Bath-On-Hudson (Rensselaer, NY)

Local Artisans on Artfire

2011-12-09T15:03:00.006-05:00

Lansing Park

2011-10-26T12:56:00.022-04:00

In the early 1930’s, William Yates Lansing purchased a half interest in the Chester G. Ham coal business, at the end of Central and Forbes Avenues, along the Hudson River in Rensselaer, NY.

Lansing acquired full control of the business two years later, and his coal, lumber and hardware business operated in Rensselaer for decades.

Lansing grew up on a farm in Glen, Montgomery County. From Lansing's biography in "Troy and Rensselaer County, New York, a History" (1925, pg. 120):

In addition to all his other interests, Mr. Lansing is a practical farmer. He never ceased to enjoy farm life and agricultural work, and not long after he came to Rensselaer, he purchased a small farm comprising several acres of the finest agricultural land in the county.

Lansing bought part of the old Van Rensselaer farm on the southerly side of Forbes Ave., where he had a large home with a pond for ducks and swans. Lansing also owned land across the street in the Little Farms neighborhood. At his “Gypsy Camp Farm”, Lansing bred White Holland turkeys and White Plymouth Rock chickens.

In the 1930’s, Lansing even raised and sold peacocks, which must have been quite a sight. From the Geneva Daily Times, June 1, 1936:

W. Yates Lansing, who owns a peacock farm near here, said today he believed it to be the only one of its kind in New York State. There are 31 peacocks, mallard ducks and two swans on the farm. Most of the peacocks are of the blue, or common type, but included in the flock are two white ones and two green birds, the latter imported from Java. Lansing said the birds are no more trouble to raise than turkeys.

W. Yates Lansing died in 1938, and the land south of Washington Ave. was subdivided to become Lansing Park in 1947. The streets are Hazel, William, and Wallace Terraces, and Farley Drive, which was formerly known as Lansing Drive. Hazel Terrace was likely named for Lansing’s second wife Hazel, but the origin of the other names is uncertain. Does anyone know more?

This is final part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms (Mann Ave.); Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

"My River Chronicles" by Jessica DuLong

2011-10-12T06:50:00.004-04:00

I was disappointed to miss the Waterford Tugboat Roundup this year (canceled due to Hurricane Irene). But this book more than made up for it - I highly recommend putting it on your holiday wish list.

My River Chronicles
Rediscovering America on the Hudson
Jessica DuLong

From the inside flap:

In 2001, journalist Jessica DuLong ditched her dot-com desk job for the diesel engines of a rusty antique fireboat, the John J. Harvey, and the storied waters of the Hudson River.

Altamont Art In The Park - Saturday

2011-10-06T07:09:00.012-04:00

It's not too soon to start thinking about shopping for the holidays, and it's not too late for a lovely outdoor craft fair on a beautiful autumn day. Art In The Park is a juried show, happening this Saturday, from 10am to 6pm on the green in Altamont, NY.

The publicity says "The various artists range from glass to fiber art, watercolors to oils and pottery to photography with a few woodworkers and a jeweler or two thrown in for good measure!" My beau is one of the woodworkers, so stop by and say Hello - I'll be helping him at the Quiltboxes tent.

The event is sponsored by Desolation Road Studios and the Altamont Free Library. Kudos to Jim Miller of Desolation Road for all his hard work organizing this event! (FYI, most of the artists in the show have items for sale in the shop at Desolation Road, on the green in Altamont.)

What: Art In The Park, Juried Art/Craft Show

When: Saturday, Oct. 8th, 10am - 6pm

Where: Village green, Altamont, NY [map]

Free Concert: 3 - 5pm, features the 3J’s

This event was originally scheduled for last Saturday, but thankfully Jim invoked the rain date. The forecast for this Saturday is gorgeous - sunny and in the 70's. Please come on over, and enjoy some early autumn color on the scenic drive to Altamont.

The Golden Age of Coal Smoke

2011-10-02T18:50:00.000-04:00

I've been reading Booth Tarkington's novels, and they often complain of an aspect of the "golden age" of rail and industry that was certainly mirrored here in Rensselaer 100 years ago - the problem of soft coal smoke.

The smoke was one of his great enthusiasms; he laughed at a committee of plaintive housewives who called to beg his aid against it. "Smoke's what brings your husbands' money home on Saturday night," he told them, jovially." [The Turmoil, 1915]

"Prosperity" meant good credit at the bank, black lungs, and housewives' Purgatory. The women fought the dirt all they could; but if they let the air into their houses they let in the dirt. It shortened their lives, and kept them from the happiness of ever seeing anything white. [The Magnificent Ambersons, 1918]

This article from the Rensselaer Eagle, Aug. 8, 1912 illustrates one reason why Rensselaer's North End park neighborhoods, built far from the rail yards, were so popular.

BLACK SMOKE NUISANCE COULD BE ABOLISHED

Rensselaer Suffers Much From Cloud Belching From Engines

Roundhouse Belches Smoke Continuously all Day and all Night - New York Central Has to Adjust Many Claims Because of Smoke.

Now that the city of Troy has succeeded in reducing the soft coal smoke nuisance to a minimum it is up to the people of this city to take similar action. Rensselaerites are a long suffering people and they have suffered to no small extent because of the fact the New York Central engines use soft coal and emit black, sooty smoke.

Residents have complained time and again of the soft coal smoke nuisance. It not only covers every portion of the city, from one end to the other, but the fact that the railroad companies are permitted to use soft coal within the city limits doubtless keeps away people who would otherwise live in this city.

ROUNDHOUSE SMOKE

The roundhouse on the Hudson island is perhaps the greatest evil so far as soft coal smoke is concerned in the city. It is bad enough to have long freight trains, switching engines and passenger engines moving through the railroad yards, but the roundhouse never stops and there is always a cloud of smoke issuing from there night and day.
...
There are lots of women in this city who can testify to the effects of soft coal smoke on their clothing. There are not many women, who, wearing dainty summer clothing, would walk the Maiden lane or upper bridges at any time because they are afraid of having their clothing ruined by the smoke. The smoke is often filled with enough moisture to make it very sticky and when it covers one as he walks the bridge, the effect is far from pleasing.
...
In many sections of the city unless an east wind prevails it is an unwise housewife who would think of putting her washing out to dry. The majority of them are forced to have washed clothes dried in the house year in and year out.

The smoke is also bad for paint, as a glance at many buildings adjacent to the railroad will show. But very few houses are painted a light color, for the reason that there being so much smoke in the air it would soon discolor the paint. This is one of the reasons why so many buildings, especially those near the railroad are painted in dark and sombre colors....

The Delaware and Hudson Railroad advertised that their passenger trains to the Adirondack Mountains and Montreal burned the cleaner (and more costly) "anthracite coal only...no smoke".

Education Center Opens at BASF Site

2011-09-25T16:26:00.017-04:00

Times Union: From a landfill, an oasis springs, Sept. 22, 2011

Chemical company BASF has transformed the site of its former manufacturing plant into 10 acres of wildlife habitat with an education center and 40 acres of land available for redevelopment.

The Record: Former landfill transformed into environmentally conscious education center, wildlife habitat VIDEO

BASF invested more than $20 million in the environmental investigation and cleanup of the property which now includes a small building made with local materials...

Press Release: BASF opens new environmental education classroom and wildlife habitat in Rensselaer, New York

The environmental education classroom is a new building that is a model for sustainable construction and has been registered with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) with the goal of obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum certification.

This project, just north of the Besicorp Empire Generating plant, is extensively documented by BASF, with many images and videos including:

Transforming a Brownfield Site (includes interviews with Karen Urbanski, Rensselaer Middle School Principal, and Mayor Dan Dwyer)

BASF Environmental Education Classroom and Wildlife Habitat (The company makes many of the building materials used in this demonstration project, so most of these videos are long-format advertisements for their products, but the construction details are interesting.)

FYI, BASF makes an herbicide to deal with that invasive purple loosestrife in their native wildlife habitat (but nobody told their videographer...)

RoadTrip: MakerFaire NYC 2011

2011-09-20T07:39:00.007-04:00

I went to MakerFaire NYC last Saturday to window shop for a 3D printer. Imagine this as a huge science fair, sponsored by Radio Shack ("learn to solder here!"). If you make some cool sort of robotic, electro-mechanical, or steampunky gizmo, you can show it off at MakerFaire...

To get a flavor for the event, start with this video of Random Vehicles (and their drivers) outdoors on the former Worlds Fair grounds. There was lots more to see inside the New York Hall of Science:

The antique iPad keyboard was great!

A couple of contrasting dreams of flight:

MakerBot TV made a nice video of the 3D fabrication village. And one last video link, because you don't want to miss the Coke Zero and Mentos show!

The George E. Hatcher House

2011-09-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

When I bought this house, it was so unique I had to find out who built it and what Rensselaer was like back then. (I started this blog to document the cool things I learned.) I wish all Rensselaer's intriguing homes could tell their stories, but here is the history of the George E. Hatcher House. Please follow the link to check it out!

And if you'd like to live in a unique home that also illustrates a great time in Rensselaer's history, Hatcher House is for sale, and there's an Open House planned this Sunday, Sept. 18, from 2:30-4pm.

Eastland Park

2011-09-14T22:08:00.010-04:00

The land for Eastland Park was part of the farm leased in 1790 by Martinus Sharpe, an early settler of Defreestville. The land was later owned by one of the DeFreest families, who sold it to Patrick Dunn in 1897.

In 1927, the Dunn farm was sold to Charles Wenz, Henry Meurs, Thomas Sherwood, Jr. and Dolfie Shufelt. Together with lawyer Ernest L. Boothby, these men formed the Eastland Park Association. This ad appeared in the Albany Evening Journal, Sept. 14, 1927 (click to zoom in).

Dolfi Shufelt, the president of the Association, had been a partner in Leahey & Shufelt, the masons and contractors on high-profile projects like the county bank building and the city reservoir. Leahey & Shufelt also developed the Lincoln Terrace neighborhood.

Charles Wenz worked as a roofer. Henry Meurs had served as Mayor of Rensselaer (1920-21) and as a NYS Assemblyman, and he owned Henry Meurs and & Sons Hardware.

Their plan included a man-made lake and a market plaza:

...on healthy, high ground where nature has combined with development progress to make this section attractive and desirable for discriminating home site seekers… A feature of the development is the beautiful grove which is planned for a park and will be deeded to the city... Here will be found scenic beauty unequaled.

Though the Eastland Park Association never built the lake, they kept the name Lakeview Avenue. Market Street was renamed Woodland Avenue.

Today the park offers a playground, baseball diamond, and basketball and tennis courts, and hosts summer picnics. The Rensselaer City History Research Center has records of the Eastland Park Association, for those wanting to do further research.

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms (Mann Ave.); Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

Van Allen Park

2011-09-09T18:36:00.004-04:00

Just west of Defreestville, the "rock cut" allows the road to pass through the rocky ridge that once bisected the 400 acre farm of John Evert Van Alen. Van Alen owned a general store in Greenbush, and was a U.S. Congressman from 1793 to 1799. He was also a surveyor who did work for the Patroon, and he surveyed part of the Eastern Turnpike.

John E. Van Alen had no children, and his nephew Evert Van Alen was heir to his estate. Evert was also a surveyor and civil engineer, and helped build the Erie Canal. Evert’s will split the farm between sons John and Stephen.

Stephen V. R. Van Alen inherited the western 90 acres, between the ridge and the farm of William P. Van Rensselaer. Stephen built the beautiful “Rock Hill” house west of the ridge.

In 1907, Stephen’s daughter Elizabeth V.A. Lape acquired the land from her sister Catherine, who had cared for their elderly father. In 1926, Elizabeth sold the land for this neighborhood to Bruce Corlis of Corliss Realty, Inc., St. Alban’s, VT.

Corliss filed a map in 1926, and the street names he used for Van Allen Park were: Delaware, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, Florida, California, and Minnesota Avenues. Apart from the lots closest to Washington Ave, most of this neighborhood is actually in North Greenbush. Corliss created decades of address confusion when he duplicated many of the same street names in his 1925 Sherwood Park development, located off Columbia Turnpike in East Greenbush.

For more about the Van Alen family, read "Background and Social History of the site and Occupants of the John Evert and Anne Fryenmoet van Alen House", by Walter Richard Wheeler, Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc.

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms (Mann Ave.); Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

DEC OK's Waterfront First Phase

2011-08-27T18:41:00.003-04:00

Times Union: DEC weighs in on Rensselaer waterfront plan

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has approved the beginning of a massive development project planned for the Rensselaer waterfront on property where the Rensselaer City Middle and High School campus once sat overlooking the downtown Albany cityscape.

Zephyr Park (George and Elizabeth St.)

2011-07-11T23:03:00.011-04:00

The November 1909 Rensselaer Eagle newspaper announced that the “Van Allen Park” plot had been filed, and new houses could go up in the spring on the “old Lape property”. Elizabeth V. A. Lape created this small development after her father, Stephen V.R. Van Alen, passed away in 1905. (More on the Van Alen's next time.)

Elizabeth’s map was actually titled “Fulton Park”, and the streets were Van Alen Ave., Lape Ave., Clermont Ave., and Fulton Ave. The last two names likely commemorated Robert Fulton’s steamboat Clermont, a replica of which had just come up the river for the grand 1909 Hudson-Fulton centennial celebration.

I found this map quite charming (click it to zoom in), because of the extra attention paid to the calligraphy.

In 1923, George J. Zepf seemed to be the owner of the property - he filed a new map for the “Lape Subdivision”. Deeds for the plots show that George and Delia Zepf were selling plots in a development they now called “Zephyr Park”. On George Zepf’s map, the street parallel to Forbes Ave. was eliminated, and the three cross-streets had been renamed Carolyn Ave., George St., and Elizabeth St. (George had sisters named Carrie and Lizzie - perhaps he and his siblings were the namesakes, or perhaps Elizabeth was named after Mrs. Lape.)

Only George and Elizabeth Streets are on the map today, and Carolyn Ave. likely became Delaware Ave. when the larger Van Allen Park was developed.

George Zepf was in the carpentry business with his brother Joseph, and they worked on many significant projects in Rensselaer, including building several of the firehouses.

If you have a picture of Elizabeth Lape or George Zepf, I would appreciate a copy via email (bathonhudson@gmail.com).

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms (Mann Ave.); Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

Art In The Garden - Sat., July 16, 2011

2011-06-28T19:15:00.005-04:00

Saturday, July 16 from 10am to 4pm.

Free admission
Held rain or shine

A juried art show and sale will be held at the Demonstration Gardens at the Robert C Parker School, North Greenbush, NY.

Features Jewelry, Pottery, Sculpture, Photography, Painting, Notecards, Stained Glass Mosaics, Woodworking (QuiltBoxes!), Textiles, and Collage.

See pictures on FaceBook at Art In The Garden - Rensselaer County.

Sponsored by the Rensselaer County Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Mann’s Street Names

2011-06-22T23:32:00.011-04:00

On Oct. 19, 1909, a new subdivision called Little Farms was mapped on the north side of Forbes Avenue, beyond the old Rensselaer city limits. The street names appear to correspond to names of prominent local citizens of the era (these are educated guesses based on my newspaper research):

Mann Avenue

Elias Plum Mann was Mayor of Troy, NY from 1906 to 1911 (Republican), and was also a businessman and financier. He acquired the 64.13 acre plot via foreclosure, for development.

Mayor Mann graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1872 with a degree in civil engineering. His family was prominent in banking and real estate, and his father, Francis Norton Mann, also served as Mayor of Troy, as well as a Judge.

The 1911 Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs Vol II said that “The name of Mann is the synonym of uprightness and business integrity, and Elias P. Mann is one of the best-known representatives of the family, which has been an influential one for many years.”

Mayor Elias P. Mann
The Reporter, Sept. 6-9, 1908, NYS Library (974.741)

Rockefeller Street

William J. Rockefeller was Mayor of Rensselaer from 1907 to 1910, and also ran a business as an undertaker.

Mayor William J. Rockefeller
Renssealer Eagle, 1908

Munger Street

John F. Munger was a broker of fire insurance, real estate, and mortgages. He was also President of the Rensselaer County Bank.

John F. Munger

Renssealer Eagle, Jan. 15, 1910

Quay Street

George H. Quay was a Regents Examiner for the University of the State of New York, and had been school principal at Bath-on-the-Hudson union free school for 6 years. In 1908, he also advertised as a land surveyor.

Rollins Avenue (only partly developed)

Robert H. Rollins was Pastor of First Baptist Church (then on Second St. at Church), and Treasurer (later President) of the Rensselaer Brick Co. (on Forbes Ave. beyond Tenth). In 1905, Rev. Rollins leased the Forbes Manor and opened it as Van Rensselaer Park, and worked to raise community support for preserving the Manor house.

Reverend Robert H. Rollins
Van Rensselaer Park (974.741), NYS Library

Manders Avenue (mapped, but not developed)

Harry Manders served in the Rensselaer Police Department’s Second Precinct. He also operated a racetrack associated with the old Half-Way house, just east of the current location of 1001 Washington Ave. Manders purchased two lots from Mayor Mann in 1911.

Patrolman Harry Manders
Rensselaer City History Center

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms (Mann Ave.); Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

Little Farms (Mann Ave.)

2011-06-15T21:18:00.008-04:00

Until the turn of the last century, today’s North End (then part of North Greenbush) was mostly farmland and pine forest. Even when the Forbes family still summered at Beverwyck Manor, they were gradually selling off the former Van Rensselaer lands.

In 1868, John Bishop bought a 64.13 acre farm plot from Paul S. Forbes. The land bordered on the Plank road on the north side, and the Bishops were already in residence (he was probably leasing the farm).

The Gazetteer and business directory of Rensselaer County, N. Y. (1870-71) reported that John K. Bishop was a breeder of improved Suffolk hogs, and confirms he was farming 64 acres on the Albany & Sand Lake Plank Road.

1876 Beers Map – North Greenbush

John Bishop and his wife Kate eventually sold the land to Eliza and Peter Sheppard, another farming family. In 1880, the Sheppards obtained a mortgage from Charles B. Bishop of the city of Troy. The Sheppard mortgage was foreclosed in 1908, and the property was sold at auction to Elias Mann, who was the mayor of Troy, NY. Mayor Mann paid $1,500 for the entire 64 acres.

The Rensselaer Eagle announced the availability of the building lots on Sept. 25, 1909. On Oct. 14, 1909, the first plans were filed for an ambitious new neighborhood. (Interestingly, the map was made by John Flynn, Jr., who worked as the civil engineer for the city of Troy.)

"Little Farms" originally had five length-wise streets and four cross streets. There were 542 building plots, including a “hotel lot” for the half-way house.

The unfortunate circumstances of a complicated foreclosure were probably amplified by the old inter-city rivalry, and there was little support in the Rensselaer community for this development by "Troy real estate men". Despite a nearly two years of promotion and a free give-away offer, Mann's sales agents were only able to sell about half the lots.

Not surprisingly, the back lots in the deep ravine were the least popular. In 1911 a new map was filed, consolidating the back lots and eliminating a few streets. Rensselaer County tax map 133.73 shows the 1911 layout, including two streets which were never completed. You can check out the actual layout of today's Mann Ave. neighborhood here at Google Maps.

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms; Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

Origins of Washington Avenue

2011-06-14T19:37:00.015-04:00

The roadway of upper Washington Avenue dates back to colonial Rensselaerswyck, when farmers traveled it to bring their rents of grain and poultry to the Patroon, and maintained it as required by their leases. The pre-revolutionary route was called the “Albany Road”, and went from the ferry in Bath-on-the-Hudson to Deerfield, MA.

The road’s importance as a commercial and stage coach route grew, and in 1799, it was incorporated as the “Eastern Turnpike Road”, to finance road maintenance. The toll for a horse and rider was 5 cents, and a four-wheel carriage with two horses paid 12½ cents. For more info, see these older posts:

The 19th century North Greenbush economy was based on transporting perishable farm goods to sell in Albany and Troy. This required good roads, which were expensive to build and maintain. In the mid-1800’s, the cheaper “plank roads” became wildly popular. In 1849, the Eastern Turnpike became the “Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road”, and a thick wooden surface was laid on the 11 mile stretch between the Bath ferry and the glass factory village at Sand Lake (Averill Park). For more info, see:

“Plank Road Fever” was short-lived. Planks had to be replaced more frequently than expected, which was costly. By the 1880’s, the wood surfaces were gone. The toll gates were removed after 1901, making the road, now known as “Forbes Avenue”, more attractive for residential development.

Sometime between 1926 and 1930, maps at the county clerk's office indicate that the road was renamed Washington Ave. (The name Washington Ave. originally only referred a the 5-block stretch between Broadway and what remains of Forbes Ave. today.) If anyone knows more about when and why this name change occurred, please post a comment or send an email to bathonhudson@gmail.com.

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms (Mann Ave.); Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

The Building Boom

2011-06-03T19:36:00.016-04:00

During the Manor years, the only building between the Bath-on-the-Hudson toll gate and Defreestville was a half-way house for travelers (not even shown in this 1854 map). After the Forbes family left, the remaining manor lands along the Plank road were gradually sold.

Vintage Maps from the US Geological Service show little development along the plank road by 1893, almost 40 years later.

In 1897, the City of Rensselaer was formed, and in 1901, the city limits were extended to encompass the remaining Forbes Manor grounds (not including the upper Forbes Avenue tracts, which had been sold as farmland).

Rensselaer had become a manufacturing center and a major freight hub. Housing was tight, and Rensselaerites who were tired of the noise, soot, and smoke from the railroad yards looked for building lots outside the city.

Rumors that the United Traction Co. might extend their street car line made upper Forbes Ave. a very desirable location. The North End’s trendy park neighborhoods were about to take shape.

Rensselaer Eagle, August 8, 1908

NEW BUILDINGS PROVE THAT CITY IS SURELY BOOMING
...
Not in five years has building been so active in Rensselaer as it is now. New houses are going up all over the city and there are others in contemplation. ...

Many building lots have been sold out on the "plank road" as it is familiarly known to Rensselaerites, and several houses are in the course of erection there. Others are promised in the near future and the indications are that before snow files there will be a number of very good houses built out there.

The prospect that in the Spring, the United Traction Co. will extend its Broadway and Third Street line has been inducing many people to look for building sites along Washington avenue and upper Forbes avenue.
...
More Albanians than ever before are finding that they can live in Rensselaer, have a better house and much more breathing space for the same money than they are forced to pay in Albany. ...

That Rensselaer is booming and that it will continue to do so for some time to come is very evident.

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms; Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

The Manor

2011-05-21T19:23:00.016-04:00

Henry Hudson’s river voyage of 1609 gave the Dutch West India Company territorial claims to the river valley. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a Director in the company, suggested granting manorial rights known as Patroonships to encourage colonization. Van Rensselaer was the most successful of these Patroons, though he never visited the colony (he was a diamond and pearl dealer in Amsterdam). The 700,000-acre Manor of Rensselaerswyck was purchased from the Algonquian Mohican tribe in 1629, and spanned Albany, Rensselaer, and part of Columbia counties.

The Van Rensselaer Patroonship persisted for many generations, ending with General Stephen Van Rensselaer III, who managed 3,000 tenants on over 430,000 acres. Stephen III was known as the “Good Patroon” for his charity and leniency as a landlord. He was New York’s second Lieutenant Governor, fought in the War of 1812, served seven years in Congress, and co-founded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

When Stephen III died in 1839, his will divided the Manor between sons Stephen IV and William. Stephen IV inherited most of Albany County and the ancestral West Manor house. William inherited the East Manor (most of Rensselaer County), with 202,100 acres, 1,666 leasehold farms, and annual rents of 20,210 bushels of wheat.

William Paterson Van Rensselaer built Beverwyck Manor on the eastern bluffs of the Hudson River. The beautiful Greek Revival mansion was designed by architect Frederick Diaper, and completed in 1842.

The brothers worked aggressively to collect the overdue rents they’d inherited. (Stephen III “sold” land, but retained rights to the feudal rents.) The resulting Anti-Rent War of 1845-46 reformed the property laws, eliminating these "incomplete sales". With his manorial income gone, William couldn’t afford to maintain Beverwyck. He moved downstate to escape the Anti-Renters, and began selling off his lands.

In 1850, the mansion, with 900 acres, was purchased as a country house by Paul S. Forbes, a wealthy New York City merchant in the China trade with Russell & Co. The estate was known as Forbes Manor long after the family closed the mansion and moved away, twenty years later.

Abandoned for decades, the Forbes estate was used for picnics, baseball games, and gypsy encampments, while the mansion slowly fell into decay. In 1905, the Forbes Manor Improvement Company replaced the roof and began work on development projects including a brickyard, a box factory, and a horse racing track. The estate was briefly rechristened “Van Rensselaer Park”, and continued to host excursions and church picnics.

In 1911, the Franciscan Fathers Minor Conventuals bought the mansion to house St. Anthony-on-the-Hudson Seminary. Forbes Manor is on the national Historic Register, and is still privately owned by the Franciscans.

Beverwyck - Library of Congress

This is part of the series: North End Park Neighborhoods (download this as a free PDF here)

The Manor; The Building Boom; Origins of Washington Ave.
Little Farms; Mann's Street Names; Zephyr Park
Van Allen Park; Eastland Park; Lansing Park

Video: Historic Rensselaer Photos

2011-05-16T08:22:00.000-04:00

John Gavin has put together a great video from old photographs: A Pictoral History of Rensselaer, New York - 12144 - Settled in 1630

Great job!!

North End Park Neighborhoods

2011-05-08T21:23:00.009-04:00

Rensselaer’s “North End” includes these five historic neighborhoods along upper Washington Ave. Originally part of the East Manor of Rensselaerswyck, this land was in high demand during the building boom of the early 1900’s. Our “park district” is enclosed by the wooded ravine of the Black Creek to the north, the Quackendary Kill hollow to the south, the ridge at the Rock Cut to the east, and I-90 to the west.

Prior to the turn of the last century, this area was part of North Greenbush. The city of Rensselaer had not yet been formed from Bath-on-the-Hudson, East Albany, and Greenbush. The colonial-era turnpike that is now Washington Ave. brought farm wagons and stage coaches through farmlands, pine forests, and the park-like setting of the East Manor grounds.

I've been researching the history of these neighborhoods, so the next few weeks of posts will be more or less as follows:

This will be a multi-week series of posts. Don't want to wait? You can be an early proof-reader, and download a free brochure here. I live in this neighborhood, but I didn't grow up in Rensselaer, so I've compiled this information mostly from old maps and property titles in the County Clerk's office, as well as vintage books and newspapers online. If you have any corrections to my information, please email me at bathonhudson@gmail.com, so I can update the booklet. If you have any additional stories to share about these neighborhoods, please post a comment. Antique photos of Rensselaer's neighborhoods are welcome at the Rensselaer NY Facebook Page.

Peter Coddle's Trip to New York

2011-05-02T19:06:00.000-04:00

How might the snowed-in Victorians have endured Albany's blizzard of 1888? Find out at Hoxsie.

Inside Albany's Gypsy Camp

2011-05-01T16:00:00.013-04:00

It was a beautiful spring weekend in Victorian Albany. The memory of the Great White Hurricane of 1888 was all too fresh - a blizzard buried the city under 48" of snow in March, and 30-40' drifts trapped people indoors for days. But the snow was gone, the sun was bright, and ladies in beribboned spring bonnets and gents in derby hats went out to walk in Washington Park, and visit the gypsy camp at Manning Boulevard.

THE TOUR OF THE TOWN
Monday, May 7, 1888 Albany Evening Journal

With the temperature in the seventies, the sun shining from a clear sky and a westerly breeze of just sufficient force to make pedestrianism delightful, people flocked from the houses to the streets yesterday. The streetcars running in the suburbs were crowded from morning until long after dusk. The scene in the park was an animated one, especially on the terraces and about the lake house. The big fountains in the lake threw up their solid streams of water into the air, only to have them return in glittering spray to the surface. The boulevard was more than well patronized, and the gypsy encampment at its junction with Washington avenue, a magnet that drew large crowds, especially girls and women. The few males who lounged about and watched others pitch pennies and trade horses included a JOURNAL man. It was not that he wanted his fortune told or to swap horses; he was seeking novelty. His steps, like those of other people, there, had been guided by some unforeseen power, and had he been asked why he chose the gypsy village, he would have been at a loss for an explanation.

The Stanley family, consisting of mother, father and two sons, are of that class of gypsies that prefer to remain in one locality for a long period, rather than keep on the go constantly. These people came here from England some years ago, and though they have been about cities a good deal of their time, and mingled freely with people in the common walks of life, they cannot break themselves of the Romanic dialect. The parent, though old, is erect, and has a ruddy, healthful face. His better half has jet black hair which is plastered against her temples. Her face, like that of her husband, has much color.

The younger members of the party are very popular with a large class of Albanians. They are genuine gypsies and will "swap" anything from a jackknife to a horse, but they are classed as honorable in their dealings. Both are fine types of gypsy manhood, with bronzed complexions and erect forms. This band had traveled all over the world and has at last become almost domesticated. It was their custom in the North to travel in summer and live in a city house during the winter. A few years since they passed the cold months of several winters in houses in the western part of the city. Last spring the band appeared at the corner of the boulevard and Washington avenue. Complaint was made against them, but nothing wrongful in their actions or business could be discovered and so the band was permitted to remain a certain length of time. Before this expired they bought the plot of ground on which they were encamped and remained on it all last summer. In the winter they went to their farm house near the Shakers, only to return to their camp here as soon as the weather would permit this spring.

The site of the camp is very sandy. The wagons of the family stand about in much the same order, or disorder, that those of a circus do. Horses of different kinds were tied to saplings, and dogs of many breeds lay curled at the end of chains under wagons against fences and in holes scooped out of the sand yesterday. The men busied themselves mending harness, doing chores, or in conversation, while the women in frocks and aprons of high hues lugged firewood, told fortunes and smoked their pipes. The women remained within their tents, save when some duty called them forth.

The tents were not in keeping with the wagons of the band. They were old and grimy and sadly patched. The canvas of which they were composed had seen its best days. From the rear of the tents through the canvas protruded common iron stovepipe, from which smoke curled. Two of these pipes had a joint upward above the elbow, the other was content to end with the elbow. The cooking is done on small wood stoves, and these pipes were attached to them. Within the tents everything looked clean, and was in striking contrast with things about the exteriors. The wagons used as sleeping apartments were nearly new and of excellent make. The box above the wheels extended over them, giving additional space enough within for a grown person to lie crosswise of the wagon. The interior of one of these wagons resembles a state room on a steamboat. The bunk was divided from the dressing part with lace curtains and lambrequins, and at the small windows in the three closed sides hung lace curtains caught back gracefully. The interior of these wagons, which are the sleeping quarters, are the pink of cleanliness and had an inviting appearance.

Image:
Gypsy Encampment - Glenwood Road (Bethesda, Maryland, 1888), Library of Congress

Previously: Gypsy Camps were known in Bath-on-the-Hudson and all around the Capital region.

QuiltBoxes - Recipe Box Giveaway

2011-04-25T19:03:00.003-04:00

Visit www.QuiltBoxes.com and register by May 1 for Dave's recipe box giveaway. (QuiltBoxes make great Mother's Day presents.)

Gypsy Camps

2011-04-24T11:00:00.019-04:00

North End legend says there was a gypsy camp on Washington Ave. in Rensselaer. Did we have had actual gypsies in New York? Akum Norder at All Over Albany found another site at an old schoolhouse in Hoosick, where gypsies camped as recently as 1965. So who were they?

The Romani ethnic group originated on the Indian subcontinent, leaving perhaps a millennium ago, and moving into Europe in medieval times. Romanies began immigrating to America in the colonial era, and a large-scale migration of the Romnaichal from Britain to the U.S. started in the 1860's. New England Magazine, May 1904 said there was a record of gypsies in New York as far back as 1850.

Image: Tents of a Gypsy Camp in Brooklyn (Library of Congress)

The Albany Evening Journal (AEJ) mentioned the Greenbush encampment several times between 1888 and 1915, in the "Neighborhood News" from Bath:

July 10, 1893: The gypsy encampment drew an extraordinary large crowd to the Manor grounds yesterday. The principal attraction yesterday was the queen of the camp, who was telling fortunes to all who wished a glance into the "future", for "the small sum of 15 cents." This seemed too high for the crowd, and it was finally reduced to 10 cents and the camp did a thriving business till long after dark. The camp will "pull stakes" this afternoon and start en route for the World's Fair.

July 31, 1893: The town bore a more quiet appearance yesterday than in any other Sunday in some time. The fact was due to the disappearance of the band of gypsies who had been encamped on the Manor grounds. Fond parents may now know when their daughters are out of an evening, that they are not at the gypsy encampment paying for a "glance into the future."

Most AEJ articles were stereotypical accounts of a gypsy getting arrested, or giving someone a bad deal in a horse trade (i.e., Sept. 7, 1905: "Foolish Man Loses Horse" and July 26, 1910: "Ballston Spa Boy Dickers With Gypsies to his Sorrow"). But a sympathetic article in 1888 described a visit to the Stanley gypsy encampment at Manning Blvd. and Washington Ave. in Albany. (This article will get its own post next week: Inside Albany's Gypsy Camp.)

On Oct. 10, 1910, AEJ reported that a band of several thousand members of the Stanley tribe, enroute to their winter headquarters in New Jersey, stopped at a gypsy camp in Colonie. In June 1912, a man backed his touring car down a 10 foot embankment after visiting the camp on Washington Ave. in Albany. (The gypsies were unable to pull the car back up with a team of draft horses.) Other gypsy camps were noted at the junctions of Colvin and Central Ave. in Albany, and on the Albany Road in Schenectady.

On Aug. 13, 1915, the AEJ mentions a gypsy camp at Hulett farm at Defreestville. By this time the Forbes Manor was no longer vacant, as it was in the 1890's, and the former gypsy camp site on Forbes Ave. (now upper Washington Ave.) was being turned into residential building sites for the booming new City of Rensselaer.

The article Gypsy Americans by Evan Heimlich is a good historical overview. The Romani people have faced centuries of oppression including ethnic cleansing by the Nazis and deportation from many countries (as recently as 2010 in France). Efforts to address ongoing discrimination are in progress, and April 8 was the International Day of Roma.

Next: Inside Albany's Gypsy Camp

Crackers and Biscuits

2011-04-18T23:32:00.009-04:00

Nice find by Carl - jump over to Hoxsie! and check out the (1860's?) ad for Greenbush Steam Cracker and Biscuit Manufactory.

So what were all those mysterious crackers? The Complete Bread, Cake, and Cracker Baker, J. Thompson Gill, 1881, devotes a full page just to the confusion between crackers and biscuits, before moving on to crumpets and jumbles.

For some more insight into Greenbush in this era, check out this Troy Record article from October 21, 2010: "You could look it up back in 1868".

Washington Avenue Paving

2011-04-17T15:58:00.000-04:00

The news at the latest North End Neighborhood Association meeting is that Washington Avenue will be paved this summer.

Come to next month's meeting to learn more: Thur., May 17th at the new firehouse.

The Bath (On The Hudson)

2011-04-17T15:55:00.001-04:00

This story was inspired by a reader inquiry, and the book "Three Villages, One City" by Douglas L. Sinclair. (It's out of print, read it at the E. Greenbush or Troy libraries.)

The mineral spring that gave Bath its name was near the intersection of Tracy St. and Forbes Ave. today. The 1876 Beers Map shows "Mineral Street" there, named for the mineral spring. The story is that in 1790 Elkanah Watson proposed the idea of the Bath to Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer III. (A year later, Watson proposed the Erie Canal, which was a bit more successful than the bath house.)

Watson had traveled to the spas at Bath in England, and was "filled with delight" at their magnificence. In comparison, he found the scene at Saratoga in 1790 to be "enveloped in rudeness and seclusion, with no accommodations appropriate to civilized man".

The American Universal Geography, by Jedidiah Morse, 1793

In the new town of Rensselaer, nearly opposite the city of Albany, a medicinal spring has lately been discovered, combining most of the valuable properties of the celebrated waters of Saratoga. Should further experiments confirm the favorable opinion already entertained of this spring, it will prove a fortunate discovery for the city of Albany and for the country adjoining, as well as for the invalids who annually resort to Saratoga, under many inconveniences and at great expense.

The American Gazetteer, by Jedidiah Morse, 1797

Bath, a village in the co. of Rensselaer, New-York, pleasantly situated on the east bank of Hudson river,... A mineral spring has been discovered here, said to possess valuable qualities; and a commodious bathing-house has been erected, at a considerable expense, containing hot, cold, and shower baths.

History of the Towns of Rensselaer County:, A. J. Weise, 1880

Before the close of the last century the wonderful efficacy of the waters of several mineral springs at Bath had made the little hamlet somewhat conspicuous as a place of cure. John Maude, an English traveler, visiting places of note in the United States, in 1800, thus speaks of its notoriety, in his journal... "Crossed the river to Bath, a town lately laid out by the patroon; it at present consists of about thirty houses... The medicinal springs and the baths, at one time so much vaunted, are now shut up and neglected ; yet, as a watering place, it was to have rivaled Ballstown..."

The bath house built on the Hudson was very innovative for the 1790's - it had plumbing, unlike the other mineral springs in the region (in Ballston, you sat in a wooden barrel sunk into the mud). I'm not sure why the bath house was already abandoned by 1800. Three Villages speculates the Patroon's lease terms may have dampened the commercial potential of the enterprise.

Beverwyck Manor - Library of Congress

2011-04-10T10:05:00.000-04:00

I noticed that the National Register of Historic Places is digitizing their records, and their historic register application for Beverwyck Manor, also known as Forbes Manor, is not currently accessible online. However, I discovered a nice collection of architectural drawings and photos of Beverwyck (circa 1934) at the Library of Congress Historic American Building Survey.

St. Anthony-on-Hudson

2011-04-09T09:11:00.001-04:00

Troy Record, Feb. 8, 2011: Franciscan site in Rensselaer has served different purposes

RENSSELAER — A mammoth mansion dominates and cozy cottages dot the grounds of St. Anthony-on-Hudson, a Franciscan complex on Washington Avenue in Rensselaer. Once a training ground for priests, it is now both an administrative center and retirement village. ...

Here's the classic postcard image of the abandoned Manor, just before the Franciscans bought it (you can find these on eBay). The caption always said "a relic of Revolutionary days", despite the fact that the Manor was built in 1839. Perhaps the "Revolution" they meant was the Anti-Rent War...

South End Meeting

2011-04-03T23:53:00.001-04:00

The meeting of the Rensselaer's South End Neighborhood Association will be held on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rensselaer Knights of Columbus located at 200 East Street.

Guest Speakers will be Sarah Stern Crowell, AICP, Director of the Planning & Development Agency for the City of Rensselaer and Peter Sheehan of The Sierra Club.

Don't forget to check out the City of Rensselaer's new official web site at: www.rensselaerny.gov.

North End Meeting

2011-04-03T23:41:00.008-04:00

The North End Neighborhood Association (8th and 9th Wards) is having a meeting Thur., April 14 at 7pm. Please note the new location is the Washington Ave. firehouse.

Guest Speakers will be Heather Leddick from the Rensselaer Senior Center and Sharon Butler from the Rensselaer Building Department.

Don't forget to check out the City of Rensselaer's new official web site at: www.rensselaerny.gov.

Plank Road Directors, 1849

2011-04-03T20:58:00.008-04:00

Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road Co. Founding Directors

Erastus Corning, Owner of Erastus Corning & Co. Hardware and the Albany Nail Works; formerly Mayor of Albany and state senator
David V.N. Radcliffe, Lawyer living in Albany
Samuel S. Fowler, Vice-president of Albany Mechanics' and Farmers Bank
Richard J. Knowlson, Lumber merchant, former owner of Rensselaer glass factory of Sand Lake
Gideon Butts, Lumber pioneer, Sand Lake
Evert Van Alen, Surveyor of Van Rensselaer manor, of the Van Alen farming family of Defreestville, lived in Greenbush
John Defreest, Farmer, of Defreestville
James Dearstyne, possibly Dearstyne & Godfrey groceries, on Broadway in Greenbush
Dewitt De Forest, Farmer, DeFreestville
George Cipperly, Farmer, leased the Patroon’s water rights on the Wynants Kill at Glass Lake, owned sawmill and glass factory
Wynant Younghans, Farmer, Sand Lake

List from “AN ACT to allow the president and director of the eastern turnpike to sell a part or all of their road, and to form a plank road from Albany to Sand Lake...”; (Laws of the State of New York, Seventy Second Session, Chap. 322, April 10, 1849) [Biographical info. is from internet searches, rather than any specific documentation.]

A different list of directors was elected at the first shareholder meeting in Sept. 1849: Richard J. Knowlton, Gideon Butts, and Samuel R. Fox of the town of Sandlake, Dewitt C. Deforest and James Dearstyne of the town of Greenbush, John V.L. Pruyn, William Smith, Stephen B. Gregory, and Archibald McClure of the city of Albany.

Here is an interesting article about the industrial enterprises of Sand Lake, etc.:"Geographic Integration of Industry on the Wynants Kill, 1816-1911", by Robert Dalton Harris and Diane DeBlois, in Business and Economic History On-Line.

Image from
Joseph H. Hidley's
painting of Glass Lake

Previously: The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road; Anatomy of a Plank Road; The Tollgates and the Shunpike Road

The Toll Gates and the Shunpike Road

2011-03-27T11:15:00.003-04:00

The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road had four toll gates, described in this article from the Albany Evening Journal, May 25, 1901:

The committee on toll gates from the Rensselaer Board of Supervisors has begun its inquiry into the proceedings to abolish the toll roads.... Arthur Peck, director and secretary, said there were four toll gates, one at Bath, a second three miles out, a third at Sand Lake and a fourth at Crooked Lake. He said that the road had not paid a dividend in the last 11 years, though the net receipts for the last 11 years were $2,262.39....

The first toll gate was just beyond Ninth St. at the Bath village limits, near today's I-90 ramp. (See the entire map here: F.W. Beers & Co., Bath, 1876.)

The second toll gate was opposite Robert C. Parker school. Folks who wanted to avoid that toll took the "Shunpike road" instead (now Mammoth Springs Road, Morner Road and Best Road), rejoining the Plank road at Defreestville. (See F.W. Beers & Co., North Greenbush, 1876)

The third toll gate was at the intersection of Tollgate Rd and Rt. 43 beyond West Sand Lake. The last tollgate was just north of the Crooked Lake House. (See F.W. Beers & Co., Sand Lake 002, 1876)

Previously: The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road; Anatomy of a Plank Road
Next: Plank Road Directors

Historical newspaper pages found at FultonHistory.com.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire - March 25, 1911

2011-03-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

Cornell University: Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire - 100 Years Later

New York Times (2/20/2011): 100 Years Later, the Roll of the Dead in a Factory Fire Is Complete

New York Times (3/26/1911): 141 MEN AND GIRLS DIE IN WAIST FACTORY FIRE

The Rensselaer Eagle didn't mention the fire. It happened just after an issue went to print, and a week later it was old news.

Gaslight Era: Storing Coal Gas

2011-03-18T12:23:00.003-04:00

Great post on AllOverAlbany about Troy's Gasholder Building.

Maple Weekend!

2011-03-18T12:15:00.003-04:00

March 19-20 and 26-27, generally 10am-4pm daily. Learn more and find a participating sugarhouse at the New York State Maple Producer's Association or the Upper Hudson Maple Producer's Association.

We drive all the way to Kent's in Berlin for our fix - read a detailed description of our 2009 visit. (It's a nice drive, mostly following the route of the colonial-era Eastern Turnpike through Rensselaer county.)

I've discovered that it's better to buy several small jugs, rather than one large one, to help keep the freshest flavor. (The air in a half-empty jug seems to diminish the zippy maple taste.)

I'll post a great maple-walnut muffin recipe later this weekend - check back.

Anatomy of a Plank Road

2011-03-18T00:10:00.002-04:00

Upper Washington Ave. in Rensselaer, NY's North End was once the Albany and Sand Lake Plank road. So what was a plank road like?

The Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review quoted a letter from plank road promoter George Geddes in their 1847 article “Plank Roads – New Improvement” (Geddes introduced the concept to the US, out near Syracuse):

The plank are of hemlock, eight feet long and four inches thick, laid crosswise of the road on sills four inches square. The earth is broken up and made fine, the sills are bedded into it, and the surface graded smooth; the plank are then laid on the sills, care being taken that the earth is up to and touches the plank at every point. … The plank having been laid, the next thing is to grade a road some ten or twelve feet wide on one side, and two or three on the other, by taking earth from the ditches on each side, and bringing it, by a ditch scraper, just up to and even with the upper side of the plank, so that if a wheel runs off the track, it passes upon a smooth surface of earth.

William Kingsford, Civil Engineer On Hudson River Railroad, provided these illustrations in his 1851 book: History, Structure, And Statistics Of Plank Roads In The United States And Canada.

Next: Toll Gates and the Shunpike Road; Plank Road Directors

Previously: The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road

The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road

2011-03-13T16:10:00.003-04:00

Upper Washington Avenue in Rensselaer's North End was once a "Plank road". In the mid-1800's, the land was part of North Greenbush, an area "extensively engaged in supplying the markets of Troy and Albany with garden vegetables and milk.” An economy based on transporting perishable farm goods by wagon depended on good roads, but macadam surfaces were very expensive - a cheaper alternative was needed.

Then the “Plank Road Fever” swept across New York state. George Geddes introduced the plank road to the U.S. out near Syracuse, and the concept was widely published. Investors rushed to turn gravel turnpikes into wooden roads, and a speculative bubble led to formation of over 330 plank road corporations in NY, more than any other state.

In 1849, Rensselaer County's Eastern Turnpike became the “Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road”, and a thick wooden surface was laid on the 11 mile stretch between the ferry at Bath-on-the-Hudson and the glass factory village at Sand Lake (Averill Park). If you click to zoom in below, you can see the planks depicted with lines across the roadway in this 1854 L.C.G&M Land Ownership Map (NYS Library).

The plank road craze was short-lived. The planks had to be replaced every 3-5 years (not 8-12 years as promoted), and the toll revenue wasn't enough to fund such frequent repairs. By the 1880’s, our “Plank road” existed in name only, and its planks were gone. The toll gates still were manned in 1901, but were removed soon after, and the new city of Rensselaer was poised for residential expansion along this roadway.

Next: Anatomy of a Plank Road; Toll Gates and Shunpikes

Directors of the Eastern Turnpike Road, 1799

2011-03-04T23:29:00.009-05:00

Shares in the Eastern Turnpike Road cost $25 each, and 400 shares were designated. Many of the directors and investors owned businesses that relied upon transport of farm goods and other merchandise. The road followed the route of Washington Ave. on its way:

...from the village of Bath in the county of Rensselaer in the nearest and most direct route to the house of James Main in Peterborough in said county and from thence to the line of the state of Massachusetts where the road from Williamstown to the city of Albany crosses the said line...

Eastern Turnpike Road, Incorporators:

Abraham Schuyler (Albany merchant)
Thomas Hun (Lawyer, agent for the Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer)
Teunis T. Van Vechten (Albany merchant, militia officer)
Barent Bleecker (Albany merchant, extensive real estate owner)
John C. Cuyler (Albany merchant, in association with John Maley)
David Fonda (Merchant, grocer in Albany)
Barent G. Staats (Albany grocer, merchant, real estate owner)
John Maley (Albany merchant, banker, extensive real estate)
Gerrit W. Van Schaick (Albany, extensive real estate owner)
John E. Van Alen (Congressman, surveyor for the Patroon, Defreestville farmer and Greenbush merchant)
Daniel Gray (Petersburg/Berlin? Member of NY state assembly?)
James Main (Tavern owner? Petersborough/Berlin)

Laws of the State of New York, Twenty Second Session, 1799 (Turnpikes)

The links are my best guess for biographical information. I'd appreciate corrections and additions.

Previously: The Albany Road and Eastern Turnpike

Next: The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road

The Albany Road and the Eastern Turnpike

2011-02-26T18:25:00.011-05:00

Rensselaer, NY’s upper Washington Avenue has been known by many other names, including Forbes Avenue, the Plank Road, the Eastern Turnpike, and the Albany Road. The roadway dates back to colonial Rensselaerswyck, when tenant farmers traveled it to bring their rent payments of grain and poultry to the Patroon, and maintained the road surface themselves, as part of the labor required in their leases.

The pre-revolutionary “Albany Road” ran from the ferry in Bath-on-the-Hudson all the way to Deerfield, Massachusetts. The old route is mapped in detail in the publication Thro’ a Country Not Well Settled: The Albany Road of 1752-1773 (Rensselaer Land Trust). You can read it at the East Greenbush Library.

The roadway’s importance as a commercial and stage coach route grew, and in 1799, the “Eastern Turnpike Road” was incorporated to maintain the road. (Toll roads were considered a fairer means of financing road maintenance than taxes or landowner labor.) The road was to be constructed:

…at least four rods wide, twenty four feet of which shall be bedded with wood, stone, gravel, or any other hard substance compacted together, a sufficient depth to secure a solid foundation to the same, and the said road shall be faced with gravel or other hard substance in such manner as to secure as near as the materials will admit an even surface rising towards the middle by a gradual arch…

From An ACT to establish a Turnpike Corporation... for improving the Road from the Village of Bath to the Massachusetts Line ... Passed 1st April 1799, Laws of the State of New York, 22nd Session (This act also incorporates the Rensselaer and Columbia Turnpike.)

The toll for a horse and rider was 5 cents, and a four-wheel carriage with two horses paid 12 ½ cents (3 cents for every additional horse). Travelers in 1825 could leave Bath-on-the-Hudson to start a 35 hour stagecoach journey to Boston along the Eastern Turnpike, at a cost of $8.75 by “Mail Line” (close to $200 today). The 1841 map below shows the general route (click to zoom in).

Next: Famous names amongst the Directors of the Eastern Turnpike Road

Next: The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road

City of Rensselaer - Official Site

2011-02-18T17:49:00.002-05:00

Great news! The City of Rensselaer has launched an official web site at http://www.rensselaerny.gov, already populated with some announcements and events. Thanks to everyone involved in finally making this happen!

This is a work in progress, but it's a good start. The top row of menus seems most complete, and contact information about the various City Departments seems pretty robust. (Highlights include a History of the city and the ever-popular: Recycling and Curbside Pickup Guidelines)

I hope that they will eventually include agendas and minutes of council meetings, planning boards, etc., as I know they have them in electronic format now.

How to Weave Victorian Love Tokens

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

My Great-Great-Great Grandmother left dozens of these love tokens made from cut and woven paper. She used every scrap for practice - wrapping paper, receipts, notebook paper, and even the label of a baking power canister. I couldn't find anything about this Victorian-era craft online, but I figured out how to do it, and created my own instructions. You can download the instructions for free here.

Proposal at the Train Station

2011-02-14T06:44:00.001-05:00

Albany Times Union: A love that's on the right track
The Rensselaer train station is where love blooms for area couple

Van Rensselaer Park - Circa 1905 [Religious and Educational]

2011-02-13T16:11:00.003-05:00

I had to add a third part to the post when I started researching the educational lectures that Reverand Rollins planned for Van Rensselaer Park in 1905.

Religious and Educational.- Our friends will be glad to learn that we have secured a large pavilion "Tent Endeavor," which is capable of sheltering eleven hundred people and will be used for Evangelistic Services, Young People's Meetings, Temperance Conventions, Lectures, W. C. T. U. Conventions, Fourth of July, Labor Day and other celebrations, Concerts, Musicales, etc. We are in correspondence with Booker T. Washington, Sam. P. Jones, Fanny Crosby and many other "national lights" whom we hope to hear in "Tent Endeavor" this season.
...
Ample accommodations for all who seek rest, recreation, wholesome pleasure, mental stimulus and religious instruction. We will rob no man of his liberty. Let no man rob us of ours.

The full-page description of the park ended with that statement about liberty. It sounded like a quote, but I couldn't find it exactly. It must have already been familiar to Rev. Rollins' audience. Does anyone know where this sentiment comes from?

"Tent Endeavor" was the name often given to the venue for tent meetings held by the Christian Endeavor Society, a popular multi-denominational society for young people. In 1905, three churches in the city of Rensselaer listed Christian Endeavor Societies in the City Directory (First Congregational, First Presbyterian, and First Reformed Churches). There were over a dozen such Societies in Albany.

During July and August of 1905, the Albany Evening Journal announced several outings planned for Van Rensselaer Park:

The Farmers and Mechanics' Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Rensselaer (athletic events including fire hose races by the East-Side fire companies)
Basket picnic by the Ladies' Committee of the West Albany Railroad Y. M. C. A.
Picnic and field day by the Riverside Lodge, Knights of Pythias of Rensselaer (featuring an amateur baseball contest between the Clintons and the Senators)
Joint picnic of the Sunday Schools of the Hope Baptist church (Rev. Rollins) and the Sixth Presbyterian church of Albany (baseball between teams representing the two schools, and the Boys' Brigade will drill)
Excursion by the Sunday schools of the North End churches of Rensselaer (the steamer Frear(?) will convey the excursion down the river, after which it will land them at Van Rensselaer Park)

There was never any mention in the AEJ articles of the Merry-Go-Round, Tent Endeavor, or the "national lights" of the lecture circuit.

This is Part 3 of a three-part post. Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Van Rensselaer Park - Circa 1905 [Transportation and Amusement]

2011-02-05T12:14:00.005-05:00

The 1905 advertising pamphlet for Van Rensselaer Park has interesting glimpses into life in Rensselaer at the turn of the last century. With rail, trolley, and water transportation easily available, folks were fond of taking excursions and outings with their church, school or fraternal organization. This brochure described every means of transportation to the old Forbes Manor grounds.

Van Rensselaer Park

Transportation.- The Troy boats will land passengers from both Troy and Albany at the new dock (to be erected directly opposite the Park) regularly and at a moderate rate. The Albany and Rensselaer boats, two in number, will make regular trips to and from the Park. We will furnish, when occasion requires: A modern and thoroughly furnished barge, recently equipped with all lifesaving appliances required by law, and under the management of one of the most competent captains on the river. Tugs both speedy and reliable. Connections with the Catskill, Hudson, Coxsackie, New Baltimore, Coeymans and Castleton boats.

Barge and boat connections for the convenience of railroad excursions entering Albany via the New York Central, West Shore, Boston and Albany, Delaware and Hudson, Boston and Maine trains, and Hudson and Schenectady electric cars. Fare from depot to Park five cents. The United Traction Company can land passengers in Rensselaer to the north end of the Third street, which is but a short distance from the upper gate of the Park.
...
Place.- Rensselaer-on-the-Hudson, Park closed on Sunday. Boats do not land at our dock on Sunday, No intoxicating drinks allowed on the grounds, Ample police protection. Plenty of pure, cold water. Sports of every kind. Two baseball diamonds - one for men, one for boys. A tennis court. Croquet ground. Swings. Livery, Ponies, Goats for the children. A straw wagon, which will be one of the principal features of the season. Sand heap and pails for the children. Toy water wheels on Black brook, for the children. Telephone to your place of business. Boats every fifteen minutes. Railroad service from Forbes avenues. Mountain climbing, Camping. Track sports. Football. Merry-Go-Round. A Model Bakery, Lunches, Soda Fountain, Fruits, Confectionery, Milk, Tea, etc.
...

This is Part 2 of a three-part post. Read Part 1 and Part 3.

Snow Emergency

2011-02-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

There will no trash removal in the City of Rensselaer, New York on Thursday, February 3, 2011. All trash scheduled for that day will be picked up on Friday, February 4, 2011.

The City of Rensselaer has declared that a “SNOW EMERGENCY” will be in effect beginning Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 8:00 AM. No Parking will start on the EVEN side of the streets for a 24 hour period. After 24 hours, there will be NO PARKING on the ODD side of the street. Vehicles in violation of this Local Law will be subject to ticketing and/or towing. The “SNOW EMERGENCY” will be continued until such time that the City of Rensselaer calls off the snow emergency.

QuiltBoxes - Hearts for Valentines!

2011-01-30T12:56:00.006-05:00

Hand-crafted wooden boxes, made by a local artist, and filled with chocolate hearts from Lake Champlain Chocolates. You can buy one at Artique Co-op in Clifton Park, or online at QuiltBoxes' Bonanza shop. Like Quiltboxes on Facebook to learn about future give-aways.

Van Rensselaer Park - Circa 1905 [Part 1]

2011-01-30T10:55:00.023-05:00

Forbes Manor, also known as Beverwyck, is one of Rensselaer's historic register sites, and has been under private ownership for decades. But in 1905, the manor enjoyed a brief career hosting excursions and picnics.

Reverend Robert H. Rollins, Pastor of Hope Baptist Church (on Clinton Ave. in Albany), leased the manor and lived there with his family. As Superintendent of Van Rensselaer Park, Rollins produced a beautiful advertising pamphlet to promote the opening season.

[Download the PDF here.]

From the manuscript collection,

NYS Library, 974.741 (Forbes)

Van Rensselaer Park
(FORBES MANOR)
RENSSELAER, NEW YORK

CONVENTIONS, CELEBRATIONS
RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND EXCURSIONS

Forbes Manor, "famed in history, verse and legend, peerless among the country seats of the Empire State," is located just north of the beautiful, busy little city of Rensselaer, nearly opposite Albany, and not more than four miles south of Troy.

Historic Ground.- This estate of five hundred acres, with more than a mile of river front, was once part of the famous Van Rensselaerwyck Manor... granted to Killian Van Rensselaer in 1630. It descended in succession to Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, the fifth patroon, who at the time of his death, divided the estate between his two sons, Stephen and William P. Van Rensselaer, the latter thus becoming heir to the property on the east side of the Hudson.

The Mansion.- Here upon a commanding eminence, overlooking the city of Albany, from which dim outlines of the Helderberg and Catskill mountains are visible, in 1841-1843 the beautiful mansion which still stands, familiarly known as "Forbes Manor House," was erected. In building this magnificent structure, grading and beautifying the lawns, terracing the deeply wooded slopes and ravines, which are still the pride of Rensselaer, Mr. Van Rensselaer dissipated his fortune to such an extent that he was compelled to sell the property in 1850.

The Forbes Family.- The estate was purchased by Mr. Paul Forbes, a gentleman of refined tastes and great wealth, engaged in the China trade, who with his family enjoyed the beauties and luxuries of this quiet, secluded natural park a part of each year until the time of his death. ...

Our Plan.- The present lessee recognizing the natural advantages of this rustic park, which is heavily wooded with large, white pine trees, which add sweetness and strength to the atmosphere, and traversed by walks and paths varied by stretches of well-kept lawn, which extend to the river, will, in the early spring, open for the benefit of Sunday Schools, Churches, Young People's Societies, Temperance Societies, ... Lodges, Singing Societies, Athletic Associations, Schools, Colleges, etc., one of the most convenient and accessible parks in this part of the State. In point of healthfulness and convenience the location of Van Rensselaer Park could not be improved.

This was advertising copy meant to sell the beauty of the site to a religious audience, so the history of the manor was strategically edited. For instance, the anti-rent wars and resulting legal reforms were entirely omitted as the main the reason for Van Rensselaer's sale of the estate. (See NYS Library: The Anti-Rent Wars and The End of Dutch Culture in New Netherland.)

This will be Part 1 of a two-part post. [Or rather, a three-part post! Read Part 2: Transportation and Amusement and Part 3: Religious and Educational].

January 22, 1910: Newsboy Wanted

2011-01-23T08:02:00.007-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

SCHOOL BOY WANTED - We have a permanent position for a bright, energetic school boy. The right boy can make from 50c. to $2.00 or more a week, without interfering with his school duties. Hickey & Connolly, 854 Broadway.

Hickey & Connolly was a News Stand, according to the Rensselaer Business section of the 1907 Directory.

These images of young newsboys were taken in downtown Albany, NY on a Sunday morning in February, 1910 by photographer Lewis Hine (from the photo collection of the National Child Labor Committee at the Library of Congress).

January 21, 1911: New Church for Blooming Grove

2011-01-21T17:17:00.001-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

New Church in Place of Burned Structure

Blooming Grove is to have a new Reformed church to replace the old building which was destroyed by fire New Year's eve. The trustees will visit other churches before deciding the type of building needed by the congregation. The insurance on the church was $6,000, about $2,500 more than has been pledged.

The church's web site shows that they have some nice stained glass windows.

There was originally more architectural detail at the roofline (shown circa 1950).

January 14, 1911: A Well-Traveled Policeman

2011-01-15T18:51:00.006-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

POLICEMAN HAS SEEN MUCH OF THE COUNTRY

GEORGE SELLEY HAS GAINED SOME KNOWLEDGE AT FIRST HAND

Has studied conditions in New Orleans, Tacoma, Wash., and Then Went Down to Maine - Is Fond Of Finding Out Things For Himself

Rensselaer has a man who has visited every state in the union and who has seen every point of interest in the entire country which is worth a visit. So it is quite natural that policeman George Selley, the latest addition to the staff, should make a good officer. Roving around the streets in the dead of the night protecting the houses and citizens is a pleasure to the new bluecoat, inasmuch as he never tired of roaming through the great United States.

There are few men in the entire country today who can tell of such wide experiences as can Selley. He is not a man of wealth, but a man interested in the development of his country and his periodical vacations have been spent sometimes in the sunny south, other times in the wooly west and once in the frigid atmosphere of Maine during the winter.
...

HAS REMINISCENCES

When in a reminiscent mood Policeman Selley can tell more about his country's development in the last ten years than any other man in the city. He can also tell of the customs of the people.

He has been in New Orleans when that southern city was in its gayest attire for the Great Mardi Gras Carnival; in Tacoma, Washington and Portland, Oregon when the apples were being picked bigger than your head and journeyed to Portland, Me. from Boston via boat when the huge waves of the turbulent winter sea almost rose over the boat.

Originally a railroad man Selley took especial interest in the customs of the railroad men all through the country. He traveled many miles on freight trains through his brotherhood pass, just to see the country and learn the ways of its people.

The Railroad Trainman, Volume 19, 1902, shows Geo. Selley of 106 B'way was Secretary of Rensselaer's Horseshoe Lodge of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

The Directory for the Year 1905 of the Cities of Albany and Rensselaer shows George, John, and William Selley, living at 248 Broadway, all held the position of "expressman" - packing, managing, and ensuring delivery of railroad cargo.

Learn more about the history of the Rensselaer police force at www.RensselaerPolice.org.

January 7, 1911: Rush of Railroad Freight

2011-01-07T17:15:00.001-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

FIREMEN AND BRAKEMEN ARE WANTED

RAILROADS HAVING RUSH OF BUSINESS AT THIS SEASON OF THE YEAR

Advancements are Made Very Quickly These Days - Firemen Promoted to Enginemen and Brakemen Soon Become Conductors

Not in many years have Rensselaer railroad men experienced such a rush of freight in all directions as taht which now prevails and which has prevailed for the past months. At the railroad offices firemen and brakemen are in demand, the order being sent out that any one applying will be given a job.

At present on the list of the B. & A. offices there are over 60 regular belt crews. This is an unusually large number, when it is considered that six years ago the regular belt crews numbered but 25. Every Rensselaer fireman qualified to run an engine has been sent over to the right side of the cab and many young Rensselaer brakemen in the service of the company for but a few years have been advanced to conductors.

The rush of freight and work for the men is received in Rensselaer with no regret. The past summer and fall were bad seasons and the railroad men will have an opportunity of making respectable week's wages. Speek of wages, one young Rensselaer brakeman employed in the yard service drew $73 for two weeks work, after enjoying a two days' rest.

RUSH IN THE YARDS

In the railroad yards the rush is the same as on the road. Gen'l Yard Master Wood has more engine and train crews at work than have been on the lists for 15 years. His extra list now contains 15 members and all are working. He is making an effort to keep the yards clear so that no B. & A. trains will be forced to lay on the sidings outside of the city awaiting an opening to crawl into this city.

The Rensselaer yards have never been as busy as they are at the present time. The rush has been so great that many times during the past month many of the B. & A. crew were sent direct to West Albany with their trains to relieve congestion.

The rush cannot become too heavy for Rensselaer and its people. The officials are well equipped in the art of handling such an immense amount of business and the city will receive the many strangers with open arms.

CDTA Bus Routes for Rensselaer

2011-01-01T17:56:00.001-05:00

Bus Service to the Rensselaer Rail Station (Amtrak)

ROUTE 232: Hampton Manor
Empire State Plaza; Hudson & Broadway; Columbia Tpke & Aiken Ave / Hampton & Columbia Tpke; Eastern & Hudson Ave.; Route 4 Park & Ride

ROUTE 233: Albany - Schodack
Empire State Plaza; Hudson & Broadway; Columbia Tpke & Sherwood; Columbia Tpke & Rt. 4; Schodack Park & Ride

ROUTE 214: Rensselaer Third Street - Amtrak
Various locations in Albany including Empire State Plaza and the Greyhound Terminal; Amtrak Rail Station; 3rd St. & Washington; Van Rensselaer Heights; Franciscan Heights; Defreestville Park & Ride; Walmart County Plaza

ROUTE 224: Albany - Troy - Rensselaer
Various locations in Albany including Empire State Plaza and the Greyhound Terminal; Route 4 Park & Ride; Winter St. & Route 4; Hudson Valley C.C.; Fulton & 4th; River & Front,Troy;

ROUTE 620: Flex Service - Route 4 - The Flex Service BEE serves all points within the service area. Please inform the operator of your destination.
Hudson Valley C.C.; Route 4 Park & Ride; Walmart Rt. 4; Hannaford Rt. 4;

This is current as of Feb. 2011.

January 15, 1910 - Car Thieves Busy

2010-01-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

Car Thieves Busy

A car loaded with shoes was standing under the Herrick street bridge on the west side of the railroad yards saturday night and was broken into and six cases of shoes were stolen. The robbers probably had the assistance of a horse and wagon in carting the goods away.

[Posted 1/16/11 and back-dated for continuity]

January 8, 1910: Firemen Respond in the Cold

2010-01-08T17:45:00.002-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

Firemen Had a Cold Run.

An alarm from box 23, Broadway and Fourth avenue, Tuesday evening, called the firemen to the home of John Weist on Washington street. In the rear is a shed which is used as a club room. A stove became overheated and set fire to the shed. The Rings used a hydrant stream. Several firemen had their fingers frost bitten.

[Posted 1/8/11 and back-dated for continuity]

January 1, 1910: Snow vs. the Fashionable Hat

2010-01-01T16:09:00.007-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

"Even a blizzard is not so ill a wind that it blows nobody good," said a Rensselaer employee of an Albany millinery shop. "Usually there is nothing doing between Christmas and New Year's in our line, but this year it's different. The first two days of the post Christmas week brought fifty hats to our place to be made over at an average cost of $5 each and we expect more. Every one of them was rendered un-presentable by the Christmas storm."

Check out this 1909 black & white short movie "Those Awful Hats", directed by D. W. Griffith, pokes a little fun at the fashion of the day.

[Posted 1/8/11 and back-dated for continuity]

Christmas In The City

2009-12-11T07:57:00.007-05:00

The Rensselaer Youth Bureau and The Boys & Girls Club partner to present:

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY
SATURDAY, DEC. 12TH, 2009
3:00PM—5:00PM

Boys & Girls Club, 544 Broadway Rensselaer, (518) 465-3403

Residents of Rensselaer are welcome to join in the holiday festivities!!

Free food, activities, crafts, and meet Santa in person!!

Come judge the Chili Cook-off between the Police Dept. and the Fire Dept.

Also, the Boys & Girls Clubs's annual 50-50 Super Raffle is now in full swing. With each $100 donation, participants will receive a chance to split the pot with the Boys & Girls Club. In addition, your raffle ticket is also your ticket to the organization's annual cocktail party from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 15 at Casey's Restaurant. Tickets are available from any board member, by calling 465-3403, or by stopping by the club located at 544 Broadway.

Doane Stuart Christmas Chapel

2009-12-11T07:16:00.001-05:00

The Doane Stuart School will celebrate its annual Christmas Chapel at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the school, 199 Washington Ave. Call 465-5222 for information.

This traditional, candlelight celebration is open to the public. All guests are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy, to be placed under the Christmas tree; toys will be donated to local charitable organizations.

Library Events

2009-12-09T07:59:00.006-05:00

December Events at the brand new Rensselaer Public Library
[676 East Street, Rensselaer, NY - the former Dollar Store building].

Computer Class
"Introduction to Microsoft Word"- Thursday, December 10th at 6:30 PM. Sign up is required, space is limited.

Saturday Family Storytime
"Gingerbread" Sat., Dec. 12 at 1 PM. Listen to stories and decorate cookies. No sign up required, but children must be present at start time to participate.

Friends of the Rensselaer Library is a support club that raises money and advocates for our library. New members welcome! Next meeting, Mon., Dec. 14 at 6:30 PM.

Game Day- Dec. 29th, all day, games and activities for kids ages 10-14. Drop-In Crafts will be available on the 29th, 30th and 31st.

Photos are from the library's grand opening in November (click to enlarge). Come check out this great new facility!

Book signing

2009-12-08T07:53:00.005-05:00

Ernie Mann will be signing "Railroads of Rensselaer" at Friar Tuck in the Rensselaer Train Station, Friday, December 11 from 4pm to 6pm. There should be an adequate supply of books.

Superintendent Reynolds to Retire

2009-12-08T07:41:00.001-05:00

The Record: Rens. school chief to retire

Gordon Reynolds, the superintendent of Rensselaer City School District, will call it quits at the end of next June after a 33-year career in education.

Military Promotion

2009-12-08T07:38:00.000-05:00

NYS Div. of Military & Naval Affairs: Rensselaer Soldier Receives New Rank, New Responsibility

... William Harrison from Rensselaer, NY (postal code 12144) and serving with Det 1 Company C, 1-69th Infantry is promoted to the rank of Private 1st Class.

Eagles Fundraiser

2009-12-03T07:52:00.001-05:00

Times-Union: Eagles to present money to fire victims

A service organization will give funds they raised Saturday to victims of an Oct. 18 fire that destroyed two homes and damaged two others.

Football All-Stars

2009-11-17T07:24:00.001-05:00

Times-Union Sidelines Blog: Class D Football All-Stars

Rensselaer, the 2009 Class D champions, dominated the individual awards...

Library Book Signing Update

2009-11-16T22:07:00.002-05:00

NOTE: The Railroads of Rensselaer FaceBook Site put out a notice saying that Ernie Mann wouldn't be signing books at today's ribbon cutting, as incorrectly stated in the Times-Union article. He will be at the Saturday Grand Opening, but he will only have books available for sale if they come in on time. You are welcome to bring books purchased elsewhere and he will sign them.

Apparently three separate employees at Border's claimed Ernie's book signing on Nov. 7 was "by far the biggest turnout for a local author we have ever seen." Border's sold out of their books in 4 minutes and Ernie's personal stash sold out in about 20 minutes more. Follow the FaceBook link at the top to see photos of the first book signing.

Library Article

2009-11-16T07:28:00.003-05:00

Times-Union: Rensselaer gets a new library

City prepares for Monday ribbon-cutting for a bigger, better location

The city will soon have a new library in the old Family Dollar store with twice the space and more off-street parking.

November 13, 1909: Hair Restorer

2009-11-14T09:00:00.006-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

Silver Threads among the Gold

Women and men get old very young nowdays. It seems as if there is something in the strenuous life we are all living that deprives the hair of its coloring matter and gives the hue of age to the brow of youth.

Use Nature's Hair Restorer and get back your youthful looks. All Ladies and Gentlemen use it. Don't be discouraged because you are real gray it will bring your hair back to its natural shade.

Travelling salesmen, men and women that are employed in stores must use it. Gray haired people are not wanted these days.

Nature's Hair Restorer is not a dye, just a harmless natural restorer. Call or Address.

Mrs. Kathleen Mowers
1551 Broadway Rensselaer N. Y.

This ad ran regularly in the 1909 Rensselaer Eagle. "Silver Threads Among The Gold" was a popular song about loving someone even though they're growing old and gray. Several intolerable recordings by sopranos are available online, but the best version I found was Harry Ellis's 1911 recording.

The "hue of age to the brow of youth" line also sounds like a quote. I doubt this was her reference, but "hue of age" was in John Trumbull's truly catty 1771 poem "Advice to Ladies of a Certain Age". Enjoy that one...

There was more than one "Nature's Hair Restorer" around back then, but it could have been "Henna D'Oreal" (1920 ad from Meyer Druggist). This concoction of henna and herbs was described in the Twenty Sixth Report of the New Hampshire Board of Health (1920) : "Contains copper as an essential ingredient, and therefore falls within the class of objectionable metallic hair dyes, although not so reprehensible as the lead preparations."

If you click on the B. Paul ad, you'll see it says to "Beware of inferior substitutes", which is ironic, as this product was a knock-off of L'Oreal Henne (see Federal Trade Commission v. Balme, 23 F.2d 615, 2nd Cir. 1928).

Federal Trade Commission v. Paul Balme, trading under the name and style of B. Paul. Charge : Using unfair methods of competition in the manufacture and sale of a hair dye, designated as “Henna D’Oreal,” which simulates the trade name and wrapping of a hair dye sold by F. L. Leben (Inc.), long and favorably known as “L’Oreal Henne,” and by falsely advertising his product as a new French coloring providing the only harmless coloring in the world, with the effect of misleading and deceiving the purchasing public... (Annual Report of the Federal Trade Commission - 1921)

Profile: Thomas Nardacci

2009-11-13T07:12:00.001-05:00

The Business Review: 40 Under Forty: Thomas Nardacci

Thomas Nardacci, 34, founded Gramercy Communications four years ago because he saw a need in Tech Valley for a smaller public relations agency that is dedicated to client service.
...
His grandparents owned a butcher shop for 50 years on Broadway in Rensselaer. “They worked 365 days per year, and I learned the value of hard work from them..."

Doane Stuart Chapel Dedication

2009-11-13T07:05:00.001-05:00

The Record: Video: Doane Stuart chapel ecumenical

The Doane Stuart School’s chapel, which was dedicated on Tuesday, has relics from several different religions including Christian, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam.

Library Grand Opening Set

2009-11-10T07:18:00.007-05:00

I was delighted to receive an e-mail with this sneak preview of the new Rensselaer Public Library. (Click to enlarge.)

Library Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting: Mon., Nov. 16th at 3 PM.

Open House: Sat., Nov. 21st, 11am-2pm.
Featuring local author Ernie Mann signing his newly published book "The Railroads of Rensselaer"

Music and Children's Activities, Refreshments Served

New Library: 676 East Street, Rensselaer, NY (the former Dollar Store by Amtrak). This location has parking and is handicapped accessible. Check out this PDF of their new floor plan. Watch the library's Events Page for information.

If you don't have a library card, this would be a great time to get one. Did you know you can search for a book online, save it in a wish list, and order it to be delivered to the library when it's available (and return it to any local library, regardless of where you picked it up)? You'll get an e-mail when the book arrives, and another just before it's due, and you can renew online. If you're in a hurry, you can even see which libraries have the title checked in, so you can drive right over to get it. Pretty slick!

Rams Win Super Bowl

2009-11-09T07:31:00.001-05:00

The Record: Rams roll to Class D title

Times-Union Sidelines: Rensselaer wins the the Class D Super Bowl

Stammel Leads Recount

2009-11-09T07:29:00.002-05:00

The Record: After recount, Stammel winner in District 6

...
Stammel, a Republican, led Democratic challenger John Mooney by a mere four votes based on unofficial results released Tuesday evening. After absentee ballots were counted Friday, he is ahead by a count of 1,189 to 1,163.

November 13, 1909: Famed Poet

2009-11-09T06:33:00.000-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

Will Carleton, America's greatest living poet, author of "Over the Hills to the Poor House", will appear at the First Baptist church on Wednesday evening, Nov. 17. This will be Mr. Carleton's third appearance in Rensselaer. He always packs the house.

Home and public entertainments in 1909 included reading aloud, and "pioneer poet" Will Carleton's works were well known. He rose to fame with "Over the Hill to the Poor House", about an old woman abandoned by her married children, and "Betsey and I are Out", about a divorce. He also wrote "Converse With The Slain" to honor the Civil War dead on Decoration Day 1877.

Like many authors, Carleton toured extensively doing lectures. From Will Carleton: a biographical study by A. Elwood Corning:

Like all public lecturers Carleton's experiences were many and varied; some were humorous, some thrilling. Having returned from a Chautauqua trip to Illinois, in August, 1909, he writes of a series of adventures not down on the programme. "Was held up by a railroad wreck just ahead of me," he says, "then started for destination by automobile; gasoline stopped serving when stranded ten miles away from the city in which I was to lecture. Went into a farm-house to telephone ahead. A woman was making large cookies each about as wide as a saucer. I recollected all at once that I had had no dinner, so begged for some of the cookies and was told amiably, but inexorably, that I could have just one, as she was cooking for threshers. I tried hard to get another for the chauffeur, but failed. I divided with him, however, then went on again at about thirty miles per hour when we soon ran against an obstruction that came within an ace of making the machine turn a complete summersault. Finally proceeded again, reflecting how I might have lost my life and a two hundred and fifty dollar fee. Had just time to don a white vest and black coat and face several thousand people."

Rams Still Winning

2009-11-06T07:12:00.002-05:00

The Record: Rensselaer looks to repeat in Class D

The Rensselaer High School Rams just keep winning and winning — they are 16-0 against Section II Class D competition since 2008...

Times-Union: Rensselaer looking for repeat

Rams one win away from its eighth Section II title

Upcoming Events

2009-11-05T07:34:00.004-05:00

There are lots of events in Rensselaer over the next week. Scroll to the bottom of the blog for the calendar, and click on the events to see more details, click on "More Details" for links:

Sat., Nov. 7:

Open House, Rosewood Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, 11am-1pm
Book Signing, Railroads of Rensselaer, Borders at Crossgates, 2-4pm

Sun., Nov. 8

Breakfast Fundraiser for Fire Victims, Leonardo DaVinci, 320 Broadway, 8am-12pm
Veterans Service Parade, Rensselaer, 10-11am (unconfirmed - please comment if you have details)

Tue. Nov. 10

Doane Stuart Interfaith Chapel Dedication, 199 Washington Ave. (Business Attire), 5-7pm
Shine a Light on Lung Cancer - George Educ. Center, UAlbany E. Campus, 6-8pm
Sewer System Discussion - Bulmar Communications Bldg, HVCC, 7-8pm

Thur. Nov. 12

North End Neighborhood Assoc. Meeting, First Baptist Church, 1101 Washington Ave., 7-8:30 pm

Democrats Win Rensselaer

2009-11-04T07:09:00.003-05:00

The Record: Wrapup of Rensselaer County town races

Mayor: Daniel J. Dwyer
Common Council President: Harry Adalian
City Clerk: Maureen Nardacci
City Treasurer: Susan L. Lupian
Ward 1: Marion Webber
Ward 2: James D. VanVorst
Ward 3: Philip Elacqua
Ward 4: Gretchen Euvrard
Ward 5: Dominick M. Tagliento Jr.
Ward 6: Brian J. Stall
Ward 7: James F. Casey Jr.
Ward 8: Richard J. Mooney
Ward 9: Margaret M. VanDyke

Times-Union Local Politics: Down to the absentees in Rensselaer

The city of Rensselaer’s next representative on the Rensselaer County Legislature will be determined by the absentee ballots.

Take a look at the Alderperson votes by ward. I hope we take advantage of the 2010 Census to redistrict and combine some of these wards, which would lower our cost of government. Do you really think we need more than 5 or 6 wards?

Students Plant Trees

2009-11-03T07:27:00.001-05:00

News 10 - WTEN: Rensselaer streets lined with new trees thanks to students [with video]

A large, white "X" marks the spot in Rensselaer's Riverfront Park where one of two dozen new trees is being planted across the city.

Rudy's Closed to Overhaul Menu

2009-11-01T19:50:00.002-05:00

Times-Union Table Hopping: V&R in Rensselaer temporarily closed for menu tweak

October 30, 1909 - New Reservoir

2009-11-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

RESERVOIR ON HESS'S HILL WILL BE READY TO USE NEXT WEEK

CONNECTION BETWEEN THIRD ST. MAIN AND RESERVOIR WILL BE MADE FRIDAY

Company is to be Congratulated on Having Such a Good Reservoir Built - Details of its Construction

The new reservoir of the Rensselaer Water Co. is so nearly completed that probably not later than a week from today it will be filled with water and the Third street tower will not be in use. The completion of the big reservoir which has a capacity of 6,000,000 gallons, is another one of the big pieces of work whch Messrs. Leahey & Shufelt, well known local contractors, have successfully consummated.

It is proposed to make the connection between the pipe line on Third street and the reservoir on Friday of next week, providing that everything goes all right and no untoward event prevents it. It is a day's work to make this connection and during that time it will be necessary to turn the water off from a portion of Third street. Possibly 15 houses will be shy on water for a few hours, but the pumps will be going direct to the mains for the one day in order to keep up the fire pressure.

THE RESERVOIR.

Work on the reservoir was started in July and a big force of men went to work. The reservoir is oblong, on the top 308 feet by 258 feet. The bank has been raised two feet higher than the original plans called for. The reservoir is lined with concrete excepting for a space of two feet at the water line, where it is paved with big heavy stones. This is done so that the action of the ice will not bother the reservoir.

When the big reservoir is in use and the use of the tank has been abandoned the fire pressure at the lower levels in the city will be 115 pounds. This is regarded by hydraulic engineers as an excellent fire pressure service and there would be no difficulty in throwing a stream for a half dozen of them over any house in any section of the city. On the upper levels the fire pressure will be ample at all times.
...
THE OLD TOWER.

It is not proposed to take down the old tower until next spring at any rate until the reservoir has proven satisfactory. It may be that there will be a leak in the reservoir and the pressure would be thus diminished. However, this is only a possibility and the contractors say that there could be no leak. The old tower will be maintained through the winter months to fall back on in case of necessity.
...

Ballot Measures

2009-10-29T08:26:00.002-04:00

Times-Union: Measures face little opposition

Adirondack power line, inmate work rules both go to voters Nov. 3

Adirondack Council: Constitutional Amendment on November 2009 Ballot [with map]

The New York State Legislature agreed to put on this fall’s ballot a Constitutional Amendment that would allow a land swap along State Route 56 in Colton so the NY Power Authority and National Grid can avoid an environmentally disastrous six-mile detour through the woods in bringing a new power line to Tupper Lake.

Neither the New York State Sheriff's Association nor the Correctional Association of New York (both quoted in the article) has anything on their web site about the inmate work rules.

T-U Endorses Mayor Dwyer

2009-10-29T08:18:00.003-04:00

Times-Union Editorial (blog version): Mayor: Dwyer

Times-Union: Business is issue in mayor's race

Pope's Appointee Educated in Rensselaer

2009-10-27T06:34:00.010-04:00

A famous alumnus of St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary was appointed by the Pope to lead the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary was run by the Franciscans in Rensselaer, NY, and was closed in 1989.

Catholic News Service: Pope names Ghana's Cardinal Turkson head of justice, peace council

During a special synod dedicated to peace and justice in Africa, Pope Benedict XVI named African Cardinal Peter Turkson as head of the Vatican's justice and peace council.
...
Born Oct. 11, 1948, in western Ghana, he studied at St. Theresa's Minor Seminary in Amisano and Pedu before attending St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer, New York, where he earned a bachelor's degree in theology.

Ghana Business News: Ghana’s Cardinal Turkson gets closer to becoming first black pope

Ghana’s first Catholic Cardinal, Peter Appiah Turkson is closer to becoming the first black pope ever of the Catholic Church.

A few reference links:

Public Meeting: Sewer Study

2009-10-27T06:17:00.002-04:00

Times-Union: Sewer system discussion set at HVCC

An update on study plans for repairs to inadequate sewage systems along the Hudson River will be held Nov. 10 at Hudson Valley Community College.

The study is being done by cities of Albany, Troy, Watervliet, Rensselaer, Cohoes and the village Green Island as a condition of their water pollution permits under the federal Clean Water Act. ...

When: Tue., Nov. 10, 7 p.m.
Where: Bulmer Communications Building at HVCC [campus map].

T-U Rensselaer Blog?

2009-10-26T08:02:00.002-04:00

The comments on this post ("Hello!") to the Times-Union's East Greenbush blog include a discussion about starting a Rensselaer blog on the T-U site. Anyone interested in participating should probably e-mail the editor, Michael Huber.

However, I can't agree with the commenter that adding a volunteer blog means the "fourth estate" is alive and well - citizen blogging is not reporting. The residents of the City of Rensselaer need:

1) Government transparency (budgets, agendas, and minutes available online)
2) Consistent political journalism (reporters attending the meetings regularly and telling the ongoing stories)

A blog should not be expected to substitute for either of those things - it should just fill in the gaps. I can only hope that if this happens, it's approached with a constructive point of view by the bloggers (and commenters), and serves to encourage the professional journalists to get beyond the fires and arrests to tell more important stories.

Harbor vs. Seaweed

2009-10-26T07:56:00.002-04:00

The harbor may have to be modified or dropped from the design of the de Laet's Landing project, so as not to disturb the underwater vegetation. The article below is currently hidden behind a pay wall, but a few paragraphs are visible.

The Business Review: Seaweed stymies U.W. Marx plans for Rensselaer harbor project

Underwater vegetation—seaweed, essentially—is forcing big changes to a proposed $250 million to $300 million riverfront marina, residential and office development with views of the downtown Albany skyline.

In the meantime, you can read the State Environmental Quality Review Findings Statement. Go to the Rensselaer Riverfront Redevelopment Google Group and click on "DeLaet's Landing SEQR Findings_FINAL.PDF" (excerpt below).

Findings Statement - Rensselaer Waterfront Redevelopment Project
...
V. Project Impacts
...
4. Impacts to Flora and Fauna: The proposed action proposes reshaping and engineering of Hudson River shoreline adjacent to the project site. Habitat areas for sturgeon, mussels and other aquatic species have been indicated in the Albany waterfront area. Additionally, there are submerged aquatic vegetation beds with potential ecological significance that would be negatively impacted by reconfiguration and engineering the shoreline. DEC Environmental Resource maps indicated that the project is located within the vicinity of one or more rare animals. A site-specific habitat study, however, confirmed that no rare or endangered animal species were present.

Here's the U.W. Marx site for the project. Learn about the State Environmental Quality Review here.

UPDATE:

Times-Union: De Laet's Landing delayed by weed

State wants waterfront project reworked to protect 'water celery'

October 23, 1909 - Rensselaer Home Telephones

2009-10-25T11:49:00.003-04:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

RENSSELAER HOME TELEPHONES WILL BE WORKING ON MONDAY

CABLES ARE BEING TESTED AND FOUND THUS FAR TO WORK SATISFACTORILY

More Than 200 Telephones Have Been Installed Thus Far and More Will Be Connected Up as Fast as Men Can Do The Work

The first 200 Home telephones have been installed in the city and today are being connected so that by Monday of next week they will be in good working order. ... The advent of the new telephone system has been awaited with no little interest by a number of business men of the city who believe that the new company will give good service at a low cost.

Rensselaer has hundreds of railroad men who are usually called on the telephone. They will be enabled to install the new independent 'phone at a small cost per month and are assured of being called when needed.

The cable that was recently strung across the river is the largest submarine construction of its kind in this section of the country. It carries 300 pairs of wires which will be more than sufficient to handle the increased business of the company for a long time to come.
...
One end of the big switch board in the central office in Albany has been reserved for the use of the Rensselaer business. ... When you pick up your receiver in this city and ask for a party in Albany you will get a much quicker response than if you were first obliged to ask for the number from a local operator and she in turn transmits it to Albany to another operator.

The telephones in use are of the well known Dean make which are manufactured at Elyria, O. ... The company proposes to have a Rensselaer directory of its own and to give Rensselaer a place on the telephone map.

There are some clues to the technology in this article, but not enough. Telephone systems in 1909 could either be "magneto" or "common battery", and Dean Electric Co. of Elyria, OH (one of the largest manufacturers) made equipment for both. I can't determine which system Albany had, to know which equipment was installed in Rensselaer.

Magneto systems were rung by turning a crank on the phone, generating a voltage to ring the switchboard operator (and all the other phones on that circuit of the party line). A big battery on each customer's phone provided power for transmitting the voice. (See April 1913, Popular Mechanics, "Practical Telephony - Part I"). You can see a Dean Electric 1908 mageneto wall phone at TelephoneArchive.com.

Common Battery systems were more modern, easier to install and cheaper to maintain. (Albany Home Telephone's central exchange may have pre-dated adoption of the common battery systems.) The customer's set didn't need a bulky magneto generator to ring, or a big battery to talk, since the power was supplied from the central office. This allowed for smaller wall phone cabinets and slim "candlestick" desk sets like these.

In 1905, Dean Electric filed a patent for a Party Line Telephone System (Patent 842,772) with selective signaling, an innovation which would ring only the intended party's phone. This must have made listening in on your neighbors' conversations a bit more challenging...

On the party line, 1917
Billy Murray (Vocalist), Jack Mahoney (lyricist), Percy Wenrich (composer)
Listen | Download MP3 (#3246) | Download Sheet Music PDF

When a girl says "Bill, I love you so," And your wife's voice says "Is that you, Joe?" Then it's fifty fifty, boy, you know,
When you're talking on the party line.

Sister McGeady Honored

2009-10-23T08:22:00.002-04:00

Sister Mary Rose McGeady, board member of the St. Paul's Center in Rensselaer, is being honored by Senior Services of Albany for achievements in Health and Human Services. From the profiles of the 2009 Third Age Winners:

... Sister McGeady has been instrumental in keeping St. Paul’s Center focused on the larger causes of homelessness, potential remedies, and the necessity of social and political activism on behalf of the indigent....

Times-Union: Seniors honored for civic contributions

... The Third Age Achievement Awards honor individuals age 60 and older who contribute in various fields of endeavor.

Breakfast Fundraiser

2009-10-23T08:16:00.004-04:00

Times-Union: Rensselaer raises funds for victims of blaze

The Rensselaer Eagles will hold a pancake breakfast fundraiser for those who lost their homes in a fire on Green Street on Sunday.

When: Sunday, Nov. 8, 8 a.m. to noon
Where: Leonardo da Vinci Lodge, 320 Broadway, Rensselaer

Previous post: Early AM Fire on Green St.

Debate Cancelled

2009-10-21T20:35:00.006-04:00

The candidates debate planned for Thur. Oct. 22nd has been canceled.

Here is the list of candidates. A few have links to web sites or biographies - you should check those out.

UPDATE: Harry Adalian, Democratic candidate for President of the Common Council, has posted his planned opening and closing remarks on his blog.

As you know the debate was canceled as there were issues with our Republican counterparts. I regret not being able to spend an evening with you and will miss the exchange of information for your benefit.

If you are a candidate who has also posted your positions on your web page, blog, Facebook page, etc., please e-mail bathonhudson@gmail.com.

Dragonwyck

2009-10-20T21:59:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen the 1946 movie "Dragonwyck", you can watch it this Friday, Oct. 23 at 10pm on Turner Classic Movies (available on Netflix). Dragonwyck is a dark, suspense-filled gothic romance set in Hudson, NY in the 1840's - the era of the Dutch Patroons and the Anti-Rent War.

The movie stars Gene Tierney and Vincent Price (as the Patroon), and has Harry Morgan and Jessica Tandy in supporting roles (they're so young you might not recognize them). Ignore the fact that the 1946 NY Times called it "the most grandiose and obvious repetition of the Bluebeard story that we have seen" and check it out.

After you've seen the movie, I highly recommend reading Anya Seton's book "Dragonwyck". (I linked to Amazon, but don't read their Editorial Review - it gives the whole plot away and spoils the end - try this spoiler-free Customer Review). The book is available through the Upper Hudson Library System, and is worth reading - you can decide which has the better ending - it was changed for the movie.

Perhaps inspired by the Fatal Hudson River Steamboat Race of 1852, the book also has great descriptions of steamboat races on the Hudson (imagine engines working so hard that ashes and burning sparks rained down on the passengers). There were no hair-raising steamboat races in the movie though - that must have been beyond their special effects budget.

Firefighter Agility Lawsuit

2009-10-20T06:38:00.000-04:00

The Record: Firefighter fights dismissal

A former city firefighter has filed a lawsuit against the city of Rensselaer claiming his job was terminated after he failed an agility test that allegedly some of his colleagues were not required to perform.
...
The lawsuit was filed about two months ago by Paul Felts III, and his attorney Mark Walsh.

Ernie Mann Profile

2009-10-19T07:09:00.002-04:00

The Record: Five Questions: Ernie Mann

Ernie Mann is a Rensselaer resident and longtime railroad memorabilia collector who recently authored “Railroads of Rensselaer,” which was published under Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Rail series. Mann will be signing copies of his book at Borders in Crossgates Mall on Nov. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Earlier post: Ernie Mann's "Railroads of Rensselaer"

Early AM Fire on Green St.

2009-10-19T07:01:00.006-04:00

News Channel 13: Early morning fire burns part of Rensselaer block

RENSSELAER -- Fire broke out early this morning, destroying several homes and displacing four families.

The Record: Five homes hit by fire

... No one was injured in the blaze, which began in an unoccupied home at 17 Green St. and spread to adjacent residences on the street, Foust said....

Times-Union: Fire destroys Rensselaer homes

...The house, which was vacant, burned to the ground. A second house at 19 Green St. sustained heavy damage and must be torn down....

UPDATE:

The Record: Relief fund set up for fire victims

The Rensselaer Eagles have started a fund to help out people left homeless after a suspicious fire destroyed two homes and damaged three others early Sunday.

Donations: Key Bank, 16 Second Ave. or any other branch
Breakfast fund-raiser: Nov. 8, 8am-12pm, Leonardo DaVinci, 320 Broadway, Rensselaer

October 1909 - New York Telephone Ads

2009-10-17T10:59:00.024-04:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

New York Telephone was advertising heavily in the Rensselaer Eagle throughout the Fall of 1909, as the competing Rensselaer Home Telephone service was about to become active. These ads were part of AT&T's strategy to publicize the Bell System's universal service as an institution of American Life [see Bell System History - Year of Decision]. The ads emphasized the benefits of owning a Bell System phone, from ordering coal to finding a fourth for playing bridge. (Click these to enlarge - my favorite is the plumbing emergency...)

The telephone industry in 1909 was an open competition, since the second of Bell's key telephone patents had expired in 1894, allowing independent phone companies to flourish. AT&T's A Brief History: Origins says that over 6,000 independent phone companies had been established by 1904 - but their systems didn't connect, so companies competed on "network effect" - how many people you could reach on their system.

Here's the Hudson River Telephone Co.'s ad from the Directory for the year 1907 of the cities of Albany and Rensselaer.

Rensselaer Eagle ads for Albany businesses would often say "both phones" to indicate they had a Hudson River Telephone number and an Albany Home Telephone number.

I believe that by October 1909, the Hudson River Telephone Company provided Rensselaerites access to the Bell System. [In September 1909, the Central New York Telephone and Telegraph Company had merged into New York Telephone, bringing with it the property and franchises of the Hudson River Telephone Company, which Central had purchased in March 1909 - reference Annual report of the Public Service Commission, Second District, Volume 3].

Oct. 9, 1909:
DURING THE LONG SCHOOL SEASON
A schoolhouse without a telephone would seem strangely isolated in these days of constant communication.
Parents know that the school is always within call and this knowledge gives them a sense of security and comfort. The Bell Telephone carries the same confidence into all the relations of life. Your friends are brought within reach of your voice by the Universal Service of the Bell System.

Oct. 30, 1909:
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH HOME
It is wonderful how much satisfaction can be obtained from a talk over the Bell Telephone.
A letter carries words, but the Bell Service has been brought up to such a point of perfection that the modulations of the voice are clearly heard. The cheery tones show that the talker is well and in good spirits. The call may come from a suburban village or a distant city, but within the limits of the carrying power of the voice the Bell System carries the tone as well.

Nov. 13, 1909:
ALL HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCIES
An hour saved in summoning the plumber by telephone may save the price of several years of service.
It certainly saves a lot of discomfort and worry. The Bell Telephone keeps the household in constant touch with all the resources of civilization and is instantly available in any emergency. It also keeps the household in constant touch with the broader outside world by means of the Long Distance Service of the Bell system.

Friday's Football

2009-10-17T10:57:00.001-04:00

Times-Union: Rams run past Lake George

The Record: Rensselaer clinches No. 1 seed in Class D

Doxie Dress Up

2009-10-15T08:09:00.001-04:00

Just for fun, check out Doxie Dress Up, an Etsy shop featuring Penny, the miniature Dachshund. (Unlike Ralph Lauren, Doxie Dress Up doesn't have to photoshop their model to make her look so long and thin!).

With cold weather arriving prematurely, what could be better than a custom-made Cozy Coat, or better yet, The Dog's Pajamas?

"Rensselaer County’s Hudson River"

2009-10-12T07:51:00.002-04:00

Kathy Sheehan, Rensselaer County Historian, will explore the history of the towns and cities that border the Hudson River from Schodack to Schaghticoke using historic maps, photographs, letters etc. from the Rensselaer County Historical Society archives.

October 18, Sunday, 2 PM, Rensselaer City Hall, 62 Washington Street.

Rensselaer City Candidates 2009

2009-10-09T13:08:00.008-04:00

Mayor:

Daniel J. Dwyer (D), Incumbent
Edward S. Kosinski (R, I, C)

President of Common Council:

Harry Adalian (D): Web; Facebook; Twitter
Gloria Fonda (R, I, C)

City Clerk:

Maureen G. Nardacci (D, I), Incumbent
Ashlee E. Giacalone (R, C)

City Treasurer:

Susan L. Lupian (D) , Incumbent
Claude P. Manna , Jr (R, I, C)

Alderpersons:
Ward 1:

Marion L. Webber (D)
Dawn M. Gillan (R, I, C)

Ward 2:

James D. VanVorst, Jr (D, I)
Albertine M. Felts (R, C), Incumbent

Ward 3:

Philip J. Elacqua (D)
William J. Lithgow (R, I, C), Incumbent

Ward 4:

Gretchen A. Euvrard (D)
David M. Gardner (R, I, C )

Ward 5:

Dominick M. Tagliento, Jr (D), Incumbent
Bernard Maskell, Jr. (R, I, C )

Ward 6:

Brian J. Stall (D, R, I, C ), Incumbent

Ward 7:

James F. Casey, Jr (D)
Frank J. McClellan (R, I, C)

Ward 8:

Richard J. Mooney (D, I), Incumbent
K D MacDonald, Jr. (R, C)

Ward 9:

Margaret M. VanDyke (D)
Dennis R. Walters, Jr. (R, I, C)

Rensselaer County Legislator, District 6 (City of Rensselaer)

John M. Mooney (D, W)
Michael E. Stammel (R, I, C), Incumbent

If you see any mistakes above, or if you are a candidate with a web page, blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile or professional biography that you want linked to your name, please e-mail bathonhudson@gmail.com.

There's a Ward Map in the City Clerk's office, or find your Ward at NYS Polling Place Lookup (they call it "Election District").

Attend the League of Women Voters Candidates' Debate at the Rensselaer High School Auditorium, Thur., Oct. 22nd, 7-9p.m if you have questions or comments for the candidates.

October 9, 1909 - Life on Mars

2009-10-09T08:22:00.001-04:00

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

No Life On Mars?

The nearness of the planet Mars to the earth has again made acute the question of whether or not it is inhabited. The most staggering blow to the theories of life on Mars is the report of the Lick observatory that no water vapor exists in the Martian atmosphere. Professor Percival Lowell, who is the most prominent advocate of the life on Mars theory, had already stated that he found evidences of both water vapor and oxygen. To test the matter definitely the Lick observatory astronomers placed their instruments on the top of Mount Whitney, which is not only one of the highest peaks on the continent, but has the added advantage of an exceedingly dry atmosphere. Thus the amount of water vapor in our own atmosphere was reduced to the lowest possible point. Comparative spectroscopic observations were made of Mars and the moon. The results, according to the Lick scientists, showed practically the same results from both bodies. As the moon is admitted to be without water vapor, this would seem to settle the question.

Even admitting the correctness of their findings, however, the question is not entirely decided. The so called Martian canals, with their waxing and waning lines, supposed to be due to the annual growth and disappearance of vegetation, have yet to be explained. As in the case of the polar controversy, science will not render her verdict until the evidence is all in.

The "polar controversy" referred to whether Frederick Cook or Robert Peary first reached the geographic North Pole. In 1910, Peary said Cook faked it in 1908 - Peary probably got within 5 miles in 1909. ("The North Pole: its discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club".) Ken Burns' "National Parks" mentioned Cook's 1906 false claim of reaching the top of Mt. McKinley (video: "Denali: The First Climbers").

The Victorians believed Mars was inhabited (see A Mars Timeline - an Italian astronomer observed "channels" in the 1870's - mistranslated as "canals", this suggested deliberate construction). Mars was still a hot topic in the early 1900's, when astronomer Percival Lowell addressed the issues of "Mars and its Canals" and "Mars as the Abode of Life". Read more about the Lick Observatory's 1909 Mars observations at "To Climb the Highest Mountain" (History of Astronomy, V.20, NO.2/61/JUN, P. 77, 1989).

In the popular culture, H.G. Wells had serialized "The War of the Worlds" in 1898. "Edison's Conquest of Mars" by Garrett P. Serviss was also from 1898. Fiction in 1909 included "Zarlah the Martian" by R. Norman Grisewood and "Mirrikh: or, A woman from Mars" by Francis Worcester Doughty.

One hundred years later, we're still unraveling the mysteries of Mars and the Moon, observing deposits of ice on Mars (New York Times, 9/28/2009: Red Planet May Be Better Known as the Wet One) and crashing a probe on the moon (Science Daily: Rocket Smash Could Find Moon’s Water Ice, Expert Says).

Bath-On-Hudson (Rensselaer, NY)

Local Artisans on Artfire

Lansing Park

"My River Chronicles" by Jessica DuLong

Altamont Art In The Park - Saturday

The Golden Age of Coal Smoke

Education Center Opens at BASF Site

RoadTrip: MakerFaire NYC 2011

The George E. Hatcher House

Eastland Park

Van Allen Park

DEC OK's Waterfront First Phase

Zephyr Park (George and Elizabeth St.)

Art In The Garden - Sat., July 16, 2011

Mann’s Street Names

Little Farms (Mann Ave.)

Origins of Washington Avenue

The Building Boom

The Manor

Video: Historic Rensselaer Photos

North End Park Neighborhoods

Peter Coddle's Trip to New York

Inside Albany's Gypsy Camp

QuiltBoxes - Recipe Box Giveaway

Gypsy Camps

Crackers and Biscuits

Washington Avenue Paving

The Bath (On The Hudson)

Beverwyck Manor - Library of Congress

St. Anthony-on-Hudson

South End Meeting

North End Meeting

Plank Road Directors, 1849

The Toll Gates and the Shunpike Road

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire - March 25, 1911

Gaslight Era: Storing Coal Gas

Maple Weekend!

Anatomy of a Plank Road

The Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road

Directors of the Eastern Turnpike Road, 1799

The Albany Road and the Eastern Turnpike

City of Rensselaer - Official Site

How to Weave Victorian Love Tokens

Proposal at the Train Station

Van Rensselaer Park - Circa 1905 [Religious and Educational]

Van Rensselaer Park - Circa 1905 [Transportation and Amusement]

Snow Emergency

QuiltBoxes - Hearts for Valentines!

Van Rensselaer Park - Circa 1905 [Part 1]

January 22, 1910: Newsboy Wanted

January 21, 1911: New Church for Blooming Grove

January 14, 1911: A Well-Traveled Policeman

January 7, 1911: Rush of Railroad Freight

CDTA Bus Routes for Rensselaer

January 15, 1910 - Car Thieves Busy

January 8, 1910: Firemen Respond in the Cold

January 1, 1910: Snow vs. the Fashionable Hat

Christmas In The City

Doane Stuart Christmas Chapel

Library Events

Book signing

Superintendent Reynolds to Retire

Military Promotion

Eagles Fundraiser

Recent News Roundup

Football All-Stars

Library Book Signing Update

Library Article

November 13, 1909: Hair Restorer

Profile: Thomas Nardacci

Doane Stuart Chapel Dedication

Library Grand Opening Set

Rams Win Super Bowl

Stammel Leads Recount

November 13, 1909: Famed Poet

Rams Still Winning

Upcoming Events

Democrats Win Rensselaer

Students Plant Trees

Rudy's Closed to Overhaul Menu