Putman Porch Music Back for Third Year

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site has announced that the third annual Putman Porch Music series will start on Thursday, June 1st at 6:00pm.  The series invites local musicians to come spend an evening on the historic Putman Canal Store porch to jam and enliven the vibe of the former Erie Canal stop off.  Putman’s store building is located at Yankee Hill Lock on the grounds of Schoharie Crossing, 553 Queen Anne Road. 

Musicians with an interest in American roots, bluegrass and folk music are encouraged to spend some time on the porch and be a part of a great experience.  Much like a group of canawlers that happen to be stuck waiting at the lock, a few instruments and strong voices is all that is needed to pass the time. 

Putman Porch Music will occur every Thursday in June from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  These are free events open to the public. 

The grounds for the site are open all year from dawn until dusk.

For more information contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (518) 829-7516.   

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host Helen Martin on April 25^th at 6:30pm to present, “The Ultimate Rift: Evolution within the Women’s Suffrage Movement.” Martin will discuss the evolution in the movement and the role of Johnstown, NY native Elizabeth Cady Stanton in securing women the right to vote.

The presentation will focus on suffrage efforts and the ultimate rift between the “old guard” and the younger generation of suffragists who became involved. It will cover how women in New York gained suffrage three years before the entire nation did, and this program will discuss the attention paid to as well as credit given to the younger group at that time; partially because so many of the “old guard” had passed away prior to the passage of suffrage in NY State in 1917.

Helen Martin is the secretary of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Women’s Consortium as well as a board member of the Johnstown Historical Society and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Hometown Association. She is a member of the American Association of University Women and also a chairwoman on the Mohawk Valley Region NYS Path Through History Committee. She has been a Council Woman in the City of Johnstown since 2011.

There will be a brief Friends Group meeting to discuss upcoming programs and plans for 2017 prior to the presentation. This is a free event open to the public. Refreshments will be served. This program takes place in the Enders House on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter.

For information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7518, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 69 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

Capital Repertory Theatre to Perform Erie Canal Play

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site is excited to announce that The Capital Repertory Theatre will present They Built America: the Workers of the Erie Canal in partnership with the Canajoharie Library on Tuesday, March 28th at the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie.  The doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7pm.  Light refreshments will be available after this free program.

They Built America tells the story of a young Irish immigrant named Kelly McPherson, a teenage girl who disguises herself as a boy to work on the Erie Canal. As Kelly searches for her brother, who has gone on ahead of her, she meets historical figures such as DeWitt Clinton and Canvass White (the scientist who invented the first waterproof cement). She also encounters leaders of the New York State Legislature; and a variety of immigrant workers including Sal (a Cockney cook), Tony (an Italian stonecutter) and Gus and Inga Erickson (Swedish immigrants who commandeer one of the canal packet boats).

Sourced from more than 35 historical records, the characters in the play are based on real men, women and children—politicians, farmers, merchants and laborers, who came north to build the Erie Canal, the miraculous waterway that transformed America into a great nation, and made New York the Empire State.

The production features five songs of the period, including “Oh! That Low Bridge,” “Song of the Diggers” and the beloved tune taught in schools state wide, “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal.” All are arranged by folklorist George Ward and performed by the company on guitars, fiddle and percussion instruments.

Researched by historian Rena Kosersky and written by Capital Repertory Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, They Built America: The Workers of the Erie Canal is the third original play in a series highlighting the role of upstate New York in forging the history of America.

Schoharie Crossing is a wonderful location to witness the marvel of the Erie Canal.  Contained within the boundaries of the site are segments of the original 1820’s canal as well as from the Enlarged era and the remains of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct.  The site is adjacent to today’s modern canal on the Mohawk River and Tribes Hill Lock E12.  Partnership for this program with the Canajoharie Library helps bring this performance to another canal town and to the larger Mohawk Valley community.  Collaborative programs will continue between the site and library during the Erie Canal bicentennial celebrations.  Performance at the Arkell Museum, 2 Erie Blvd., Canajoharie, 13317.  For more information, contact Janice at Schoharie Crossing – (518)829-7518 or SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov.

Museum Schedules a “Christmas at the Fort”

The Fort Plain Museum will hold its annual “Christmas at the Fort” holiday open house on Saturday December 3rd from 10 am – 6 pm. Holiday punch and cookies will be available and the museum’s gift shop will be open for Christmas shoppers. Crafters and artisans will be showing unique handmade gift items for sale. Weather permitting Santa’s Smith & Rebell Sleigh will be on exhibit for family photo opportunities.

Local authors will be on hand to autograph their books. Also again this year an exhibit of original Christmas Cards by artist and historian Nelson Greene will be featured. Greene produced Christmas Cards throughout the 1940’s for local industrialist George Duffy as well as for himself. Also on display will be several temporary exhibits such as 300 years of illumination, including several colonial lighting pieces.

The holiday gathering is a chance for friends, neighbors and museum volunteers to celebrate the season and talk about local history. For additional information or to become a regular volunteer at the museum please call 518-774-5669 or visit us on Facebook.

18^th Century Mohawk Valley Fur Merchants Program at Schoharie Crossing

 Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host University of Massachusetts Amherst Graduate Student, Nolan Cool who will present: “’an advantageous Trade’: Fur Merchants on the 18th-Century Mohawk Frontier” on November 22^nd. Cool will discuss the highly volatile fur trade in the Mohawk Valley during the 1700’s and the rising tide of the merchants who acted as intermediaries between frontier fur & European markets.  Covering local noteworthy figures such as Sir William Johnson, the presentation will provide insight into the intriguing era of global trade as it involved the valley inhabitants.

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site’s Tuesday Talk series recognizes New York State History Month this November.  Each week a speaker will present on regional or New York State history.  All presentations are free of charge and will begin at 6:30 PM in the Enders House at Schoharie Crossing, 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter. Refreshments will be provided and donations are always appreciated.

New York State History Month:

November was designated as New York State History Month by the New York State Legislature in 1997 with the addition of Section 57.02 to the state’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.  “The purpose of this month shall be to celebrate the history of New York State and recognize the contributions of the state and local historians.”  New York State History Month represents an opportunity for historians, cultural institutions, and the public to assert the vital importance of preserving and learning about our state’s history.

For information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.