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Daily Update
... Harrison Sr.’s namesake Harrison Wilson, Jr., born in 1925, shined shoes and delivered newspapers as a seven-year-old. His mother told him he looked like his grandfather and that instilled pride in the young man.
On-Line
Historians Go Fund Me https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast-2022
U.S. Mail
Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.
WGY’s Mike Patrick interviews Bob Cudmore on Bob’s years at the 100 year old radio station.
Football star Russell Wilson’s Amsterdam roots
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History
NFL quarterback Russell Wilson’s roots go back to an African American family in Amsterdam.
Wilson’s great grandfather, Harrison Wilson, Sr., was born in 1888, the son of a formerly enslaved man in Falmouth, Kentucky. Harrison Sr. migrated north to Amsterdam in 1910 where he had relatives.
Harrison Sr. and his wife Marguerite (Ayers), also from Kentucky, raised eight children and stressed education. Marguerite’s grandmother had taught at a one room school in Kentucky. In Amsterdam the Wilson family lived at locations including West Main, Cedar and Pine Streets.
Harrison Sr. was a plasterer, although racial discrimination kept him out of the union. He later was maintenance man for Amsterdam builder and landlord Thomas McGibbon.
Harrison Sr. saved the lives of two young female pin setters working at a bowling alley in a downtown building owned by McGibbon, which caught fire in 1943.
McGibbon died later that year. The Wilsons were then able to make their livelihood by operating a private parking lot in busy downtown Amsterdam on land behind East Main Street that had been owned by McGibbon.
All the Wilson children pursued careers in education, health care, industry, the law and sports.
Harrison Sr.’s namesake Harrison Wilson, Jr., born in 1925, shined shoes and delivered newspapers as a seven-year-old. His mother told him he looked like his grandfather and that instilled pride in the young man.
He was the only African American on Amsterdam High School’s championship basketball team during the 1942-43 season. Coach Ed Cionek called him the team’s “key player.”
Harrison Jr. and his siblings were childhood friends of the late restaurateur Sam Pepe Jr. when both families lived on West Main Street. Pepe recalled going to YMCA summer camp with Harrison, Jr. and his brother Willis.
Harrison Jr. played every sport he could in high school, even speed skating. After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy and was tops in his class at basic training. He was a hospital corpsman.
When World War II ended, Harrison Jr. became a student and basketball star at Kentucky State, and then basketball coach at Jackson State in Mississippi. He taught at Jackson State and earned a doctorate at Indiana University. He served as president of Norfolk State University, a historically black institution in Virginia, from 1975 to 1997.
Harrison Jr. frequently visited his parents in Amsterdam and provided help to young African Americans who wanted to pursue higher education. He spoke at a 1957 vesper service at St. Paul’s AME Zion Church then on Cedar Street. He was guest speaker at an Amsterdam High graduation ceremony in the 1990s.
Marguerite Wilson died in 1960. Soloist Marilyn Lyons sang “He Will Understand and Say Well Done” at Marguerite’s funeral. Harrison Sr. died in 1982 at age 94. Harrison Jr. passed away in 2019, also at 94.
One of Harrison Jr.’s six children, Harrison Wilson III, was a Dartmouth graduate and attorney who almost got into playing professional football with the San Diego Chargers. Harrison III died from complications from diabetes in 2010.
NFL quarterback Russell Wilson is the son of Harrison Wilson III and grandson of Harrison Jr.
Russell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1988 and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He played football with his father and older brother at age four. He had a college career at North Carolina State and the University of Wisconsin. He played professional baseball with the Colorado Rockies organization.
Russell Wilson was named starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. He and the Seahawks defeated Denver in the 2014 Super Bowl. The Seahawks lost to New England in the 2015 Super Bowl.
Jim Kaplan
Historians updates from New York City
Tomorrow
Wednesday, February 16, 2022-From the Archives-Episode 376-Jim Kaplan considers the impact of black separatist leader Marcus Garvey on African independence.
March 4-Episode 412-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan discusses the life of Revolutionary war officer and New York City mayor Marinus Willett.
Thursday, February 17, 2022-From the Archives of the Daily Gazette—Dixie Veal, a prominent Amsterdam porter
In 1882 Veal married Lavina Hunter of Central Bridge. They had one daughter and lived near the Warner Hotel at 15 Walnut Street.
Peter Betz this Friday
February 18, 2022-Episode 410-Historian Peter explains how he was able to help a Perth NY family acquire a gravestone at no cost for a deceased family member, Howard Forgette, who was a US Army veteran. Betz also discusses a program on Fulton County immigrants taking place at the museum in Gloversville. And he has the story of a bear who did groundhog weather forecasting work in Sacandaga Park.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 16, 2022
The Rome Historical Society will present “Erie Canal Exhibit Talk,” a virtual program looking at the ways the Erie Canal provided a way of life for Central New Yorkers in the 19th Century.
https://romehistoricalsociety.org/
This program will be led by Brad Utter, Senior Historian/Curator, Science and Technological History at the New York State Museum in Albany. Utter will review the NYS Museum’s Erie Canal Exhibit Catalog from 2017 with a special focus on Rome, NY. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoc-mgpjsiEtBL3QiAud4QJ_7Onkcn7Y-E
Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Mostly sunny, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as -9. West wind 5 to 13 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 6. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Wind chill values as low as zero. South wind 7 to 13 mph.
Mohawk Valley News, Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Daily Gazette
Instagram Super Bowl halftime post to Schenectady mayor’s account draws criticism
SCHENECTADY — A social media post regarding the Super Bowl halftime show shared to an Instagram account belonging to Schenectady Mayor…
https://dailygazette.com/
Amsterdam Recorder
https://www.recordernews.com/
Leader Herald
Make Us Part of Your Day
https://www.leaderherald.com/
View all episodes
By Bob Cudmore
... Harrison Sr.’s namesake Harrison Wilson, Jr., born in 1925, shined shoes and delivered newspapers as a seven-year-old. His mother told him he looked like his grandfather and that instilled pride in the young man.
On-Line
Historians Go Fund Me https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast-2022
U.S. Mail
Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.
WGY’s Mike Patrick interviews Bob Cudmore on Bob’s years at the 100 year old radio station.
Football star Russell Wilson’s Amsterdam roots
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History
NFL quarterback Russell Wilson’s roots go back to an African American family in Amsterdam.
Wilson’s great grandfather, Harrison Wilson, Sr., was born in 1888, the son of a formerly enslaved man in Falmouth, Kentucky. Harrison Sr. migrated north to Amsterdam in 1910 where he had relatives.
Harrison Sr. and his wife Marguerite (Ayers), also from Kentucky, raised eight children and stressed education. Marguerite’s grandmother had taught at a one room school in Kentucky. In Amsterdam the Wilson family lived at locations including West Main, Cedar and Pine Streets.
Harrison Sr. was a plasterer, although racial discrimination kept him out of the union. He later was maintenance man for Amsterdam builder and landlord Thomas McGibbon.
Harrison Sr. saved the lives of two young female pin setters working at a bowling alley in a downtown building owned by McGibbon, which caught fire in 1943.
McGibbon died later that year. The Wilsons were then able to make their livelihood by operating a private parking lot in busy downtown Amsterdam on land behind East Main Street that had been owned by McGibbon.
All the Wilson children pursued careers in education, health care, industry, the law and sports.
Harrison Sr.’s namesake Harrison Wilson, Jr., born in 1925, shined shoes and delivered newspapers as a seven-year-old. His mother told him he looked like his grandfather and that instilled pride in the young man.
He was the only African American on Amsterdam High School’s championship basketball team during the 1942-43 season. Coach Ed Cionek called him the team’s “key player.”
Harrison Jr. and his siblings were childhood friends of the late restaurateur Sam Pepe Jr. when both families lived on West Main Street. Pepe recalled going to YMCA summer camp with Harrison, Jr. and his brother Willis.
Harrison Jr. played every sport he could in high school, even speed skating. After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy and was tops in his class at basic training. He was a hospital corpsman.
When World War II ended, Harrison Jr. became a student and basketball star at Kentucky State, and then basketball coach at Jackson State in Mississippi. He taught at Jackson State and earned a doctorate at Indiana University. He served as president of Norfolk State University, a historically black institution in Virginia, from 1975 to 1997.
Harrison Jr. frequently visited his parents in Amsterdam and provided help to young African Americans who wanted to pursue higher education. He spoke at a 1957 vesper service at St. Paul’s AME Zion Church then on Cedar Street. He was guest speaker at an Amsterdam High graduation ceremony in the 1990s.
Marguerite Wilson died in 1960. Soloist Marilyn Lyons sang “He Will Understand and Say Well Done” at Marguerite’s funeral. Harrison Sr. died in 1982 at age 94. Harrison Jr. passed away in 2019, also at 94.
One of Harrison Jr.’s six children, Harrison Wilson III, was a Dartmouth graduate and attorney who almost got into playing professional football with the San Diego Chargers. Harrison III died from complications from diabetes in 2010.
NFL quarterback Russell Wilson is the son of Harrison Wilson III and grandson of Harrison Jr.
Russell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1988 and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He played football with his father and older brother at age four. He had a college career at North Carolina State and the University of Wisconsin. He played professional baseball with the Colorado Rockies organization.
Russell Wilson was named starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. He and the Seahawks defeated Denver in the 2014 Super Bowl. The Seahawks lost to New England in the 2015 Super Bowl.
Jim Kaplan
Historians updates from New York City
Tomorrow
Wednesday, February 16, 2022-From the Archives-Episode 376-Jim Kaplan considers the impact of black separatist leader Marcus Garvey on African independence.
March 4-Episode 412-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan discusses the life of Revolutionary war officer and New York City mayor Marinus Willett.
Thursday, February 17, 2022-From the Archives of the Daily Gazette—Dixie Veal, a prominent Amsterdam porter
In 1882 Veal married Lavina Hunter of Central Bridge. They had one daughter and lived near the Warner Hotel at 15 Walnut Street.
Peter Betz this Friday
February 18, 2022-Episode 410-Historian Peter explains how he was able to help a Perth NY family acquire a gravestone at no cost for a deceased family member, Howard Forgette, who was a US Army veteran. Betz also discusses a program on Fulton County immigrants taking place at the museum in Gloversville. And he has the story of a bear who did groundhog weather forecasting work in Sacandaga Park.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 16, 2022
The Rome Historical Society will present “Erie Canal Exhibit Talk,” a virtual program looking at the ways the Erie Canal provided a way of life for Central New Yorkers in the 19th Century.
https://romehistoricalsociety.org/
This program will be led by Brad Utter, Senior Historian/Curator, Science and Technological History at the New York State Museum in Albany. Utter will review the NYS Museum’s Erie Canal Exhibit Catalog from 2017 with a special focus on Rome, NY. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoc-mgpjsiEtBL3QiAud4QJ_7Onkcn7Y-E
Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Mostly sunny, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as -9. West wind 5 to 13 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 6. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Wind chill values as low as zero. South wind 7 to 13 mph.
Mohawk Valley News, Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Daily Gazette
Instagram Super Bowl halftime post to Schenectady mayor’s account draws criticism
SCHENECTADY — A social media post regarding the Super Bowl halftime show shared to an Instagram account belonging to Schenectady Mayor…
https://dailygazette.com/
Amsterdam Recorder
https://www.recordernews.com/
Leader Herald
Make Us Part of Your Day
https://www.leaderherald.com/