The Battle of Bennington preceded the 1777 Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution.  It was fought in the hamlet of Walloomsac in the Town of Hoosick New York on August 16 1777—about ten miles from Bennington, Vermont.  Phyllis Chapman of Friends of the Bennington Battlefield describes the battle and its impact on the Battle of Saratoga.

Tomorrow on The Historians with Bob Cudmore

The latest story from Bob this weekend in The Gazette and Recorder

Amsterdam woman influenced city culture

   Mercy Annie Allen Trapnell was an educator and organizer in nineteenth and early twentieth century Amsterdam. Born in 1832 at Blue Corners

Bob Cudmore and David Fisk "Talk Baseball" Scroll Down

Historian and retired librarian David Fiske questions the persistent claim that Ballston Spa native and Civil War general Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Saratoga County Stories Authors

Dave Fiske, one of our Saratoga County Stories authors

passed away on October 28, 2023 after a valiant fight with cancer.  We remember Dave 

as a dedicated historian with a special focus on the life of Solomon Northup. He has

written several articles in our weekly series. Two months ago he sent me an article on

"Obstinate Betty Jones" which we will publish posthumously  on  November 22, 2023

A celebration of his life

is being planned.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesunion-albany/name/david-fiske-obituary?id=53504185

Helping Sam Stratton get elected

By Bob Cudmore

   On one of Samuel Stratton’s early trips to Amsterdam as part of his first Congressional campaign, he luckily ran into an 11-year old entrepreneur

   East End native John Naple wrote, “If I was 12 years old I could get my working papers and then have my own paper route, but it was only 1958 so I had one more year to wait.  While I waited, Mike Sheridan from Kline Street hired me to deliver his route.”

   Sheridan had over one hundred Recorders to deliver, from Marotta’s News across from St. Casimir’s Church to Degraff Street near Coessens Park.

   It was a hot summer day and Naple said he still had half the papers to deliver, “Having some pocket change, I stopped at Frosty’s Ice Cream at the top of Elk Street.  A handsome, thin young man, with a sweaty wrinkled white shirt pulled a beat up station wagon into the parking lot.  He jumped out and started talking to the people in line.”

   He told them, “I’m the mayor of Schenectady, running for Congress and looking for your vote.”

   Stratton was 41 at the time.  He had been awarded two bronze stars as an officer in Navy intelligence in World War II.

   Naple said Stratton was handing out small cards with this name and picture on them, “I introduced myself to him, while he was eating his ice cream.  I was taken by the man and making an executive decision, offered to put his cards in my papers when I rolled them up.  I showed him how to roll the paper and tuck the card inside.  He gave it a try and did a fair job.  I could roll a paper in about two seconds.  I rolled about 50 of his cards into the papers in the dirty canvas bag that hung over my shoulder.”

   Naple threw some rolled papers up on first and second story porches.  Some went into milk boxes and others behind screen doors.

   “All those customers received the card of Sam Stratton,” Naple recalled. Stratton won the election in November and served 30 years in Congress, 1959 to 1989.

   Naple said, “Years later Stratton appointed two of my younger brothers to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.  They both had distinguished naval careers.  Did I help my brothers get their appointments by helping Sam get elected?”

COUSINS

   Naple and his cousin Sharon DiMenno Menech of Broadalbin recently visited Eagle Street. 

   “It was kind of sad,” Menech said.  “There were some people there that we grew up with, but a lot of the houses were boarded up.”

   Menech recalled, “In the neighborhood everyone got along, and all the adults sat out in front of our house and the kids played all kinds of games.”

   Menech grew up at 35 Eagle, across the street from where Kirk Douglas was born and raised.  She used to walk past old Amsterdam landmarks on her way to and from school: the bars, Shell’s Pharmacy, Johnny’s Seafood and the Mohawk, Tryon and Rialto theaters. 

   Menech said, “On Friday nights there always was walking downtown and shopping and meeting friends at Brownie’s and all sitting in tbe back booth.”

   Menech’s father worked at Bigelow-Sanford carpet mill and her mother worked third shift at Mohasco carpet mill.  When Bigelow-Sanford moved out in 1955 her father got a job at a Christmas tree factory.  When Mohasco moved out, her mother found work at the Big N store’s deli on Route 30.

   “The closing of the carpet mills put many of work,” Menech said. “But they usually found a job of one kind or another.  Some people went south with Mohasco.”

Go Fund Me/November 4, 2023. Update-$2270.00 in need by December 31, 2023

U.S. Mail Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. 

on-line: The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore 

Bob Cudmore and David Fisk talk Baseball

Friday, October 11, 2019-Episode 287-Historian and retired librarian David Fiske questions the persistent claim that Ballston Spa native and Civil War general Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, November 4, 2023

48 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:29AM 

The Daily Gazette Family of Newspapers is excited to announce the launch of a brand-new website that encompasses our three daily newspapers as well as our newly-acquired arts and lifestyle site.

Each of the four publications still has a separate and distinct home on the website, but they all reside under The Daily Gazette umbrella, and we’ve ensured that they’ve retained their individual identity and scope of coverage.