Historical Society Town Of Colonie, New York

Suzanne submitted this beloved family recipe that she's been baking every Christmas for nearly 50 years: a traditional plum pudding! What recipes are special to... you and your family? Consider sharing them to our Heritage Community Cookbook! Submissions are due by Thursday, so please submit them soon! https://www.jotform.com/203505733216145

Tucked in a drawer in the local history room at the Washington Avenue branch of the Albany NY Library is a set of large scrapbooks filled with clippings from th...e City’s Tricentennial celebrations in 1986. One clipping from The Knickerbocker News leads to a simple headstone in Lot 307, Section 26. This day in history - 100 years ago 1886 - A circus troupe performing in the city made a stop at the Albany Rural Cemetery to decorate the grave of David Hawley, a trapeze performer who had recently been buried. David Rose Hawley was born in Albany on May 30, 1849 to Elias Youngs Hawley and his wife, Ann Rose. Elias was listed as a printer at 17 Park Street in the 1848-49 city directory, but later records list him as a partner in the firm of Spangenbergh & Hawley, manufactures of cutlery and surgical instruments. By the 1870s, David’s occupation is given as a gymnast; in 1875, a brief notice appeared in the New York clipper that he was seeking a performance partner and announcing a new series of acts for that years tenting season. Subsequent newspaper notices mention performances with his Golden Circus at the Lark street rink which once stood near Spruce Street and was used for skating, musical recitals, and traveling circus acts. While there are relatively few other references to his career, he was described as one of the world’s most famous aerial acrobats some forty years after his death. David was performing at the Royal Pavilion in Montreal on June 10, 1886 when he fell in the middle of a triple aerial somersault. His spine was fractured. The injury was fatal, but on his deathbed, was married to Maude Oswald. He then sent a message to his manager, James Donovan, in Boston. It read: Dying. Yours, farewell. Dave. His body was returned to his family in Albany. His funeral was described as largely attended with his casket covered with black velvet and flowers. Among the tributes was an elaborate floral arrangement in the shape of a trapeze with a white star and his name worked in blue flowers. This was hung above the casket and had been sent by the manager of the Royal Pavilion. The plate on the lid of the casket read David R Hawley, aged 37. Maude Oswald Hawley was unable to attend the funeral; she was in critical condition in a Montreal hospital, completely broken down by attending the deceased according to account of the services which appeared in The Argus under the headline The Last Sad Rites Over The Remains of a Famous Trapeze Performer. James Donovan rushed from Boston to Albany to accompany David’s casket to the Cemetery. David R. Hawley was buried in his family plot on June 13. A simple granite stone marks his grave to the right of the monument which bears the names of his parents and several siblings. -Paula Lemire Historian, Friends of the Albany Rural Cemetery

Just across the road from our main site is our Shaker Orchard, which dates back to the early nineteenth century. The Shakers were known for utilizing apples in ...a variety of ways, from cider to sauce to pie, and even dried for later use. Only a few of the remaining trees are original to the Watervliet Shakers, and the remainder are similar historic varieties. What's your favorite type of apple? See more

Looking for a way to spend some quality time in the great outdoors while doing a little good? Join us on Saturday, April 17th for our first Hands to Work Day of... the year! We have a variety of projects that need some extra hands to make happen, and we would be glad to have your assistance. Bring a friend, your family, your Scout troop, or just yourself! Send us a message or comment below to RSVP or learn more! https://www.facebook.com/events/777093229581715

Four hundred and forty five Shakers are laid to rest in the Watervliet Shaker Cemetery, including founder Mother Ann Lee. With the exception of Mother Ann's sli...ghtly taller marker, all the headstones are made of the same material and are the same size. Shakers believed in living simply, and felt similarly about their cemeteries. We encourage all visitors to stop by the Cemetery, which is a quick walk from the Meeting House. See more

Chester A. Arthur, the 21st President of the United States, died on November 18, 1886 at his Manhattan home (which still stands at 123 Lexington Avenue). After... a funeral in New York City, his body was brought to Albany Rural Cemetery for burial on November 22. He was laid to rest, in keeping with his wishes, in the Arthur family plot where his wife, Ellen, had been buried six years earlier. The monument with its bronze angel and black sarcophagus was added later. See more

Helena R. Goines, Albany’s First African American Teacher For many decades the first African American teacher in the Albany School District was thought to be H...arriet Lewis Van Vranken who began teaching in 1915, and who subsequently became the first African American social worker in the city. However, new information has come to light and we’ve found that Helena R. Goines started teaching in the district two decades earlier in 1895. We couldn’t have corroborated what we found without the help of School District staff; Alicia Abdul Librarian, Albany High School and Paula Tibbitts, Assistant to the Superintendent. In the late part of the 19th century African American women began to emerge as a force to be reckoned with. Some doors opened and others were pushed open. Increasingly their voices were heard, and they entered fields previously denied to them; education, law, medicine, and science. They began to organize and mobilize to create institutions to serve their communities, including day nurseries, old age homes, and hospitals. Helena Goines would become part of this group. Helena was born in 1868 (probably in New York City) because her father, John Butler, is listed in NYS Civil War registration records in the City in 1863. John was probably from the Mohawk Valley (Schoharie or Oneida County), and her mother Eliza Goines Butler from Pennsylvania. It’s quite likely John and Elizabeth met in Philadelphia where she lived and he had family. The family first appears in Albany in the City Directory and the 1875 Census living at 352 Hamilton St. between Dove St. and Lark St. John Butler, Eliza Butler, Jim Butler and Nellie (Helena) Butler. When Helena began school, she would have attended an integrated school probably District School 16 at 201 Hudson Ave. below Swan St. It was the same school building which her brother Jim, five years older, attended, but until the fall term of 1873 it was the Wilberforce School, a segregated school for African American children, until it was closed in 1873, and Albany schools were integrated, and Black and white children attended school together. Within a couple of years, the family moved to the 100 block of Third St. in Arbor Hill and the children would attend District School 23 just around the block on Second St. But when Helena was about 11 her father died. Mrs. Butler and the children moved to Elm St. between Dove St. and Swan St. Around the time of their father’s death there appears to be have been a major family break. Jim and Helena started using their mother’s maiden name, Goines, as their surname which they would retain for the rest of their lives. At the time of his death John Butler appears to have been living apart of from his family. (Further evidence of the break is the fact that John Butler was buried in Albany Rural Cemetery, yet when Mrs. Butler and Helena and Jim died decades later, they were buried in Ballston Spa Cemetery.) In 1883 Helena passed the admission test for Albany High School, then located on the corner of Eagle St. and Steuben St. (The County Courthouse is there today.) Only a decade before Arabella Chapman, older sister of Helena’s best friend Harriet, was the first African American child admitted to the High School in 1873 when Albany schools were integrated. Helena graduated in 1887 from the English Division from the High School, then pursued a yearlong course at the High School and was awarded a Graduate Teaching Certificate in 1888. (This was such a significant accomplishment for a young African American woman it was reported in the New York Age a newspaper that focused on African American life and accomplishments across the country.) In 1889 Helena became a teacher in a colored school in the Wilmington, Delaware segregated school district, where she remained for at least 4 years. (Wilmington seems to be an odd choice, but, based on some old census data, quite possibly some of her mother’s family on the maternal side may have lived in Wilmington.) In 1895 she returned to Albany, becoming part of the corps of substitute teachers for the school district. In 1896 she was appointed to a permanent position in School 14 at 70 Trinity Place). The following year she appears in District records as a teacher in School 12 on the corner of Washington Ave. and Robin St. Helena remained at School 12 until she took a position in Jamaica, Queens at a much enhanced the salary in Fall 1898, shortly after Queens County was annexed to become part of the New York City in January 1898. In 1898 Jamaica was still a segregated school district. It wasn’t until late 1900 when Governor Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation that prohibited children of any race from being excluded from any school in New York State. Her brother and mother soon joined her in Queens. Helena continued to teach in Queens schools in Jamaica and Flushing for another 25 years or so. Newspaper accounts of the time document Helena’s activities among a group of African American women who were creating new social and political institutions for the Black community in New York City and the country, including the wives of W.E. B, Dubois, one of the founders of the NAACP, and Mrs. Adam Clayton Powell, wife of the immensely influential minister of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Manhattan. These women were the supporters of the first Colored YWCA in New York City and the Utopia Neighborhood Club that supported the development of what is today’s Urban League. They were the women who were members of the National Association of Colored Women, a driving force behind the activism of African American women across the U.S. Many were supporters of the African American contingent of the Equal Suffrage Party in New York City who worked to secure the vote for women. Helena passed away in Queens in 1944. She’s buried in Ballston Spa Cemetery, along with her brother Jim who died in 1906 and her mother who passed away in 1922. Note: There is compelling evidence that Helena was also Native American. Her mother’s death certificate lists her race as Native American. When Helena died there was a single heir, Jennie Brock in Philadelphia. Jennie identified as Native American in the 1940 census. It appears that the surnames Goins/Goines is closely associated with the Native American population in Philadelphia dating back to the early 1800s. Julie O’Connor M.L.S (Special thanks to Lorie Wies, Local History Librarian, Saratoga Springs Library who found the original newspaper article that indicated Helena received a teaching certificate.)

The First Officer Charles Watkins Van Rensselaer was born in Albany on January 29, 1823. His father was Judge John Glen Van Rensselaer, his mother was Ann Dunk...in of Philadelphia. The fourth of ten children, he was educated at Albany Academy and briefly served in the United States Revenue Service. He then served as first officer about a side wheel steamer, the S.S. George Law. The S.S. George Law was commanded by Captain William Lewis Herndon who became a close friend of young Charles Van Rensselaer. Herndon had great confidence in Charles, especially when the Captian’s sudden illness on one occasion required the first office to take charge. Renamed the S.S. Central America, the steamer was on a voyage from Panama to New York. On board, there were 578 passengers and crew and a cargo that later earned it the name The Ship of Gold. Approximately ten tons of gold mined in California was being transported. On September 9, 1857, after the ship left port at Havana, it encountered a hurricane near the Carolinas. Two days of rough seas and 105 mph winds crippled the ship. With torn sails, a failing boiler, and water seeping in a distress signal in the form of an inverted flag was raised, but no help came. Crew and passengers attempted to bail water from the hold by forming a desperate bucket brigade during a too brief lull in the storm. It was in vain as the second half of the hurricane caught the ship. On the third day of the storm, two ships were spotted. Herndon and Van Rensselaer did their best to evacuate women and children into lifeboats, but despite their efforts, only 153 made it to safety. Three survivors were picked up by a rescue ship a full week later. At 8:00 p.m. on September 12, the S.S. Central America sank killing 425 passengers and crew. Among them were Captain William Lewis Herndon and First Officer Charles Watkins Van Rensselaer. Accounts from survivors praised both men for their efforts and dignity in the face of tragedy. It was reported that when both men realized that nothing more could be done to save the ship, its passengers, or cargo, each returned to his quarters, dressed in their best uniforms, and took up their respective posts to go down with their ship a little more than 150 miles from Charleston. The sinking of the S.S. Central America was considered one of the greatest navigational of its time with a death toll that surpassed the sinking of the Arctic a few years earlier (see the previous post on the surgeon of the Arctic: https://tinyurl.com/y5azkjoo) The loss of the gold (valued at nearly $4 million in 2019) aboard it also contributed to the financial Panic of 1857. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Central_America The body of thirty-four year old First Officer Charles Watkins Van Rensselaer was never recovered. This granite monument on the Middle Ridge reads: In Memory of Charles Watkins Van Rensselaer 1st Officer of The S.S. Central America Who Was Lost At Sea September 12, 1857 After Helping Save All Women and Children Passengers of His Ship. The memorial is located in Lot 18, Section 56. There is another connection between the S.S. Central America and Albany Rural Cemetery. Two years after the disaster, Captain Herndon’s daughter, Ellen, married Chester A. Arthur. - Paula Lemire Historian, Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery

On Halloween in 1917, Sister Anna Goepper wrote in the South Family journal, Had a Halloween supper and party. All gathered in the dining room and supper was s...erved out of plates made of pumpkins and we had lobster salad, pickles, potatoes, cheese, cake, and ice cream. The dining room was decorated with crepe paper orange and black, with witches astraddle a broom and black cats." Sadly, we don't have any photographs from that fabulous party, so here's a spooky photo of our cemetery! See more

We had a terrific group from Historic Cherry Hill visit the Cemetery this morning. They’re shown here at the grave of John Whipple whose 1827 murder is one of the most famous crimes in early Albany history.

Don't forget that when you stop by to shop our Holiday Market, you are welcome to take a walk over to the Barn and see our chickens and turkeys! Our grounds are open daily from dawn until dusk.

The original post about the missing statue of little Bertha Cleveland has been shared over 330 times since it was originally written in August 2017. To date, ...there is no trace of this marble figure that vanished from the Cemetery 26 years ago. Since the statue is not made of bronze or any other material that would be stolen and sold for scrap, it's likely that it was taken for its artistic value and not for the value of the materials. If you have any information on our missing Bertha, please contact: Colonie Police Department (518- 783-2744) Albany Rural Cemetery office (518- 463-7017 or [email protected]) Historical Society Town Of Colonie(518-782-2601) Or send a message via this page --- The Missing Statue of Bertha Cleveland In the southern part of the Albany Rural Cemetery, a fine monument towers over the intersection of Linden and Cypress Avenues. Atop the monument, a marble angel looks towards Heaven with a little child in its arms. Small granite headstones are arranged below it Lot 1, Section 108. A closer look, however, reveals that something is missing from this lovely family plot. The base of the monument has an empty pedestal and a pair of small iron spikes meant to secure a statue in place. Bertha Isabel Cleveland was born on September 28, 1875 to Frederick W. Cleveland and his wife, Gertrude Van Vranken. Her father, in partnership with his brother George, had become wealthy as the owner of Cleveland's Superior Baking Powder Company (which was eventually sold to the Royal Baking Powder Company for half a million dollars). In 1872, Frederick Cleveland used his wealth to built a mansion for his family along what is now Van Rensselaer Boulevard. The beautiful home (called Greyledge), unfortunately, had a deadly flaw which would claim the lives of two of the Cleveland children. Unknown to the family, sewage had seeped into the mansion's water supply. In May of 1882, two-year old Edith Cleveland began gravely ill with what was described by the doctors as "malignant diphtheria." She in her father's arms on May 10 and was buried at Albany Rural a day later. The child carried in the arms of the angel atop the family monument represents little Edith. Only six months later, seven-year old Bertha also fell ill with nausea, fever, diarrhea, and delirium. Despite the efforts of three doctors, her condition deteriorated quickly. On November 3, 1882, she promised to buy Christmas presents for her loved ones and then said, "I want to rest, let me rest" before passing away with her mother at her side. She was buried at Albany Rural the next day. It was only after a third child fell in that the family was advised to move from Greyledge temporarily and the source of the illness discovered in a contaminated well. The Clevelands commissioned a beautiful statue of their little Bertha to add the family plot. The marble figure was based on photographs and wonderfully detailed, depicting the girl in a pretty dress with high-buttoned shoes and books in her hands. The marble likeness stood watch over the graves of the Cleveland family until 1993 when, one night, it simply vanished. At the time, Albany Rural and other local cemeteries had been hit hard by thieves who would target statues, stained glasses windows, and urns to sell to out-of-town antique dealers and collectors. Others stole ornamental metal objects to sell as scrap. Along with the statue of Bertha Cleveland, a massive marble bench (recovered) and bronze eagle from the nearby monument to General Adolphus Von Steinwehr (still missing) were taken. The prime suspect in these thefts was Gary Evans, a serial killer and native of Troy who was well known for antique thefts. After his arrest in 1998, he admitted to five murders and numerous thefts in local cemeteries (including Albany Rural and neighboring Saint Agnes). If he indeed took the statue of little Bertha, he also took that secret with him when he died in fall from the Troy-Menands Bridge during an escape attempt on August 14, 1998. However, other reports say that Evans denied having take Bertha while admitting to other thefts. So, the whereabouts of Bertha Cleveland's touching portait in marble remain unknown. Though the story of the missing statue appeared in local newspapers, it's possible that the statue was transported outside the immediate area and sold to an antique dealer or collector who was unaware of its true provenance. Little Bertha's statue is still out there somewhere, waiting to be returned to the Cleveland family plot at Albany Rural Cemetery. Please, share this post and, if you have any information, please contact any of the numbers at the beginning of this post.

On this date in 1844, a young man named David Strain died of tuberculosis. The following May, he would become one of the first three burials at the new Rural C...emetery. He was interred atop Kennisau Hill (later called Landscape Hill and now merely Section 76) along with his infant sister Rebecca (died 1829) and aunt Isabella (died 1819). The Strain monument notes that they were The First Interment In This Cemetary. Yes, cemetery was misspelled on the obelisk by Albany marble worker John Dixon. #albanyruralcemetery #cemeteryhistory #thefirstinterments #northridge - Paula Lemire Historian, Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery

For Friday, a flashback to a little over a century ago when the Cemetery had its own small train station. Located on the west side of the tracks, the station ...would have been on your right as you enter the grounds from Cemetery Avenue. The photographer here is looking north and the entrance to Saint Agnes Roman Catholic Cemetery would be directly behind the camera. The complex of buildings in the background were part of the Flint Granite Company, a large manufacturer of monuments. #flashbackfriday - Paula Lemire Historian, Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery

A common question about our Shaker Cemetery is why are American flags on some of the graves if the Shakers were pacifists? Some of the men served in the armed f...orces before joining the Shakers, from the American Revolution to World War I. Our Cemetery is open to the public, and can be visited any day of the week from dawn until dusk. See more

Recently we told you about the exciting discovery and restoration of the gravestone of the Rev. Nathaniel Paul at the Albany Rural Cemetery. But we never d...id tell you why the find is so important. The Rev. Nathaniel Paul was part of an African American family that had a major impact on the Black community not only in Albany, but in this country in the early 1800s. Their work was foundational- it echoes into the present day. They were among a small number of Black men who, very early in the 19th century, saw their role as helping African Americans transition into a society of empowered and independent men and women, no longer bound by slavery. They deserved equal rights, but in this temporal world they would have to earn it. It was their mission to make those who had been freed understand that it was their responsibility to ensure that others gain their freedom. The ministers in the newly created safe spaces of the Black churches were preaching what we would call today Liberation Theology. Theirs was a potentially dangerous game - the ideas that slavery should be abolished in the U.S. , and African Americans were worthy of equal rights were incendiary and terrifying to many to powerful whites and especially those whites without power. Reverend Nathaniel Paul was born about 1795 in New Hampshire. We know his father had been enslaved, but appears to have gained his freedom through service in the Revolutionary War. Four sons became Baptist ministers: Thomas (the eldest), Nathaniel, Benjamin and Shadrach. Shadrach remained in New Hampshire while Thomas, Nathaniel and Benjamin found their way to congregations in Boston, Albany and New York City. The 3 brothers would create a network that spanned the population centers of the Northeast, align themselves with other Black men, and find white men and women as allies. Thomas became the pastor of the Boston’s African Meeting House (later known as the Joy Street Baptist church) in 1805. In 1808 he also would be one of the founders of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. Historians think Nathaniel may have joined Thomas as some point in Boston, where he married, but then moved on to Northampton Mass. Nathaniel came to Albany with his wife about 1820 at the invitation of the minister of the local Baptist Church. By 1821 many of the Black congregants left that church and established the Albany African Baptist Society, which would become the African Baptist Church (a/k/a the Hamilton Street Church). Soon his brother Benjamin joined him in the city. They established a school for African children attached to the church. Over the next decade Nathaniel Paul became well known not only in Albany (he was appointed one of the Chaplains of the NYS Legislature), but in the entire Northeast. He, along with his brother Thomas in Boston, preached about the evils of slavery and the need for abolition. Keep in mind at that this time there were still people enslaved in New York (including Albany) waiting for the general statewide abolition scheduled for 1827. And when that date came there was a major celebration in Albany among the Black population. Hundreds of African Americans thronged the streets in a dignified and stately procession. The culmination of the event was an oration by Nathaniel on the Abolition of Slavery. It was re-printed in avnumber of newspapers, and copies sold in bookstores in Albany and other cities. Meanwhile Nathaniel Paul was a busy man. He was an agent for Freedom’s Journal, the first newspaper in U.S. published by an African American (so was his brother Thomas in Boston). His brother Benjamin had left Albany in 1824 to become the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, and now there was a synergy between the Black communities in the three cities (Albany, Boston and New York) with the three Paul brothers in the pulpits of the major churches. Freedom’s Journalsaid of Paul that he had been successful in improving the moral and class of the community which has been too long neglected. To prepare men for liberty their minds must be enlightened to their own rights and duties which they owe to the community. The next act of Nathaniel’s life would come about as a result of his brother Benjamin. Benjamin became one of the Board of Managers of the Wilberforce Colony in Ontario Canada. The colony was established as a refuge for African Americans in Ohio who were increasingly subjected to harsh and discriminatory laws. It was named after William Wilberforce, a British MP who succeeded in abolishing the slave trade (and whom Nathaniel’s brother Thomas had met on a trip to England in 1815). Benjamin moved to the Colony and Nathaniel followed; it was time to move on. He had done good work in Albany, but his wife had died about a year before, and the Colony was a place where he could continue that work. He settled there and quicky established an African Baptist Church. But the colony wasn’t self-sustaining and financial support was necessary. The Managers decided to send Nathaniel Paul to Great Britain to fund raise. He would spend the years from about 1832 to 1835 traveling through England and Scotland. It was a revelation; he didn’t experience the racism and discrimination he’d encountered America and was treated with dignity and respect. He re-marrried a white woman, Ann Adey from Gloucestshire. Soon he was joined by William Lloyd Garrison on much of his lecture tour. Garrison had been a friend of his brother Thomas in Boston, was the publisher of the anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator, and was emerging as the leading white abolitionist in the United States. But the trip to Great Britain was a financial failure and Paul returned to America. His brother Benjamin died in Canada in in 1836, and Nathaniel’s relationship with the Colony was over. Nathaniel came back to Albany in 1837 to the African Baptist Church. Sadly, Nathaniel died in 1839. The members of the Church provided a simple yet moving headstone, with the following epitaph. SACRED To the memory of REV. NATH.L PAUL. First Pastor of the Hamilton Street Baptist CHURCH in this City: Born in Exeter N.H. Jan. 7th 179[5] Died in the Faith & triumph of the Gospel July 16th 1839 Having experienced Religion in the morn[ing] [o]f life. He was early employed in the Vineyard [of] [h]is Divine Master & continued until his decease a Laborious, Faithful, & Efficient Minister of the CROSS. Emulating the spirit & example of the Saviour like him. He also partools in degree a similar recompense! For. The Servant is not greater than his LORD. A Distinguished Minister & Philanthropist: A Martyr to his indefatigable exertions in the Cause of Truth & suffering Humanity: removed in The midst of his days & usefulne[ss] his cherished Memory will remain enshrined in the hearts of His sorrowin[g] Widow, attached People . the Churches and Ministers of Christ. With a Large circle of Friends. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from Henceforth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may Rest from their Labours: and their works do Follow them. Rev. XIV. 13. They mourn the dead who live as they desired. On his death The Liberator published the following. DEATH OF REV. NATHANIEL PAUL. The decease of this estimable and eloquent colored brother, who was pastor of the Hamilton-street Baptist church in Albany, is announced in the daily papers of that city. Mr. Paul was in almost constant companionship during our sojourn in London, a few years since, and to his active and efficient co-operation were we greatly indebted for the triumphant success. His widow Ann remained in Albany until at least 1841 (living on Madison Ave, below Swan St.) while she assembled a collection of her husband’s writings, with a view to publication by Garrison, but nothing came of the effort. (The Rev. Nathaniel Paul’s legacy is the sermon he delivered On July 5, 1827 on the need for abolition which is still read today.) By 1850 she had moved to Northampton, and died there in 1853. But that was not the end of the Paul family in Albany. In 1840 the city would agree to open a public school for colored children. The first principal of this new Wilberforce School in 1841 would be Thomas Paul Jr. son of Nathaniel’s brother Thomas. Thomas was one of the first the first Black graduates of Dartmouth College , and had worked as a printer’s apprentice for William Lloyd Garrison. He remained in Albany for a number of years; there was a disagreement with the school supervisors and he was terminated. He went to teach Boston, but about 3 decades later he would return briefly to Albany’s Wilberforce School. While in Albany he would live with some of his uncle Benjamin’s family. Two of Benjamin’s sons, Benjamin Jr. and Shipherd (also known as Samuel) made their home in Albany, and were deeply involved in the fight for abolition and equal rights for African Americans, including participation in the Underground Railroad. Julie O’Connor

We're so thankful to the fabulous volunteers who helped us with our apple harvesting this year! The apples have been picked up by Nine Pin and will be used to make a new batch of Shaker Heritage Cider. We can hardly wait to sample it!

Photos from this morning’s observance of President Chester A. Arthur’s birthday.

For all our Kerry cow fans (that's all of you, right??): the 55th in the United States, Killkee was born this past Saturday night! She joins mom Tralee and sist...er Carne (now 11 mo. old). The family will be leaving for their winter home in a few weeks, but we expect all three to return to the pasture next spring. If you'd like to see them before they go, please visit our grounds any day of the week between dawn and dusk! Special thanks to farmer Bob Reilly for caring for these sweet girls and sharing updates with us. He also pointed out that Killkee is the first cow born on this property in almost 100 years!

Last week CBS News (National News) came to Guptill's Roller Skating Arena to do a nationwide story on roller skating for CBS This Morning with Jane Pauley, whi...ch will appear this Sunday between 9 AM and 10:30 AM, on CBS 6. Of all the rinks in the United States, they chose Guptill’s to be the Main Rink for the story!! They were amazed at our 70 year history in business, seven decades of success, and features like the murals from the fifties, mirror balls from the seventies, and the building size... in the Guinness Book of World Records, as the WORLD’S Largest Indoor Roller Skating Rink. They filmed the skating rink over a period of two days, and did some interviews. We were very honored that they chose Guptill’s Arena to be the main part of their nationally aired story! Thank you all, for your support through all the years!!! Airs this Sunday on CBS 6 Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley 9 AM to 10:30 AM nationwide!! See more

As work is almost complete on the restoration fo the Reverend Nathanial Paul's long lost headstone, the inscription on the stone has been transcrined: SACRED To... the memory of REV. NATH.L PAUL. First Pastor of the Hamilton Street Baptist CHURCH in this City: Born in Exeter N.H. Jan. 7th 179[5] Died in the Faith & triumph of the Gospel July 16th 1839 Having experienced Religion in the morn[ing] [o]f life. He was early employed in the Vineyard [of] [h]is Divine Master & continued until his decease a Laborious, Faithful, & Efficient Minister of the CROSS. Emulating the spirit & example of the Saviour like him. He also partools in degree a similar recompense! For. The Servant is not greater than his LORD. A Distinguished Minister & Philanthropist: A Martyr to his indefatigable exertions in the Cause of Truth & suffering Humanity: removed in The midst of his days & usefulne[ss] his cherished Memory will remain enshrined in the hearts of His sorrowin[g] Widow, attached People . the Churches and Ministers of Christ. With a Large circle of Friends. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from Henceforth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may Rest from their Labours: and their works do Follow them. Rev. XIV. 13. They mourn the dead who live as they desired. There will be much more to this story soon, but for those of you who might have missed some of the earlier posts about the discovery of Reverend Paul's remarkable headstone, here is a roundup of links to past posts and media stories: Original post from Friends of Albany History: https://tinyurl.com/y3stjywo Revealing the name (video): https://tinyurl.com/y27v62ea The Restoration: https://tinyurl.com/y3g6rf5w Uncovering Mary Johnson's headstone: https://tinyurl.com/yxrl7te6 Times Union article: https://tinyurl.com/yynqfgvo Video of the restoration work in progress: https://tinyurl.com/y4bphsg3 WTEN news segment: https://tinyurl.com/yyuj5jhd The Albany Gravedigger: https://tinyurl.com/yy3eygv6 -Paula Lemire

Say hello to Sheila, Carne, and Sweet Pea! You can see them for yourself at our pasture, our grounds are open every day from dawn until dusk.