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Schenectady County Historical Society Newsletter Vol. 62, No. 3, Summer 2018 | 518.374.0263 | schenectadyhistorical.org Schenectady and the Great Outdoors By Norm Kuchar and Mark Vermilyea Introduction Based on the number of cars driving on I-890 that boast “ADK” stickers and the amount of visitors the Plotter Kill receives each year, one can infer that Schenectadians like the great outdoors. Indeed, Schenectady has a long history of its residents being active in conservation and outdoor recreation – here in the county, and in the wilderness of the North Country, alike. Early Conservation in Schenectady Schenectadians’ interest in protecting and exploring wilderness has its roots in the mid 1800s with industrialization and westward expansion. The wilderness was at risk of disappearing, and influential nature lovers used their writings to convince Americans that preserving land and wildlife was vital. Many Americans, including people in Schenectady, could easily see the case for this. As cities became more crowded, citizens began to look for peaceful retreats. Outdoor recreation and the conservation movement came together as Americans took up camping, hiking, and other activities as a way to escape crowded cities. One of the earliest significant American writings of the value of the wilderness is “Wild northern scenes”, written by Samuel Hammond, a lawyer from Continued on page 12 Schenectady County Historical Society Board of Trustees President’s Letter Robert Weible President imes are looking good for the SCHS in 2018, thanks to Richard Lewis an outstanding Board of Trustees, a talented and dy- Vice-President namic staff, a devoted corps of volunteers, an ever-ex- Tpanding membership, and a growing list of partners whom John Halstead we expect to be joining us as we educate students and adult Treasurer learners about Schenectady County history, raise the qual- From the Robert Sullivan ity of life for everyone, and promote economic development Secretary throughout the county. Executive Director Ann Aronson It really is a privilege for me to be serving as your president at Marianne Blanchard a time like this and working to maintain the momentum that Robert Carney Marianne Blanchard created during her four years as the Looking to the future. Improving. Changing. This is our lexicon each Tom Dunn head of our organization. Indeed, under Marianne’s leader- Albert Ferradino day at SCHS, always with an eye toward the community we serve. ship we saw our membership, finances, and resources grow, Ellen Fladger John Gearing our programs diversify and expand, and our operations pro- To that end, I'm pleased to share that we've made two rather significant Michael Karl fessionalize. Happily for us, Marianne won’t be resting on changes here at SCHS in the past month, both of which I couldn't be Sarah Kirby her laurels; she’ll be playing an active role as our past presi- more excited about. dent as we move forward into the future. Carolina Lazzari Our first big change: in May, we introduced new benefits to members of Laura Lee And move forward we will. This month, with guidance from the Schenectady County Historical Society. The updated membership Christopher Leonard the New York Council for Non-Profits, our Trustees will be Kim Mabee levels now grant exclusive benefits while also supporting local history. We Kevin Richard-Morrow meeting to forge a strategic plan that will clarify our direc- hope you’ll learn more about the new levels at schenectadyhistorical. James Strosberg tion for the next two-to-three years, and, in my opinion, org/membership, take advantage of the new perks, and continue to Martin Strosberg make us the model for every other historical organization in join us for events in the Stockade, at the Mabee Farm, and throughout Dale Wade-Keszey New York State. Schenectady County! John Woodward That’s no small challenge. New York’s museums and histori- And, the second big change: The Mabee Farmhouse interpretation! It's Staff cal organizations play an important role in the lives of all been a long time coming; staff and volunteers have been working on this New Yorkers. According to Erika Sanger of the Museum As- project for a few years. This spring we finally made major strides, thanks Mary Zawacki sociation of New York and the Oxford Economics’ 2017 na- in large part to the generosity of our donors. The new interpretation is Executive Director tional report, museums have a $5.4 billion dollar economic twofold; it includes all new period-appropriate furnishings, many of Mary Treanor impact on the state’s economy. That’s impressive--but under- which are hands-on. Ever tried napping on a rope bed? We did, and Administrative Officer standable, perhaps, because according to a 2018 American we hope you will too! The interpretation also utilizes a new narrative. Michael Maloney Association for State and Local History survey, historical in- Visitors to Mabee Farm will be led through centuries of Mohawk Valley Librarian/Archivist stitutions have more power than most people realize. Why? lore that interweaves tales of the diverse folks who lived, worked, and Because Americans consider history museums and historic visited Mabee Farm. Their individual stories come to life through the Susanna Fout sites to be more trustworthy on historical matters than text- tour, and so too does regional history. Exhibitions & Collections Manager books and other nonfiction books, high school teachers, and Michael Diana the Internet. Not only that, similar studies have confirmed We have a busy summer ahead of us, filled with events of all sorts. So, Education & Programs Manager this fact and shown that organizations such as ours are even stop by, bring a lunch, and enjoy the scenery. John Ackner more believable than college professors, grandparents, eye- witnesses to history, and (perhaps not surprisingly) movies Facilities Manager Mary Zawacki, Executive Director and television. [email protected] Visit So spread the word; the Schenectady County Historical Soci- Library & Museum | M-F 9-5; Sat 10-2 ety is not only focused on preserving the past. Together with 32 Washington Ave, Schenectady, NY our friends in the historical and educational professions, Mabee Farm | Tues-Sat, 10-4 private business, local and state government, and especially 1100 Main St, Rotterdam Jct, NY our county’s many diverse communities, we’re looking for- Brouwer House | by appointment ward to making tomorrow’s history. 14 N Church St, Schenectady, NY Contact Robert Weible, President www.schenectadyhistorical.org/people [email protected] 2 Schenectady County Historical Society Schenectady County Historical Society Welcome to New Board Members, and Our Summer Intern! From the Library We're pleased to welcome a few new faces to SCHS Blog Posts New Collections Spotlight this year. Chris Leonard and Sarah Kirby joined the Board of Directors in April. In May, Julia Walsh began You May Have Missed a summer internship with us. The Grems-Doolittle Library Collections Blog (www. We’ve received a few interesting collections in the gremsdoolittlelibrary.blogspot.com) is a great library: resource for learning more about Schenectady The B. Donald Ackerman Collection documents County’s rich history. Here are a few of the posts Schenectady’s political scene from the 1960s to the from the past couple months that you might have present. Mr. Ackerman previously donated political missed. items, and this addition to his collection includes West Hill, An Innovative Community a scrapbook that focuses on 8-term Republican By Gail Denisoff – March 21, 2018 Assemblyman Clark Wemple, as well as other documents on Schenectady politics. March was all about Mid-Century Modern for library volunteer Gail Denisoff. Her previous article focused ______________________________________________ on Lustron homes in Schenectady County and this one is all about the innovative houses built in the We’ve also recently purchased a historical ledger. West Hill neighborhood of Rotterdam in the late This ledger is divided into two separate parts, the 1940s and early 1950s. accounts and financial transactions of Captain The Mastroianni Brothers Bakery Richard Duncan, and the accounts of an unidentified By The Librarian – May 2, 2018 Schenectady blacksmith. Our librarian had the chance to talk to Josephine Many of Richard Duncan’s transactions deal with the Julia Walsh is SCHS' summer intern. A Burnt Hills Mastroianni Parchetta. Josephine donated photos estate of his father, John Duncan. John was a Scottish native, Julia graduated BHBL high school in 2016, and and shared memories of her family’s bakery, the immigrant who entered into a prosperous trading is currently completing her undergraduate degree Mastrioanni Bros. Bakery. This blog post will partnership with James Phyn. Duncan was also a in History, Political Science, and Music at Le Moyne leave you craving some of the great bread that the land speculator, and purchased the land that would College. Since high school, Julia has been interested in Mastroianni Bros. used to make. become Princetown. Both John and Richard were Chris Leonard was born in Hamden, CT, but has spent history, specifically the artifacts of everyday life, and known Loyalists during the American Revolution. Barbers of Schenectady more than half his life in the Capital District; including Richard commanded a unit of regulars under the how they fit within the larger framework of national By The Librarian – May 17, 2018 the last 14 in Schenectady. He attended SUNY-Albany, and global history. command of John Johnson. Duncan built a mansion graduating with BAs in English and History. Chris Did you know that there were over 100 barbers in named The Hermitage in Niskayuna and lived there returned to SUNYA where he received an MA in At Le Moyne, Julia is involved with the vocal jazz Schenectady in 1925? Find out more about some of until his death in 1791.

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