Editorial Staff

Stories written under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices. Submit your news to The New York History Blog here.

Visitors will be able to shop at more than two dozen made-in-New York food and beverage vendors at the New York State Museum’s Taste NY Holiday Market, set for Sunday, December 8th from 11 am to 4:30 pm.

Vendors will offer samples and sales of chocolates; cheese; apple and maple products; hand-crafted beer, wine, spirits and cider; and other edible gifts. All participating vendors produce their products in New York State. There will also be a cooking demonstration, educational activities and a chocolate fountain station courtesy of We Do Fondue and Price Chopper/Market 32. Admission is free. [Read more…] about State Museum Hosting Taste NY Holiday Market

Wassailing at Knox’s Headquarters December 21st

November 20, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Christmas was a time for visiting family and friends in the 18th century. Enslaved people were often permitted to travel as well. But it was also an opportunity for roving bands of unemployed youths and workers to menace households for food and drink.

George Washington allowed his gardener enough money to get rip-roaring drunk for four days of the Christmas holiday and additional funds for more drinking on two other occasions during the year. It was customary for employers to release their workers to enjoy days of leisure time, often spent in a state of intoxication. [Read more…] about Wassailing at Knox’s Headquarters December 21st

First World War Letters from a New York Doughboy

November 20, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Katherine Truesdell Schumacher’s new book Letters from a Doughboy: the Wartime Experiences of Robert Doan Truesdell in World War I (RIT Press, 2019) documents Corporal Robert Doan Truesdell’s letters to home, personalizing the harsh realities of a war that ended a century ago.

The letters capture the perspective of an American soldier who witnesses the killing fields of Belgium and France, and the great cities of Paris and London. [Read more…] about First World War Letters from a New York Doughboy

USS Slater Open Thanksgiving Weekend

November 19, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

USS Slater is set to be open to the public for guided tours from 10 am to 4 pm each day this Thanksgiving Weekend. The ship will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

This is the final opportunity this season to visit the USS Slater, the only World War II destroyer escort afloat in America. The final day to tour the ship this season is Sunday, December 1st. The ship will be closed to the public December through March. [Read more…] about USS Slater Open Thanksgiving Weekend

Columbia Co 34th Annual Gallery of Wreaths

November 19, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS) has announced that they are seeking donations of wreaths for the 34th Annual Gallery of Wreaths.

A Columbia County tradition, the Gallery of Wreaths kicks off the holiday season this year by displaying donated wreaths in the circa 1819 James Vanderpoel ‘House of History’ in Kinderhook, during Thanksgiving Weekend, November 29th through December 1st. [Read more…] about Columbia Co 34th Annual Gallery of Wreaths

NYS Council on the Arts Awards MANY $46,000

November 19, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) has announced that it has been awarded two grants totaling $46,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for FY2020 with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. NYSCA grants support the transformative impact of the performing, literary, visual and media arts in New York State.

The Museum Association of New York is one of 462 arts organizations across New York State receiving a total of $8,383,993 million in grants through NYSCA’s Round II FY2020 funding to support arts programs that drive New York State’s economic growth and community health. [Read more…] about NYS Council on the Arts Awards MANY $46,000

Humanities NY Reading, Discussion Programs

November 18, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Humanities New York has announced they are accepting Reading & Discussion applications for a program set for Spring of 2020.

Open to any tax-exempt organization in New York State, Humanities New York’s Reading & Discussion Programs bring together community members for a series of thematically-linked, text-based conversations about important ideas. Applications are due Monday, December 9th. [Read more…] about Humanities NY Reading, Discussion Programs

History Center Bookstore Returning to Utica Mall

November 17, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Oneida County History Center is set to return to the Sangertown Square Mall in Utica for its 10th year this coming holiday season to operate its satellite bookstore. The store will be located in Center Court by Mr. Smoothie & Zales, and provides extended hours to meet your busy holiday schedule. It also offers a great selection of local history titles and merchandise. [Read more…] about History Center Bookstore Returning to Utica Mall

Rome Memories Photo Collection Highlights

November 17, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The new book Rome Memories, A Photographic History of the Early Years (Rome Daily Sentinel, 2019) offers a glimpse into life in Rome, NY from the mid 1800s through the 1930s.

Rome Memories is a compilation of scanned images obtained from the public, and the collections of the Rome Historical Society and Oneida County History Center. [Read more…] about Rome Memories Photo Collection Highlights