Schenectady County Historical Society Newsletter Volume 41 Number 9-10 September-October 2004 32 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, New York 12305 (518) 374-0263 Web site: http://www.schist.org • Editor email: [email protected] FAX: (518) 374-0263 Librarian email: [email protected] • Curator email: [email protected] Erie Canal Theme for 45th Annual Stockade Walkabout & Waterfront Faire Family Fun for Everyone! Saturday, September 18, 11a.m.–5 p.m. id you know that you can take a in other Stockade lots. Walkabout Dboat ride on the Mohawk River; Welcomers will greet you at all the main enjoy seeing your kids or grandkids entry points and direct you. ride a pony, pet a baby rabbit, or have Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day their face painted; take a charming of event and can be ordered by credit carriage ride along the River’s edge card by calling the Schenectady County and through the Stockade streets, Historical Society, Mon.-Fri., 1:00 - coming upon Governor Yates (our 5:00 PM and Saturdays, 10:00AM to Frank Taormina) or Arendt Van 4:00 PM at 374-0263, or the Curler, Symon Schermerhorn or other Downtown Schenectady Improvement illustrious Schenectadians; or watch a years, you can see that it is a lot more Corporation Mon-Fri. 9:30 AM to 4:30 real live archaeological dig behind one than the wonderful historic house tour of PM at (518) 377-9430., 184 Jay St. of the oldest homes in the Stockade; or years ago! Ticket booklets can be picked up at the get your picture taken with one of the Highlights of the houses on tour this above two locations ahead of time or on many antique cars on display at the year are several homes with high the day of the event at the Will Call car show; or tap your toes to bluegrass Victorian features such as grand mantles, table in front of the Schenectady music or old canal songs, while eating mirrors and marble fireplaces along with County Historical Society. fried dough or a steak sandwich, then some very special 1700’s antique This event is presented by The winding it all up with a big finale of a furnishings. Several beautiful secret Stockade Association, The Schenectady gardens are tucked behind the homes. decorated yacht parade on the River? County Historical Society and The Dora Jackson (our Mary Liebers) Well, all this is happening on Downtown Schenectady Improvement will welcome you into her home, and as Saturday, September 18 as part of the is their ever gracious tradition, the Corporation with proceeds used for Walkabout & Waterfront Faire! If you Society will be serving complimentary See Erie, continued on page 6 haven’t attended this event for several tea and cookies throughout the day. To celebrate the Erie Canal theme this year, our new curator, Kate Weller, assisted by Jo Mordecai, have put together a wonderful exhibit in the Vrooman Room of old Erie Canal days. Also, our Bill Massoth will lead a talk and tour to the original Erie Canal site. And to celebrate the river, take a boat ride on a turn-of-the-century launch boat. Also, crew teams will demonstrate their skill, and, back by popular demand, the bateau the “DeSager” will cruise the OTHER HAPPENINGS river filled with colorful reenactors. FRIDAYS IN OCTOBER To make parking a dream there will Lecture and Lunch Series-Explore be free parking in the SCCC parking lot the Society’s Collections See page 7 with the Union College trolley taking MABEE FARM EVENTS See page 4 you into the Stockade. Or park for free 1 BOARD OF TRUSTEES LETTER FROM Kim Mabee THE PRESIDENT President Edwin Reilly he time has flown and summer is almost flowers this summer. Thanks also to Paul for Vice President Tover already. Hope you all had a chance cleaning out the brush and debris from down Beryl Grant to enjoy some time off or away! Things have on the lower terrace. It will make it more Treasurer been going along at the Society at breakneck attractive and hopefully mosquito free if we William Dimpelfeld pace. Everyone has several projects to work care to use it. Assistant Treasurer on, from building repairs, to library grants Kate is already working on an interactive Ann Karl for cataloging, the farm for the dock and exhibit on the Erie Canal for our Walkabout Secretary exhibits, and of course our most exciting on September 18th, so be sure to mark it on news of hiring our new museum curator. your calendar!!! Stephanie Albers Her name is Kathryn Weller and a recent Our assistance to the City History Center Sylvia Briber Ann Coggeshall grad of the Cooperstown M.A. program. She has been greatly appreciated. So far many Ona Curran is off to a fast start her first week with she volunteer hours have been put in by Cindy Chris Hunter and Pat Barrot, the farm manager, attending Seacord and lots of others. Stanley Lee a workshop on museum standards. Due to Many thanks to the book group who are Carol Lewis our space and meeting room crunch we are now awaiting the publication of the Richard Lewis Mary Liebers fixing up the basement for a conference Rotterdam Images of America due out in Elsie Maddaus room. A good cleaning and lick of paint will August, so be sure to get your copy!! Peter Marquis make it workable. Thanks to Johanna, she So please come join us this fall to see all the Irma Mastream has made the entryway more attractive with exciting new things going on here!! Barbara McEvoy Kim Mabee Jeff Parry Eliess Riemer Ann Ross Frank Taormina FROM THE Richard Whalen EDITOR'S DESK Sally Van Schaick STAFF he Society is moving ahead. The what you have done in the past and welcome Virginia Bolen TMuseum now has a professionally your help in the future. In order to provide Librarian trained curator. Meet Kate Weller (see p.6). programs, plan educational events and Kathryn Weller Kate will plan interpretive exhibits that interpret the area’s history in a way that Curator reflect Schenectady history. She will make relates the past to the present, we need your Pat Barrot sure the collections the Society has acquired continued support through memberships, Mabee Farm Site Manager over its one hundred year history are taken donations, volunteer hours and participation. Johanna Woldring care of and she will plan programs that will As much as we need your financial support, Office Manager make you want to return to the museum we also need your skills and expertise. Call Paul Gonsowski over and over again. There will be programs Kate at 374-0263. She looks forward to Custodian that appeal to all ages. talking with you about how we can put your HOURS: As a private non-profit organization we talents to work for the Society. rely on your support. We thank you for Ona Curran MUSEUM Monday – Friday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. General Electric Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Matching Funds Program Our Apology to LIBRARY The Schenectady County Historical Society is Monday – Friday Professor Edward H. Worthen 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. most appreciative of funds in the amount of Saturday $7,486.16 recently received from the GE Foun- Professor Worthen kindly donated the 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. dation Community Matching Gifts Program for following book to the Grems-Doolittle MABEE FARM the year 2003. The GE program is a tremendous Library: Tuesday – Saturday help to the Society as it provides much needed McKendree 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. funds for exhibits and programs promoting the The Life of McKendree Petty (1827-1887) th Mabee Farm closes September 25 area’s history. Thank you General Electric. Edward H. Worthen Open by appointment year ’round. This is the 51st year in which GE sponsored the The donor’s name was inadvertently matching gifts program. If you are an employee or Museum, Library and Mabee omitted from the July-August Newsletter. Farm closed Labor Day, retiree of General Electric, your donation to the The name of the donor is Edward H. September 6th Society will be matched by the General Electric Worthen, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Foundation. Be sure to notify GE of your dona- Plattsburgh. tion. The number to call is 800-305-0669. 2 The Grems-Doolittle Library & Archives ACQUISITIONS BY THE LIBRARY The Efner History Research Library Books: Re-Opens at Schenectady City Hall, With a The Genealogy of Jacob and Michael Van Wagoner, Jr. 1823-1984 Little Help from its Society Friends by Philo Woodrow Van Wagoner by Cynthia Seacord Early Records of the City and County of Albany and Colony of Rensselaerswyck, vol. 4 Taking over the management of the Schenectady City Saratoga Reader, Writing about an American Village, 1749-1900 History Center, (also known as the Efner History Research by Field Horne Library) by the Historical Society was the brainchild of the Reference Notes to Accompany the Encyclopedia of Union Col- Grems-Doolittle librarian Virginia Bolen, for whom I have lege History been doing volunteer work for a number of years. Before The Van Voorhees Family in America: The Seventh and Eighth approaching the Board, Ginny asked me if I’d be interested Generations, 2 volumes compiled and edited by Florence A. in heading up the project, and I gratefully accepted. In Christoph March, with the backing of the Historical Society’s board, The American Locomotive Company: A Centennial Remembrance Ms.