrouck edited the 1,000+-page The History of Dutchess County, New York, for which he kicked off the preface with this: “The year of the tercentennial celebration of the Hudson River seems an eminently fit time for the publication of one of the most important counties whose […]
Early railroading in the Hudson Valley
Above: Blue Hill Curve in Chatham, NY, is known as the sharpest curve on the Boston & Albany Railroad line.
It was half-past six in the morning when the first-ever train out of New York City was drawn by horse from Chambers Street to its starting point on 31st Street, on its way to […]
Roeliff Jansen Historical Society unveils a journey through time & regional historic sites with their latest exhibition, Sites to Celebrate: Local History Revisited
Above: Longshot of RJHS exhibit. All photos courtesy of the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society.
Opened on Saturday, July 12, and on display until Sunday, October 26, the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society is currently holding their summer exhibition, titled Sites to Celebrate: Local History Revisited. Each weekend (Saturday and Sunday) […]
The history of American Girl Dolls
It was only July and my adolescent mind was focused on the American Girl Doll I hoped would be under my Christmas tree that year. My American Girl Dolls were my best friends, my children, my mannequins, my therapists, and my hair clients all at once. So, what’s so mystical, magical, addictive, and to […]
Local classrooms of decades—and centuries—past: Exploring a selection of the region’s historic schools and schoolhouses
Above photo: Housatonic Valley Regional High School from the 1969 White Oak yearbook. Photo courtesy of the HVRHS Alumni Association.
If you’re familiar with the local tri-state area, chances are you’ve driven past at least one of the region’s many historic schools and schoolhouses. As long-standing landmarks of the area’s educational past, these […]
Roger Miner & today’s Supreme Court: The Columbia County native’s principled stances still echo across America’s judicial landscape
By Jim Calvin
In November 1987, as President Ronald Reagan prepared to try again to fill a Supreme Court vacancy after two misfires, Second Circuit US Court of Appeals Justice Roger Miner stood among three final candidates for the nomination.
It was the penultimate step in the remarkable legal career of Hudson, New York’s favorite son, […]
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton: A literary life that analyzed societal expectations & featured a home in Lenox, MA
Above photo courtesy of Literary Hub.
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a handful of important women who made strides in the social, political, and economic climates of our region.
Edith Wharton was born on January 24, 1862, as Edith Newbold Jones. According to The Mount, […]
The story of Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and women’s rights activist from Ulster County
Above photo from Biography.com
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a handful of important women who made strides in the social, political, and economic climates of our region.
Sojourner Truth was an African American evangelist, abolitionist, women’s right activist, and author in the nineteenth century. Born […]
The vibrant life and poetic legacy of Pulitzer Prize Winner Edna St. Vincent Millay
Above photo courtesy of Library of America.
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a handful of important women who made strides in the social, political, and economic climates of our region.
Born on February 22, 1892, Edna St. Vincent Millay was born in Rockland, Maine. Holly Peppe, […]