The New York History Blog

Historical News and Views from the Empire State

hiking

Hike Into History At Mount Independence

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mount independenceMount Independence is located in Vermont, just across Lake Champlain from Fort Ticonderoga, for which it was a critical base of operations. It can easily be reached by the Ticonderoga Ferry, and offers a great way to hike into history.

“The Mount” was built in 1776 and 1777 by the Continental Army following their capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. A bridge was built to connect the cantonment on Mount Independence (and the road to Castleton) to Fort Ticonderoga on the New York side of the lake. Over 400 yards long, with more than 20 piers with 12 foot wide floating pontoons between them, the bridge allowed troops camped at Mount Independence easy access to the Fort Ticonderoga. [Read more…] about Hike Into History At Mount Independence

Some Historic Hikes In Rockland County History

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crossroads of rockland historyThe June 2019 “Crossroads of Rockland History,” focused on Rockland County’s rich historical places located within the area’s woodlands and parklands.

Gordon Wren joined Clare Sheridan to discuss some of the interesting local history that can be explored through historical hikes such as Claudius Smith’s Den; Northwest Airlines Crash Site; Doodletown; Sterling Forest Mines and the Ramsay Conklin Site. Organizations in the area that cater to history enthusiasts who love to explore the outdoors are also discussed, including the NY/NJ Trail Conference and the Historical Society of the Palisades Interstate Park Region. [Read more…] about Some Historic Hikes In Rockland County History

Erie Canalway Challenge Launched

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canalway challengeThe Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has announced the launch of the Canalway Challenge, a new initiative that invites people to trace history while tracking miles walking, running, cycling or paddling on the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail.

The free program includes a range of mileage options – 15 miles, 90 miles, 180 miles, and 360 miles – so that people at all fitness levels can choose a mileage goal that suits their ability and participate. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway Challenge Launched

Schoharie Crossing Historic Site Opening May 1st

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The Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site Visitor Center in Fort Hunter, NY, is set to re-open for the 2019 season on Wednesday, May 1st at 10 am.

Visitors can witness the engineering marvel of the Erie Canal and check out the “Pathway to Empire” exhibit as well as artifacts from the colonial Fort Hunter and the Lower Castle Mohawk Village. Schoharie Crossing is a good place to witness Erie Canal history and enjoy a day walking the towpath trails, kayaking the creek, cycling the Canalway trail, or just enjoying a picnic and time with family and friends. [Read more…] about Schoharie Crossing Historic Site Opening May 1st

Forest and Crag, Major Northeastern Hiking History, Republished

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forest and crag Thirty years after its initial publication, Forest and Crag: A History of Hiking, Trail Blazing, and Adventure in the Northeast Mountains has been republished in an anniversary edition (SUNY Press, 2019).

Laura and Guy Waterman’s book is a history of the love affair with the mountains of the northern forests from the Catskills and the Adirondacks of New York to the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the mountains of Maine. [Read more…] about Forest and Crag, Major Northeastern Hiking History, Republished

History Museum Seeks Adirondack Summit Canisters

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46er Summit Canisters The Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown, NY, is starting a campaign to gather as many Adirondack 46er summit canisters as possible to incorporate in their Hiking the Adirondack High Peaks exhibit.

Canisters once dotted the summits of 22 peaks the 46ers designated as trailless. In the late 1940s, there were so many Band-Aid tins and other handy receptacles left on these peaks with hikers’ names in them, some not on the real summit, that the 46ers decided to put metal canisters and a register on the true tops on each of these mountains. [Read more…] about History Museum Seeks Adirondack Summit Canisters

Historic Huguenot St Planning Seasonal Nature Walks

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nature walks at the Nyquist Harcourt Wildlife SanctuaryHistoric Huguenot Street is set to host four seasonal nature walks in 2019 at the Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mohonk Preserve led by ethno ecologist and founder of Wild Hudson Valley Justin Wexler, who specializes in folklore and land use among the native people of the Hudson Valley, thanks to a gift from the Thomas and Corinne Nyquist Foundation. [Read more…] about Historic Huguenot St Planning Seasonal Nature Walks

Walkway Over the Hudson Ulster Welcome Center Opens

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The official ribbon-cutting for the grand opening of the Ulster Welcome Center on the Walkway Over the Hudson Numerous state and local officials gathered with partners from the business and nonprofit communities of the Hudson Valley for the long-awaited opening of the $5.4 million Ulster Welcome Center at the western gateway to Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park on Friday, June 29th.

[Read more…] about Walkway Over the Hudson Ulster Welcome Center Opens

History Hike: Hudson River’s Iona Island

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iona island courtesy DEC/Hudson river national estuarine research reserveDoc Bayne is set to lead a ‘History Hike’ at Iona Island, in the Hudson River below Bear Mountain, on Saturday May 12th from 10 am to 2 pm.

A major US Navy arsenal from 1900 to 1946, complete with explosions and the famous “Mothball Fleet” following World War II, Iona Island has a story that goes back to prehistory.

Bayne will cover evidence of Native American use of the island; the colonial farms and settlements when Iona was known as Salisbury Island and, later, Weygant’s Island; and the 1800s, when it attracted tourists with an amusement park, hotel and picnic grounds. [Read more…] about History Hike: Hudson River’s Iona Island