The Historians

The Historians

By Bob CudmoreSociety & CultureHistory
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The Historians episodes

  • From the Daily Gazette

    Death rode the wings of the wind  

    By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History-First published in Gazette and Recorder 

       Three aviators, including a Gloversville native, died January 8, 1928 when their plane crashed into a Montgomery County buckwheat field. 

       Wreckage was found near Rural Grove in the town of Root on the south side of the Mohawk River between Fultonville and Canajoharie. 

       WGY radio in Schenectady, on the air for under six years, broadcast an appeal about the missing aircraft sometime after six p.m. that Sunday.

       A Mrs. Quackenbush told WGY that she heard a crash and was convinced the plane had fallen.

      The Gloversville native who perished in the accident was Edward M. Pauley.  Born in 1895, Pauley served in the motor transport corps on the ground in World War I, learning to fly after the war.  He then rejoined the U.S. Army Flying Corps, earning the rank of captain.  Pauley married Marion Howarth of Johnstown. They had no children.

       Pauley headed Flyers, Incorporated, the first commercial air service based in Albany.  His firm carried passengers and freight and flew racing editions of the Albany Evening News to Saratoga Springs for the 1927 horse racing meet. 

       Albany Mayor John Boyd Thatcher mentioned Pauley’s name as a possible future superintendent of the almost-constructed Albany Airport in Colonie.

       On that Sunday in 1928 veteran pilot Raymond Henries flew from Long Island to Albany on his way to Buffalo to deliver a new Fairchild monoplane. 

       The large single engine plane was to be based in Buffalo for Colonial Western Airways.  Henries had a passenger with him, former pilot George Benedict, then in his family’s clothing business in Illinois.

       Pauley decided to fly with Henries and Benedict to Buffalo where two planes ordered by Flyers, Inc., were to be delivered.  Pauley planned to make arrangements to have his new planes flown to Albany.

       Despite thick fog, the Fairchild monoplane left Westerlo Island airfield south of Albany, piloted by Henries, around 2:00 p.m.  Several hours later Colonial Western Airways reported the aircraft had not reached Buffalo.

       It was still foggy early Monday when Montgomery County Sheriff Seeley Hodge formed a posse of about 30 men who began a ground search. 

       Searchers found the wreckage in Tuesday morning near a farm being worked by J.E. Bartlett off what is today Route 162. 

       A plane from Schenectady Airport doing an aerial search for the missing aircraft saw the activity on the ground and landed on a nearby field.

       The Albany Evening News reported, “Death rode on the wings of the wind.”

       Pilot Henries’ body was about 75 feet from the main wreckage.  Passengers Pauley and Benedict were found crushed inside the plane.

       The crash investigation was hampered by the arrival of what authorities estimated to be three thousand to eight thousand gawkers and souvenir hunters.  Investigators for example could not find part of the instrument board of the plane.  It was located in the possession of a Gloversville businessman

       The cause of the crash was never pinned down.  Fog was likely a factor but there were reports from people on the ground who heard a plane’s engine that seemed to be misfiring before the accident.

       Captain Pauley was buried at Ferndale Cemetery in Johnstown.  His story was researched by his great niece, Frances N. Burnham of Scotia. 

       Burnham had wondered whether her great uncle wanted his story told in a book I was working on in 2011.

       She asked her great uncle Edward Pauley’s spirit to make her Christmas cactus bud if he wanted the story told.  The cactus had been passed down through several generations of the family.

       The cactus produced several flowers.  Burnham said, “Doggone it. He did it.”  Burnham died in 2013.

    Monday, August 14, 2023-Story behind the story- Death rode the wings of the wind

    Tuesday, August 15, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Sunday School fatality

    Wednesday, August 16, 2023-From the Archives- November 6, 2020-Episode 343-Retired Colonel Dave Cummings discusses efforts to research St. Joseph’s Shrine in the Adirondack hill town of Bleecker.  St. Joseph’s Church, torn down in 1919, was the first Roman Catholic Church built in Fulton County.

    Thursday, August 17, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Bombing Fort Plain

    Friday, August 18, 2023-Episode 488-Kiersten Marcil, author of the American Revolution historical novel Witness to the Revolution.

    The first soldier I killed was a kid, and he haunted all my dreams after that.
    The twenty-first century doesn’t prepare you for 1778.

    Without warning, the roar of the traffic and the stink of funeral lilies fade away. Just as Savannah Moore notices that the world around her has changed, a man wraps her in his arms and presses a knife to her throat. Only after she escapes, with the help of Captain Jonathan Wythe, does she realize she has been inexplicably sucked into America’s Revolutionary War. Anything Savannah does could alter the course of history and threaten the family she left behind.

    Kiersten Marcil

    https://www.youtube.com/@KierstenMarcil

    If These Pages Could Talk, Authors: Kiersten Marcil, Sevannah Storm, and Jodi Christensen S1, ep. 1

    Authors and editors unite! Kiersten and co-host Sevannah Storm are joined by Kiersten's editor and fellow author, Jodi Christensen. Giggles, insider info on how acquiring editors pick querying authors manuscripts, reasons why the first page matters to editors, love for time travel romance, and book discussion abounds.

    Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, August 13, 2023

    69 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:16AM

    A slight chance of showers before 7am. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 78. Light and variable wind becoming west 9 to 14 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
    Tonight
    Patchy fog after 5am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 59. West wind 7 to 10 mph.
    Monday
    Partly sunny, with a high near 78. West wind 7 to 9 mph.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, August 13, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
    Support Local Journalism
    To subscribe https://dailygazette.com/subscribe/
    Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition
    When Credibility Matters
     
    Waite: Ban on incandescent light bulbs could lead charge toward even brighter idea 
    Printed on the wall behind Thomas Edison’s desk outside the GE Conference Center in Niskayuna is a famous Edison quote…
     
    https://dailygazette.com/
     
    RecorderNews
     
    Amsterdam celebrates community ancestry, recognizes Pisciotta, Italy as Twin City
     
    https://www.recordernews.com/

    Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day

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    4 min
  • Saturday on The Historians

    Weekend Update-Historians Go Fund Me needs Your help. Historians Episode #500 this November. We now have raised $3235 and need to raise $250.00 by Sunday Night.

    On-Line Use this Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore  Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Thank You

    Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Saturday, August 12, 2023-From the archives- October 9, 2020-Episode 339-Jennet Conant discusses her book “The Great Secret: The Classified World War II Disaster That Launched the War on Cancer.”  Also heard is film maker Nick Spark who lobbied for U.S. government recognition of Dr. Stewart Alexander whose work chronicling the disaster in southern Italy was the impetus to developing chemotherapy.

    Tomorrow from The Daily Gazette and Amsterdam Recorder

    Focus on History

    Death rode the wings of the wind

    Three aviators, including a Gloversville native, died January 8, 1928 when their plane crashed into a Montgomery County buckwheat field. 

       Wreckage was found near Rural Grove in the town of Root on the south side of the Mohawk River between Fultonville and Canajoharie. 

    Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, August 12, 2023

    57 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:00AM

    A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Patchy fog before 8am. High near 80. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
    Tonight
    Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Patchy fog after 9pm. Low around 62. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
    Sunday
    Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind 5 to 14 mph.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, August 12, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
    Support Local Journalism
    To subscribe https://dailygazette.com/subscribe/
    Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition
    When Credibility Matters
     
    Things to do in & around Saratoga Springs: Saturday, August 12
    PICK OF THE DAY The Philadelphia Orchestra brings “The Rite of Spring,” Igor Stravinsky’s vivid reflection on ancient pagan rituals,…
     
    Mohawk Hudson chapter of Antique Outboard Motor Club to hold 19th annual swap meet
    VAIL MILLS – The Mohawk Hudson chapter of the Antique Outboard Motor Club Inc, will hold its annual swap meet…
     
    https://dailygazette.com/
     
    RecorderNews
     
    Altamont Fair set for return Tuesday, with it barnyard animals, fair food – and a shark show
     
    ALTAMONT – The Altamont Fair returns soon and will be bringing back beloved favorites like...
     
    https://www.recordernews.com/

    Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day

    https://www.leaderherald.com/

    4 min
  • it was the Last Flight

    Thursday, August 10, 2023 Update-Historians Go Fund Me needs Your assist. Historians Episode #500 this November. We now have raised $3235 and need to raise $250.00 by Sunday Night.

    On-Line Use this Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore  Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Thank You

    Last flight over Japan

    By Bob Cudmore

       Amsterdam attorney Robert N. Going, who died in 2019, wrote “Honor Roll: The World War II Dead of Amsterdam, N.Y.” in 2010.

       Using Recorder clippings, museum collections and personal diaries, Going compiled information on 176 men from the Amsterdam area who died in the war.

       The first was William E. Hasenfuss, Jr. from a family of nine children on Northampton Road.  Hasenfuss had flown airplanes at an air field in Perth before enlisting in 1939.  He died at Hickham Air Field in Hawaii during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

       The last Amsterdam casualty was listed in the book as Seaman Orlie Charles Thomas, who died in Brooklyn Naval Hospital on November 23, 1945.  He had served aboard the battleship Mississippi in the Pacific.

       However in his blog called the Judge Report issued online some time after “Honor Roll” was published, Going wrote, “In researching old newspapers for the Amsterdam war dead of World War II, I stopped on June 30, 1946.  I should have kept going, as I now learn that yet another Amsterdam hero has gone unrecognized, and his may, in fact, be Amsterdam's last combat death of World War II, bringing the total up to about 180.”

       The Recorder reported on July 8, 1946, “Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Gawron, 7 Catherine Street, have been notified by the War Department that their son, Technical Sergeant Edward F. Gawron, previously reported missing in action July 3, 1945 over Japan, has now been officially declared dead. He was killed in action over Japan on the same date that he had been reported missing.”

       Born in Amsterdam in 1925, Gawron graduated from Wilbur H. Lynch High School in 1942.  His family called him Patch.  He was 20 years old when he died.

       He worked at Mohawk Carpet Mills while attending high school and after graduation was employed at the Naval Supply Depot in Scotia.  Inducted into military service April 10, 1943, he spent two months with the Medical Corps.  He requested and received a transfer to the Army Air Forces to become an air cadet. He attended gunnery school then went to Fort Myers, Florida to take training flights.

       Gawron came home on a 15-day furlough before going to the Mariana Islands with the 20th Air Force as a B-29 gunner. He was flying his 35th mission when his B-29 was shot down on Honshu Island by anti-aircraft fire. 

       The crew was on its last bombing mission which would have completed their tour of duty.  The war ended September 2, 1945.

       According to Find A Grave Web site, Gawron’s plane was called Miss Hap.  The Web site also reported that Gawron was buried at a military cemetery in Missouri.

       The condolences letter from Adjutant General Edward Witsell continued, “I realize the anguish you have suffered since he was first reported missing in action and I deeply regret the sorrow this later report brings you. May the knowledge that he has made the supreme sacrifice for his home and country be a source of sustaining comfort.”

       T/Sergeant Gawron was survived by his parents, Stephen and Julia Zintack Gawron; four brothers. Peter, Leonard, Joseph and Richard; six sisters, Connie, Sally, Veronica, Irene, Dolores and Mary.

       Richard Gawron provided information for this column.  Richard and his wife Frances now live in Niskayuna.

       Richard’s parents were born in Poland.  Richard said his father built their house on Catherine Street off upper Church Street.  The family raised chickens.

       A 1932 City Directory listed Stephen Gawron’s job as a driver.  He also held jobs at M.J. Wytrwal Coal and Oil in Amsterdam and American Locomotive in Schenectady.

    Friday, August 11, 2023-Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Saturday, August 12, 2023-From the archives- October 9, 2020-Episode 339-Jennet Conant discusses her book “The Great Secret: The Classified World War II Disaster That Launched the War on Cancer.”  Also heard is film maker Nick Spark who lobbied for U.S. government recognition of Dr. Stewart Alexander whose work chronicling the disaster in southern Italy was the impetus to developing chemotherapy.

    Sunday, August 13, 2023-Focus on History-Death rode the wings of the wind

    Mohawk Valley  Weather, Thursday, August 10, 2023

    63 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:13AM

    A slight chance of showers before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
    Tonight
    Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 2am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 59. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
    Friday
    Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. West wind 11 to 15 mph.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Thursday, August 10, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
    Support Local Journalism
    To subscribe https://dailygazette.com/subscribe/
    Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition
    When Credibility Matters
     
    Amsterdam residents vent frustrations over safety concerns, quality of life issues at Veterans Park
    AMSTERDAM — Safety concerns sparked by a pair of isolated incidents involving firearms at Veterans Park and quality of life…
     
    Train derailment in town of Amsterdam sparks broader rail safety, environmental concerns
    TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — Local officials are urging federal agencies to review safety regulations and the transportation of hazardous materials…
     
    https://dailygazette.com/
     
    RecorderNews
     
    Pets Fur Adoption – in Montgomery, Schenectady, Albany counties (11 pets featured)
     
    https://www.recordernews.com/

    Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day

    https://www.leaderherald.com/

    5 min
  • it was a ditch, made New York State money

    Wednesday, August 9, 2023 Update-Historians Go Fund Me needs Your assist.

    We now have raised $3235 and need to raise $250.00 by the end of the week.

    On-Line Use this Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore 

    Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. 

     Thank You

    Bob Cudmore and David Brooks talk about The Erie Canal

    Wednesday, August 9, 2023

    David Brooks describes unfulfilled plans to build a canal linking the Erie Canal with the Sacandaga Valley in the Adirondacks.  Brooks is education coordinator of the history site, Schoharie Crossing, in Fort Hunter.

    Take a Tour, Thanks to New York by Rail

    Erie Canal Cruises in the Mohawk Valley

    Take a cruise down the Erie Canal! Experience the historic waterway on an entertainment yacht, complete with commentary about historic sites along the route, and area wildlife. Perfect for the whole family! Learn more at: https://www.newyorkbyrail.com

    Thursday, August 10, 2023

    Last flight over Japan

       Amsterdam attorney Robert N. Going, who died in 2019, wrote “Honor Roll: The World War II Dead of Amsterdam, N.Y.” in 2010.

       Using Recorder clippings, museum collections and personal diaries, Going compiled information on 176 men from the Amsterdam area who died in the war.

    Friday, August 11, 2023-Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Mohawk Valley  Weather, Wednesday, August 9, 2023

    68 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:00AM

    Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 81. West wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
    Tonight
    Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 57. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight.
    Thursday
    A chance of showers before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1pm and 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Wednesday, August 9, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
    Support Local Journalism
    To subscribe https://dailygazette.com/subscribe/
    Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition
    When Credibility Matters
     
    Golub Foundation pledges $1M towards Aquatic Center
    ROTTERDAM — The Capital Region Aquatic Center is $1 million closer to reality thanks to a donation from the Neil…
     
    Veterans Park shooting suspect released on bail, new charge filed in Amsterdam City Court
    AMSTERDAM — An additional charge has been filed against the Amsterdam woman accused of shooting another woman at Veterans Park…
     
    https://dailygazette.com/
     
    RecorderNews
     
    Sales tax collections up 3% statewide in second quarter
     
    SCHENECTADY — Local government sales tax collections rose 3% in the second quarter of 2023 over...
     
    Johnstown cyclist fatally struck on Route 67 in June remembered with ghost bike
     
    https://www.recordernews.com/

    Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day

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    3 min
  • to make a copy

    Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Update-Historians Go Fund Me needs Your assist.

    We now have raised $3235 and need to raise $250.00 this week.

    On-Line Use this Link The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore 

    Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Much Thanks

    Aviation pioneer Edward Heath

    By Bob Cudmore

       Aviator Edward B. Heath tried to fly his first airplane at the Antlers golf course in Fort Johnson near Amsterdam in 1910 but the attempt ended in a crash.  No one was hurt.  The golf course is now called Rolling Hills.

       Heath was born in Brooklyn in 1888. He lived in the Amsterdam area for a few months.  His uncle and cousin, Chester and Frank Johnson, helped Heath build his first airplane at their Johnson Machine Shop on Cedar Street in Amsterdam.

       Historian Hugh Donlon reported on the flight, “Twirling the propeller for the start was hazardous and when the plane’s motor finally got the go-ahead spark, aviator Heath had to climb aboard while the ground crew temporarily restrained all 36 horsepower.  Not far down the improvised runway and traveling at tremendous speed, the wheel post broke and a wing sagged.  The pilot escaped and tow back to the machine shop was made. 

       “Similar disappointment came in later tests on the Mohawk River flats east of Fonda, but when the flying machine was exhibited at the Fonda Fair in October it attracted crowds.”

       The Aviation Heritage Web site indicated that Heath’s plane, patterned after a Bleriot monoplane, did have some successful flights in the Mohawk Valley. 

       After working for a time with pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss in Hammondsport, N.Y., Heath moved to Chicago where he started a company that made airplane parts in World War I. 

       He won trophies in air races and manufactured the Heath Parasol, an ultralight airplane that he marketed as a kit.  A 1928 ultralight built by Heath was called the Baby Bullet. 

       Heath died in a 1931 plane crash in Morton Grove, a Chicago suburb.  He was testing a new low-wing aircraft design when the fatal accident occurred. 

       The company he founded—Heathkit—changed from making airplane kits to making kits for amateur radio gear, electronic test equipment and even television receivers.  The firm filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and began restructuring in 2013.   The company now has a live website at www.heathkit.com and sells electronic products.

    Tomorrow, Bob Cudmore and David Brooks talk about The Erie Canal

    Wednesday, August 9, 2023

    David Brooks describes unfulfilled plans to build a canal linking the Erie Canal with the Sacandaga Valley in the Adirondacks.  Brooks is education coordinator of the history site, Schoharie Crossing, in Fort Hunter.

    Take a Tour, Thanks to New York by Rail

    Erie Canal Cruises in the Mohawk Valley

    Take a cruise down the Erie Canal! Experience the historic waterway on an entertainment yacht, complete with commentary about historic sites along the route, and area wildlife. Perfect for the whole family! Learn more at: https://www.newyorkbyrail.com

    Thursday, August 10, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Last flight over Japan

    Friday, August 11, 2023-Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Mohawk Valley  Weather, Tuesday, August 8, 2023

    71 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:26AM

    A slight chance of showers between 8am and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Light and variable wind becoming west 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
    Tonight
    A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. West wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
    Wednesday
    Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind around 14 mph.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Tuesday, August 8, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
    Support Local Journalism
    To subscribe https://dailygazette.com/subscribe/
    Paper-Paper, On-line and e-edition
    When Credibility Matters
     
    APD: Suspect shot victim once at Veterans Park with legally owned handgun, then weapon malfunctioned
    AMSTERDAM — The Amsterdam woman charged with shooting another woman at Veterans Park on Sunday is believed to have fired… 
     
    Tracks restored, Route 5 reopened after CSX freight train derailment
    TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — All damaged cars from a derailed CSX freight train have been cleared from the tracks and…
     
    EDITORIAL: Government must ensure all speech is protected
    It’s reasonable, and even admirable, for public officials to react strongly to racist and antisemitic protests in their community and…
     
    Waite: What we should try in our small towns
    Last month, country music artist Jason Aldean released a controversial music video shortly before he played a concert at Saratoga… 
     
    https://dailygazette.com/
     
    RecorderNews
     
    Broadalbin-Perth to kick off school year with fundraiser-driven ‘Warrior Week’
     
    Amsterdam Riverfest Saturday, a look around – Images (10 photos)
     
    https://www.recordernews.com/

    Leader Herald Make Us A Part Of Your Day

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    5 min
  • What to call the Story?

    Historians Go Fund Me needs Your Help

    We now have raised $3235 toward this year’s $7000 goal.

    Thanks to loyal reader/listener Emil Suda for ending the donation drought with a contribution. Please donate online to help support the Historians Podcast at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore  Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  You may give anonymously and no contribution is too large or too small.

    Bob at Albany Public Radio WMHT89.1FM RISE where The Historians Podcast airs each Monday and Wednesday(Go Fund Me helps keep it there)

    Monday, August 7, 2023-Story behind the story-Burza’s tavern

    You remember "The Heath Kit"

    Tuesday, August 8, 2023-Aviation pioneer Edward Heath

    Aviator Edward B. Heath tried to fly his first airplane at the Antlers golf course in Fort Johnson near Amsterdam in 1910 but the attempt ended in a crash.  No one was hurt.  The golf course is now called Rolling Hills.

    Wednesday, August 9, 2023-From the Archives- Episode 192, December 8, 2017, David Brooks describes unfulfilled plans to build a canal linking the Erie Canal with the Sacandaga Valley in the Adirondacks.  Brooks is education coordinator of the history site, Schoharie Crossing, in Fort Hunter.

    Erie Canal Cruises in the Mohawk Valley | New York By Rail

    Take a cruise down the Erie Canal! Experience the historic waterway on an entertainment yacht, complete with commentary about historic sites along the route, and area wildlife. Perfect for the whole family! Learn more at: https://www.newyorkbyrail.com

    Thursday, August 10, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Last flight over Japan

    Friday, August 11, 2023-Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Defense was key in 1961 Amsterdam softball match

    (Burza's Tavern "Don't slip on the Ice")

    By Bob Cudmore

       “Will it be a Highland Fling or an Hawaiian Hula that is danced tonight,” wondered Recorder sportswriter Bob Wischmeyer.

       Amsterdam’s attention that August was focused on competition for the city men’s softball league title between the Hawaiian Klub on Church Street on Reid Hill and Burza’s Highland House on upper Locust Avenue.

       Nationally in 1961 Roger Maris hit 61 home runs.  Mickey Mantle was the highest paid baseball player, making $75,000 that season.  The Yankees went on to win the World Series.

       Sports teams based at the Hawaiian Klub had been covered on local sports pages since 1950.  Earlier in 1961, athletic Stanley Burza and his wife Irene purchased the Highland House on upper Locust Avenue.

       The Hawaiian Klub won the first game 2-1.  The Highlanders took the second contest 6-1.  The games took place at one of the fields behind what was then Lynch High School on Brandt Place.

      The deciding game was 6 p.m. sharp on a Monday.

       Wischmeyer wrote, “Defense told the story last night.  Burza's Highland House played without an error and turned in two double plays to defeat the Hawaiian Klub 5-1.”

       Burza played third base, was team manager and part of one of the double plays.  He played softball for 50 years.  New York State Assemblyman Donald Campbell was on the Highlander team along with other Amsterdam notables such as Bud Heck and Fred Sandy.

       Among those on the Klub roster were Gene Bik, Fred Cerasaro, Chuck Pettengill and Dave Quick.

       Stan Burza and Irene Drozd met at Mohawk Carpet Mills where they both worked.  Stan also inflated footballs at Collette Manufacturing on Clizbe Avenue and drove a truck for Iroquois Chemical on Edward Street.

       During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific including the liberation of the Philippine Islands.

       Stan tended bar at the Highland House.  He made a ritual of saying good night to you by name when you left the tavern, with a friendly but cautionary formula that went something like this, “Good night, Bob.  Don’t slip on the ice. Don’t step on Irene’s tulips.”

       Irene recalled in a 1986 newspaper article that she once asked a young man to take his feet off the furniture in the tavern.  When he replied she sounded like his mother, her response was, “When you’re here, I am your mother.”

       Reader Ron Johnson recalled that if you asked Stan for a match, his response was, "I have matches to burn."  Johnson said Irene brought out plates of kielbasa after midnight on Friday nights since Catholics could not eat meat on Fridays.

       The tavern had a Wall of Honor where clippings were posted when patrons rolled a 300 game in bowling, got a hole in one in golf or did something outstanding in scholastics or community life. The clippings have been donated to the Walter Elwood Museum.

       The Burzas closed the tavern in 1986.  Irene died in 1990.  Six years later Stan married Rita Loughrey, a woman he had met through one of his two daughters. 

       Rita said Stan enjoyed being useful.  He took up skiing in his seventies and went with Rita on a ski trip to France for their honeymoon. 

       A frequent golf partner in later years was Charles Brown of Hagaman.  Brown came to the area in 1965 and started going to Burza’s.  Brown was a faithful visitor when Stan spent his last days at River Ridge Living Center.

       Stan died November 2, 2010 at 92.  He was buried with military honors at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.  He was a member of the Good Shepherd Polish National Church.

    Mohawk Valley  Weather, Monday, August 7, 2023

    65 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:32AM

    Showers and thunderstorms before 9am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 9am and 10am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. High near 77. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
    Tonight
    A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 10pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
    Tuesday
    A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, August 7, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
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    When Credibility Matters
     
    Woman shot on Sunday at Veterans Park in Amsterdam
    AMSTERDAM — A woman was taken into custody Sunday for allegedly carrying out a mid-afternoon shooting at Veterans Park in Amsterdam. …
     
    Things to do in & around Saratoga Springs: Monday, August 7
    PICK OF THE DAY Famed coffeehouse Caffe Lena will host its traditional open mic night starting at 7 p.m. The…
     
    Tracy Byrd, racing pigs, chainsaw sculptures: 146th annual Schoharie County Sunshine Fair to begin Tuesday
    COBLESKILL — Schoharie County’s largest annual tradition is about 75 hours packed with oddball acts, regional flavor and rural razzle-dazzle…. 
     
    https://dailygazette.com/
     
    RecorderNews
     
    Johnstown, Canajoharie insurance firms now part of Scotia-based Marshall & Sterling Upstate
    SCOTIA — Marshall & Sterling Upstate Inc. has new assets in the Fulton-Montgomery region. The Scotia-based subsidiary announced Thursday its…
     
    Cranesville Fire Department’s new helipad ‘helping neighbors’ in critical emergencies
     
    https://www.recordernews.com/

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    7 min
  • Winter starts December 1

    Historians Go Fund Me needs Your Help

    Thanks to loyal reader/listener Emil Suda for ending the donation drought with a contribution.  We now have raised $3235 toward this year’s $7000 goal.  Please donate online to help support the Historians Podcast at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore  Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  You may give anonymously and no contribution is too large or too small.

    Defense was key in 1961 Amsterdam softball match

    (Burza's Tavern "Don't slip on the Ice")

    By Bob Cudmore

       “Will it be a Highland Fling or an Hawaiian Hula that is danced tonight,” wondered Recorder sportswriter Bob Wischmeyer.

       Amsterdam’s attention that August was focused on competition for the city men’s softball league title between the Hawaiian Klub on Church Street on Reid Hill and Burza’s Highland House on upper Locust Avenue.

       Nationally in 1961 Roger Maris hit 61 home runs.  Mickey Mantle was the highest paid baseball player, making $75,000 that season.  The Yankees went on to win the World Series.

       Sports teams based at the Hawaiian Klub had been covered on local sports pages since 1950.  Earlier in 1961, athletic Stanley Burza and his wife Irene purchased the Highland House on upper Locust Avenue.

       The Hawaiian Klub won the first game 2-1.  The Highlanders took the second contest 6-1.  The games took place at one of the fields behind what was then Lynch High School on Brandt Place.

      The deciding game was 6 p.m. sharp on a Monday.

       Wischmeyer wrote, “Defense told the story last night.  Burza's Highland House played without an error and turned in two double plays to defeat the Hawaiian Klub 5-1.”

       Burza played third base, was team manager and part of one of the double plays.  He played softball for 50 years.  New York State Assemblyman Donald Campbell was on the Highlander team along with other Amsterdam notables such as Bud Heck and Fred Sandy.

       Among those on the Klub roster were Gene Bik, Fred Cerasaro, Chuck Pettengill and Dave Quick.

       Stan Burza and Irene Drozd met at Mohawk Carpet Mills where they both worked.  Stan also inflated footballs at Collette Manufacturing on Clizbe Avenue and drove a truck for Iroquois Chemical on Edward Street.

       During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific including the liberation of the Philippine Islands.

       Stan tended bar at the Highland House.  He made a ritual of saying good night to you by name when you left the tavern, with a friendly but cautionary formula that went something like this, “Good night, Bob.  Don’t slip on the ice. Don’t step on Irene’s tulips.”

       Irene recalled in a 1986 newspaper article that she once asked a young man to take his feet off the furniture in the tavern.  When he replied she sounded like his mother, her response was, “When you’re here, I am your mother.”

       Reader Ron Johnson recalled that if you asked Stan for a match, his response was, "I have matches to burn."  Johnson said Irene brought out plates of kielbasa after midnight on Friday nights since Catholics could not eat meat on Fridays.

       The tavern had a Wall of Honor where clippings were posted when patrons rolled a 300 game in bowling, got a hole in one in golf or did something outstanding in scholastics or community life. The clippings have been donated to the Walter Elwood Museum.

       The Burzas closed the tavern in 1986.  Irene died in 1990.  Six years later Stan married Rita Loughrey, a woman he had met through one of his two daughters. 

       Rita said Stan enjoyed being useful.  He took up skiing in his seventies and went with Rita on a ski trip to France for their honeymoon. 

       A frequent golf partner in later years was Charles Brown of Hagaman.  Brown came to the area in 1965 and started going to Burza’s.  Brown was a faithful visitor when Stan spent his last days at River Ridge Living Center.

       Stan died November 2, 2010 at 92.  He was buried with military honors at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.  He was a member of the Good Shepherd Polish National Church.

    Monday, August 7, 2023-Story behind the story-Burza’s tavern

    Tuesday, August 8, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Aviation pioneer Edward Heath

    Wednesday, August 9, 2023-From the Archives- Episode 192, December 8, 2017, David Brooks describes unfulfilled plans to build a canal linking the Erie Canal with the Sacandaga Valley in the Adirondacks.  Brooks is education coordinator of the history site, Schoharie Crossing, in Fort Hunter.

    Thursday, August 10, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Last flight over Japan

    Friday, August 11, 2023-Episode 487-Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train from 2015. Plus the debut of The History Mystery

    Episode 486-Bob Cudmore has Focus on History columns on soda bottlers, walking for sport, a submarine rescue, Amsterdam’s clock tower building and more.

    Mohawk Valley  Weekend Weather, Sunday, August 6, 2023

    58 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:10AM

    Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 82. Light west wind.
    Tonight
    A chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
    Monday
    Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Sunday, August 6, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
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    Things to do in & around Saratoga Springs: Sunday, August 6
    PICK OF THE DAY The Chicks are slated to play at SPAC in Saratoga Springs Sunday as part of their…
     
    Saratoga Race Course: ‘Barbie’ in mind during Whitney Stakes — TAG at the Track
    One of the most arresting moments in the movie “Barbie” is when the eponymous character, played magnificently by Margot Robbie,…
     
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    RecorderNews
     
    Capital Region Football Hall of Fame: Amsterdam’s undefeated 1986 team set for induction
     
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    5 min
  • Saturday on The Historians

    Please contribute to the 2023 Historians Podcast fund drive. Please donate online at The Historians Podcast, organized by Bob Cudmore  or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Thank you and on the way to Episode#500 this fall. (Friday, November 3, 2023)

    Bob Cudmore has Focus on History columns on a submarine rescue, walking for sport, Amsterdam’s clock tower building and more.

    Sunday, August 6, 2023-Focus on History-Burza’s tavern: Don’t slip on the ice

       “Will it be a Highland Fling or an Hawaiian Hula that is danced tonight,” wondered Recorder sportswriter Bob Wischmeyer.

       Amsterdam’s attention that August was focused on competition for the city men’s softball league title between the Hawaiian Klub on Church Street on Reid Hill and Burza’s Highland House on upper Locust Avenue.

    Mohawk Valley  Weekend Weather, Saturday, August 5, 2023

    62 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:45AM

    Isolated showers between 11am and noon. Areas of dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
    Tonight
    Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
    Sunday
    Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
     
    Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, August 5, 2023
     
    Daily Gazette 
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    When Credibility Matters
     
    Cleanup underway after CSX train derails in town of Amsterdam Friday, investigation of incident ongoing
    TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — More than a dozen cars from a nearly mile-long CSX freight train derailed along Route 5…
     
     
    Amsterdam Mohawks: Pitchers dominated their way to PGCBL crown
    AMSTERDAM — It would be a fair characterization to say that Keith Griffin and the Amsterdam Mohawks hate to lose,…
     
     
    Broadalbin Beach plans to face Adirondack Park Agency board
    NORTH BROADALBIN — State regulators could soon make a critical determination on the future of a long-cherished Great Sacandaga Lake… 
     
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    RecorderNews
     
    Rooftop solar contract broken so work can begin at Amsterdam Public Safety Building
     
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    2 min

About The Historians

From the publisher's feed

The Historians is a weekly audio interview podcast that features authors and other guests who discuss the rich heritage of the Mohawk Valley NY region and the nation.