...working on this story for years

Monday, January 17, 2022- Story Behind the Story podcast is an audio version of Saturday’s column on World War II hero Joseph A. Bucci of Amsterdam. Monday Podcast "6 Minutes"

Schoharie Crossing

Nice picture, add about 5 inches of snow, so far, but think May

The Go Fund Me numbers changed last night...Thank You

Please help us reach our 2022 Historians Podcast fund drive goal of $6,000!  So far we’ve raised $50.  If we raise $500 this month we will be well on our way.  For more information or to donate online click here, https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast-2022  Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  Keep history alive by donating to The Historians Podcast—where we are working on Episode 406. 

#406-Laddie Sanford, a 1940 Northville fire and a newspaper contest from the early 1900s

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 18, 2022- From the Archives of Focus on History in the Daily Gazette-Singer Tim Buckley’s Amsterdam roots

Focus on History

Daily Gazette and Amsterdam Recorded

Amsterdam man survived bloody battles on Guadalcanal

By Bob Cudmore

   Joseph A. Bucci was an Amsterdam man who fought heroically with the U.S. Marines in World War II. 

   Bucci was the son of Charles and Mary Bucci who lived at 12 Lark Street in the East End.  Charles Bucci was a veteran of World War I.  Joseph Bucci’s brother Anthony served in the Army Air Corps in World War II.

   Born in 1913, Joseph Bucci graduated from St. Mary’s Institute and earned a degree in journalism at Notre Dame in 1933.  He worked for John Hancock insurance and later was in sales for the Curtiss Candy Company.

   Just over a month after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Bucci enlisted as a private in the Marines. 

   By October 1942 he was fighting the Japanese on Guadalcanal Island in the Pacific and found himself and six others pinned down by Japanese artillery fire in the Battle of Matanikau River.  The small band had missed orders to move from their foxholes to another position.

   Through one long night and the next day the seven endured an artillery barrage and attack.  The seven Marines were credited with killing 175 to 200 Japanese soldiers.  Then Bucci and his comrades came under American artillery fire in a Marine counter attack.  Ultimately the seven Marines were reunited with their unit.

   Intense fighting on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands lasted six months, from August 1942 to February 1943.

   In November 1942 Bucci was wounded by three pieces of shrapnel.  He contracted malaria and was shipped to a military hospital in San Diego, California.

   It was there that he learned he was to receive the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his actions on Guadalcanal.  He was promoted to Sergeant.

   Bucci was home on leave in July 1943 when the Recorder printed an account of his actions on Guadalcanal written by Marine private Eddie Lyon, who had interviewed Bucci at the San Diego hospital.  Bucci and his parents went to the Recorder offices to get their first look at the news story and to have their picture taken. 

   In December 1943, Bucci was still at home, assigned to the Scotia Naval Depot on Route 5, today an industrial park.  He had applied for Officer Candidate School.

   That month Knights of Columbus Council 209 in Amsterdam honored Bucci at a dinner at the then Amsterdam Hotel on East Main Street and presented him with a special ring. 

   “When I was in the South Pacific, I dreamed of getting home,” Bucci told the Knights of Columbus.  “Just at the present I wish I were down there again.” 

   He also said, “It is my fond wish and hope that this international mess will soon be over and that all of us can come back to the good old American way of life.  However, I expect to be shoving off again soon and in whatever part of the world I am I will have this ring with me, a reminder of your thoughtfulness and I will be thoughtful for you.”

   Bucci went to Officer Candidates School and became a second lieutenant.  He was promoted to captain in the Marine Corps reserve.

   He attended Albany Law School after the war and in 1948 became head of the new Montgomery County Probation Department.  He and Louanne Wilkes of Albany married in 1953 and moved to California where Bucci worked in the Ventura County Probation Department.

   In their later years Bucci and his wife moved to Virginia to be near one of their two sons.  Bucci died in 2010 at age 96 at Lovingston Health Care Center in Arrington, Virginia.  Inurnment was at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Rome Historical Society will present “Airplane Tales,” a virtual program with Jim Coulthart set for this Wednesday January 19, 2022

Jim Coulthart, a local amateur military aviation historian and enthusiast will discuss his most recent research. Using stories of some military aircraft in Central New York and historic photographs from Rome Historical Society’s collection, “Airplane Tales” will explore a collection of WWII aircraft anecdotes, incidents, and accidents with ties to Central New York. The stories involve aircraft named “Getaway Gertie,” “Hot Stuff,” “Pistol Ball,” “Genevieve,” “Old Hellcat” and a few others.

This program will begin at 5:30 pm and will be held via Zoom. Registration is required-call (315) 336-5870 or visit the Rome Historical Society website https://romehistoricalsociety.org/

Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, January 17, 2022

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Moderate to heavy snow this morning will mix with sleet
and freezing rain. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to 6
inches with the highest amounts along the east facing slopes of
the eastern Catskills, Helderbergs, Berkshires and southern
Adirondacks. Ice accumulations of a light glaze. Winds gusting
as high as 50 mph.

* WHERE...The eastern Catskills, Helderbergs, southern
Adirondacks, Fulton County, the Lake George Saratoga Region,
Southern Herkimer, Montgomery and Schoharie Counties in
eastern New York, northern Litchfield County in northwestern
Connecticut, and western Massachusetts.

* WHEN...Until 10 PM EST Monday.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Gusty
winds could bring down tree branches and isolated trees.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour
are possible at times this morning before changing to a wintry
mix. The southern Adirondacks will likely remain all snow.
Strong winds may result in isolated power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Monday, January 17, 2022

Daily Gazette

Photographer:Stan Hudy

Johnstown Police find decomposing bodies, cremated remains at funeral home
JOHNSTOWN — City police said they discovered human remains at an unregistered North Williams Street funeral whose funeral director was…

by Jason Subik

Saratoga Race Course’s ‘Wilson Chute’ will be used for one-mile races this summer
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The historic “Wilson Chute” at Saratoga Race Course will be reconstructed and in use this summer for…

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Winter Storm Warning for Montgomery, Fulton counties Sunday-Monday; 6 to 14 inches possible

ALBANY – A Winter Storm Warning is set to take effect Sunday night and continue through the...

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Leader Herald

Traditional contest showcases evolving views

by Jason Subik

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Sunday in The Mohawk Valley

Historians Podcast today "39 Minutes"

...push the button, tape is running

From the Archives-Episode 305-Malta N.Y. town historian Paul Perreault has the story of a famous drawing of Andersonville Prison in Georgia done by a Union prisoner, Thomas O’Dea.  Perreault also has an account of the Saratoga Battlefield and the story of a fighting chaplain in World War I, Reverend Francis Kelly.

Coming soon on Historians Podcast-January 28, 2022 Episode 407-New York State historian Devin Lander discusses plans for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution

Amsterdam man survived bloody battles on Guadalcanal

By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History

   Joseph A. Bucci was an Amsterdam man who fought heroically with the U.S. Marines in World War II. 

   Bucci was the son of Charles and Mary Bucci who lived at 12 Lark Street in the East End.  Charles Bucci was a veteran of World War I.  Joseph Bucci’s brother Anthony served in the Army Air Corps in World War II.

   Born in 1913, Joseph Bucci graduated from St. Mary’s Institute and earned a degree in journalism at Notre Dame in 1933.  He worked for John Hancock insurance and later was in sales for the Curtiss Candy Company.

   Just over a month after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Bucci enlisted as a private in the Marines. 

   By October 1942 he was fighting the Japanese on Guadalcanal Island in the Pacific and found himself and six others pinned down by Japanese artillery fire in the Battle of Matanikau River.  The small band had missed orders to move from their foxholes to another position.

   Through one long night and the next day the seven endured an artillery barrage and attack.  The seven Marines were credited with killing 175 to 200 Japanese soldiers.  Then Bucci and his comrades came under American artillery fire in a Marine counter attack.  Ultimately the seven Marines were reunited with their unit.

   Intense fighting on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands lasted six months, from August 1942 to February 1943.

   In November 1942 Bucci was wounded by three pieces of shrapnel.  He contracted malaria and was shipped to a military hospital in San Diego, California.

Tomorrow, Monday, January 17, 2022- Story Behind the Story podcast is an audio version of Saturday’s column on World War II hero Joseph A. Bucci of Amsterdam. Monday Podcast "6 Minutes"

   It was there that he learned he was to receive the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his actions on Guadalcanal.  He was promoted to Sergeant.

   Bucci was home on leave in July 1943 when the Recorder printed an account of his actions on Guadalcanal written by Marine private Eddie Lyon, who had interviewed Bucci at the San Diego hospital.  Bucci and his parents went to the Recorder offices to get their first look at the news story and to have their picture taken. 

   In December 1943, Bucci was still at home, assigned to the Scotia Naval Depot on Route 5, today an industrial park.  He had applied for Officer Candidate School.

   That month Knights of Columbus Council 209 in Amsterdam honored Bucci at a dinner at the then Amsterdam Hotel on East Main Street and presented him with a special ring. 

   “When I was in the South Pacific, I dreamed of getting home,” Bucci told the Knights of Columbus.  “Just at the present I wish I were down there again.” 

   He also said, “It is my fond wish and hope that this international mess will soon be over and that all of us can come back to the good old American way of life.  However, I expect to be shoving off again soon and in whatever part of the world I am I will have this ring with me, a reminder of your thoughtfulness and I will be thoughtful for you.”

   Bucci went to Officer Candidates School and became a second lieutenant.  He was promoted to captain in the Marine Corps reserve.

   He attended Albany Law School after the war and in 1948 became head of the new Montgomery County Probation Department.  He and Louanne Wilkes of Albany married in 1953 and moved to California where Bucci worked in the Ventura County Probation Department.

   In their later years Bucci and his wife moved to Virginia to be near one of their two sons.  Bucci died in 2010 at age 96 at Lovingston Health Care Center in Arrington, Virginia.  Inurnment was at Arlington National Cemetery.

Jerry Snyder HAL Interview

Mohawk Valley Weather, Sunday, January 16, 2022

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS
EVENING TO NOON EST MONDAY...

* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of
2 to 6 inches and ice accumulations of up to a tenth of an inch.
Winds gusting as high as 50 mph in the Taconics.

* WHERE...Southern Litchfield County in northwestern Connecticut
and the Capital District, Mohawk Valley, Schoharie Valley,
Washington County, the Taconics, and Mid Hudson Valley in east
central New York.

* WHEN...From 10 PM this evening to noon EST Monday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. Gusty winds could
bring down tree branches resulting in power outages in the
Taconics.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow will overspread the region from south
to north late this evening. The snow will turn to mixed
precipitation from south to north after midnight through early
Monday morning.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

Mohawk Valley News, Sunday, January 16, 2022

Daily Gazette

PHOTOGRAPHER: ERICA MILLER

Forgotten no longer: Army vet now has proper headstone thanks to community members
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Edinburg woman greeted by car parade for 103rd birthday
Audrey “Norma” Porteus bundled up Saturday afternoon and stood on the porch of the Sacandaga Valley Arts Network in Northville to…

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https://www.recordernews.com/

Leader Herald

Johnstown Police find decomposing bodies, cremated remains at funeral home

by Jason Subik

https://www.leaderherald.com/

...Bucci was home on leave in July 1943 when the Recorder printed an account of his actions on Guadalcanal written by Marine private Eddie Lyon

Some weather in the weather in The Mohawk Valley this weekend, Scroll Down for either the good or bad news

Focus on History in the Daily Gazette and Amsterdam Recorder-World War II hero Joseph A. Bucci of Amsterdam and Episode 405-Jerry Snyder of  Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet on Amsterdam’s arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York. Saturday chatter "35 Minutes"

Amsterdam man survived bloody battles on Guadalcanal

By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History

   Joseph A. Bucci was an Amsterdam man who fought heroically with the U.S. Marines in World War II. 

   Bucci was the son of Charles and Mary Bucci who lived at 12 Lark Street in the East End.  Charles Bucci was a veteran of World War I.  Joseph Bucci’s brother Anthony served in the Army Air Corps in World War II.

   Born in 1913, Joseph Bucci graduated from St. Mary’s Institute and earned a degree in journalism at Notre Dame in 1933.  He worked for John Hancock insurance and later was in sales for the Curtiss Candy Company.

   Just over a month after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Bucci enlisted as a private in the Marines. 

   By October 1942 he was fighting the Japanese on Guadalcanal Island in the Pacific and found himself and six others pinned down by Japanese artillery fire in the Battle of Matanikau River.  The small band had missed orders to move from their foxholes to another position.

   Through one long night and the next day the seven endured an artillery barrage and attack.  The seven Marines were credited with killing 175 to 200 Japanese soldiers.  Then Bucci and his comrades came under American artillery fire in a Marine counter attack.  Ultimately the seven Marines were reunited with their unit.

   Intense fighting on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands lasted six months, from August 1942 to February 1943.

   In November 1942 Bucci was wounded by three pieces of shrapnel.  He contracted malaria and was shipped to a military hospital in San Diego, California.

   It was there that he learned he was to receive the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his actions on Guadalcanal.  He was promoted to Sergeant.

   Bucci was home on leave in July 1943 when the Recorder printed an account of his actions on Guadalcanal written by Marine private Eddie Lyon, who had interviewed Bucci at the San Diego hospital.  Bucci and his parents went to the Recorder offices to get their first look at the news story and to have their picture taken. 

   In December 1943, Bucci was still at home, assigned to the Scotia Naval Depot on Route 5, today an industrial park.  He had applied for Officer Candidate School.

   That month Knights of Columbus Council 209 in Amsterdam honored Bucci at a dinner at the then Amsterdam Hotel on East Main Street and presented him with a special ring. 

   “When I was in the South Pacific, I dreamed of getting home,” Bucci told the Knights of Columbus.  “Just at the present I wish I were down there again.” 

   He also said, “It is my fond wish and hope that this international mess will soon be over and that all of us can come back to the good old American way of life.  However, I expect to be shoving off again soon and in whatever part of the world I am I will have this ring with me, a reminder of your thoughtfulness and I will be thoughtful for you.”

   Bucci went to Officer Candidates School and became a second lieutenant.  He was promoted to captain in the Marine Corps reserve.

   He attended Albany Law School after the war and in 1948 became head of the new Montgomery County Probation Department.  He and Louanne Wilkes of Albany married in 1953 and moved to California where Bucci worked in the Ventura County Probation Department.

   In their later years Bucci and his wife moved to Virginia to be near one of their two sons.  Bucci died in 2010 at age 96 at Lovingston Health Care Center in Arrington, Virginia.  Inurnment was at Arlington National Cemetery.

Tomorrow, Sunday, January 16, 2022-From the Archives- Friday, February 14, 2020-Episode 305-Malta N.Y. town historian Paul Perreault has the story of a famous drawing of Andersonville Prison in Georgia done by a Union prisoner, Thomas O’Dea.  Perreault also has an account of the Saratoga Battlefield and the story of a fighting chaplain in World War I, Reverend Francis Kelly.

Winter in The Mohawk Valley is "on the way"

Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, January 15, 2022

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY...
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING
THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills
expected. Wind chills as low as 15 to 25 below zero. For the
Winter Storm Watch, heavy snow possible. Total snow
accumulations of 6 to 10 inches possible. Winds could gust over
40 mph Sunday night into Monday.

* WHERE...Eastern Windham County in Southern Vermont, The Glens
Falls and Saratoga Region, central and eastern Mohawk Valley
and the Helderbergs of eastern New York.

* WHEN...For the Wind Chill Advisory, through noon EST today. For
the Winter Storm Watch, from Sunday evening through Monday
evening.

* IMPACTS...The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on
exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Travel could be very
difficult Sunday night into Monday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a
hat, and gloves.

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, January 15, 2022

Daily Gazette

As eviction moratorium ends, Mohawk Hudson Humane Society offers assistance
With the New York state’s eviction moratorium set to end Saturday, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society is expanding services for…

Union College raises $20M in less than a year to help low-income students
SCHENECTADY – A fundraiser to make Union College affordable for 10 additional low-income students in perpetuity sprinted toward its finish,…

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Bail set at $500K cash, $1M bond for female defendant in Fulton County torture case

Calling the alleged acts “some of the worst allegations I’ve seen,” a Fulton County...

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Leader Herald

After two years without a race, ice racers look to return to action in 2022

by Paul Wager

https://www.leaderherald.com/

...Amsterdam Saving Bank and others in the podcast"9 Minutes"- in the print story "Before going to the Mohawk encampment, Wilson met with reporters from the Recorder in Amsterdam, apparently including historian Hugh Donlon.

Picture:RecorderNews

https://www.recordernews.com/

Town of Amsterdam awarded grant for structural analysis of historic Broodmare Barn

TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — Ongoing efforts to preserve the historic Broodmare Barn will receive a boost...

by Ashley Onyon

Edmund Wilson and the Mohawks

By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History 

Four months after the Mohawk Indian encampment began on farmland off Route 5-S adjacent to the Schoharie Creek in 1957, world-renowned man of letters Edmund Wilson paid a visit to Chief Standing Arrow and his followers.

Wilson wrote about the October encounter in his 1959 book, “Apologies to the Iroquois.”   Amsterdam native Tom Pikul provided this interesting lead on the story of the encampment.

Wilson found that Standing Arrow was part of an Iroquois nationalist movement with adherents at the Onondaga reservation in the Syracuse area and at reservations in northern New York and Canada.  In other chapters of the book Wilson describes meetings with other Indian nationalists.

Descended from an Upstate New York family named Talcott, Wilson maintained a summer home at Talcottville, north of Utica in Lewis County between the Adirondacks and Tug Hill Plateau. 

Before going to the Mohawk encampment, Wilson met with reporters from the Recorder in Amsterdam, apparently including historian Hugh Donlon.  Wilson also gathered information from the county archivist.

When Wilson arrived, the Chief was away and his family not too willing to communicate.  On a second visit, Wilson knocked at the door and no one came to answer it.  When the author was getting back in his car, Standing Arrow appeared in the doorway and waved to him.

Wilson said, “It was a characteristic of an Indian that, not being up and dressed, he should not shout that he would be out in a minute but should wait until he could present himself with dignity.”

Tomorrow

Friday, January 14, 2022-Episode 405-Jerry Snyder of  Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet on Amsterdam’s arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York.

Inside, the hut was “small but not ill-kept.”  There was a landscape of a lake hanging on the wall, along with a feathered headdress and a rattle made from the shell of a snapping turtle.  Wilson said Standing Arrow, a former chief from the St. Regis Reservation also known as Frank Johnson, was a charismatic figure.   

Wilson wrote, “A Mohawk who disapproved of Standing Arrow told me that his eloquence in English – of which his command was imperfect – was nothing to his eloquence in Mohawk.”

Although Wilson had heard unfavorable things about Standing Arrow, he was “won over” by the Chief saying, “He appealed to the imagination.”  Wilson said Standing Arrow’s features reminded him of the young Napoleon, even though he had “a slight cast in one eye.”

“He had also, as I could see, some of the qualities of the Mussolinian spellbinder,” wrote Wilson.

Wilson learned that some of the men in the settlement were high steel workers who had labored that year on the Thruway Bridge over the Schoharie Creek.  Most of them had gone back to Brooklyn after the summer construction season.

The Mohawks are excellent working on tall construction projects--walking on a narrow beam is not difficult for them.  Wilson’s book includes “A Study of the Mohawks in High Steel” written by Joseph Mitchell in 1949, describing the lives led by Mohawks in New York City. 

Standing Arrow had put a sign on Route 5-S outside the encampment that said Indian Village.  During the previous summer, the Indians sold souvenirs to tourists.

In the conversation with Wilson, Standing Arrow produced a document from American attorney E.A. Everett in 1924 backing the Chief’s claim that the Mohawks still owned the land around the Schoharie Creek.  Everett credited the Iroquois Confederacy with creating the only pre-European government in America.

The Schoharie Creek encampment was gone by the summer of 1958.  Eviction orders were served following court action in March.  Some of the Mohawk huts were burned.   The Mohawks were offered land in the town of Fulton in Schoharie County but if there was a settlement there, apparently it was short lived.

History in The Daily Gazette

https://dailygazette.com/

Saratoga County History Center’s 2021 fundraising campaign ‘a success’
BALLSTON SPA — Trustees of the Saratoga County History Center said the organization’s 2021 fundraising campaign “Preserve the Porch!” was successful,…

Mohawk Valley Weather, Thursday, January 13, 2022

Mohawk Valley News, Thursday, January 13, 2022

Daily Gazette

Picture:Daily Gazette

Union College prohibts cloth masks amid omicron wave
SCHENECTADY — Union College has banned the use of cloth face coverings on campus, requiring students and faculty to wear only…

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TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — Ongoing efforts to preserve the historic Broodmare Barn will receive a boost...

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Leader Herald

Make Us Part of Your Day

https://www.leaderherald.com/

...if you want to know something about the Roman Empire, ask Bob Cudmore

Wednesday audio "32 Minutes"

From the Archives- Episode 131, September 30, 2016-Janet Lee Berg discusses her historical novel “Rembrandt’s Shadow.” (Post Hill Press, 2016) Her book is based on the true story of her husband Bruce Berg’s family during the Holocaust in the Netherlands.  Two of his ancestors were art dealers who traded valuable paintings to the Nazis for Jewish lives.

Janet Lee Berg

October 20, 1942.

Sylvie Rosenberg escaped the holocaust—but can she escape the past?
Angela Martino is haunted by events from her childhood and struggles to resolve her guilt.
Can these two women from different generations reconcile their own turmoil—or pay the price of an even greater loss?

Before going to the Mohawk encampment, Wilson met with reporters from the Recorder in Amsterdam, apparently including historian Hugh Donlon. 

Tomorrow, Thursday, January 13, 2022- From the Archives of Focus on History in the Daily Gazette-Writer Edmund Wilson visited the Fort Hunter Mohawk encampment

Jerry Snyder HAL this Friday on The Historians

January 14, 2022-Episode 405-Jerry Snyder of  Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet on Amsterdam’s arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York.

Mohawk Valley Weather, Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Mohawk Valley News, Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Daily Gazette

Picture:Daily Gazette

Hochul makes big push to vaccinate young children
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Leader Herald

Amsterdam boys’ basketball bench players shine in win over Johnstown

by Stan Hudy

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...but first, the rooms needed to be painted "Tuesday Podcast 11 Minutes"

The settlers were led by Chief Standing Arrow, also known as Frank Johnson

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

The 1957 Mohawk Indian encampment

By Bob Cudmore

In June, 1957 a group of Mohawk Indians occupied land near the Schoharie Creek on the south side of the Mohawk River and remained there until they were evicted by court order in the spring of 1958.

The settlers were led by Chief Standing Arrow, also known as Frank Johnson.  The 1957 encampment was meant to repossess part of an 8,000 acre tract the Mohawks said was not included in land ceded to the U.S. government by the Iroquois Confederacy in the Fort Stanwix Treaty of 1784.  According to historian Hugh Donlon, there was talk of 3,000 Mohawks coming to the settlement from the Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border with northern New York.

That large influx never happened but the Mohawks along the Schoharie fought vigorously in court when charged with hunting without a license, for example, contending they did not need a state license to hunt on their own lands.  The hunters ultimately paid a ten dollar fine.  Chief Standing Arrow himself was fined for operating a motor vehicle without a license, despite his contention he did not need a state driver’s license.

At first landowner Elmer Buckman, a dairy farmer, did not object to the Mohawk encampment.  He was quoted as saying the encampment on his land was all right as long as the Mohawks “did not make any trouble.”  But as time passed, Buckman retained an attorney to get his land back and the Mohawks expanded their settlement to land owned by farmer William Dufel. 

The Mohawks built a longhouse and small dwelling units. The scene was a tourist attraction in the summer of 1957, visible from the Thruway bridge over the Schoharie Creek.  That ill-fated bridge collapsed 30 years later killing 10 people.  The Thruway Authority closed the new bridge following Tropical Storm Irene for a time last month and a pickup truck operator died in the vicinity when his truck was overtaken by water from the overflowing creek on Route 5-S.  The Route 5-S bridge over the Schoharie is still closed.

Montgomery County Sheriff Alton Dingman first served eviction notices on the Mohawk settlement in January 1958.  Since Chief Standing Arrow was not in camp at the time, his notice was nailed to the longhouse.

The winter was a tough one and snow covered part of the encampment that housed some 40 people at that point, according to a Daily Gazette report.  Sheriff Dingman and two officers parked on Route 5-S and trudged through the snow to serve the legal papers at the settlement, located south of the highway.  The Salvation Army had provided some assistance to the residents at Christmas in the form of food and clothing.

In March 1958, 25 people were reported still living at the Schoharie Creek Indian site.  After a court hearing that month that resulted in another eviction order, some of the Mohawk huts were burned, The encampment apparently ended soon after that.  The Mohawks were offered land in the town of Fulton in Schoharie County as an alternative site in the area but if there was a settlement there, it was short lived.

Donlon wrote, “The Dufel corn fields between Fort Hunter and Auriesville were again in high-stalk production during the following summer.”

A group of traditional Mohawks moved into Kanatsiohareke, a settlement in Yosts west of Fonda on Route 5 in 1993. Located on the north side of the river at the former site of the county adult home, Kanatsiohareke is a not-for-profit corporation that purchased the property from Montgomery County.  It is a place to which many American Indians and others travel to learn the Mohawk language and hold on to native heritage.  Chief Tom Porter of Kanatsiohareke is a nephew of Frank Johnson, Chief Standing Arrow. 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 12, 2022

From the Archives- Episode 131, September 30, 2016-Janet Lee Berg discusses her historical novel “Rembrandt’s Shadow.” (Post Hill Press, 2016) Her book is based on the true story of her husband Bruce Berg’s family during the Holocaust in the Netherlands.  Two of his ancestors were art dealers who traded valuable paintings to the Nazis for Jewish lives.

Thursday, January 13, 2022- From the Archives of Focus on History in the Daily Gazette-Writer Edmund Wilson visited the Fort Hunter Mohawk encampment

Wilson found that Standing Arrow was part of an Iroquois nationalist movement with adherents at the Onondaga reservation...

Friday, January 14, 2022-Episode 405-Jerry Snyder of Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet on Amsterdam’s arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York.

Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, January 11, 2022

The Erie Canal historic site, Schoharie Crossing will host several online programs this winter on a variety of history related topics.

Presentations will be offered in two series: Lunchbox Lessons and the Third Thursday Lectures. Both series will be offered live online and most will be recorded for later viewing on YouTube.

In January, the Lunchbox Lesson will be on Tuesday the 11th at noon featuring site staff discussing the importance and history of broom manufacturing in the Fort Hunter area. On the Third Thursday, Patrick Reynolds from the Oneida County Historical Society will discuss Jesse Williams and the Cheese Factory System at 7 pm on the 20th.

During the month of February, the Lunchbox Lesson will discuss food preservation and its impact on westward expansion at noon on Tuesday the 8th. Bill Merchant will discuss the D&H Canal for the Third Thursday Lecture at 7 pm on the 17th.

These programs are free for the public and available on the Webex meeting platform. No registration is required, and links can be found on NYS Parks Website. For more information about these programs, call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516 or email [email protected]

Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Daily Gazette

Wind Chill Advisory over Fulton, Montgomery, Schoharie and western Schenectady counties
ALBANY – A wind chill advisory has been put in place for three counties in the area, as well as…

Scrapbook 1975: Schenectady diners, politicians and a judge (7 photos)
SCRAPBOOK – Our scrapbook this week includes photos from 1975, diners, politicians and a judge. In the top photo, Rubin…

https://dailygazette.com/

Perth kidnap defendants had a strained relationship that included an order of protection, documents show

Prior to allegedly helping Justin J. Wilson brutally torture his estranged wife for six days...

https://www.recordernews.com/

Leader Herald

Make us part of Your Day

https://www.leaderherald.com/

People You Know

...born in 1876 on Bean Hill Road

Monday, January 10, 2022- Story Behind the Story podcast is an audio version of Saturday’s column on an Albany Congressman who corresponded with a town of Florida soldier. "6 Minutes"

Debuting on Historians Podcast this Friday, January 14, 2022, Episode 405-Jerry Snyder has stories from the booklet on Amsterdam’s arts.  Amsterdam’s Arts booklets are available by mail for $14.00 each, postage and tax included.  Send your order and payment to: Historic Amsterdam League, P.O. Box 132, Amsterdam, NY 12010 http://www.historicamsterdam.org/2021-booklet

The settlers were led by Chief Standing Arrow, also known as Frank Johnson

Tuesday, January 11, 2022- From the Archives of Focus on History in the Daily Gazette-The 1957 Mohawk encampment

In June, 1957 a group of Mohawk Indians occupied land near the Schoharie Creek on the south side of the Mohawk River and remained there until they were evicted by court order in the spring of 1958.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022-From the Archives- Episode 131, September 30, 2016-Janet Lee Berg discusses her historical novel “Rembrandt’s Shadow.” (Post Hill Press, 2016) Her book is based on the true story of her husband Bruce Berg’s family during the Holocaust in the Netherlands.  Two of his ancestors were art dealers who traded valuable paintings to the Nazis for Jewish lives.

Chief Standing Arrow and his followers

Thursday, January 13, 2022- From the Archives of Focus on History in the Daily Gazette-Writer Edmund Wilson visited the Fort Hunter Mohawk encampment

Four months after the Mohawk Indian encampment began on farmland off Route 5-S adjacent to the Schoharie Creek in 1957, world-renowned man of letters Edmund Wilson paid a visit to Chief Standing Arrow and his followers.

Friday, January 14, 2022-Episode 405-Jerry Snyder of Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet on Amsterdam’s arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York.

Albany Congressman

   William T. Byrne, who was elected a State Senator and Congressman representing the Albany area, was born in 1876 on Bean Hill Road near the hamlet of Minaville.  Although Byrne lived in Loudonville in later years, he maintained a summer home in the town of Florida, south of Amsterdam.

   Debbie Miller wrote, “My dad Ronald Hopkins grew up in the town of Florida and from what I understood, Byrne was a wonderful mentor to my father throughout his childhood. While my Dad was serving in the Air Force (1951), Representative Byrne and my Dad corresponded regularly.”

   Miller added, “From a letter I found (1946), Mr. Byrne would mail my Dad magazines and books when he was young to encourage reading. They would also correspond with one another so that my Dad could practice composing letters and good penmanship.”

   She continued, “Mr. Byrne seemed like a kind man who inspired the youngsters in the town of Florida to get a good education and to also lead an honorable life. In his letter, he mentioned that good habits and keeping good company will pay big returns which he knows from experience.  I’m sure Byrne influenced many other youngsters and aside from his political career accomplishments, I believe he should be recognized for his outstanding character.”

   After Air Force service in the military police in the Korean War, Ronald Hopkins, Miller’s father, raised a family and built a career as an engineering designer and manager at Beech Nut-Life Savers.  He died at 81 in 2014.

   Byrne’s parents were Richard Henry Byrne, a carpenter, and Margaret Manifold Byrne, a school teacher.  Both were Irish immigrants.  When William was a youngster, the family moved to Albany where his father operated a tavern on Broadway.

   A graduate of Albany High and Albany Law School, Byrne attended the 1896 Democratic national convention in Chicago where William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech opposing the gold standard.  Byrne also became proficient as a public speaker.

   Back in Albany Byrne developed a lucrative law practice.  He ran as a Democrat and was elected to the State Senate in 1922.  He was part of the Democratic Party machine headed by Dan O’Connell.

   A liberal and associate of Governors Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Byrne was co-sponsor of state legislation that created unemployment insurance.

   Byrne and his wife Josephine lived in Loudonville in a house now on the National Historic Register.  They had a summer home on Bean Hill in the town of Florida.  A devotee of exercise, Byrne sometimes walked to Bean Hill from his Loudonville home.

   The Byrnes’s summer home was adjacent to the Amsterdam YMCA farm called Camp On-A-Nol.  Byrnes struck up a friendship with the family of YMCA physical director Leon “Prof” Huston and his family.

   Byrne knew a breeder of spaniel dogs and arranged for a dog to be shipped by train to the Hustons.  The family named the dog Senator, “Sen” for short.  The Hustons moved for a YMCA assignment in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1942 where Senator the dog was struck and killed by a car.

   By then Byrne was serving in Congress, first elected in 1936.  When notified of Senator’s death, Congressman Byrne shipped another spaniel to the Hustons.  They named the new dog Representative, “Rep” for short.

   Byrne’s wife Josephine Diener Byrne was hostess at many gatherings at their summer home.  She died in 1948.  They were married for forty years and had no children.

   Congressman Byrne died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1952.  He was eulogized as the “genial gentleman from Albany” by future U.S. Senator Jacob Javits.

History from 1899

Pearl Hart robs a stage coach near Globe, Arizona.

The Bob Cudmore interview with John Boessenecker, author of Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West's Most Notorious Woman Bandit is down the page "Posted November, 2021"

Mohawk Valley Weather, Monday, January 10, 2022

Mohawk Valley News, Monday, January 10, 2022

Daily Gazette

Gloversville store owner says he tried to assist alleged kidnap victim – ‘I’m sick over it’
GLOVERSVILLE — The owner of a butcher shop who allegedly turned away a woman — who, police said, had just escaped after being kidnapped and…

COVID surge forces area hospitals to halt elective surgeries
Albany County reported more than 1,400 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, surpassing the previous daily record set just 24 hours…

https://dailygazette.com/

Solar developers hit the wall in town of Amsterdam

TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — The future of a community solar project on Mannys Corners Road narrowly...

https://www.recordernews.com/

Leader Herald

Common Council changes committee rules for 2022

by Jason Subik

https://www.leaderherald.com/

Today the wayback machine set for 1947 tales of carpet school, the mill shutdown and big bands. Sunday Prattle "32 Minutes" 

The Historians with Bob Cudmore, over 400 episodes recorded in the last eight years.

Many people "You Know" from The Mohawk Valley, New York State and around the World. Scroll Down

Are you kidding, Bob has talked history with the public and the private

Bean Hill Congressman corresponded with town of Florida soldier

By Bob Cudmore

Tomorrow, Monday, January 10, 2022- Story Behind the Story podcast is an audio version of Saturday’s column on an Albany Congressman who corresponded with a town of Florida soldier. "6 Minutes"

   William T. Byrne, who was elected a State Senator and Congressman representing the Albany area, was born in 1876 on Bean Hill Road near the hamlet of Minaville.  Although Byrne lived in Loudonville in later years, he maintained a summer home in the town of Florida, south of Amsterdam.

   Debbie Miller wrote, “My dad Ronald Hopkins grew up in the town of Florida and from what I understood, Byrne was a wonderful mentor to my father throughout his childhood. While my Dad was serving in the Air Force (1951), Representative Byrne and my Dad corresponded regularly.”

   Miller added, “From a letter I found (1946), Mr. Byrne would mail my Dad magazines and books when he was young to encourage reading. They would also correspond with one another so that my Dad could practice composing letters and good penmanship.”

   She continued, “Mr. Byrne seemed like a kind man who inspired the youngsters in the town of Florida to get a good education and to also lead an honorable life. In his letter, he mentioned that good habits and keeping good company will pay big returns which he knows from experience.  I’m sure Byrne influenced many other youngsters and aside from his political career accomplishments, I believe he should be recognized for his outstanding character.”

   After Air Force service in the military police in the Korean War, Ronald Hopkins, Miller’s father, raised a family and built a career as an engineering designer and manager at Beech Nut-Life Savers.  He died at 81 in 2014.

   Byrne’s parents were Richard Henry Byrne, a carpenter, and Margaret Manifold Byrne, a school teacher.  Both were Irish immigrants.  When William was a youngster, the family moved to Albany where his father operated a tavern on Broadway.

   A graduate of Albany High and Albany Law School, Byrne attended the 1896 Democratic national convention in Chicago where William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech opposing the gold standard.  Byrne also became proficient as a public speaker.

   Back in Albany Byrne developed a lucrative law practice.  He ran as a Democrat and was elected to the State Senate in 1922.  He was part of the Democratic Party machine headed by Dan O’Connell.

   A liberal and associate of Governors Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Byrne was co-sponsor of state legislation that created unemployment insurance.

   Byrne and his wife Josephine lived in Loudonville in a house now on the National Historic Register.  They had a summer home on Bean Hill in the town of Florida.  A devotee of exercise, Byrne sometimes walked to Bean Hill from his Loudonville home.

   The Byrnes’s summer home was adjacent to the Amsterdam YMCA farm called Camp On-A-Nol.  Byrnes struck up a friendship with the family of YMCA physical director Leon “Prof” Huston and his family.

   Byrne knew a breeder of spaniel dogs and arranged for a dog to be shipped by train to the Hustons.  The family named the dog Senator, “Sen” for short.  The Hustons moved for a YMCA assignment in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1942 where Senator the dog was struck and killed by a car.

   By then Byrne was serving in Congress, first elected in 1936.  When notified of Senator’s death, Congressman Byrne shipped another spaniel to the Hustons.  They named the new dog Representative, “Rep” for short.

   Byrne’s wife Josephine Diener Byrne was hostess at many gatherings at their summer home.  She died in 1948.  They were married for forty years and had no children.

   Congressman Byrne died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1952.  He was eulogized as the “genial gentleman from Albany” by future U.S. Senator Jacob Javits.

Mohawk Valley Weather, Sunday, January 9, 2022

Mohawk Valley News, Sunday, January 9, 2022

Daily Gazette

Sharp vaccination-infection split exists between Capital Region, Mohawk Valley
Nearly two years into the pandemic and nearly one year after COVID vaccines became widely available, the risk of death…

https://dailygazette.com/

A frightening saga: Woman alleges she was kidnapped, tortured for 6 days in Fulton County

During six days of alleged brutal torture inside a trailer on Fulton County Road 107, a...

https://www.recordernews.com/

Leader Herald

State clears firm linked to Schenectady’s Rivers Casino to begin mobile sports betting

by John Cropley

https://www.leaderherald.com/

...she continued, “Mr. Byrne seemed like a kind man who inspired the youngsters in the town of Florida to get a good education and to also lead an honorable life.

Saturday Podcast "36 Minutes" with Jim Kaplan Episode 404-Evacuation Day was November 25, 1783, the day the British left New York City finally ending the American Revolution.  

The Historians on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/obudmore

Google https://podcasts.google.com/search/The%20Historians

Bean Hill Congressman corresponded with town of Florida soldier

By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History, Saturday, January 8, 2022

   William T. Byrne, who was elected a State Senator and Congressman representing the Albany area, was born in 1876 on Bean Hill Road near the hamlet of Minaville.  Although Byrne lived in Loudonville in later years, he maintained a summer home in the town of Florida, south of Amsterdam.

   Debbie Miller wrote, “My dad Ronald Hopkins grew up in the town of Florida and from what I understood, Byrne was a wonderful mentor to my father throughout his childhood. While my Dad was serving in the Air Force (1951), Representative Byrne and my Dad corresponded regularly.”

   Miller added, “From a letter I found (1946), Mr. Byrne would mail my Dad magazines and books when he was young to encourage reading. They would also correspond with one another so that my Dad could practice composing letters and good penmanship.”

   She continued, “Mr. Byrne seemed like a kind man who inspired the youngsters in the town of Florida to get a good education and to also lead an honorable life. In his letter, he mentioned that good habits and keeping good company will pay big returns which he knows from experience.  I’m sure Byrne influenced many other youngsters and aside from his political career accomplishments, I believe he should be recognized for his outstanding character.”

   After Air Force service in the military police in the Korean War, Ronald Hopkins, Miller’s father, raised a family and built a career as an engineering designer and manager at Beech Nut-Life Savers.  He died at 81 in 2014.

   Byrne’s parents were Richard Henry Byrne, a carpenter, and Margaret Manifold Byrne, a school teacher.  Both were Irish immigrants.  When William was a youngster, the family moved to Albany where his father operated a tavern on Broadway.

   A graduate of Albany High and Albany Law School, Byrne attended the 1896 Democratic national convention in Chicago where William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech opposing the gold standard.  Byrne also became proficient as a public speaker.

Monday, January 10, 2022- Story Behind the Story podcast is an audio version of Saturday’s column on an Albany Congressman who corresponded with a town of Florida soldier. "6 Minutes"

   Back in Albany Byrne developed a lucrative law practice.  He ran as a Democrat and was elected to the State Senate in 1922.  He was part of the Democratic Party machine headed by Dan O’Connell.

   A liberal and associate of Governors Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Byrne was co-sponsor of state legislation that created unemployment insurance.

   Byrne and his wife Josephine lived in Loudonville in a house now on the National Historic Register.  They had a summer home on Bean Hill in the town of Florida.  A devotee of exercise, Byrne sometimes walked to Bean Hill from his Loudonville home.

   The Byrnes’s summer home was adjacent to the Amsterdam YMCA farm called Camp On-A-Nol.  Byrnes struck up a friendship with the family of YMCA physical director Leon “Prof” Huston and his family.

   Byrne knew a breeder of spaniel dogs and arranged for a dog to be shipped by train to the Hustons.  The family named the dog Senator, “Sen” for short.  The Hustons moved for a YMCA assignment in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1942 where Senator the dog was struck and killed by a car.

   By then Byrne was serving in Congress, first elected in 1936.  When notified of Senator’s death, Congressman Byrne shipped another spaniel to the Hustons.  They named the new dog Representative, “Rep” for short.

   Byrne’s wife Josephine Diener Byrne was hostess at many gatherings at their summer home.  She died in 1948.  They were married for forty years and had no children.

   Congressman Byrne died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1952.  He was eulogized as the “genial gentleman from Albany” by future U.S. Senator Jacob Javits.

Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Saturday, January 8, 2022

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 7 PM
EST SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Freezing rain and sleet along with some snow expected.
Ice accumulation from freezing rain is expected to range from a
light glaze to one tenth of an inch. Total snow and sleet
accumulations are expected to range from a coating up to one
inch.

* WHERE...Southern Vermont, northwestern Connecticut, western
Massachusetts and eastern NY except for Hamilton, northern
Herkimer, northern Warren, and northern Washington counties.

* WHEN...From 5 AM to 7 PM EST Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions due to ice
accumulation from freezing rain.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

Mohawk Valley News Headlines, Saturday, January 8, 2022

Daily Gazette

Gloversville boys’ basketball outlasts Glens Falls down the stretch
GLOVERSVILLE — Building on the momentum from their Coach Kobuskie Tournament championship, the Gloversville Dragons returned to Foothills Council action…

https://dailygazette.com/

https://www.recordernews.com/

Leader Herald

‘I was afraid’: Woman alleges she was kidnapped, tortured for 6 days in Fulton County

by Andrew Waite

https://www.leaderherald.com/