Time: 9:00-5:00
Location: Catskill Middle School Auditorium, 343 West Main Street, Catskill
Cost: $20 (includes lunch: make check payable to IHARE and mail to PO Box 41, Purchase, NY 10577)
Contact Hours: 7.5
Directions: go to http://www.catskillcsd.org/directions.htm#middle

Immerse yourself in the history of Greene County.  Hear its music.  View its art.  Sing its songs.  Tell its stories.  See its historic sites. Learn about the Greene people who over the centuries have made the county what it is today.  Meet the people who are preserving that legacy and help us to continue to do so in the 21st century.

9:00 Welcome – Wayne Speenburgh, Chairman of the Legislature (invited)

9:15 Why Greene Is Great: Local History Matters – Dave Dorpfeld, Greene County HistorianGreene County has experienced many changes since the end of the Ice Age and first human settlements in the land.  Thousands of years later these first settlers would be joined by the Dutch, Palatines Africans, and the English.  The area was part of the struggle for Independence and witnessed a boom with the arrival of the turnpike, steamboats and railroads, and emergence of industry in the valley towns.  The county became a cultural center as well with the stories of Rip Van Winkle, the paintings of the Hudson River Artists and the growth of tourism in the mountain towns. By remembering our past we help to build the future our county in the 21st century.David Dorpfeld is a native of Greene County with a 36 year career in state and federal government agencies as an investigator, management analyst and auditor.  He has been a member of the Greene County Historical Society for over 30 years and serves as Treasurer.  For the past two years, he has been the Greene County Historian.  In addition he writes a weekly history column for several Register Star Newspapers including the Catskill Daily Mail.

10:15 Hudson River School – Ted Hilscher, Columbia Greene Community CollegeWelcome to the Hudson River School of Art.  This presentation will showcase its art, discuss the messages of the artists, investigate the changes in society to which they were responding, and emphasize the role of the Hudson River School in the origins of the environmental movement.Ted Hilscher is Associate Professor of History and Government at Columbia Greene Community College in his academic life.  As one devoted to local history, he is the Town of New Baltimore Historian and Trustee Emeritus of the Greene County Historical Society.  In the past he was the chairman of the board of the Greene County Historical Society when that organization purchased the Thomas Cole House and the preservation efforts began in 1998.  He also serves as a docent there.

11:15 The Civil War from a Local Perspective: the William H. Spencer Letters – Robert Uzzillia Everyone knows that the Civil War occurred in the South – that’s where all the National Park Services sites are located excepted for Gettysburg!  But it was the people from the North who fought in those battles and marched in those campaigns and no state contributed more than New York State.  New York in particular contributed more soldiers to the Union than did any other state.  The soldiers who fought the war shared their experiences with the homefront through letters to their families.  These letters provide a graphic description of war and insights that only a soldier could have.  The letters of Greene County resident William H. Spencer were
transcribed by Eileen Cords,  a descendant, during the town’s Bicentennial.  Re-reading them reminds one of just how powerful they were and of their impact on the loved ones who were reading them.

Robert Uzzillia is a lifetime resident of Greene County.  He graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 1980 with a BS in Geography and  was appointed Cairo Town Historian in 1988.  He has written articles for the Town of Cairo Bicentennial (Catskill Daily Mail), as well as a photo history and has given presentations on topics ranging from a general history of Cairo to collecting salt-glazed pottery from Athens, NY.

12:15 Lunch: Musical entertainment by John Quinn & Bill Lonecke and others

1:15 Preserving a Legacy: Warren Hart, AICP, Director, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM & PLANNING, moderator

The Civil War in Ballads, Stories, Poems & Camp Fire Songs – John Quinn & Bill Lonecke

The War Between the States was prolific in war poems and songs. In the North and South, poets and songwriters vied with each other in invoking the muse. The program will recreate the music of the period that reached the hearts of the people with fiery metrical appeals to patriotism. The influence of music and the power of song —- the plaintive ballad, the lofty, patriotic, and heroic lyric, the parody, the spiritual anthem and even the crude and comical camp fire songs will be presented. These are the songs that would have been heard in ‘the hundred circling camps’ and family parlor by our ancestors.

John Quinn is the co-chair of the Greene County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, member of the Civil War Heritage Foundation, former teacher, school administrator and college faculty member, board of trustee member at the Pratt Museum and Vice Chairman of the Community of Windham Foundation. He’s a member of the 77th NY Regimental Balladeers a Civil War parlor band.

Bill Lonecke – is a Social Studies teacher at Margaretville CSD. He is a member of the Civil War Heritage Foundation, Greene County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, Banjo player for the balladeers band and has over 30 years experience as a reenactor and historian.

Using Film to Preserve Local and County History – Jonathan Donald, Jonathan Donald Productions, Inc.

An anecdotal account of history’s role in film, especially in the arts and entertainment which give an audience a touchstone to the past that political history rarely offers.

Jonathan Donald or his company has produced over 200 documentary and dramatic programs for network, cable, and Public Television including major series like the dramatized documentaries of Rediscovering America(Discovery), Faces of Japan (PBS), The Africans (Time-Life Television and PBS), Conserving America (PBS), Wild, Wild World of Animals(Time-Life Television).  He has written directed and produced these programs and won various awards such as an Emmy and Golden Eagles.  He began his career in television at an ABC documentary unit. His first jobs in broadcasting were at a radio station in Berkeley before moving to Public Affairs Director at WBAI in New York.

A Most Important Historical Legacy—Writing It Down!: Getting the local words out – Deborah Allen, Publisher, Black Dome Press

Greene County’s only regional publisher shares the remarkable triumphs of documenting local history. Find out how books are really made, how they get into the stores and finally, onto your night stand. How can these books on local history be used in the classroom?  Can local students in high school and college partner with municipal historians and historical societies to write books about the history of Greene County and their community?  Let’s talk.

Debbie Allen is the publisher of Black Dome Press, an independent publisher of New York State histories and guidebooks with a special focus on the Adirondacks, Catskills, Capital District and Hudson River Valley.  Founded in 1990, Black Dome Press honors include  the first-ever Barnes & Noble 2009 “Focus on New York Award for Outstanding Regional Literature,” the Columbia County Historical Society “Preservation Heritage Award,” the Community of Windham Foundation “Leadership in Cultural Heritage Award” and the “Distinguished Service Award” by the Greene County Council on the Arts.  Their offices are in the Catskill High Peaks below Black Dome Mountain.

Getting Our Local and County History Together – Barbara Mattson, Executive Director, Mountain Top Historical Society

Hear what goes into selecting, collecting and organizing a collection and why organizations must constantly re-examine and re-define their roles.

Barbara Mattson lives in Maplecrest, NY and has been Executive Director of the Mountain Top Historical Society since 2008.  She has written grants for non-profits and municipalities and has worked in the communications and media industries.

3:00 The County and the Classroom – Hudson Talbott, Moderator

The River and the County – Hudson Talbott, author River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River

Hudson Talbott has written and illustrated nearly twenty books for young readers. Born in Louisville ,KY, he attended Tyler school of Art in Rome, lived in Amsterdam, Hong Kong and traveled extensively throughout the world before starting his career in New York. His first children’s book was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, called How to Show Grown-ups the Museum. His second book, We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, was made into a feature-length animated film by Steven Spielberg. Hudson then collaborated with composer Stephen Sondheim on a book version of the composer’s musical “INTO THE WOODS”. His books have won a variety of awards and been transformed into other media..He was honored recently by Scenic Hudson Environmental Organization for his River of Dreams – The Story of the Hudson River. That book and O’Sullivan Stew have both been produced as musicals for young people. He is currently working on a book titled  It’s All about Meow! – A Young Cats’s Guide to the Good Life”, which will soon be published by PenguinPutnam.

The Colonial World and the Classroom
Wanda Dorpfeld, Greene County Historical Society

Wanda Dorpfeld was born and raised in Freedom, New York. She holds Bachelor of Science and Master of the Science of Education degrees from The College of St. Rose, Albany, New York. After living in Indiana and Washington, D.C., she moved to Greene County in 1977. She was a teacher for 25 years in the Catskill Central School District. She currently is on the Board of the Greene County Historical Society and is co-chair of the Museum Committee and Chair of Board Development and Resources. She also is on the Board of The Heermance Public Library and is Chair of Policy and Planning.

Hudson-Athens Lighthouse – Jean Cardany and Michelle Whiting Coxsackie-Athens School District

Each year the second grade classes from Coxsackie Elementary School and Edward J. Arthur Elementary School participate in a special program called “Beacons of Learning.”  Through this program the students have the opportunity to visit and learn about the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.

The boys and girls learn about the past, present, and future of this special community treasure. They meet Emily Brunner who lived on the lighthouse as a child and they discover ways to help with the preservation of the lighthouse. Another important feature is the opportunity to experience the river firsthand.  Despite living so near it, many of our students have never been on the Hudson River in a boat.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our program and experiences with the participants of the Greene County History Conference.  We hope that by listening to the children recount their experiences, it will encourage more schools to learn about their local history.

A Greene Family History Is American History
Carolyn Bennett, Director, Pratt Museum Board

The story of the Zadock Pratt family in America is a mirror image of the story of America from the Puritan arrival on the shores of this country thru the dawning of the 20th century with the stories of the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, settlement and industry in the Catskills, the Hudson River School of Art, creation of the Washington Monument, formation of the Smithsonian, construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and more in between. Learn–or teach your students– American history through the eyes of one great early American family.

4:30 Teaching County History Roundtable – Peter Feinman, Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education

The Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the knowledge and appreciation of human cultures from ancient times to the present through an array of student, teacher, and public programs and activities. The goals and objectives of the organization are:

1. To increase the public awareness of the benefits of history and archaeology through public programs.
2. To promote the inclusion and development of history and archaeology in the k-12 curriculum.
3. To provide history and archaeology enrichment programs at the k-12 level.
4. To develop, implement, and teach history and archaeology programs for teachers by working with the schools and teacher centers.
5. To work with educational institutions of higher learning, government organizations, cultural institutions, and professional archaeological and historical organizations to develop, promote, and implement archaeological and historical programs.

Peter Feinman is the founder and president of the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education, a non-profit organization which provides enrichment programs for schools, professional development program for teachers, and public programs. He received his B.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania, a M.Ed. from New York University, an MBA from New York University, and an Ed. D. from Columbia University. His interests cross disciplinary boundaries including Egypt, with the forthcoming “The Tempest in the Tempest Stela: A Cosmic Story in History,” Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar festschrift to Dorothea Arnold, biblical, “When Israel and the Arabs Were Allies” published as part of the proceedings of the Israeli-Palestinian Pathways to Peace conference, and American, “Chautauqua America,” in The American Interest. He recently organized and spoke at a conference on Immigration: The Melting Pot and the American Dream and is busy organizing county history conferences in New York State.

Time: 9:00-5:00
Location: Albert Wisner Public Library, One Mcfarland Dr., Warwick, NY 10990 (845)-986-1047
Time: 9:00-5:00
Contact Hours: 7.5
Fee: $20 (includes lunch)
Cutoff Date: April 13, 2011

Immerse yourself in the history of Orange County. Look at the landscape the people first walked. Gaze in awe at the mammoth beasts they encountered and whose discovery influenced a nation only a few decades after so many died in the fight for independence. Hear its music. Tell its stories. See its historic sites. Learn about the Orange people who over the centuries have made the county what it is today. Meet the people who are preserving that legacy and help us to continue to do so in the 21st century.

9:00 Welcome – Orange County Executive Edward Diana [invited]

9:15 After the Ice Age: Life Returns to Orange County – Tom Lake, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program Naturalist Once upon a time millennia ago, Orange County was a sheet of ice just as it was this winter only more so. The Ice Age created the landscape on which human settlement would occur. This talk will examine Orange County in the Late Pleistocene, from the end of the Ice Age through the arrival of the First Americans (ca. 15,000-10,000 years ago) through the material remains which still exist today.

Tom Lake works for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program as its Estuary Naturalist, where he shadows eagles, teaches the ecology of the estuary, and edits the Hudson River Almanac, a natural history journal now in its 18th year

10:15 Immigrants All: The Immigration Dimension in Orange County History – Richard Hull, New York University, Warwick Town Historian

Orange County is a culturally diverse entity. In some respects it is a melting pot and in others it is deeply divided and fractured along cultural, religious, and ethnic lines. This talk traces the origins of the major cultural and religious groups that settled here, from the pre-Columbian period to the present. We explore their distant origins, the conditions that motivated them to come here from their ancestral homelands, the ways in which they adapted to their new surroundings, the extent to which they acquired new cultural identities, the problems they encountered in their process of assimilation. Some immigrant groups sought to adapt while others resisted. How do we account for these differences in acculturation? How did the earlier populations react to newcomers? What is the demographic future?

Professor Richard Hull teaches at New York University where he has been honored with the Distinguished Teaching Award. He has received a Fulbright Fellow, Danforth Fellow and the United Nations Distinguished Citizen Award. Locally, he is the Town of Warwick historian, the recipient of the Orange County Revered Citizens Award in 2005, a Trustee Emeritus of the, Orange County Land Trust, a charter trustee of the Sugarloaf Community Foundation, a Board member emeritus of The Nature Conservancy, on the Advisory Board of the Warwick Conservancy, and Trustee emeritus of the Sugar Loaf Methodist Church. He is the author of numerous books including: People of the Valleys: A History of Warwick, 1700-2005.

11:15 So Many Brave Men: A History of the Battle at Minisink Ford – Peter Osborne, former Executive Director, Minisink Valley Historical Society

On July 22, 1779, one of the most lethal battles of the American Revolution based on the ratio of participants to people killed, occurred on a hill above Minisink Ford, New York, along the Delaware River north of Port Jervis. The battle was a disaster for the American militia units with more than one-third of the militiamen perishing in that conflict. The primary source documents tell the tale of the lives of these men from the surrounding areas, of the battles they fought, and of their dedication to freedom. These previously overlooked documents served as the basis for the book on the battle.

Peter Osborne presently is the Curator of Education and Special Events for the Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton. Prior to that he was the Executive Director for 29 years of the Minisink Valley Historical Society in Port Jervis. He has a decree in American History from Rutgers University and an interest in regional history and the Roosevelts. He is the co-author of So Many Brave Men: A History of the Battle at Minisink Ford.

12:15 Lunch with entertainment by the Hudson River Ramblers, Jonathan Kruk and Rich Bala

1:15 The Mastodons in Orange County: Then and Now
The Great Orange County Mastodon Discovery of 1801: Meaning for America – Joseph Devine

There once was a time when Europe was considered the most cultured of civilizations and America was a mere neophyte lacking the classical consciousness of a mature civilizations. But America had wonders Europe couldn’t dream of from the spectacular Niagara Falls to skeletal remains of when giants beasts roamed the land. The discoveries in Orange County astonished the world and impacted our infant republic. Hear this story and see what was discovered.

Joseph Devine is a retired IBM Senior Technical Professional who has dedicated recent years toward research in the field of local and American history.

Introduction to the Peale Museum of Discovery – Evan Galbraith

Evan Galbraith manages a family office, developing real estate properties throughout Orange County. The famous Montgomery Pond, where Charles Willson Peale exhumed mastodon bones, was bought by the family in the 1960s. In 2007, the family decided to explore the development of a museum to celebrate this incredible part of our national heritage.

Galbraith has a B.A. from Tufts University in Boston and a M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in New York.

2:15 Preserving the Past
Filming the Past, Timothy J. Englert, Development Specialist, Palisades Interstate Park Commission

“The Perkins Effect” and “The Harriman Touch”, two short films by PIPC Media on the history of the Palisades Parks, from its beginnings more than a hundred years ago to its current success amidst economic uncertainty. There will be a discussion about the PIPC’s treasure trove of archival materials, park preservation, and the films themselves following the screening.

PIPC Development Specialist Timothy Englert has been with the PIPC since 2007, and has worked to promote its history, write successful grants, publicize its 28 state parks and historic sites, and develop its substantial archives into films and other media. He is the co-founder of the Knickerbocker Ice Festival, which celebrates the history of the Hudson Valley’s world famous natural ice harvesting past, and has seen it grow from a handful of attendees in its first year to over 25,000 this past January. Prior to the PIPC, Tim’s career as a filmmaker included work in both television and the corporate world in New York and Los Angeles, as well as the commercial photography business in NYC. He graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in history, and was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship studying the history and construction of the acoustic guitar. He lives in Valley Cottage, NY.

Historic Preservation: Tool for a 21st Century Community – Julian Adams, New York State Historic Preservation Office

Historic Preservation has long roots in American History, although many seem to think it is a modern idea. Learn where the historic preservation movement began in the United States, how it developed philosophically and in practice, and what local communities and citizens can do to be a part of maintaining their character and sense of place.

Julian Adams is the Community Liaison and Certified Local Government Coordinator for the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), part of the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). A native of Georgia, he holds a Masters of Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia at Athens. He started New York State service in 1988, when he took a job in the SHPO’s Technical Services Unit, overseeing rehabilitations and restorations across New York State under federal and state programs. During a sabbatical from the SHPO in 1995-1996, he worked with the Historic Natchez Foundation in Natchez Mississippi, overseeing low income housing development in historic neighborhoods, working with the local preservation commission and planning department, and assisting in heritage education. In 2000 he was named head of the Technical Services Unit, overseeing all rehabilitations and restorations across New York State, a position he held until 2004. In 2005 he took a position as Sr. Architectural Historian/Historic Preservation Specialist with a nation-wide environmental consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas, working with military bases in their responsibilities under Federal Historic Preservation law. He returned to state service in 2006 as Community Liaison, Certified Local Government Coordinator, and OPRHP Agency Preservation Officer, assisting communities and municipalities across New York State with their preservation issues.

3:15 Orange County History Roundtable – Peter Feinman, Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education, moderator

3:45 Orange County School/Historic Organization Collaborations, Peter Feinman, moderator

“Creating a Curriculum: The Museum Village/Newburgh CSD Collaboration,” Sarah Wassberg, Education Director, Museum Village

“Traveling Trunk: Reaching Out When They Can’t Bus In,” Ivy Tulin, Historical Society of Warwick

4:30 Teaching Orange County History Workshop, Peter Feinman, moderator

Time: 9:00-5:00
Location: Mahopac Library, 668 Route Six, Mahopac (845/628.2009)
Contact Hours: 7.5
Cost: $20 (includes lunch)

Immerse yourself in the history of Putnam County. Look at the landscape the people first walked and the homes they built. Hear its music. Tell its stories. Eat its food. See its historic sites. Learn about the Putnam people who over the centuries have made the county what it is today. Meet the people who are preserving that legacy and help us to continue to do so in the 21st century.

9:00 Welcome, Paul J. Eldridge, County Executive [invited]

9:15 Houses of History: The Land on the Eve of Becoming a County, Eugene Boesch, Putnam County Historic Preservation Advisory Committee

The 18th century was a time of change in what is today Putnam County. New settlers entered the region transforming it from a frontier occupied by Native Americans for thousands of years to a locally-based rural, agrarian landscape dominated by Euro-Americans. Soon wider trade and distribution networks appeared. This lecture introduces the audience into how archaeology can be used to explore 18th century house sites in the Putnam County region. Historic archaeology helps create a picture of the County’s past that frequently exceeds and sometimes contradicts the documentary record. What do the artifacts found at these sites reveal about the people who lived in these homes: their ethnicity, occupations, status, subsistence practices, and other cultural patterns? This presentation explores what archaeologists know, do not know, and want to know about such domestic sites; the methods employed to investigate dwelling sites, the types of finds and remains that researchers often encounter; and the insights these sites provide about past lifestyles. The lecture also covers the process by which historic house sites are evaluated for possible inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Eugene Boesch has undertaken archaeological excavations in the Hudson Valley area for over thirty years. He received a Ph.D. and other graduate degrees from New York University. Dr. Boesch’s work has primarily focused on Pre-Contact period cultures and adaptations in the Eastern Woodlands of North America and on early Euro-American settlement in the Hudson Valley region. He has worked in Israel, California, and throughout the mid-western United States. More recently his research interests have focused on researching and recording to Historic American Engineering Standards late nineteenth and early twentieth century American industrial complexes for the United States Environmental Protection Agency through its Super Fund program. Currently Dr. Boesch is a faculty member at Adelphi University and owns a cultural resources consulting firm. He has taught at New York University, Vassar College, SUNY Buffalo, Rutgers University, and Nassau Community College. A concern for local historic preservation issues has led him to become a member of the Putnam County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission and the Westchester County Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.

10:15 The Breakup of 1812: Why We Split from Dutchess County – Sallie Sypher, Deputy Putnam County Historian

Even though Putnam County separated from Dutchess County just days before war with Great Britain was declared, the split was caused by many factors unrelated to the war. Historically, there had always been some differences – political, social, and ethnic – between people of the five towns that would become Putnam County and the inhabitants of the other Dutchess towns. Those differences were exacerbated by small inconveniences, oversights, and offenses, none of which alone were enough to cause a rupture. However, in this most tumultuous time since the Revolution, these small incidents, combined with a significant election, propelled the Putnam towns into separating from Dutchess County.

Sallie Sypher has a BA from Mount Holyoke College and a Ph.D. from Cornell University with her dissertation topic Mary of Guise and the End of the Old Alliance, 1542-1560. She has taught at Bronx Community College, been a Councilwoman (1974-1981) and Supervisor in Town of Putnam Valley (1982-1989), was the Putnam County Historian (1990-1996) and is the Deputy County Historian (1996-present). She currently is a member of NY State Historical Records Advisory Board and Regional Advisory Committee of the NYS Documentary Heritage Program.

11:15 Changes in Our Land: Landscape transformations in Putnam County over 200 years- Patricia Houser, former Putnam County Historian

This talk will describe general trends in land use in Putnam County between roughly 1812, when Putnam was formed, and the present day. Causes of the shifts from sheep raising to cattle raising, from beef cattle to dairy herds, and then the question of what happened to the farms will be included in this chronological overview of land use in the area. What effect did the reservoirs have? Who had the most say in what was built and where in the second half of the 20th century, as Putnam became the fastest growing county in the state? The approaching bicentennial of the county is a good time to reflect upon the impacts of the many factors causing changes in our land.

Patricia McMahon Houser has taught college geography and urban planning and is currently working on a manuscript based on her Ph.D. dissertation on the environmental history of New York City’s Croton Watershed. She is a long time resident of Mahopac and Carmel, N.Y.

12:15 Lunch Entertainment by Jonathan Kruk and Rich Bala, Hudson River Ramblers

1:15 Putnam County Bicentennial Community and Committee Reports – Karl Rohde, Putnam County Historian

2:30 Putnam County School/Historic Site Collaborations

1. Southeast Museum and the Brewster Schools – Amy Campanaro, Executive Director, Southeast Museum
2. Fourth Grade and the Foundry: The Haldane and Garrison Experience – Kendall Ingenito, Outreach Coordinator, Putnam County Historical Society & Foundry School Museum
3. Teaching American History through Putnam County – Dan Ricci, Mahopac High School and Putnam Valley Town Historian
4. Using Music and Storytelling in the Classroom, Jonathan Kruk and Rich Bala, Hudson River Ramblers

4:00 Local Historian Roundtable

1. Making Local History Accessible in the 21st Century: Using Resources on the Web
2. Collaborating and Cooperating to Maximize Our Scant Resources
3. “Putnam County’s Past Cast in Stone” – Tom Maxson, Highlands Preservation, Inc.A review of the unique elements in Putnam County which led our predecessors to construct the impressive and enduring stone chambers that highlight our landscape and remind us of the amazing skill and workmanship that went into the design and building of these structures. As we come to the realization that Putnam County is the “stone chamber capital of the United States,” this distinction presents us with challenges to be good stewards as we try to protect and preserve these remnants of our past, so that we may pass them down to future generations.Tom Maxson is the chairman of Highlands Preservation, Inc., a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the hidden historic and prehistoric treasures in Putnam County. We conduct surveys of historic and prehistoric sites, and register them with the NYS SHPO organization as inventoried archaeological sites. I serve on the Board of the Kent Historical Society, and previously served as a member of the Kent Comprehensive Plan Committee, making recommendations for the protection and preservation of historic assets within the town. He is also the author of “Mount Nimham: The Ridge of Patriots,” detailing the history of Kent’s highest point which was named for the unsung patriot, Chief Daniel Nimham.
4. Using Photographs to Preserve Local History: The Haviland Hollow Story, Ron Taylor, Patterson Historical Society

4:50 Teaching Putnam County History workshop – Peter Feinman, Institute of History, Archaeology and Education

TIME: 10:00-4:00
LOCATION: New York State Museum, Albany
CONTACT HOURS: 6
COST:  FREE

Join in the celebration of New York State history. Meet the educators from historic sites in the Mohawk Valley, Great Capital Region, and the Hudson River Valley. Share ideas about the War of 1812 Bicentennial and the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Tour the New York State Museum. Plan you visits to the historic sites of the Empire State.

PROGRAM
10:00 Welcome, Robert Weible, New York State Historian

10:15 The Mohawk Valley in New York and American History, Tricia Shaw, Schoharie Crossing State Historic Park and the Mohawk Valley Consortium

11:15 Hudson River Art School and Jacksonian and Antebellum America, Carri Manchester, Olana State Historic Park and Peter Feinman, IHARE

12:15 Lunch Workshop: Historic Sites and the Classroom with Crailo State Historic Site, Johnson Hall State Historic Site, Schuyler Mansion, Shaker Heritage Society

1:00 Historic Site Displays – participating sites include:

Adirondack Museum @ Blue Mountain
Lake Albany County Historical Society
Arkell Museum
Clermont State Historic Site
Crailo State Historic Site
Historic Cherry Hill
Johnson Hall State Historic Site
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
New York State Library
New York State Military Heritage Museum
New York State Museum
Olana State Historic Site
Salem Art Works
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site
Schuyler Mansion
Shaker Heritage Society
Ten Broeck Mansion
Thomas Cole House

2:00 Native People Cart

3:00 Citizen Soldiers Museum Tour

To register send an email to IHARE at contact@ihare.org with NYS History Day as the subject and include: Name, School, and contact email address.

LOCATION: New York State Museum, Albany
COST: Free

Experience the Civil War in New York with the new exhibit at the New York State Museum and representatives from related historic sites on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at a free Historyhostel/Teacherhostel event sponsored by the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education.

The pivotal role New York State played in the war is the focus of the 7,000-square-foot exhibition. As the wealthiest and most populous state, the Empire State led all others in supplying men, money, and materiel to the causes of unity and freedom. New York’s experience provides significant insight into the reasons why the war was fought and the meaning that the Civil War holds today. An Irrepressible Conflict will be open through September 22, 2013 in Exhibition Hall.

The exhibition includes objects from the collections of the State Museum, Library and Archives, as well as others from institutions across the state. Among the many significant objects are a Lincoln life mask from 1860, the earliest photograph of Frederick Douglass (a rare 8-by-10-inch daguerreotype image, courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association) and the only known portrait of Dred Scott.

The exhibition’s title was inspired by an 1858 quote from then U.S. Senator William H. Seward, who also served as governor of New York (1839-42) and secretary of state (1861-69). Seward disagreed with those who believed that the prospect of war between the North and South was the work of “fanatical agitators.” He understood that the roots of conflict went far deeper, writing, “It is an irrepressible conflict, between opposing and enduring forces.”

PROGRAM

9:30 Welcome: Peter Feinman, IHARE

9:45 The Civil War in New York: A Grave Experience – Peter Hess, Albany Rural Cemetery

The Civil War was fought in the South but many of the burials occurred in the North including of Confederate soldiers. What is a rural cemetery and who are the people who are buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery, free and slave, North and South, male and female, who are connected to the War?

10:30 “An Irrepressible Conflict: The Empire State in the Civil War”: The New York State Museum Exhibition Civil War Workshop – Truemaster Trimingham, Museum Educator-NYSM. Teacher Resources

11:30 “An Irrepressible Conflict: The Empire State in the Civil War”: Guided tour of the exhibit with Robert Weible, the New York State Historian

12:30 Lunch (bring your own)

1:00 The Civil War in New York: The Columbia County Experience – Diane Shewchuk Executive Director/Curator and Ina Griffin-Guilzon Museum Educator, Columbia County Historical Society

An overview of the exhibition Civil War Panorama: Columbia County 1860-1865 will highlight specific objects. While the exhibition focuses on men and women from Columbia County, the experiences and the themes are not unlike those from residents of all over New York State. Participants will be guided through the online resources developed in conjunction with the exhibition.

2:00 Exhibitor Display Walk Through – New York State Museum has invited numerous historical organizations to set up display tables in the Museum as part of its annual Museum Day program. Participants will have the opportunity to see these display tables during this time slot.

3:00 Teaching the Civil War in New York Wrap Up: Peter Feinman

What do you teach at present on the Civil War? How might the session today change that? What would you like to see in the Common Core Curriculum? Should the 7th grade curriculum continue to end with the Civil War or should be extended to include the Reconstruction

Location

New York State Museum
Cultural Education Center
222 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY 12230

Parking is available in the two lots adjacent to the Museum, both off of Madison Ave.
Parking in these lots is free after 2 pm and on weekends.

Museum Contact Information
Main Lobby Desk: 518-474-5877

Program Registration
email feinmanp@ihare.org with:

Name
School or History organization if appropriate