Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site announces that it will conduct the eighth annual Tuesday Talk series to recognize New York State History Month this October. Each week a speaker will present on regional or New York State related history. All presentations are free and open to the public. They will begin at 6:30 PM in the Enders House adjacent to the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center, 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter. Refreshments will be provided, and donations are always appreciated.
On October 4th, Anne Clothier from the Saratoga Historical Society at Brookside Museum will present, “Medicine, Maladies, and Mortality.” This presentation will include a display of medical instruments as Clothier discusses how illnesses influenced the lives of our ancestors. Her focus will be toward medical technology and at home practices between 1750-1920.
Tuesday, October 11th Cassandra Castle from the Herkimer Historical Society will discuss some of that county’s history. Discover some curious facts about its people and places. Castle will cover how Herkimer County was founded, who it’s named for and some of the mysterious events that have happened in its history. The program is designed to be a wicked good time, showing how Herkimer County is a diamond in the crown of the Mohawk Valley.
October 18th, Brad Utter, a Senior Historian and Curator at the New York State Museum will be discussing the Button Fire Engine Company. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, New York State was a hotbed of fire engine and apparatus manufacturing. One of the main players in that industry was Lysander Button of Waterford. Starting around 1831, Lysander Button worked his way up the ladder from mechanic turned inventor to owner of the firm that would eventually take his name. Utter will present the results of his latest research on Mr. Button, his company, and the engines they made, which were said to set the “Standard of the Age.”
Rounding out the series, on Tuesday, October 25th is Caitlin Sheldon, who is an independent historian that focuses on clothing of by-gone eras. She will present, “Dress in the Gilded Age.” Learn about the fashions that inspired the HBO show, “The Gilded Age,” and watch a dressing demonstration of the many layers and pieces that make up the lady’s fashionable ensemble. Caitlin Sheldon is a public librarian by day and hobby historical costumer in any bit of spare time she has. Sheldon has been sewing historical costumes since 2014 and takes inspiration from movies and shows as well as from the historical documents she finds in her library’s archives.
New York State History Month:
October is designated as New York State History Month by the New York State Legislature 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 program, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, 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 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 78 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.