History Told by a Light Bulb and a Cannonball

Being an intern at a historical museum means you run into at least one interesting item every day. Lucky for me, that number has been closer to five or six, and the list has yet to stop.

You also quickly find out that seemingly mundane objects are far from such, even a light bulb. The antique electric light blub below featured at the Waterford Historical Museum holds an important piece of local history. Its faded GE logo symbolizes the Capital Region's engineering advancements at General Electric in Schenectady, New York.

Electric light bulb (c. early 20th century), at the Waterford Museum

General Electric was founded in 1892 after the Edison General Electric Company in Schenectady merged with the Thomas-Houston Company in Lynn, Massachusetts. Thomas Edison, leader of the Edison General Electric Company and, more famously, the inventor of the electric light bulb, combined forces with his competitor once realizing that neither company could run solely off their respective patents. In other words, they needed each other's technology and rights to technologies for production. The companies' merge became GE, which was sealed with an official monogram seen on many GE lightbulbs, both antique and current.

General Electric in Schenectady. To the left you can see the famous GE logo.

The Schenectady GE building served as headquarters for many years, meaning the company's innovation in energy and lighting took place right here in the Capital Region. This is why a GE lightbulb goes beyond scientific or practical significance - it represents the powerful contributions of Albany's surrounding towns.

Continuing on the theme powerful contributions, the Capital Region had a prominent military role during the Revolutionary War, as most residents of the area already know. The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 was a turning point for the colonists in their fight for freedom from the British Empire. As the name suggests, the pivotal battle took place in Saratoga Springs, just 35 miles north of Albany.

Map of Peebles Island State Park

Peebles Island has some great walking trails!

It is accessible by bridge at the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center

But what some people may NOT know is that Peebles Island in Waterford acted as a "plan B" fortress if the Battle of Saratoga went South (quite literally).


In 1777, British general John Burgoyne began putting his plan to capture Albany into action. His military advances prompted the colonists to fortify Peebles Island given its strategic location of where the Mohawk River and Hudson River meet.


The colonists' victory at the Battle of Saratoga put an end to General Burgoyne's advances, so the reinforcements at Peebles Island were not needed.


The Capital Region's significance in the American Revolution is perfectly captured by two cannonballs preserved by the Waterford Museum. They probably originate from the 18th century, the time of the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War, and are made from cast iron, making them surprisingly heavy.

Two cast iron cannon balls, at the Waterford Museum

Cannonballs such as these were part of the artillery used by both the colonist and the British armies in the Revolutionary War. With cannons, the cast iron projectiles could be shot at distances between 600 and 1800 yards - that's up to eighteen football fields!

It is easy to assume that items such as light bulbs and cannonballs have only practical purposes, but as you can see, that assumption is false. Not only do they contribute to the larger historical narrative beyond their invention, but they also have direct ties to Albany history. To learn more about these stories, visit the Waterford Museum where material history, as well as local and canal history, is always appreciated and proudly on display.

Read more at:
http://www.ge.com/transformation/#leadership
https://www.ge.com/about-us/history/thomas-edison
http://thelessonlocker.com/materials/history/weapons_of_war.pdf
http://revolutionaryday.com/usroute4/peebles/default.htm
http://www.americanrevolution.org/artillery.php

Honoring Father's Day and WWI

This weekend, Americans will honor and celebrate the hard work of their fathers through gifts, cards, and time spent together. But did you know it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day became a national holiday? Unlike Mother’s Day, which has been recognized as a national holiday since 1914, Father’s Day had trouble gaining official recognition. It took over fifty years since its inception for the federal government to legally recognize it.



Sonora Smart Dodd, Father's Day founder

As the daughter of a widower and Civil War veteran, Sonora Smart Dodd decided in 1909 that fathers like hers deserved their fair share of recognition. She petitioned for a Father’s Day celebration in her hometown of Spokane, Washington, and in 1910, the first Father’s Day was held.
 
At first, it wasn’t very popular, and some protested against having two separate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day instead of one combined "Parents' Day." What helped popularize the celebration of Father’s Day was World War II, as advertisers used the holiday as an opportunity to honor those in uniform, specifically fathers.

One hundred years ago, the maker of the embroidery below sought to honor her own father in uniform through a personalized gift – on it, written "To my dear father." It features the British, French, and American flags, and was created sometime during World War I (1914- 1918).


Embroidery c. 1914- 1918, featured at the Waterford Museum 

In addition to fathers on Father’s Day, it is important to remember our troops: 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of America's official entry into WWI. In Europe the war began in 1914, when the Archduke of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in response.

Franz Ferdinand

After countries began taking sides, Europe was thrown into a full-fledged war, with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) against France, Britain, and Russia (the Allied Powers). The United States debated on whether or not to join the Allies and break its policy of isolationism, but in 1917 it did.

While World War I was an international phenomenon, it should be noted that Waterford made significant contributions to war efforts both at home and abroad. Pictured below is a roster of the Waterford soldiers who fought in WWI and a sugar ration used among the people who stayed at home.

Waterford's American Legion Roster, featured at the Waterford Museum 



 A customer's sugar ration card c. 1915, also at the Waterford Museum

Both efforts were needed and important. Sending ground troops to Europe helped turn the war around since the Allied Powers had reached a stalemate. They needed the help of American soldiers to claim victory over the Central Powers, which was achieved in 1918. Food rations were used to conserve resources so that extra food and supplies could be sent overseas. As you can see, Waterford’s local history truly expands beyond state and country borders!

Father’s Day and the 100th anniversary of WWI, though seemingly unrelated, are linked by history, as most things tend to be. Father’s Day was founded by a woman who wanted to show respect for her father's work as a widower and as a veteran. It was later popularized by advertisers who used the holiday as an opportunity to commemorate soldiers. This historic connection to the military shaped Father's Day into the nationally recognized celebration we know today. It is only fitting that we remember our troops in light of these events.

　
For more reading see:
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/fathers-day
https://www.livescience.com/10697-father-day-turns-100.html
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/outbreak-of-world-war-i#
https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I



　
　


 


 
 
 


  

 

The Erie Canal and its Forgotten Relative

This year, New York celebrates its 200th anniversary of the building of the Erie Canal! In recognition, I chose to showcase a 1967 button from the Waterford Historical Museum that honors the sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, of the canal’s building. Fifty years later, it still represents upstate New York’s continued celebration of the Erie Canal and canal history.

Erie Canal Sesqui Celebration button, on display at the Waterford Historical Museum

Construction on the canal began in 1817 and ended in 1825, a feat made possible by New York politician Dewitt Clinton and innovator Canvass White. After losing the presidential ticket in 1812, Clinton devoted himself to local politics.

DeWitt Clinton

But his loss was New York’s gain! He served as mayor of New York City from 1803 to 1815 and as governor from 1817 to 1822. During Clinton’s time as mayor, he publicized the Erie Canal’s necessity to legislators and wealthy merchants in an effort to receive backing and potential funding for the project. New York State, not the federal government, would have to pay for the Erie Canal, so Clinton worked hard to convince New Yorkers to support the canal since the federal treasury wasn’t going to. His hard work paid off and formal construction on the canal started just as Clinton was elected governor of New York.

Canvass White

While Dewitt Clinton was an important figure in realizing the goal of building the Erie Canal, it was Canvass White who was important to the actual building process. White (whose brother Hugh White is commemorated by the Waterford Historical Museum and the Hugh White Homestead) is credited with patenting hydraulic cement. His cement was used to make Erie Canal masonry structures. Without White’s engineering, the canal could not have been built.

The Erie Canal is well known among most New Yorkers and Americans. The canal was a turning point in U.S. history for significantly decreasing shipping costs and facilitating settlement in the Midwest. However, there is another 200th canal anniversary worth noting – the anniversary of the Champlain Canal.

In addition to the Erie Canal, the New York State legislator authorized the building of the Champlain Canal in 1817, which links Lake Champlain in the Adirondacks to the Hudson River. During the nineteenth century, it connected Vermont and Northeast trade to the Midwest, and thus deserves recognition as a chief waterway in the New York Canal System.

New York State Canal System (Champlain Canal far right)

For Waterford residents and the Waterford Historical Museum, the Champlain Canal is particularly special because it officially begins in the town of Waterford! The photo below from the 1910s depicts one of the locks on the canal that enabled boats to pass through different levels of water. When celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal, it is important to remember the Champlain Canal as it tends to be overshadowed by the Erie Canal.

Champlain Canal in Waterford, on display at Halfmoon Public Library “Glimpses of Waterford” exhibit

Read more at:
http://www.lcmm.org/shipwrecks_history/history/history_war1812.htm
https://eriecanalway.org/learn/history-culture
http://champlaincanal.net/