Schenectady County Historical Society

Kayak through History
2020-08-12 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Wednesday, Aug 12 at 5:30pm @ Mohawk Harbor | $20
Saturday Aug 15 at 10am @ Mohawk Harbor | $20
Wednesday, Aug 25 at 5:30pm @ Mohawk Harbor | $20
Saturday, Sept 5 at 10am @ Mohawk Harbor | $20
Wednesday, Sept 9 at 5:30pm @ Mohawk Harbor | $20
Explore Schenectady from a different vantage point: the
Mohawk River! Starting out from Mohawk Harbor, we’ll
paddle our way upstream to the Glen Sanders Mansion
and back, passing under railroad bridges and around wild
islands. The paddling will be done by you. The learning will
come from an SCHS guide, who will discuss the history of
the river and its surroundings. Kayak from Upstate Kayak
Rentals is included in the price. Please purchase tickets
online at schenectadyhistorical.org/programs

Virtual Annual Meeting
2020-07-21 19:00 - 20:00
Every year, our members come together at the SCHS Annual Meeting to share their love of local history, and to help move SCHS forward. This year, we’re doing things a little differently.
We hope you’ll join us for our virtual Annual Meeting, hosted on Google Meet on Tuesday, July 21 at 7pm. To take part, all you need to do is click this link the day of the meeting: meet.google.com/sxq-qjrr-ycx.
The 2020 slate of nominees who will be voted on at the Annual Meeting include:
New Trustees:
David Trestick: 2020-2023
David is a Senior Accountant in the Office of the New York State Comptroller with ten years experience in tax, accounting, and finance. A lifelong resident of Schenectady County, David is particularly interested in antique maps. An avid hiker, David is an Adirondack 46er, a Catskills 35er, and a trip leader for the Adirondack Mountain Club. Additionally, his photography work has been featured in local galleries.
David J. LeBlanc: 2020-2023
David, a lifelong resident of Schenectady County, traces his career in history back to a summer internship at Mabee Farm. Since then, he has worked as an educator for Mohonasen Central and Albany City School Districts. Currently, David is the 7th/8th grade chair for history at KIPP Tech Valley Charter School, where he also coaches middle school boys basketball.
Returning Trustees:
Marianne Blanchard: 2020-2023
Thomas Dunn: 2020-2023
Robert Sullivan: 2020-2023
Dale Wade-Keszey: 2020-2023
John Woodward: 2020-2023
It is important for us to have at least 10% membership attendance, or proxies from 10% of the membership at the annual meeting in order for us to elect these trustees. If you will not be able to attend virtually, we ask that you email your proxy vote to Mary Treanor at office@schenectadyhistorical.org or by using the button above, prior to July 21, 2020. You can use the following language in your email. If you have a Family or higher membership and there are two adults in the household, both adults may return a proxy using the following language:
I, ______________ (your name), a member of the Schenectady County Historical Society and being entitled to vote, appoint the Secretary of SCHS or _______________ (a person of your choice) as my proxy to attend the meeting as my duly authorized representative and to vote for me at the annual meeting to be held on July 21, 2020.
Regards, _______________ (your name).

CANCELLED: Howlin' at the Moon with Dyer Switch
2020-07-09 19:00 - 21:00
With its frequent summer storms, July’s full moon is the Thunder Moon. Join us as Dyer Switch takes the stage in the Barn for hard-driving, captivating bluegrass performed with mesmeric charm. Sponsored by Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. Admission is $6, tickets available at the door. Refreshments served. The concert will be held in the Dutch Barn, thunder or not!

POSTPONED Drink the Seasons: Summer
2020-06-11 18:00 - 20:00
POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19
It’s summer! We’re throwing open the doors and bringing the bounty of the Brouwer House’s garden inside for a few rounds of seasonal libations. Made with unique local ingredients — some sourced from our own garden — historian John Gearing will mix up a variety of tasty drinks for us to sample. We’ll taste 4-6 alcoholic drinks, each drawing on inspirations of tastes and tales of the past.
Drink the Seasons workshops are offered seasonally, and you can register at a discounted rate of $80 for all four (March 5, June 11, September 24, and December 10), or $25 for one workshop. Register at www.schenectadyhistorical.org/programs.

POSTPONED: Howlin' at the Moon with Washington County Line
2020-06-04 19:00 - 21:00
POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19
June’s full moon is the Strawberry Moon, so named because early settlers gathered ripening berries during the late spring. Washington County Line will be here to howl at the Strawberry Moon, bringing their traditional bluegrass, early country, folk, and contemporary tunes to the Howlin’ stage. Sponsored by Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. Admission is $6, tickets available at the door. Refreshments served. If the weather is warm, this Howlin’ concert will be held in the Dutch Barn. Cold or rainy weather, the concert will be inside the Education Center.

POSTPONED Howlin' at the Moon with the Crabgrass Boys
2020-05-07 19:00 - 21:00
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
Join us for a night of great Americana! The spring weather can be iffy, but there’s nothing questionable about the Crabgrass Boys’ powerful vocals, dynamic instrumentation and repertoire of great songs. Sponsored by Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. Admission is $6, tickets available at the door. Refreshments served. If the weather is warm, this Howlin’ concert will be held in the Dutch Barn. Cold or rainy weather, the concert will be inside the Education Center.

CANCELLED: Wine Tastings at the Brouwer House
2020-05-07 18:00 - 20:00
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Join City Historian and wine aficionado Chris Leonard for an evening of fine wine tastings inside Schenectady’s oldest house. Our inaugural wine tasting event will feature four different wines and light fare, curated by Chris. Each wine tasting is $25 and registration is open at www.schenectadyhistorical.org/programs.
Our wine-tasting group will meet quarterly, with the year’s wine tastings scheduled for:
Thursday, May 7
Thursday, July 1
Thursday, Sept 3
Thursday, Dec 3

POSTPONED: National Archives Resources for Genealogists with Tracy Skrabut
2020-04-25 14:00 - 16:00
POSTPONED.
Learn about the resources available at the National Archives to explore your family’s history. Tracy Skrabut, archives technician at NARA Boston, will introduce you
to the types of records NARA collects, what tools and materials are available online, and what to expect.
$5 or free for SCHS members. No advanced tickets. Tickets available day and place of event.

POSTPONED: MapQuest Family Program
2020-04-17 14:00 - 15:00
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
At the Historical Society, we love maps! You might even say we’d be lost without them. In this program, we’ll explore our incredible collection of historic maps. We’ll learn how they work and what surprising things we can learn from them. Kids will complete a scavenger hunt for prizes and finally, make a map of their own. This activity is free for kids and recommended for ages 5 to 14.

POSTPONED Annual Meeting: Why Votes for Women? A Look at the Capital Region's Woman’s Suffrage Movement
2020-04-17 13:30 - 16:00
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOR LATER IN 2021
Join us for our 2020 Annual Meeting, featuring a talk by Dr. Kori A. Graves, UAlbany Associate Professor of History. Dr. Graves will discuss women’s suffrage in New York.
When women throughout the U.S. won the right to vote in 1920, women in New York had been voting for three years. In 1917, New York State became the first state west of the Mississippi River to grant women the right to vote. Although many people heralded these victories as signs of the nation’s move toward greater equality for some citizens, the battle for women’s suffrage in New York, and across the nation, had been contentious. The question of whether women wanted the rights and responsibilities that came with the vote was central in the woman suffrage struggle. As women on both sides of the debate articulated the reasons they either supported or opposed the question, they revealed other forms of oppression that limited women’s opportunities. In the Capital Region, women on the anti-suffrage side of the debate were often more successful than their pro-suffrage counterparts. Dr. Graves will discuss some of the reasons for this pattern. In many ways, the suffrage debate our region demonstrates how some women related the right to vote with many other rights, and why the anti-suffrage position remained popular even as support for suffrage increased in the U.S.
About Dr. Kori A. Graves
Dr. Kori A. Graves is an Associate Professor of History at the University at Albany, SUNY. A graduate of the Program in Gender and Women’s History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor Graves teaches courses that explore gender and women’s history, the history of marriage and family, and histories of the body, beauty and identity politics in the U.S. Her book, A War Born Family:African American Adoption in the Wake of the Korean War tells the story of the first African Americans who adopted Korean children, and the ways their efforts revealed the contested nature of adoptive family formation across racial and national color lines. Her research and teaching interests explore the significance of political and popular representations of race, nation, and family – with a specific emphasis on the histories of motherhood and transracial adoption. Dr. Graves is also a dedicated teacher who has won awards for teaching excellence.
The SCHS Annual Meeting will be held from 1:30pm-2pm, with the speaker starting at 2pm. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is $5 or FREE for SCHS members. Tickets are available at the door.

CANCELLED: Crazy for Corn Cakes
2020-04-15 10:00 - 12:00
Cancelled due to COVID-19.
In this a-maize-ing program kids will explore one of the most important crops on a colonial farm. Using stone corn grown on our own farm, we’ll shell, crack and grind our own meal. We’ll then fry up some tasty, bright red corn cakes to eat. Pre-registration required. Tickets are $8 for kids over 3 years, sign up at www.schenectadyhistorical.org/programs.

POSTPONED Exhibition Opening: Pressed Metal Sculpture
2020-04-11 14:00 - 16:00
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOR LATER IN 2021

For artist Tony Murray, it all begins with a title. That vision is sculpted to life using precision machined scrap metals and found objects. Whether daydreaming or contemplating the nature of things, Murray’s subjects range from the playful and the serious to the cynical and the philosophical, leaving the viewer to ponder the deeper, religious, political, or social meanings behind the work.

In addition to both regional and national exhibitions, Murray’s work can be found in permanent installations at the Virginia Air and Space Center, LaGrange Art Museum, and Fontbonne University. While his media of choice is pressed metal sculpture and recycled/found objects, Murray also works in scratchboard, photography, “sculptography,” and poetry. Born and raised in Queens, NY, Murray now resides in Glenville, N.Y.

The exhibition will run March-May 2020 at the Mabee Farm Historic Site. A special reception will be held on April 11th at 2pm featuring a presentation by the artist followed by a Q&A. Light refreshments served. $5 or FREE for members.

POSTPONED: Howlin' at the Moon with Running the River
2020-04-09 19:00 - 21:00
This concert has been postponed due to COVID-19. The 2020 Howlin’ at the Moon concert series kicks off with Running the River! The weather may be wet, but we’ll stay warm to Running the River‘s signature blend of classic country, rock, folk, Irish, blues, and fiddle tunes! Sponsored by Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. Admission is $6, tickets available at the door. Refreshments served.

POSTPONED: In Cold Blood: True Crime Reading & Discussion Group
2020-04-08 18:00 - 19:30, 2020-03-25 18:00 - 19:30
This winter, make time for thinking deeply about a single idea from a variety of perspectives. Led by City Historian Chris Leonard, this reading and discussion series invites participants to delve into the history and literature of American crime. We’ll meet five times, to discuss five pioneering works of new journalism and true crime writing. At each session, participants will come together with others in our community to discuss what we’ve read.
Dates (6pm-7:30pm):
-Feb. 26: Defining True Crime (Book: Compulsion, selections from True Crime: An American Anthology)
-Mar. 11: Writing True Crime (Book: The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York)
-Mar. 25: POSTPONED
-Apr. 8: POSTPONED
-Apr. 22: True Crime outside of books (selections from True Crime: An American Anthology, selected clips from podcasts/TV/movies)
-May 6: Crimes that changed us (Book: Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America)
-May 20: Serial killers and True Crime (Book: Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor who Got Away with Murder)
Books are available to borrow from SCHS with a small security deposit. To register, email librarian@schenectadyhistorical.org or call 518-374-0263×3

Virtual Exhibitions
2020-04-06 - 2020-07-05
While SCHS is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we invite you to view our online exhibitions:
Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art at https://indd.adobe.com/view/b06c2b57-3098-47ec-a417-e4b34378bcff
Changing Downtown: The Rise, the Raze, and the Revitalization of Schenectady at https://indd.adobe.com/view/f6b96ae2-9988-469e-8b62-b6f32817a695
The Wizard of Schenectady: Charles Proteus Steinmetz at https://indd.adobe.com/view/e1090a87-2b04-43cf-8e0a-5639f662b737
and a map of the historic Mabee Farm at https://indd.adobe.com/view/b8a497d1-8ca2-4d13-b61c-cdd88d9ed8a1

POSTPONED: Water in the Erie Canal - with Craig Williams
2020-04-04 14:00 - 16:00
POSTPONED UNTIL EARLY 2021
Water! Where do we want it? And where DON’T we want it? Having a predictable level of water in the Erie Canal has always been a challenge. Craig Williams, formerly of the NYS Museum, is our region’s foremost scholar on the Erie Canal. He’ll be here to discuss where the Canal’s water come from, how it flows, how much is enough, and how much is TOO much.
$5 or free for SCHS members. No advanced tickets. Tickets available day and place of event.

Help SCHS build an archive of COVID-19 stories
2020-03-30 - 2020-06-30
Members and Friends:
We are all making history right now, as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s an emergency of historic proportions, and has been compared to the Black Plague, or the 1918 Spanish Flu. Like those past crises, COVID-19 will be a major topic of study for future historians. Years from now, Schenectadians will look back and wonder, “how did the COVID-19 pandemic affect Schenectady County? How did our ancestors respond to the crisis?” “What was life like for people quarantined, for months?”
You can help future researchers understand for themselves what life right now is like. You can help future historians understand the pandemic’s immense impact on our community, and on ourselves, and on our way of life. You can help future historians understand how this international emergency changed your life, and changed our world, forever.
Consider recording your unique perspective for inclusion in the SCHS archives. Diaries, scrapbooks, photo albums, letters, songs, poems, short stories, and other works of art are all important sources for future historians. Be creative: there are infinite ways you can express yourself, and document the impact of COVID-19 on you, your loved ones, and your neighbors. Help us, by:

Contributing to a global collection: https://covid19.omeka.net/
Share your story using our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHgEsVMdH6NBHjFKx_QxVwa5_H4rZSKIQ71e_XkjhfWMeiXg/viewform
Creating a personal diary, scrapbook, or photo album (analog/physically or digitally)
Collecting the letters, emails, and notes that you’ve created or received to stay in touch or communicate with others during this difficult time of isolation

The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact is an on-going, changing situation. It will take time to document how we are all affected. If you have questions about ways you can contribute to the SCHS archive collection, or about documenting your experiences, contact the SCHS librarian, Marietta Carr, at librarian@schenectadyhistorical.org
Wishing you and your loved ones the very best. Be in touch and be safe.

POSTPONED: "Scots-Irish Revolutionaries of Corry’s Brook (Currybush)" with Terry McMaster
2020-03-28 14:00 - 16:30
POSTPONED UNTIL EARLY 2021
Local Scots-Irish settlers were highly rebellious toward British rule, and, almost to a person, fought for the Rebel American side during the American Revolution. Terry McMaster is an independent historian whose research focuses on the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley and on the settlement patterns, family connections and border warfare along colonial New York’s western frontier in the 18th Century.
$5 or free for SCHS members. No advanced tickets. Tickets available day and place of event.

POSTPONED: Mabee Maple Day
2020-03-28 10:00 - 12:00
POSTPONED UNTIL MARCH 2021
As winter cold begins to recede, the ground unfreezes and the sap starts to run. On a New York farm, the first harvest of the year was always maple syrup. In this family-friendly program, you’ll learn the process for yourself. From tapping to boiling to sampling some sweet maple treats, we’ll do it all. Pre-Registration Required. Tickers are $8/person, for adults and kids 3+. Register at www.schenectadyhistorical.org/programs

POSTPONED: Kurt Vonnegut in Schenectady with Alplaus Historian Jessica Polmateer
2020-03-21 14:00 - 16:00
POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY 2021

Alplaus’ village historian will be here to take us through author Kurt Vonnegut’s time working for GE in Schenectady, and the people and places he encountered while living in the region. The program will feature some authentic Vonnegut artifacts, as well!

$5 or free for SCHS members. No advanced tickets. Tickets available day and place of event.

Electric City Archive Podcast
2020-03-20 - 2020-03-22
The Electric City Archive podcast is hosted by County Historian, Bill Buell, and produced by SCHS. Find it on our YouTube Channel.

CANCELLED Bus Trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
2020-03-18
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

With collections spanning more than 5,000 years of culture, from prehistory to the present, the Metropolitan is a journey through the world’s greatest art. Bus departs the Stockade at 7am and Crossgates Mall at 7:30am. Returns to the Capital Region around 8pm.

POSTPONED - Edison, Westinghouse, and Schenectady
2020-03-14 14:00 - 16:00
Speaker: George Wise. $5 or free for SCHS members. No advanced tickets. Tickets available day and place of event. POSTPONED UNTIL EARLY 2021.

Craft Workshop: Painted Tin
2020-03-11 18:00 - 20:00
In conjunction with the Folk and Their Art exhibition, curator Suzy Fout will lead a workshop on painted tin, with each participant decorating their own piece to take home. $30.

In Cold Blood: True Crime Reading & Discussion Group
2020-03-11 18:00 - 19:30
This winter, make time for thinking deeply about a single idea from a variety of perspectives. Led by City Historian Chris Leonard, this reading and discussion series invites participants to delve into the history and literature of American crime. We’ll meet five times, to discuss five pioneering works of new journalism and true crime writing. At each session, participants will come together with others in our community to discuss what we’ve read.
Dates (6pm-7:30pm):
-Feb. 26: Defining True Crime (Book: Compulsion, selections from True Crime: An American Anthology)
-Mar. 11: Writing True Crime (Book: The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York)
-Mar. 25: True Crime outside of books (selections from True Crime: An American Anthology, selected clips from podcasts/TV/movies)
-Apr. 8: Crimes that changed us (Book: Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America)
-Apr. 22: Serial killers and True Crime (Book: Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor who Got Away with Murder)
Books are available to borrow from SCHS with a small security deposit. To register, email librarian@schenectadyhistorical.org or call 518-374-0263×3

The Glass Menagerie presented by NorthEast Theatre Ensemble
2020-03-08 15:00 - 16:30, 2020-03-07 19:30 - 21:00, 2020-03-06 19:30 - 21:00
“The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams
Presented by NorthEast Theatre Ensemble
Directed by Sandra Boynton
February 28-March 1, March 6-8
Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm
The Brouwer House, 14 N. Church St., Schenectady
Tickets: $20 General Admission at northeasttheatreensemble.simpletix.com
Williams’ familial tale of heartache, perseverence, dissatisfaction, yearning, and love comes to life in the historic Stockade District’s Brouwer House. In this memory play, Tom Wingfield looks back on years spent with his mother Amanda and his sister Laura. Amanda, desperately seeking security for her children, especially Laura, finds a fragile hope in the form of Tom’s work friend, Jim, a young man Laura knew in high school.
Featuring:
Michael Sinkora as Tom Wingfield
Janet Hurley Kimlicko^ as Amanda Wingfield
Shae Fitzgerald^ as Laura Wingfield
Jordan Bray as Jim O’Connor
Assistant Director/Production Manager: Suzanna Bornn^
Stage Manager/Production Effects: Ren Kris
Costume Designer: Bonnie Fitzgerald
Properties: Travis Fealy^
^ = NorthEast Theatre Ensemble company member
**As always with NETE performances, seating is limited and advance reservations are highly recommended.
**Please notify NETE in advance if you require accommodations so they can best serve you as an audience member.

Geology, Landscape, and the Iroquois Homeland with Dr. Chuck Ver Straeten, Geologist at NYS Museum
2020-03-07 14:00 - 16:00
The bedrock of New York and its erosion created the landscape the Iroquois peoples made their home. It influenced their territorial boundaries, defenses, settlement patterns, trail systems, agriculture, and key natural resources. Chuck Ver Straeten is Curator of Sedimentary Rocks at the New York State Museum. He investigates the Devonian Period, c. 400 million years ago.
$5 or free for SCHS members. No advanced tickets. Tickets available day and place of event.
