Empire State History

Episode 10: Fort Ticonderoga

In this episode come along and visit the most famous fortress in North America, Fort Ticonderoga! This upstate NY fort in the Adirondacks nestled between Lake Champlain and Lake George played a crucial role in two conflicts. We will cover the importance of the fort in both the Seven Years War and the American Revolution and later on how the ruins of the fort were restored and turned into a public museum largely thanks to a movement known as Romanticism. So strap on your boots, gas up the car, and lets get out and see some history! https://fortticonderoga.org/ [https://fortticonderoga.org/]

Episode 9: Christmas in New York

This month I have something a little different for you. Instead of one specific site or town of historic significance to visit, we are exploring a theme. The theme is of course Christmas in New York! In this episode you will discover how crucial New York was in the formation of the Christmas holiday icons, imagery, and traditions we know and love today. We will run into our old friend Washington Irving and join him in his meetings with Charles Dickens. We'll do a deep dive into the origins of Santa Claus as we know him today beginning back in antiquity then moving forward in time to the Hudson Valley Dutch. We'll learn how Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Victorian Britain influenced our Christmas and just how spooky some Christmas traditions were. For sites to visit we are all over the place in this episode including Rockefeller Center, https://www.rockefellercenter.com/ [https://www.rockefellercenter.com/] Radio City Music Hall, https://www.msg.com/radio-city-music-hall [https://www.msg.com/radio-city-music-hall] Staatsburg https://millsfriends.org/mansion/ [https://millsfriends.org/mansion/] The Old Dutch Church in Kingston NY, https://olddutchchurch.org/ [https://olddutchchurch.org/] Sunnyside, https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/washington-irvings-sunnyside/ [https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/washington-irvings-sunnyside/] Germania of Poughkeepsie, https://germaniapok.com/ [https://germaniapok.com/] and others. Join me on this incredible journey through centuries and across continents to find out the origin story of New York Christmas!

Episode 8: Albany New York

In this episode of Empire State History, we travel to the capitol of New York Albany. We will meet the original inhabitants of the Albany area the Mohawks and Mohicans. We'll also learn about the Dutch, English and later American colonists, the Revolution, and the 19th century period of economic growth in Albany. Finally, we will visit the Capitol building and the Plaza. The sites we will visit are the Schuyler Mansion https://parks.ny.gov/visit/historic-sites/schuyler-mansion-state-historic-site [https://parks.ny.gov/visit/historic-sites/schuyler-mansion-state-historic-site], The New York State Museum https://nysm.nysed.gov/visit [https://nysm.nysed.gov/visit], The Egg https://theegg.org/ [https://theegg.org/], The New York State Capitol Building https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/capitol [https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/capitol], and the Albany Institute of History and Art https://www.albanyinstitute.org/ [https://www.albanyinstitute.org/]. My food recommendations this episode are Tanpopo Ramen https://tanpopoalbany.com/ [https://tanpopoalbany.com/], and Banh Mi 47 http://banhmi47.com/ [http://banhmi47.com/].

Episode 7: Sleepy Hollow Part 3 Halloween Special!

Halloween season is finally here in Sleepy Hollow Country! In this episode enjoy some of the most haunting and historic folklore stories from Sleepy Hollow Country. Meet the Lady in White of Raven's Rock, the Star Maidens of Spook Rock, Captain Kidd the Pirate, Hulda the good witch of Sleepy Hollow, and of course the Headless Horseman. History and Legend go hand in hand in Sleepy Hollow; while enjoying the ghost stories you will also learn local history. New to this episode is also an events segment where I will cover the cemetery tours, Hulda's Night, and performances by expert storytellers among other events. I will provide links below for the sites and events. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tours, https://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/tours-and-events/ [https://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/tours-and-events/] Hulda's Night, https://huldasnight.com/ [https://huldasnight.com/] The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze https://pumpkinblaze.org/ [https://pumpkinblaze.org/] Historic Hudson Valley Events, https://tickets.hudsonvalley.org/events [https://tickets.hudsonvalley.org/events] Rockefeller State Park Preserve https://parks.ny.gov/parks/59/details.aspx [https://parks.ny.gov/parks/59/details.aspx] Susuru Ramen https://susururamentarrytown.com/ [https://susururamentarrytown.com/]

Episode 6: Sleepy Hollow (Part 2) 19th Century and Gilded Age

In this episode join us back in Sleepy Hollow Country. This is part 2 of our 3 part series on Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Irvington collectively known as Sleepy Hollow Country. Part 2 covers the 19th century focusing on the area's most famous resident, author Washington Irving. Enjoy a mini bio of Irving's life and times. You will also get to hear some samples of his writing. Next we move on to what is known as the Gilded Age, a time of industry, immigration, enormous wealth and enormous wealth gaps! Visit the home of the Rockefellers and Jay Gould and join me at Sunnyside home of Washington Irving. We also visit the Cemetery where Gilded Age personae such as Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, and Samuel Gompers are buried. I will provide links to the websites for the sites below. Sunnyside, https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/washington-irvings-sunnyside/ [https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/washington-irvings-sunnyside/] Kykuit, https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit-the-rockefeller-estate/ [https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit-the-rockefeller-estate/] Lyndhurst, https://lyndhurst.org/ [https://lyndhurst.org/] Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, https://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/ [https://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/]