midterm progress – Page 3 – 2016 Intro to Digital History

Walking Tour Proposal

February 29, 2016March 6, 2016sgreene2

A) Locations on my Tour

Henry Johnson Memorial – My walking tour starts off at this memorial for Sergeant Henry Johnson. Sergeant Johnson was active during World War I. He moved to Albany as a teenager. He enlisted for the Army and following World War I was considered a war hero. He died in 1929. Johnson was awarded the Purple Heart by President Clinton in 1996.
Washington Ave Armory – The next stop on the tour is the Washington Avenue Armory. The Armory was built in 1890 for the 10th Battalion of the New York State National Guard. It eventually became home to several basketball teams before falling into disuse. In 2004 the Albany Basketball and Sports Corporation purchased the Armory and renovated it.
George Washington Travels through Albany – My next stop is a marker on Washington Avenue. George Washington traveled down Washington Avenue during his tours of the the Mohawk Valley in 1782 and 1783. It is on Washington Avenue near Swan Street.
USS Slater – The next stop is the USS Slater. The former USS Slater is now the Destroyer Escort Historical Museum. There are tours of the ship from April through November.
Schuyler Mansion – Schuyler Mansion was home to Revolutionary War hero, Senator, and entrepreneur Phillip Schuyler. Him and his wife, Catherine Van Rensselaer, came from powerful Dutch Families. His daughter Elizabeth married Alexander Hamilton. The wedding took place in the mansion. There are tours of the mansion year round.

1. Ohlhous, Howard C. “The Battle of Henry Johnson Marker.” The Historical Marker Database. May 18, 2011. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=42675.

2. “About the Armory.” The Armory. 2014. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.albanyarmory.com/about/.

3. “Historic Markers.” NYS Museum: Historic Markers. May 5, 2005. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/historicmarkers/hisaction.cfm.

4. “Destroyer Escort Historical Museum.” USS Slater. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.ussslater.org.

5. “Schuyler Mansion Historic Site.” New York State Parks. 2016. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/33/details.aspx.

B) Google estimates my tour will take a total of 48 minutes.

C) The organizing theme of my tour is Albany history, specifically Albany’s military history. I am looking for places that can show Albany’s military history as well as how it can connect to American history in general. The audience for my tour is probably a slightly older audience. I would not say it is exclusive to older people, but I would say that an older person would probably be the average member of my audience. I could also see this being an elementary school field trip, but as a general audience member I would stick with males who are out of school. I would say my average audience member would be a 25+ male. I feel that teenagers may be bored by some things on this tour, although that is not definite. I feel males would enjoy the war elements of the tour more than females. The big takeaway I am hoping would come from going on my walking tour is a better sense of Albany’s history overall. I feel like after going on my walking tour you would not only learn a lot more about Albany’s own history, but you would also learn about Albany’s spot in the history of the United States. The overarching theme of my tour is the militaristic hot spots of downtown Albany. There are many important spots in Albany that have a lot of value historically. George Washington rode down these streets and Alexander Hamilton was married downtown. Early America and Albany’s history are intertwined in many ways and that is a main point I want to come out during my walking tour. Each of my locations is a piece of Albany history, but also plays some sort of role in American History and that is how each of my locations is connected to each other. They are not all specifically related time wise or subject wise, but overall the theme of Albany and American history intertwining connects every piece of my map.

D) USS Slater

The first image is a photo of the USS Slater from Flickr. This photo has a copyright attached to it and is not in the public domain. The USS Slater is one of the stops on my walking tour of Albany.

Schuyler Mansion

The second image is a photo of the Schuyler Mansion in downtown Albany. It was also found on Flickr. This photo falls into the category of Creative Commons.

E) Three additional questions I need to research to finish my project:

Who was Phillip Schuyler and what role did he play in the Revolutionary War?
What role did Henry Johnson play in World War I and why was he awarded the Purple Heart by Bill Clinton?
What exactly did the USS Slater do and when was it active?

Tour Proposal

February 29, 2016March 7, 2016sporter

1) The first location on my tour is the Suny Administration Building formerly know as the Delaware and Hudson Building (D&H). During the twentieth century, the D&H Building was the centerpiece of Albany. Albany city was the heart of major river ports as well as a major railroad center. The D&H building played a significant role to the history of railroads because it was one of the largest railroad headquarter. The building was also home to two of the most important railroad tracks, the New York Central and the Delaware&Hudson. My second location is the Key Bank formerly known as the National Commercial Bank. The bank was first founded in 1825 as the Commercial Bank of Albany and its main function was to issue and circulate bank bills. In 1865 the bank became organized as a national bank and renamed to the National Commercial Bank. The bank is significant because it became the financial stronghold of Albany and was a determining factor for many of Albany’s businesses to prosper. The third location is Old Elm Tree, although the tree no longer exits it’s a significant landmark of Albany’s history. The Old Elm Tree once stood in-front the home of Philip Livingston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. After the removal of the tree in 1877 the corner became home to many different establishments. The fourth location is the Wellington Hotel. This hotel was a symbol for respectable guest such legislatures and officialdom. Today, the hotel is an abandon building that is in the process of being demolished. My last location is the Albany Law school. Although the school no longer exist at this location during the early 1900’s this was the home to many Albany law students and is considered one of the oldest independent law school

“Albany Law School.” The History of. Accessed February 28, 2016. http://www.albanylaw.edu/about/history/Pages/default.aspx.
Belinski, Stefan. “Elm Tree Corner.” Elm Tree Corner. 2001. Accessed February 28, 2016. https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/loc/elmtreecorner.html.
Prescott, Herbert F. “The National Commercial Bank of Albany: A Brief History of Three-quarters of a Century, Its Officers and Directors”. Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons, 1901. Accessed February 29, 2015. https://play.google.com/books/reader? id=VnkpAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA34.
“The D&H Building.” The D&H Building. 1993. Accessed February 28, 2016. http://www.albany.edu/museum/wwwmuseum/statestreet/dhbuild.html.
“Wellington Hotel-State Street, Albany, NY.” Wellington Hotel-State Street, Albany, NY. Accessed February 28, 2016. http://lostlandmarks.org/wellingtonmain.html.

2) Google estimates my tour to take 17 minutes

3) For my tour I decided to focus on a specific area of downtown Albany. I chose State Street as my topic because it was a familiar area to me. Although I am not personally from Albany I felt that State Street was a common location and therefore my tour would attract more audiences. The theme of my tour is “What Are They Now” aside from each location being on the same street, they all were locations that once represented something different from what they do now. For example, the B&H building initial purpose was for railroads, but today it’s know as the Suny Administration Building. As for my intended audience, I feel as though my tour can entertain and educate any age group and gender. In addition, the short length of my tour also attracts more audience. My audience can range from a person whose on their lunch break, or just someone who has free time and wants to learn more about Albany. Although there are few limitations on who my intended audience is, I do feel as though local residents who are familiar with the State Street area can benefit more than none local residents. I believe this because being familiar with the area makes a person curious to learn more about the history of their own neighborhood. After my tour I want my audience to feel as though they physically have went back in time. The whole point of not having a specific topic, but a specific area to focus on is so that my audience can feel as though they have learned a little bit more of Albany’s overall history. My idea to show a then and now of my five location is to show my audience the evolution and progress Albany has made from the eighteenth/nineteenth century to present day. I hope my audience not, only take away historical facts, but also leave my tour feeling a sense of pride for being a part of a city filled with so much history.

4) D & H Building
Wellington Hotel

5) What happen to the once prosperous Wellington Hotel that made it become an abandoned building?

Why did the Albany Law school move from its initial building?

Why did the National Commercial Bank stop printing money?

Entertainment in Albany

February 28, 2016March 6, 2016cgordon

The map presented shows a walking tour of the following locations:
1)The New York State Capitol : National Historic Landmark located in Capitol Park
2)Washington Park: Well-known and well-maintained park and home of Albany’s annual Tulip Fest
3)Albany Institute of History & Art: New York’s oldest museum and one of the oldest art institutions in the United States
4)The Armory: Located in the downtown area of Albany, place for sporting and entertainment events.
5)The Palace Theater: Largest theater in Albany, place for growing downtown entertainment

“Info on Palace Performing Arts Center, Inc. in Albany.” Albany.com. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.albany.com/business/palace-performing-arts-center-inc-93/.

“Tour of Empire State Plaza In Albany New York.” Discover Albany New York & The NY Capital Region At Albany .com! Albany Hotels, Motels, Real Estate in Albany & More! Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.albany.com/tours/empirestate/.

“About AIHA.” Nationally Significant Collections – New York Museums. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.albanyinstitute.org/about-the-albany-institute.html.

“About the Armory.” The Armory Sports and Convention Area. http://www.albanyarmory.com/about/.

“Hot Spots Washington Park, Albany NY.” Washington Park. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.albany.com/hotspot_washington-park.cfm.

-The full tour takes about 55 minutes to walk all 5 locations

–

The sites for the walking tour fall under an entertainment theme based on their purposes. Each location has some historical context, serve as places for events, and brings together the many cultures within Albany. The New York State Capitol and The Armory both have distinct architectural features that make it appealing to the eye. The Albany Institute of History and Art is unique in that it is the oldest museum in New York, with one of the best collections of objects, manuscripts, and photographs in the U.S. Washington Park hosts the annual Tulip Fest, an event that has been in Albany for over 60 years.

The audience for this entertainment tour is young adults, potentially in a group of recently graduated students seeking better opportunities in Albany. They’re looking for what makes the capital of New York unique. The biggest walkaway from the tour is that Albany is more than important state buildings. When discussing the capital, one would assume that there is a strong business and political atmosphere. There are several areas within Albany that can cater to need for excitement. Each location has a historical background, such a The Palace Theater for example. It was built during the Depression, showing that the need for entertainment to distract residents from their economic strain. The Armory also is a popular arena where shows and sport events have taken place over the years. In the midst of being in Albany for better job opportunities, change of scenery, or living arrangements, you are able to find something to do that fits your interests. Outside of these five locations, there are other neighboring sites that cater to night life, food, education, and more.

Questions: (1) In what way can I shorten the tour and target different neighborhoods of Albany in the process?

(2) Where can I find more informative sources on the location?

(3) Can I find more entertaining sites to increase the audiences’ attention?

The Palace Theater

The New York State Capitol

Tell Me A Story

February 27, 2016March 7, 2016Angie

1) The first location the map is Stephen and Harriet Myers House. This house is important because it held significant value during the time of the Underground Railroad. In the 1850s, Stephen Myers was a chairman of a group whom was charged with helping African slaves on their way to Canada. The second location is Lark street. Lark street leads to many other streets and avenue which makes a route easier to follow, it is also home to a great amount of the Albany night life. The third location is the Walter Merchant House. The style of this home stands out to me because it is of Italiante architecture which is a style that was prominent during the 19th century; although more noticed in the 19th century, it has its beginnings during the 16th century Italian Renaissance. This home is one of few in an urban setting and was owned buy one of Albany’s wealthy merchants. The fourth location is the New York State Executive Mansion. It was first built as a private residence but was later purchased by the state to become the state’s executive mansion. It became the first state owned building with the sole purpose of housing the governor. The last location is the Mansion Historic District. It was Albany’s first suburban district right below the governor’s mansion. This area housed many of Albany’s immigrants in the 19th century.

“National Register of Historic Places Listings in Albany, New York.” Wikipedia. Accessed February 27, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Albany,_New_York.

2) The tour is 39 minutes.

3)Places all over the world tell a story. Whether it is the deli around the corner or the park down the street, there is something significant about these places. The story that my tour tells is about a small town that many people over look but holds beautiful sights and buildings that have meant something to someone in the past. I chose homes that may have made an impact on the past people of Albany. All of these places relate to one another in the sense that at one point in time people sought refuge in these places. People either lived in these homes or passed by on their way to find a better place to be. The Stephen and Harriet Myers home was a place of temporary refuge for the salves that were escaping, and the Walter Merchant house with its exquisite style was a place of comfort and a show of wealth for one of Albany’s richest merchants; the New York State Executive Mansion was a place for a family to lay their head at night and find peace and comfort in the home and one another and then it became a place for the governor to do the same and the Mansion Historic District held homes for Albany’s immigrants. It was a place full of different cultures and became a melting pot over the years; the area was filled with people from all over hoping to find something in Albany that they felt they were missing back home.

The audience of my tour is school children, tourists and locals. The idea is to educate these groups of people on the significance of buildings in Albany. There are some homes and state buildings that are well known by almost everyone but then there are homes such as the Walter Merchant house or the Stephen and Harriet Myers home that people may not know about. I feel as though when you live, visit and even just pass by a place, you should learn something about it, especially the buildings you walk into while there. The big takeaway point the visitor will get from the tour is that, if something is there, it is there for a reason. One may not know why a particular church, house, or school is located where it is located but there is a reason and it should be of interest to find out what that reason is.

4) The New York State Executive Mansion

The Stephen and Harriet Myers Home

5) A. Have any of these buildings been turned into a museum or a place that people can visit?

B. What race of immigrants predominantly lived at the Mansion Historic District?

C. What are some other places along this route that seem to hold significance or tell a story about Albany?

State Street Albany, NY

February 23, 2016sporter

https://www.flickr.com/photos/albanygroup/11864829834/in/album-72157634720565585/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/albanygroup/14168645351/in/photolist-nA31CP-on3cap-bvXbg9-9wUYKZ-iy9ych-ou2NE8-owmPsm-ftqsy3-owtTzZ-ot1aQE-ouUwoj-odffya-owidzU-sVekii-ujmibm-uP9FNz-DkZhKD-tmyfbA-xgxaHn-oewKJP-sGmaMm-owgPRj-osuZ11-ov6huP-osuPU5-osUpPd-odyMTR-ouugJu-u56vTm-wLRAGT-ovdHDR-ojVhD-ovVDQe-xGf6wh-ouaLkY-ovTjQD-tDubEz-oenLKH-oxAzh4-owoLhx-otNR6m-oeFUL7-ow5i9Q-wAKP28-ovPP3D-oxAun4-ouq6bk-ovFHPA-ovrihX-oeLkc2

For my potential project idea, I chose to focus on a specific area in Albany. My initial project idea was focusing on the education in Albany, but I found it hard to narrow down the type of schools I wanted to do. As a result of my indecision, I began thinking of other directions to take my project. Instead of focusing on a specific topic, I chose an area (State Street) that was familiar to most local Albany Residents and identified three locations within that area that I felt could capture a part of Albany’s history. The first picture is the inside of the Wellington Hotel which was home to many visiting legislatures and officialdom. The next picture is the National Commercial Bank which opened in the 1865 and stopped printing money in the 1935. The last picture is the Albany Law, founded in 1851 and considered as the nation’s oldest independent school of law.

Similar Tour: Tremont: Lincoln Park Area

Fashion in Albany!

February 11, 2016Pamela

Fashion in Albany can be quite a midterm project topic because Albany is known for its cold weather, so as historians we can see how that effected life in the 1900’s. We can also see what different staple locations in Albany contributed to the fashion culture and how different or similar the location is to serving the purpose that it once did.

Entertainment In Albany

February 9, 2016February 9, 2016cgordon

For potential project ideas, I chose entertainment in the Albany region. Since, attending a University in the state’s capital, I chose specific events and landmarks that I found were popular and traditional in Albany. The first choice was the Paramount Theatre established in 1929. The image accompanying the information on the map does not look like theaters that we see today. I found the construction of the building to be unique. It would be interesting to know who attended the theatre, the cost of admission, and what were the biggest films being played at the time. The second choice was the Tulip Fest. I had no prior knowledge of when this event started, its purpose, and how it had become a tradition in the Albany community. The images showed the annual fest occurring in the spring, the inducted Queen, and other activities. The last choice was a fight at the Albany Armory between Muhammad Ali and Ernie Terrell. The cost of admission was only $4.50 to see such famous fighters. The Armory today, is typically used for parties and concerts. The layout that I remember is similar to a basketball court for a gym, but the outside structure shows how historic and memorable the building is.

February 9, 2016February 16, 2016Ryan Scarpelli

Metallurgy and the trade of blacksmithing is the area I chose to focus on for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that I am fascinated by the craft; it is an occupation that once helped revolutionize the world yet it seems all but forgotten in modern times.

There were a number of blacksmiths and silversmiths during this time period such as James Bishop and Benjamin Browning of 279 and 202 Washington Avenue, respectively. During this time period, there were a total of 8 blacksmiths just in the immediate city of Albany. Today, the John Eagan Blacksmith sign pictured above still stands as a reminder of the past to this day on Liberty Street in downtown Albany.

Similar Tour: Mel Rose & Rose Iron Works

Churches in Albany

February 9, 2016February 27, 2016smackesey

Religious Albany, New York, Saint Peter’s Bell
Religious Albany, New York, Saint Peter’s Church, State Street and Barracks (Chapel) Street
Religious Albany, New York, Saint Peter’s Church, State Street and Barracks (Chapel) Street

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/125+Eagle+St,+Albany,+NY+12202/107+State+St,+Albany,+NY+12207/10+Lodge+Street,+Albany,+NY/First+Church+In+Albany,+110+N+Pearl+St,+Albany,+NY+12207/St+Joseph’s+Terrace,+Albany,+NY+12210/62+S+Swan+St,+Albany,+NY+12210/275+State+St,+Albany,+NY+12210/405+Quail+St,+Albany,+NY+12208/@42.6598593,-73.7762165,13.3z/data=!4m50!4m49!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a22cd423549:0x877219abd8418f10!2m2!1d-73.7598914!2d42.6476819!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a2421936aef:0x5e76103e93a9bc4a!2m2!1d-73.7540206!2d42.6509774!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a26623558bb:0x8d27a196fb19e89e!2m2!1d-73.7528015!2d42.6518573!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a2633c7330d:0xddf36129e1230a2a!2m2!1d-73.7506732!2d42.6535577!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a29183502b7:0xdad04f1af8d6f903!2m2!1d-73.752369!2d42.656719!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a2566b76f59:0x78352f4963991a72!2m2!1d-73.7578227!2d42.6546411!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a3aeb2b8d9b:0xb171ffbab8d18106!2m2!1d-73.7610466!2d42.6543185!1m5!1m1!1s0x89de0a5c7e0e0f4b:0xd337c53bd827be9d!2m2!1d-73.786095!2d42.6540589!3e2?hl=en

http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/103#.VsNKVvkrIdU

http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/93#.VsNLFfkrIdU

http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/165#.VsNLafkrIdU

Albany Brewery’s

February 9, 2016February 16, 2016gbreihof

I chose three different Brewery’s. The different breweries I chose were the John F. Hendrick Brewery, the James Boyd Brewery, and the John Taylor & Sons brewery. I thought that this topic was very interesting because during the pre-prohibition period, Albany was listed for almost 80 different breweries, which was a lot for that time period. Many breweries at that time did not last very long, most lasting only a couple years. The brewery I found most interesting was the Hendrick Brewing Company because John F. Hendrick created the first large German Bier brewery, which stayed open for over 50 years. While Hendrick Brewery was the first German Bier brewery, James Boyd opened his brewery, which was considered to be the the first modern brewery in the city of Albany, in 1796. Just between 1800 and 1825 12 new breweries were opened. The third brewery that I am very interested in is the John Taylor & Sons brewery. This was the first brewery that saw opportunity in using Albany’s access to the Hudson River. When the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, John Taylor, who was a very good business man, began exporting his beer south to the port of New York after raw materials for beer making would be brought east to Albany. Once the beer was brought to the port of New York, it could then be brought to any where in the world. All three of these breweries were in the hands of very smart business men, and all were chosen for outlasting many other breweries that were built in Albany during that time period. I also think that the audience for breweries can be very large as well. All people aver the age of 21 can relate to beer. There are so many types of beer, from porters to ciders, and they all have a distinct taste. Many people are interested in beer, and there’s a beer out there for everyone, whether you like light or dark beers.

http://findingyourpast.blogspot.com/2013/11/brief-history-of-german-brewers-in.html

http://albanyaleproject.com/history/rise.html

http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/311#.VsNKIhr2YdU