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The National Park Service Centennial: An Imperiled Promise

Imperiled Promise: The State of History in the National Park Service is a study conducted by the Organization of American Historians (OAH) at the invitation of the National Park Service (NPS) published in 2011. The study was featured in a pre- conference workshop on June 12, 2014, at the Henry Wallace Visitor Center located at […]

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Empire State Presidential Elections (2016): A Day in Infamy

New York has not always been the Empire State. When the United States was first constituted, the nation’s first capital was New York City (meaning Manhattan). During the American Revolution, Washington spent more time in this state than in any other. New York, the city that he had abandoned, remained an elusive target even though […]

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Forgetting July 4, 1827

In White Plains, near where I live, there is annual Juneteenth parade and festival to commemorate the legal end of slavery in the United States. It is a community effort in recognition of June 19th, 1865, when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had […]

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The Haunted History Trail versus the Underground Railroad in New York State

The Haunted History Trail versus the Underground Railroad in New York State

         Casper the Friendly Ghost  After my post on the abysmal state of the state Underground Railroad effort, I received comments from around the state about the situation. Below are the highlights of some of what is going on at the grassroots level. Buffalo (Erie County) – The Director of Library and Archives reported that […]

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Whither Whitesboro: Identity in America

An older version of the Village seal “We have literate people, we have educated people. But very few of them are really equipped with a democratic mind-set. Civic education was the missing link.” Azizullah Royesh, school champion in Afghanistan (NYT 1/23/16) It’s not often that a small community in upstate New York becomes fodder for […]

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Happy New York State History New Year

Happy New York State History New Year

Former State Historian Bob Weible/New Year/The Next State Historian? Once again the calendar has turned and a new year has commenced. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, that means it is time for New Year’s resolutions which we won’t keep. Instead, I would like to submit a […]

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