Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Hancock House Opens for Season with Free Program “Black Baseball in the North Country” on June 10

Ticonderoga, NY – The Ticonderoga Historical Society (THS) has opened for the 2022 season and will present a free public program entitled “Black Baseball in the North Country” on Friday, June 10, at 7 p.m. at the Hancock House located at 6 Moses Circle in Ticonderoga, N.Y.

Presenter Maury Thompson will discuss how teams such as the Cuban Giants, the first black professional baseball team, barnstormed in Washington and Clinton counties in 1890 and 1892, playing, in some cases, against local white teams.

Thompson speaks about black baseball in the region in the 19th century, including summer teams made up of black employees at summer hotels, and local black athletes who played on integrated teams. Maury Thompson was a reporter for The Post-Star of Glens Falls for 21 years.

He retired in 2017 to move on to an encore career as a freelance writer and documentary film maker specializing on the history of politics, labor organizing, and media in New York’s North Country. He is co-producer, co-director and writer of the new documentary “My Native Air: Charles Evans Hughes and the Adirondacks,” which aired on Mountain Lakes PBS earlier this year.

The program will be held outdoors under a tent, and attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Current CDC and New York State guidelines regarding COVID-19 protocols will be followed.

While the program is free, reservations are suggested.

Additional information is available and reservations may be made by calling the Hancock House at 518-585-7868 or via e-mail to: tihistory@bridgepoint1.com.

Photo at top provided by Diane O’Connor.


Thursday, June 2, 2022

New Visitor Interpretive Center Opens in Lake George Battlefield Park

On Wednesday, May 25, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the opening of the new Lake George Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at 75 Fort George Road in Lake George. The new facility will enhance the visitor experience at DEC’s Lake George Battlefield Park and also serve as the new headquarters for the Lake George Park Commission.

“DEC and our partners at the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance are dedicated to preserving the beauty and history of Lake George through interpretive work and public education,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “The VIC will provide park visitors with a welcoming and inclusive space that guides them on a historical journey through artifacts and interpretive displays. Bringing DEC, the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, and the Lake George Park Commission under one roof demonstrates the close partnerships working together to improve visitor education, recreation, and conservation in this environmentally unique and historic region of New York.”

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Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Colors of Freedom Tour: A North Country Juneteenth Celebration set for June 19

A first-ever North Country Juneteenth celebration of the region’s role in the fight against slavery will highlight Underground Railroad work in the area, as well as prominent anti-slavery Quakers and abolitionist John Brown. Juneteenth is now a national and state holiday which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The “Colors of Freedom” tour will be a unique way for families and visitors alike to experience the struggles that took place in this area.

The June 19 “Colors of Freedom” tour will feature seven different stops with re-enactors, docents, and celebrations of the freedom spirit in Clinton and Essex counties. Sponsored by the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, John Brown Lives!, the Adirondack History Museum and the John Brown Farm State Historic Site, this event involves existing museums, exhibits at historic locations, and original re-enactments.

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Friday, May 27, 2022

Adirondack Experience to kick off 2022 season today, May 27, with new exhibits, programs

Starting today, May 27, the Adirondack Experience (ADKX) will open for its 2022 season, inviting visitors to once again engage with the culture, history, and natural beauty of the Adirondacks. Situated on a 121-acre campus, ADKX offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities, from interactive gallery installations that capture the experiences of the different peoples of the region to opportunities for boating, hiking, and enjoying the magnificent landscapes.

 

In addition to its ongoing daily offerings, ADKX will host a spectrum of both in-person and virtual programs this season, including workshops and talks with local artists and artisans and explorations of nature with experts and enthusiasts. Its most popular festivals will also return this season, including the Plein Air Festival, Adirondack Artisan Festival, Mohawk and Abenaki Art Market, Rustic Furniture Fair, and FallFest. ADKX will be open every day, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., through October 10, 2022. Information about season highlights follows below, with additional details updating and available on the ADKX website at www.theadkx.org.

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Sunday, May 22, 2022

Save the Date: Great Camp Sagamore’s Annual Gala & Benefit for Historic Preservation on Aug. 6

Great Camp Sagamore staff are excited to welcome the community back, in-person, on August 6, 2022 for their Annual Gala & Benefit for Historic Preservation. Join the festivities for an evening of great food, exciting live & silent auctions, and even better company in the heart of Forever Wild.

This year staff are celebrating the many dedicated members of the community – visitors, volunteers, donors, artisans, musicians, and local business owners and residents – who keep Great Camp Sagamore the treasured place it has been for 125 years.

Stay the Weekend:

Enjoy more time at camp! Join in from August 5-7, 2022 for Gala weekend programming. Weekend packages will include lodging and meals for Friday & Saturday. Gather with friends and enjoy special activities on Friday night, including music and gourmet s’mores around the campfire, a picnic lunch on Saturday, and many other activities before the Gala & Benefit.

Weekend packages do not include Gala & Benefit Dinner tickets for Saturday night. Lodging availability is limited and reserved on a first-come-basis. Booking information will be available on the Great Camp Sagamore webpage soon.
Consider Becoming an Event Sponsor:
Sponsorships allow  Great Camp Sagamore staff to continue providing quality, diverse programming that serves and uplifts a wide range of people, while maintaining reasonable prices and increasing scholarships amid rising costs. Deciding to sponsor this annual celebration also provides you with tangible benefits, which can be found through this link.
Great Camp Sagamore opens to the public on Memorial Day Weekend, May 27.
Find more information about Great Camp Sagamore here: https://www.sagamore.org/
Photo at top: A previous Great Camp Sagamore Annual Gala & Benefit for Historic Preservation. Photo courtesy of Great Camp Sagamore.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Walking Adirondack Cemeteries

cemetery

I have always been fascinated by old cemeteries. There is something special about the serenity and peace of such places. To the observant visitor, they can also reveal much about the past, and perhaps, some insight into the lives of those who have preceded us.

My interest in cemeteries was re-awakened last year when I began working with other volunteers to restore, straighten, and preserve old headstones that had broken, fallen, or slipped lower into the soft earth at the Mill Creek Cemetery here in Johnsburg. That work, fun among friends of similar interest, re-ignited my interest in the stories these places hold.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Crandall Library to Showcase Artwork Created by Veterans with PTSD

During the month of May, the Crandall Library of Glens Falls will be showcasing an art display featuring artworks made with magnets by Warren County-area Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All are invited to attend a public reception on the evening of Thursday, May 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. Members of the Veterans Plus group will be on hand to answer questions and describe how the inspiration and creativity inspired by this artwork has had a therapeutic effect in helping them to deal with these issues. A survivor of the Pentagon attack on 9/11 will also be in attendance and will talk about the benefits he received while creating this artwork. The Veterans Plus groups’s artwork will be on display through the month of May at the Crandall Library, located at 251 Glen Street in Glens Falls.

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Sunday, May 8, 2022

Long Lake’s Post-World War I Peace and Progress

long lake

The teacher has a pet.

His name is Frank Burnett.

He can play basketball

because you see, he is so tall.

He likes to dance with Miss Volker alone

when he gets ahead of Harold Stone.

He likes to dodge away from girls

because they have such pretty curls.

                                            Robert Rowe & John Sullivan Jr., 1927

                                          Students at Long Lake Central School

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Tuesday, May 3, 2022

OurStoryBridge national oral history program receives IRS charitable nonprofit status

The Internal Revenue Service has determined that OurStoryBridge Inc., originally released September 29, 2020 as a program of the Keene Valley (NY) Library, has met the requirements for 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit status. OurStoryBridge Inc. at www.ourstorybridge.org is a free tool kit for producing crowdsourced oral history projects collecting and sharing a community’s unique history online.

OurStoryBridge supports the creation of three- to five-minute, locally created audio stories with related photographs, as well as their online accessibility, by posting them on individual websites that
appeal to both young and old and can be produced at low cost.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022

Fort Ticonderoga receives $500,000 in federal funding, opening May 7 for 2022 season

Ahead of their grand opening for the 2022 season on May 7, Fort Ticonderoga President Beth L. Hill announced that Fort Ticonderoga was recently awarded a $500,000 appropriation to help support the restoration of the historic fort walls.

“Following years of advocacy for preserving Fort Ticonderoga, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer has secured $500,000 for the restoration and rehabilitation of the iconic fort walls,” said Hill. “Senator Schumer visited Fort Ticonderoga in August 2017 and promised then to fight to deliver funding to repair the site’s aging walls, and in his first omnibus as majority leader, Senator Schumer delivered support to Fort Ticonderoga, a significant national historic site.”

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

This month in Almanack history: Top stories from past Aprils

Adirondack carouselHere’s a look back at top stories from Aprils in past years:

In 2020: Additional clarification of the “NY PAUSE” definition of “non-essential” businesses has resulted in the shuttering of boat launches, marinas and golf courses across the state. READ MORE

Also from 2020: Introverts unite! (From a distance). Tim Rowland comments on how introverts are reacting to social distancing. READ MORE

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Thursday, March 31, 2022

Adirondack Experience announces new virtual ‘Dacks Drinks series

The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, (ADKX) announces their new virtual program series – ‘DACKS DRINKS. This series, co-sponsored by the Albany Public Library, will highlight local flavor – from the adventurous rum-runners of the early 20th century to today’s craft brewers infusing their brews with tastes from Adirondack forests. The series will feature two free online sessions, A Taste of Tupper with Garret Kopp from Birch Boys and Josh Weise and Tanner Hockey, Brewers at Raquette River Brewery on Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. and History with a Twist – Adirondack Bootlegging with Niki Kourofsky, editor at Adirondack Life, and Stacia Takach from Lake Placid Stagecoach Inn on Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m.

‘Dacks Drinks

Wednesday, April 13, 7 pm: A Taste of Tupper with Garret Kopp from Birch Boys and Josh Weise and Tanner Hockey, Brewers at Raquette River Brewery

Meet two of Tupper Lake’s taste-making companies as Raquette River Brewing and the Birch Boys share their stories and offerings. Discover their unique collaboration to create Chugga Chugga Chaga Honey Brown Ale, an English-style brown ale made with sustainably harvested Chaga mushrooms. Josh Weise and Tanner Hockey from Raquette River Brewery will wrap up the evening with a few tips on how to infuse local flavor for home brewers.

About the speaker: Garret Kopp grew up in Tupper Lake and began harvesting Chaga mushrooms and selling them at local pop-up markets with his grandmother when he was 15. He created the Birch Boys while in college and today, the company leases 220,000 acres of private land in the Adirondacks for sustainable Chaga harvesting, making products like teas, tinctures, and skin care products. Kopp is also a certified mushroom identification expert & licensed NYS guide.

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Monday, March 28, 2022

Telling Our Stories: The Adirondack Story Project

We are blessed to have quality news outlets in the Adirondacks – local newspapers and magazines, social media, and including, of course, the Adirondack Almanack and Explorer. These resources are place-based and provide us with the current news and events. They also serve as archival records for future generations.

Since 2014, I’ve shared a number of my stories on the Adirondack Almanack. There are more avenues for telling one’s stories now, eight years later, primarily through the perfection of online resources because of the Covid-19 pandemic and our resultant isolation.

I want to introduce readers of the Almanack to a project for recording audio stories which began a few years ago through the Keene Valley Library. To date, this Adirondack Community Story Project has collected over 250 three-to-five-minute audio stories on the historical and social cultural history of the Town of Keene.

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Sunday, March 27, 2022

The Forest for the Trees: Remembrance of Frank Dorchak by his son

frank dorchak

By F. P. (Frank) Dorchak

It was 2:20 p.m. February 20, 2022.

I stood in the middle of my dad’s workshop, listening to the drone of the space heater switching on and off against the howling winter swirling and eddying outside the building. I imagined my dad, here, by himself…working on all his woodwork under the bright LED lighting lining the ceiling and beams…calming, classical music playing in the background…puffing on a pipe when he was smoking, otherwise not…his presence—honed from a lifetime of being underwater, in the woods, and helping and leading others—permeating everything. Hands confidently and skillfully manipulating wood to conform to his will, his specifications…smoothing it over…verifying its obedience…

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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Paul Schaefer and the making of an Adirondack map

The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks had hired me the previous winter. It was now the spring of 1987. Windows and doors were again opening to the hope and then the reality of spring’s warmth. The director of the Schenectady Museum William (Bill) Verner had given me, practically rent free, a desk and telephone from which to begin work as the Association’s first executive director in over 60 years.

It helped that Bill was a member of my board of trustees, and that his knowledge and love for the Adirondacks and Adirondack history from a home base in Long Lake was long and deep.

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