County Historical Society Finances

The Rensselaer County Historical Society is asking for financial assistance from the City of Troy to keep the Society's doors open and allow it to "begin a period of 'rejuvenation' creating a broader base of public support".

Times-Union: History group at risk of closing

Money woes may force Rensselaer County Historical Society to shut

Financial difficulties may force the venerable Rensselaer County Historical Society to close, officials confirmed Sunday.
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The RCHS had operating losses totaling $395,204 from 2005 through 2007, according to the nonprofit's financial reports.

When I started the blog, I visited the RCHS looking for information on the City of Rensselaer, but found almost nothing. Most of the collection (and events) seem to be about Troy. Improving coverage across the County would be a good strategy to help broaden their public support.

Quad Grants

Poughkeepsie Journal: Grants awarded for Quadricentennial projects

Fourteen grants totaling $50,000 have been awarded for projects throughout the Hudson Valley in preparation for the Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricentennial.
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• Children's Museum of Science & Technology, Rensselaer County ($3,000): Horseshoes & Waterwheels: New York's Tech Valley in the 1800's: Program to educate children about the significance of technological advances made in Rensselaer County during the 1800s.
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• Friends of Fort Crailo, Rensselaer County ($4,000): Trade Partners: Hudson River Colonial Dutch and Native Americans: Program to interpret native peoples and early colonial life of those living along the shores of the Hudson through exhibits, reenactors, and interactive elements.

Crew the Half Moon

The tall ship Half Moon is on her way back to Albany. This replica of Henry Hudson's three-masted yacht (the "Halve Maen") serves as a sailing museum of early Dutch culture. According to an update on the New Netherland Museum's web site, the Half Moon will depart Newburgh on Mon., Nov. 10, and arrive in Albany by Wed., Nov. 13. If you have a water view, keep an eye out for her arrival. If you're interested in a sailing adventure, they're looking for crewmembers to help out on this voyage, and new as well as experienced crew are welcome.

You can get a really interesting perspective on the ship by reading this manual for training Halve Maen museum docents from the Hudson River Maritime Museum. There's also a short photo tour of the ship here on the Times Union site. It's an odd interface - the photos have captions telling you what you'll see next if you click them.

And speaking of odd, there will be a life-sized, stuffed Henry Hudson figure appearing somewhere on Lark Street in Albany tomorrow night (Fri. Nov. 7), as well as at various other locations until December. This "Where's Henry Hudson" contest is leading up to the Henry Hudson Quadricentennial Celebration next year. If you want to see photos, Here's Henry posing at Fort Crailo, relaxing at a sidewalk cafe in Albany, and standing on the moon.

Crailo Season

Crailo State Historic Site [10 Riverside Ave.] will close for the season at the end of October. When Crailo opens again next spring, it will have new exhibits for the Hudson 400 Celebration, commemorating the 400th year anniversary of Henry Hudson's 1609 exploration of the river.

Crailo was a fortified home on the Van Rensselaer estate, the founding Patroons of Rensselaerswyck. In addition to the many good links scattered throughout this note, there is an interesting article about Fort Crailo on the I Love NY Hudson Valley tourism site. You can also read a NY State Military Museum history of Crailo and the Colonial Wars.