Join me after a long hiatus for an episode dedicated to Sojourner Truth. Truth was an abolitionist, pioneer of women's rights, preacher, Union Army recruiter and wore many other hats during her time. Her roots are right here in Ulster County NY in the heart of the Hudson Valley. In this episode I do a whirlwind biographical history of Sojourner Truth, of course followed by my usual tips on how to get out and visit the historic sites in our area. Here is a link to the full text of Truth's most famous speech "Ain't I a Woman" which I read during the show, https://www.nps.gov/articles/sojourner-truth.htm . Most of the sites I discuss during the show don't have dedicated web pages, but the Sojourner Truth State Park does so I will link that here, https://parks.ny.gov/visit/state-parks/sojourner-truth-state-park I will also link the website for the young Sojourner Truth statue in Port Ewen covered in the show, https://www.esopus.gov/visit/sojourner-truths-time-in-esopus-ny/ . My food recommendations this episode are the Hoffman House, https://www.thehoffmanhousetavern.com/ Lucky Catskill, ((845) 802-0046) Brickmen, https://brickmenkingston.com/ Kingston Social, https://www.kingstonsocialny.com/ Tony's Pizza, https://www.tonyspizzeriabroadway.com/Welcome.tpl?action=nc&from=Top125 New China, ((845) 334-9203), and Mario's Pizza, ((845) 338-1157)

In this episode come along and visit the most famous fortress in North America, Fort Ticonderoga! This upstate NY fort in the Adirondacks nestled between Lake Champlain and Lake George played a crucial role in two conflicts. We will cover the importance of the fort in both the Seven Years War and the American Revolution and later on how the ruins of the fort were restored and turned into a public museum largely thanks to a movement known as Romanticism. So strap on your boots, gas up the car, and lets get out and see some history! https://fortticonderoga.org/

This month I have something a little different for you. Instead of one specific site or town of historic significance to visit, we are exploring a theme. The theme is of course Christmas in New York! In this episode you will discover how crucial New York was in the formation of the Christmas holiday icons, imagery, and traditions we know and love today. We will run into our old friend Washington Irving and join him in his meetings with Charles Dickens. We'll do a deep dive into the origins of Santa Claus as we know him today beginning back in antiquity then moving forward in time to the Hudson Valley Dutch. We'll learn how Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Victorian Britain influenced our Christmas and just how spooky some Christmas traditions were. For sites to visit we are all over the place in this episode including Rockefeller Center, https://www.rockefellercenter.com/ Radio City Music Hall, https://www.msg.com/radio-city-music-hall Staatsburg https://millsfriends.org/mansion/ The Old Dutch Church in Kingston NY, https://olddutchchurch.org/ Sunnyside, https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/washington-irvings-sunnyside/ Germania of Poughkeepsie, https://germaniapok.com/ and others. Join me on this incredible journey through centuries and across continents to find out the origin story of New York Christmas!

In this episode of Empire State History, we travel to the capitol of New York Albany. We will meet the original inhabitants of the Albany area the Mohawks and Mohicans. We'll also learn about the Dutch, English and later American colonists, the Revolution, and the 19th century period of economic growth in Albany. Finally, we will visit the Capitol building and the Plaza. The sites we will visit are the Schuyler Mansion https://parks.ny.gov/visit/historic-sites/schuyler-mansion-state-historic-site, The New York State Museum https://nysm.nysed.gov/visit, The Egg https://theegg.org/, The New York State Capitol Building https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/capitol, and the Albany Institute of History and Art https://www.albanyinstitute.org/. My food recommendations this episode are Tanpopo Ramen https://tanpopoalbany.com/, and Banh Mi 47 http://banhmi47.com/.

Halloween season is finally here in Sleepy Hollow Country! In this episode enjoy some of the most haunting and historic folklore stories from Sleepy Hollow Country. Meet the Lady in White of Raven's Rock, the Star Maidens of Spook Rock, Captain Kidd the Pirate, Hulda the good witch of Sleepy Hollow, and of course the Headless Horseman. History and Legend go hand in hand in Sleepy Hollow; while enjoying the ghost stories you will also learn local history. New to this episode is also an events segment where I will cover the cemetery tours, Hulda's Night, and performances by expert storytellers among other events. I will provide links below for the sites and events.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tours, https://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/tours-and-events/

Hulda's Night, https://huldasnight.com/

The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze https://pumpkinblaze.org/

Historic Hudson Valley Events, https://tickets.hudsonvalley.org/events

Rockefeller State Park Preserve https://parks.ny.gov/parks/59/details.aspx

Susuru Ramen https://susururamentarrytown.com/

In this episode join us back in Sleepy Hollow Country. This is part 2 of our 3 part series on Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Irvington collectively known as Sleepy Hollow Country. Part 2 covers the 19th century focusing on the area's most famous resident, author Washington Irving. Enjoy a mini bio of Irving's life and times. You will also get to hear some samples of his writing. Next we move on to what is known as the Gilded Age, a time of industry, immigration, enormous wealth and enormous wealth gaps! Visit the home of the Rockefellers and Jay Gould and join me at Sunnyside home of Washington Irving. We also visit the Cemetery where Gilded Age personae such as Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, and Samuel Gompers are buried. I will provide links to the websites for the sites below. Sunnyside, https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/washington-irvings-sunnyside/ Kykuit, https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit-the-rockefeller-estate/ Lyndhurst, https://lyndhurst.org/ Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, https://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/

Hey everyone welcome back! In this episode we will go into the history and folklore of one of the best known towns in the Hudson Valley, Sleepy Hollow. We will dive into the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving and discuss the colonial and Indigenous history of the region. We will also cover the history of enslavement in NY and the four main cultures which create the unique cultural history of Sleepy Hollow, Leni-Lenape, Dutch, African, and English.

We will visit Philipsburg Manor https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/philipsburg-manor/ a Dutch manor house, Kingsland Point Park where you can connect with the mighty Hudson River and it's deep history https://parks.westchestergov.com/kingsland-point-park The Tarrytown Historical Society is also worth a stop https://www.thehistoricalsociety.net/ . Some of the food and beverage stops I recommend are Coffee Labs https://www.coffeelabs.com/ The Cube Inn https://thecubeinn.net/ and Beekman Ale House https://www.beekmanalehouse.com/ This episode is intended to be part one of a three part series on the Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Irvington area culminating with a spooky folklore episode in October so watch this space!

In this episode I explore the conflict between the French, British and their respective Indigenous allies known as the French and Indian War. Scenic Lake George New York was the site of battles, massacres, and sieges between 1755 and 1757 and saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. These events inspired NY author James Fenimore Cooper to write the great American novel The Last of the Mohicans. After a longer than usual historical narrative (extra background was necessary for this one) I of course go into how to visit the sites, where to eat, parking, and bathrooms!

The two sites I cover are Lake George Battlefield, https://lakegeorgebattlefield.org/visitor-center/ and The Fort William Henry Museum, https://www.fwhmuseum.com/ Some restaurants I recommend are the Lakeside at the Fort William Henry Hotel, https://www.fortwilliamhenry.com/resort-overview/dining-and-nightlife/lakeside-restaurant-lounge/ and the Adirondack Brewery https://adkbrewery.com/ .

As always checkout our website for pictures and more details!

Empire State History – Your guide to all things New York History!