Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share ...so here we are Monday
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
...so here we are Monday
It's New and Up on the site, early this Friday
...Brant traveled to England
Friday, September 30, 2022-Episode 442-Veteran Associated Press reporter Chris Carola, now a freelance writer, takes a look at the life of Revolutionary War era Mohawk chief Joseph Brant. A warrior and diplomat, Brant is memorialized with a sculpture on the outside of the New York State capitol building in Albany.
Monday, September 26, 2022
The story behind the story podcast-Chalmers Mill
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
From the Archives of the Daily Gazette-Presidential visits in the Mohawk Valley
Theodore Roosevelt was popular in Amsterdam where the long gone junior high was named in his honor in 1925. The principal of the school in the 1950s, Fritz Heil, used to tell students how he got to shake Theodore Roosevelt’s hand
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
From the Archives- November 15, 2019-Episode 292-Diana Waite on “The Architecture of Downtown Troy: An Illustrated History.” Waite, who lives in Troy, served a decade as executive director of the Preservation League of New York State.
Thursday, September 29, 2022
From the Archives of the Daily Gazette—Bobby Kennedy in Amsterdam
Assassin Sirhan Sirhan and som believe a second gunman shotat Kennedy early on the morning of June 5 as the Presidential candidate was being escorted through the crowded kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after announcing his victory in the California Democratic primary. Kennedy died of his injuries the next day, June 6.
Friday, September 30, 2022
Episode 442
Veteran Associated Press reporter Chris Carola, now a freelance writer, takes a look at the life of Revolutionary War era Mohawk chief Joseph Brant. A warrior and diplomat, Brant is memorialized with a sculpture on the outside of the New York State capitol building in Albany.
Chalmers on Amsterdam’s South Side
By Bob Cudmore
David W. Chalmers and partners were the last industrialists to start a major knitting mill in Amsterdam.
Chalmers, John Blood, John Barnes and Howard Hanson founded Chalmers Knitting Company in 1901 in a factory building on Washington Street north of the Mohawk River.
An Amsterdam knitting expert, Martin J. Shaughnessey, had discovered a way to knit fabric and leave tiny holes to allow air to reach the body of the wearer. Shaughnessy worked for Chalmers and they called the breathable fabric Porosknit.
Chalmers advertised in a spectacular way for a decade with a large lighted sign high above New York’s Times Square, touting Porosknit underwear and other products. Historian Hugh Donlon wrote that Amsterdamians who visited the big city “gawked” at the huge sign.
In 1912 Chalmers and partners moved knitting operations to a four story brick building they constructed on the south side of the Mohawk River in Amsterdam.
Turner Construction of Amsterdam built a seven-story concrete addition to the Chalmers factory in 1916. Many of the employees were Italian-Americans who walked to the mill from their South Side homes.
It was not easy work. “How many times we used to come home from work and cry because it was a bad day,” said Elizabeth Sardonia in an interview with Daily Gazette. “But you went to work the next day just the same, and punched that clock.”
Turner Construction built a mansion on Guy Park Avenue for David Chalmers and his wife Emsie. A friend of Thomas Edison, Chalmers had electric lamps at his home and a third floor ballroom. The mansion is still in private hands and at last report was for sale.
The South Side knitting mill was sold in 1945 to Lester Martin of New York City who continued to manufacture underwear under the Chalmers name. In 1946, Martin’s controller Joel Kaplan began making trips to Amsterdam from his native New York City to inventory the Chalmers operation.
David Chalmers died in 1950 at his Guy Park Avenue home. In 1955, Kaplan moved to Amsterdam to oversee the Chalmers plant, which at one time during Martin’s ownership employed 650 people.
Martin died in 1959 and the Chalmers mill closed that year. Textile operations continued, however, at the former Chalmers building, purchased by Edward Stern in 1962. Stern had a knitting operation on the fourth floor.
Kaplan headed a new company named Montco that occupied the third floor, manufacturing women’s sportswear. Montco had a second factory in Johnstown.
Stern closed his Amsterdam operation in 1978 and Montco closed in 1980 as textile manufacturing moved overseas.
Kaplan said that Montco production supervisor Beatrice Fredericks and 30 other women started their own company in the Chalmers building in 1980. They produced clothing there until about 1985.
Kaplan was active in numerous non-profits in particular the Amsterdam Free Library. He died in 2015.
In the early 2000s, Long Island developer Uri Kaufman proposed creation of a luxury apartment complex using the Chalmers building. Kaufman has created apartment complexes from former mill buildings in Cohoes.
The Chalmers building was placed on the National Historic Register in 2010. But there was opposition to Kaufman’s plan on the Amsterdam Common Council.
The Gazette reported, “That plan fell apart amid the housing market collapse, trouble with the title to the property and a general desire by many to have the eyesore gone and the site available for redevelopment.”
The Chalmers building was torn down over several months, starting in late 2011 and finishing in 2012.
The Chalmers site is now adjacent to the entrance to Amsterdam’s popular pedestrian bridge, the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook.
Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, September 26, 2022
An upper level disturbance situated over the Great Lakes
and Northeast will continue to allow for plenty of clouds today,
with some scattered showers and thunderstorms. This system will
remain situated over the area for Tuesday into Wednesday, so a few
additional showers are possible through mid-week, especially for
areas north and west of the Capital Region. As high pressure
returns, dry weather with plenty of sunshine will return for later
in the week.
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 68. Light southwest wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. South wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tuesday
A chance of showers, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, September 26, 2022
Daily Gazette
Upstate Ice Plex in Fulton County concept unveiled
CITY OF JOHNSTOWN — On Friday, for the first time publicly, town of Johnstown resident Tim Rizzo unveiled his concept…
CITY OF JOHNSTOWN — On Friday, for the first time publicly, town of Johnstown resident Tim Rizzo unveiled his concept…
New miSci exhibit an ambitious look at advances in communication technology
SCHENECTADY – Humanity’s need to communicate has been a quest like no other and the technological advances that have affected…
SCHENECTADY – Humanity’s need to communicate has been a quest like no other and the technological advances that have affected…
RecorderNews
Amsterdam homecoming weekend rallies years of Rams for fun, memories
AMSTERDAM — It felt like most of Amsterdam was out to watch and cheer on those participating...
https://www.recordernews.com/
Leader Herald
Make Us A Part Of Your Day
https://www.leaderherald.com/
View all episodes
By Bob CudmoreIt's New and Up on the site, early this Friday
...Brant traveled to England
Friday, September 30, 2022-Episode 442-Veteran Associated Press reporter Chris Carola, now a freelance writer, takes a look at the life of Revolutionary War era Mohawk chief Joseph Brant. A warrior and diplomat, Brant is memorialized with a sculpture on the outside of the New York State capitol building in Albany.
Monday, September 26, 2022
The story behind the story podcast-Chalmers Mill
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
From the Archives of the Daily Gazette-Presidential visits in the Mohawk Valley
Theodore Roosevelt was popular in Amsterdam where the long gone junior high was named in his honor in 1925. The principal of the school in the 1950s, Fritz Heil, used to tell students how he got to shake Theodore Roosevelt’s hand
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
From the Archives- November 15, 2019-Episode 292-Diana Waite on “The Architecture of Downtown Troy: An Illustrated History.” Waite, who lives in Troy, served a decade as executive director of the Preservation League of New York State.
Thursday, September 29, 2022
From the Archives of the Daily Gazette—Bobby Kennedy in Amsterdam
Assassin Sirhan Sirhan and som believe a second gunman shotat Kennedy early on the morning of June 5 as the Presidential candidate was being escorted through the crowded kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after announcing his victory in the California Democratic primary. Kennedy died of his injuries the next day, June 6.
Friday, September 30, 2022
Episode 442
Veteran Associated Press reporter Chris Carola, now a freelance writer, takes a look at the life of Revolutionary War era Mohawk chief Joseph Brant. A warrior and diplomat, Brant is memorialized with a sculpture on the outside of the New York State capitol building in Albany.
Chalmers on Amsterdam’s South Side
By Bob Cudmore
David W. Chalmers and partners were the last industrialists to start a major knitting mill in Amsterdam.
Chalmers, John Blood, John Barnes and Howard Hanson founded Chalmers Knitting Company in 1901 in a factory building on Washington Street north of the Mohawk River.
An Amsterdam knitting expert, Martin J. Shaughnessey, had discovered a way to knit fabric and leave tiny holes to allow air to reach the body of the wearer. Shaughnessy worked for Chalmers and they called the breathable fabric Porosknit.
Chalmers advertised in a spectacular way for a decade with a large lighted sign high above New York’s Times Square, touting Porosknit underwear and other products. Historian Hugh Donlon wrote that Amsterdamians who visited the big city “gawked” at the huge sign.
In 1912 Chalmers and partners moved knitting operations to a four story brick building they constructed on the south side of the Mohawk River in Amsterdam.
Turner Construction of Amsterdam built a seven-story concrete addition to the Chalmers factory in 1916. Many of the employees were Italian-Americans who walked to the mill from their South Side homes.
It was not easy work. “How many times we used to come home from work and cry because it was a bad day,” said Elizabeth Sardonia in an interview with Daily Gazette. “But you went to work the next day just the same, and punched that clock.”
Turner Construction built a mansion on Guy Park Avenue for David Chalmers and his wife Emsie. A friend of Thomas Edison, Chalmers had electric lamps at his home and a third floor ballroom. The mansion is still in private hands and at last report was for sale.
The South Side knitting mill was sold in 1945 to Lester Martin of New York City who continued to manufacture underwear under the Chalmers name. In 1946, Martin’s controller Joel Kaplan began making trips to Amsterdam from his native New York City to inventory the Chalmers operation.
David Chalmers died in 1950 at his Guy Park Avenue home. In 1955, Kaplan moved to Amsterdam to oversee the Chalmers plant, which at one time during Martin’s ownership employed 650 people.
Martin died in 1959 and the Chalmers mill closed that year. Textile operations continued, however, at the former Chalmers building, purchased by Edward Stern in 1962. Stern had a knitting operation on the fourth floor.
Kaplan headed a new company named Montco that occupied the third floor, manufacturing women’s sportswear. Montco had a second factory in Johnstown.
Stern closed his Amsterdam operation in 1978 and Montco closed in 1980 as textile manufacturing moved overseas.
Kaplan said that Montco production supervisor Beatrice Fredericks and 30 other women started their own company in the Chalmers building in 1980. They produced clothing there until about 1985.
Kaplan was active in numerous non-profits in particular the Amsterdam Free Library. He died in 2015.
In the early 2000s, Long Island developer Uri Kaufman proposed creation of a luxury apartment complex using the Chalmers building. Kaufman has created apartment complexes from former mill buildings in Cohoes.
The Chalmers building was placed on the National Historic Register in 2010. But there was opposition to Kaufman’s plan on the Amsterdam Common Council.
The Gazette reported, “That plan fell apart amid the housing market collapse, trouble with the title to the property and a general desire by many to have the eyesore gone and the site available for redevelopment.”
The Chalmers building was torn down over several months, starting in late 2011 and finishing in 2012.
The Chalmers site is now adjacent to the entrance to Amsterdam’s popular pedestrian bridge, the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook.
Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, September 26, 2022
An upper level disturbance situated over the Great Lakes
and Northeast will continue to allow for plenty of clouds today,
with some scattered showers and thunderstorms. This system will
remain situated over the area for Tuesday into Wednesday, so a few
additional showers are possible through mid-week, especially for
areas north and west of the Capital Region. As high pressure
returns, dry weather with plenty of sunshine will return for later
in the week.
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 68. Light southwest wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. South wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tuesday
A chance of showers, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, September 26, 2022
Daily Gazette
Upstate Ice Plex in Fulton County concept unveiled
CITY OF JOHNSTOWN — On Friday, for the first time publicly, town of Johnstown resident Tim Rizzo unveiled his concept…
CITY OF JOHNSTOWN — On Friday, for the first time publicly, town of Johnstown resident Tim Rizzo unveiled his concept…
New miSci exhibit an ambitious look at advances in communication technology
SCHENECTADY – Humanity’s need to communicate has been a quest like no other and the technological advances that have affected…
SCHENECTADY – Humanity’s need to communicate has been a quest like no other and the technological advances that have affected…
RecorderNews
Amsterdam homecoming weekend rallies years of Rams for fun, memories
AMSTERDAM — It felt like most of Amsterdam was out to watch and cheer on those participating...
https://www.recordernews.com/
Leader Herald
Make Us A Part Of Your Day
https://www.leaderherald.com/