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This Saturday, March 5, 2022-Focus on History in the Daily Gazette and Amsterdam Recorder-Ukrainian connections in Amsterdam
...Marinus Willett became the sheriff of New York City
Coming soon on Historians Podcast
Tomorrow,Friday, March 4, 2022-Episode 412-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan discusses the life of Marinus Willett. Willett is well known to historians because of the work he did during the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley. But Willett was born downstate and returned there after the war to serve in public office.
Friday, March 11, 2022-Episode 413-A highlights show with excerpts from podcasts including Evacuation Day in New York City, 100 years of WGY radio in Schenectady and State historian Devin Lander; March 18-Episode 414-Annette Libeskind Berkovits discusses her novel “The Corset Maker” the story of a courageous Orthodox Jewish teen, Rifka, who lived in Warsaw Poland in the 1920s and 1930s Friday, March 25, 2022-Episode 415-Violinist Ann-Marie Barker Schwarz explores the history of music in the early days of radio in the 1920s at WGY in Schenetady. Barker Schwarz is the founder of Musicians of Ma’alwyck.
2022 Historians Podcast fund drive goal is $6,000.
Historians with new, old stories every day on "the net"
Monday and Wednesday on WMHT 89.1FM Public Radio Albany RISE
Saturday at 12:07PM WCSS Amsterdam 106.9FM and 1490AM
Sunday at 4:30PM WBDY 99.1FM Southern Tier
GoFundMe. https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast-2022 Or send a check to the famous mailbox of Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Keeping Italian Gardens’ memories alive
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History
Amsterdam transplant Fred Wojcicki from California has contributed a memory of the Italian Gardens of Broadalbin.
“My brother Joe, who lost his life in St. Lo, France on August 18, 1944, worked for Arthur Chalmers who owned the gardens in Broadalbin during the Depression years,” Wojcicki wrote. “I had been on the grounds of the gardens a few times with my brother and can still remember Mr. Chalmers going by in his chauffeured limousine.”
According to Russell Dunn, author of “Adventures Around the Great Sacandaga Lake,” Brooklyn socialite Katherine Husted, a summer resident of Broadalbin, created the Italian Gardens.
A postcard view shows the gardens in their prime in 1907 with what Dunn described as “fantastic sculptures, sundials, magnificent flowers and columns.” There was a windmill to bring water to the gardens and a swinging bridge over Kenyetto Creek. The socialite built a dam on the creek to create a body of water called Lake Husted that she navigated in swan boats.
Husted, who died in 1921, apparently wanted the gardens to duplicate formal gardens in Italy. Exotic plants grown in her greenhouses were donated to Cornell University after her death.
Arthur Chalmers, who headed an Amsterdam button factory that was located on East Main Street, purchased the Husted estate in Broadalbin and renovated the gardens.
Dunn found remains of the Italian Gardens on private property off Meadow and Thompson streets in Broadalbin.
MUSOLFF MUSIC
Wojcicki also recalled the Musolff family of Amsterdam and their dedication to good band music.
“I remember them well and listened to their music in parades along Main Street and in local parks,” Wojcicki wrote.
Three members of the Musolff family were key players in the Mohawk Mills Band, a men’s concert and marching band. Members came from all walks of life but the core group was from the carpet mill where the Musolff brothers—Edward, Harry and Frank—were employed.
Edward and Harry Musolff and fellow musician Butch Robertshaw started the band in 1927. Edward Musolff met an untimely death in 1930 when, according to a relative, he died of an infection after a boil on his neck was lanced at the mill infirmary.
Frank Musolff led the band until 1942 when he entered military service. Then, Harry Musolff became band director. Other band conductors included Herman Minch, John Arthur Maney, Harris Dersham, Vincent Cresanti and Louis Vorse.
Wojcicki recalled that the Mohawk Mills Band played in the 1930s for the Amsterdam premiere of the movie “Drums Along the Mohawk.” The band also performed at Radio City Music Hall in the 1930s for a national radio broadcast sponsored by Mohawk Carpets.
When the carpet mill ended support of the band in 1952, American Legion Post 701 picked up sponsorship. Jerry Culick was one director of the band during the Post 701 era.
ALTAR BOYS
Wojcicki attended the former St. Stanislaus School on Cornell Street in Amsterdam from first to eighth grade, graduating in June 1940.
“I served Mass along with pastor Father Anton Gorski,” Wojcicki wrote. “John Mycek was my servant boy mentor. Later on, I served Mass with Father Stanislaus ‘Gus’ Gospodarek. Some of the other servant boys and grade school chums were Bob Halgas, Boloey Bogdan, Chet Smolen, Ed Taberski, Karol Krajewski, Dick Karabin, Vincent Jaracz, Bill Wojcik, John and Bob Kosinski, Alex Boris, George Trailka (whose father was the church organist), Bill Gurtowski (whose father was the church jack of all trades), Ray Majewski, Art Kinowski, Stan Mazur and Al Zawielinski. I have a 1940 St. Stanislaus” graduating class photo hanging here in my small home office.”
Amsterdam and Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, March 3, 2022
Mostly sunny, with a high near 27. West wind 10 to 17 mph.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 4. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Wind chill values as low as -3. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, March 3, 2022
Daily Gazette
EDITORIAL: Don’t sack taxpayers on Bills stadium deal
We all love the Buffalo Bills. That is, unless we root for the Giants or Jets or Patriots or some…
https://dailygazette.com/
Amsterdam Recorder
Fort Plain schools reviewing applications for new superintendent
https://www.recordernews.com/
Leader Herald
Johnstown working to address downtown parking concerns
by Andrew Waite
https://www.leaderherald.com/
View all episodes
By Bob CudmoreThis Saturday, March 5, 2022-Focus on History in the Daily Gazette and Amsterdam Recorder-Ukrainian connections in Amsterdam
...Marinus Willett became the sheriff of New York City
Coming soon on Historians Podcast
Tomorrow,Friday, March 4, 2022-Episode 412-New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan discusses the life of Marinus Willett. Willett is well known to historians because of the work he did during the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley. But Willett was born downstate and returned there after the war to serve in public office.
Friday, March 11, 2022-Episode 413-A highlights show with excerpts from podcasts including Evacuation Day in New York City, 100 years of WGY radio in Schenectady and State historian Devin Lander; March 18-Episode 414-Annette Libeskind Berkovits discusses her novel “The Corset Maker” the story of a courageous Orthodox Jewish teen, Rifka, who lived in Warsaw Poland in the 1920s and 1930s Friday, March 25, 2022-Episode 415-Violinist Ann-Marie Barker Schwarz explores the history of music in the early days of radio in the 1920s at WGY in Schenetady. Barker Schwarz is the founder of Musicians of Ma’alwyck.
2022 Historians Podcast fund drive goal is $6,000.
Historians with new, old stories every day on "the net"
Monday and Wednesday on WMHT 89.1FM Public Radio Albany RISE
Saturday at 12:07PM WCSS Amsterdam 106.9FM and 1490AM
Sunday at 4:30PM WBDY 99.1FM Southern Tier
GoFundMe. https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast-2022 Or send a check to the famous mailbox of Bob Cudmore 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Keeping Italian Gardens’ memories alive
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History
Amsterdam transplant Fred Wojcicki from California has contributed a memory of the Italian Gardens of Broadalbin.
“My brother Joe, who lost his life in St. Lo, France on August 18, 1944, worked for Arthur Chalmers who owned the gardens in Broadalbin during the Depression years,” Wojcicki wrote. “I had been on the grounds of the gardens a few times with my brother and can still remember Mr. Chalmers going by in his chauffeured limousine.”
According to Russell Dunn, author of “Adventures Around the Great Sacandaga Lake,” Brooklyn socialite Katherine Husted, a summer resident of Broadalbin, created the Italian Gardens.
A postcard view shows the gardens in their prime in 1907 with what Dunn described as “fantastic sculptures, sundials, magnificent flowers and columns.” There was a windmill to bring water to the gardens and a swinging bridge over Kenyetto Creek. The socialite built a dam on the creek to create a body of water called Lake Husted that she navigated in swan boats.
Husted, who died in 1921, apparently wanted the gardens to duplicate formal gardens in Italy. Exotic plants grown in her greenhouses were donated to Cornell University after her death.
Arthur Chalmers, who headed an Amsterdam button factory that was located on East Main Street, purchased the Husted estate in Broadalbin and renovated the gardens.
Dunn found remains of the Italian Gardens on private property off Meadow and Thompson streets in Broadalbin.
MUSOLFF MUSIC
Wojcicki also recalled the Musolff family of Amsterdam and their dedication to good band music.
“I remember them well and listened to their music in parades along Main Street and in local parks,” Wojcicki wrote.
Three members of the Musolff family were key players in the Mohawk Mills Band, a men’s concert and marching band. Members came from all walks of life but the core group was from the carpet mill where the Musolff brothers—Edward, Harry and Frank—were employed.
Edward and Harry Musolff and fellow musician Butch Robertshaw started the band in 1927. Edward Musolff met an untimely death in 1930 when, according to a relative, he died of an infection after a boil on his neck was lanced at the mill infirmary.
Frank Musolff led the band until 1942 when he entered military service. Then, Harry Musolff became band director. Other band conductors included Herman Minch, John Arthur Maney, Harris Dersham, Vincent Cresanti and Louis Vorse.
Wojcicki recalled that the Mohawk Mills Band played in the 1930s for the Amsterdam premiere of the movie “Drums Along the Mohawk.” The band also performed at Radio City Music Hall in the 1930s for a national radio broadcast sponsored by Mohawk Carpets.
When the carpet mill ended support of the band in 1952, American Legion Post 701 picked up sponsorship. Jerry Culick was one director of the band during the Post 701 era.
ALTAR BOYS
Wojcicki attended the former St. Stanislaus School on Cornell Street in Amsterdam from first to eighth grade, graduating in June 1940.
“I served Mass along with pastor Father Anton Gorski,” Wojcicki wrote. “John Mycek was my servant boy mentor. Later on, I served Mass with Father Stanislaus ‘Gus’ Gospodarek. Some of the other servant boys and grade school chums were Bob Halgas, Boloey Bogdan, Chet Smolen, Ed Taberski, Karol Krajewski, Dick Karabin, Vincent Jaracz, Bill Wojcik, John and Bob Kosinski, Alex Boris, George Trailka (whose father was the church organist), Bill Gurtowski (whose father was the church jack of all trades), Ray Majewski, Art Kinowski, Stan Mazur and Al Zawielinski. I have a 1940 St. Stanislaus” graduating class photo hanging here in my small home office.”
Amsterdam and Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, March 3, 2022
Mostly sunny, with a high near 27. West wind 10 to 17 mph.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 4. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Wind chill values as low as -3. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, March 3, 2022
Daily Gazette
EDITORIAL: Don’t sack taxpayers on Bills stadium deal
We all love the Buffalo Bills. That is, unless we root for the Giants or Jets or Patriots or some…
https://dailygazette.com/
Amsterdam Recorder
Fort Plain schools reviewing applications for new superintendent
https://www.recordernews.com/
Leader Herald
Johnstown working to address downtown parking concerns
by Andrew Waite
https://www.leaderherald.com/