A story about Sir William Johnson, Indian agent for the British Empire in what we call Upstate New York.  The story is told by historian Mark Silo. In 1755 the French and their native allies were fighting the British and their native allies. Hope to have this conversation on-line in early March.

The end of this Week (a quick listen to 11 stories, all at once or in a row, let's say)

Friday, February 9, 2024-Episode 509-Highlights Edition from 2023 and 2024 with excerpts from podcasts on Civil War volunteers from Saratoga,  the story of Benedict Arnold, an ancient elephant tusk found in Maine and much more.

Selling Amsterdam carpets
By Bob Cudmore

Amsterdam rugs made it at least twice to the White House. The Liberty Rug was one of 20 Axminster carpets woven in Amsterdam by the Shuttleworth mills to mark the initial floodlighting ceremony at the Statue of Liberty in New York in 1916. The rug was then presented to President Woodrow Wilson for his bedroom at the White House.

In 1947 a Chenille rug from Mohawk Carpet showing the Presidential seal was produced for President Harry Truman's Oval Office.

Following the recent column on Mohawk s Wheel of Life carpet, woven for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, retired Amsterdam educator Gavin Murdoch has provided Mohawk Carpet publications from his family's collection.

A 1930 in house publication called the Mohawk Courier contained praise from a New York City theater for a Mohawk rug and described how the Amsterdam firm s sales force was expanding around the country to fight the Great Depression.

A Chenille carpet from Amsterdam had been installed in 1927 at the Roxy Theatre in New York. Manager C.W. Griswold was lavish in his praise, The writer is positively amazed at the life and durability of this rug, subjected to daily traffic for over three years. It is really remarkable when you consider that we have entertained 25 million persons during this period.

On a more somber note, Mohawk s sales director Z.L. Potter wrote that the local mills were suffering from hard times, But I pledge you personally and for all members of the sales organization that we will leave no stone unturned that will bring in business, start all Mohawk looms up again and give you the security of employment you desire.

The opposite page described a going away dinner at Saltsman's Hotel in Ephratah for regional sales managers who were being dispatched to San Francisco, Philadelphia and St. Louis to promote the company's line.

Colonel G.H. Durston was assigned to San Francisco, and J. Ralph Blocher drew the Philadelphia assignment. Invited but not present at the dinner because he was already enroute for his new home in St. Louis was John Smeallie, wrote the Courier.

A picture showed Smeallie, his wife and daughters standing in front of an automobile pulling an impressive trailer. Smeallie reported the car and trailer made the 1100 trip without a mar or trouble.

Smeallie said, I snaked the trailer along at 45 and 50 miles per hour on straight concrete stretches and had absolutely no trouble in traffic, even in Cleveland, Indianapolis or St. Louis. We stopped for some meals and prepared others in transit, Mrs. Smeallie walking about the car and kitchen just as if she were at home. She claimed it rode much more comfortably than any sedan she was ever in and read a book enroute as well as drinking in the scenery.

COMPUTER PREDECESSOR

Amsterdam's former carpet mills produced several kinds of floor coverings Axminster, Chenille and Wilton. Wilton carpet has interested me the most, partly because that was what my father, Clarence Cudmore, wove for Mohawk and partly because of its connection to modern days.

Wilton is a wool carpet that can have as many as five colors per pattern. The name derives from Wilton, England.

Wilton was woven on Jacquard looms, invented by Joseph Jacquard in France in 1801 The pattern was determined by hundreds if not thousands of paper punch cards that controlled what color yarn the consumer saw on top of the carpet.

The Jacquard looms punch card system is frequently described as an industrial prototype of early computer hardware. Since the punch cards could be used multiple times, Jacquard looms even predicted the concept of computer programming.

February on The Historians with Bob Cudmore

Friday, February 9, 2024-Episode 509-Highlights Edition from 2023 and 2024` with excerpts from podcasts on Civil War volunteers from Saratoga,  the story of Benedict Arnold, an ancient elephant tusk found in Maine and much more.

Friday, February 16, 2024-Episode 510-Former Albany Politico bureau chief Terry Golway is author of I Never Did like Politics: How Fiorello La Guardia Became America's Mayor, and Why He Still Matters.  Golway tells the story of LaGuardia’s life through colorful episodes that relate to people today.

Friday, February 23, 2024-Episode 511-Photojournalist Richard Frishman and essayist and professor Dr. B. Brian Foster are authors of Ghosts of Segregation, a photojournalism collection depicting a visual history of segregation through buildings and landscapes where racism has left its mark.