Here's a sneak peek at our newsletter's highlighted piece - the Union Bridge. The museum has a model of it in our permanent exhibit for visitors to come and check out. It was the first bridge of its kind to cross the Hudson River at any point. In this beautiful painting, the Union Bridge can be seen in its original form as a wooden, covered bridge. Copies of these paintings are available in the museum gift shop too! It's history is more interesting than you might think when you cross it. It may not be the original wood frame, but the piers the current metal one sits on are the same masonry as when it was built in 1804!

Become a member and read more about the history of this bridge and many other features of the museum's collection!

WINE & CHEESE EVENT

Friday, December 2 from 6-9pm

at the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center

Check out these fancy glasses, etched by members of the Waterford Historical Museum volunteer team. Perfect for sipping some delicious beverages from, right? There's going to be wine and beer for visitors to enjoy while taking a tour of the museum. It's open house, so we're all dressed up for you! Come see the beautiful decorations and look for a new exhibit just for this event.

Admission is $10 at the door and includes a complimentary wine glass, but there will be opportunities to purchase more than just a glass if you find something you really want more of....like maybe our Images of America: Waterford book that'll be on sale in our gift shop. So stop by and relax! Bring a friend or two! It's going to be a great night at the museum and we share it with as many as we can!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up and there's plenty to do before to get ready. There's the food, the decorations, the food, the football, the food...and was food mentioned already? Whether you're going the All-American turkey and corn route, or the mighty turducken, or even the tofurkey, you're bound to enter into a food coma.

But amid the harvest bounty celebration, don't forget it's also history. It's unlikely that anyone has somehow never heard of the Pilgrims and their sharing of their harvest with the Native Americans who helped them.

But did you know that there were other celebrations of a 'Thanksgiving' in North America before the Pilgrims arrived in the Mayflower? Maine, Florida, Texas, and Virginia also claim that their state held the first 'Thanksgiving'. Such celebrations, often a religious observance, were observed by many colonists, including the Spanish along with the English.

But, we all have come to associate Thanksgiving with the 1621 celebration held by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag. Click here to learn more about that Thanksgiving.

The Waterford/Halfmoon area is another spot that has a long history of people being thankful, especially for the water. Henry Hudson sailed up as far as this point when he made his 1609 voyage, and its first settlers were the Dutch who traded fur and other goods with the Mahican tribe as early as the 1630s.

It may be a little later than the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving, but Waterford likely had its own share of Thanksgiving celebrations long before the national holiday was made official as the fourth Thursday in November in 1941.

So what makes your Thanksgiving, your Thanksgiving?

Curious to know more about this earlier history of Waterford? Stop by the museum and see our permanent exhibit!

We also have a selection in our gift shop to get in the Thanksgiving mood: Coloring Books (clearly not just for children) and Sticker Books make for great gifts, along with so many other goodies here at the museum.

The museum is getting ready for Christmas and is looking for help with decorating! There may be plenty of pumpkins and brightly colored leaves to naturally decorate the fall season, but that doesn't mean we can't get into the festive spirit too early...can it? If you agree with us, come participate in dressing up the museum.

Saturday, Nov. 19 starting at 9:30am

We'll be getting the ornaments out and etching some glasses to make for a beautiful display at our Wine and Cheese event on Dec.2. We'll keep you posted on more information about our open house soon!

The museum wants to extend a thanks to all veterans - even if it is a little belated, why not thank veterans year-round for all that they have done for us? The museum has as part of its exhibits, a mention of all those who have served from Waterford throughout its history, including the Civil War, the World Wars and the Vietnam War.

A section of our "Waterford 200" Exhibit honoring the military services provided by brave Waterford citizens

For all those veterans, and for those still in active service to our country, the museum is proud to be a member of the Blue Star Program. We waive the fee for these visitors and their families (card holder plus five individuals) with their military identification. For those deployed, their families can still take advantage of this program too. Click on the link to learn more.

Please, allow us to share with you the history you're protecting for our future.

Welcome to the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center blog! Thanks to all our great visitors over the museum season. We hope to see you all again at our amazing programs and events. Make sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming exhibit celebrating the bicentennial of the Erie Canal!

Don't forget you can always schedule a visit during the off-season by calling ahead at 238-0809 or by sending us an email at info@waterfordmuseum.com. We're always happy to invite people inside the historic Hugh White Homestead! Check us out on our webpage to learn more about what we have to offer.