Volume 16, Issue 3

Hugh White Homestead on Wheels

Waterford Histor ical Museum and Cultural Center

Hello! I am so excited to be working as the new Director at the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center, particu-larly in its 50th year of existence! To be able to live and work in an area that has such a unique and rich history is amaz-ing. I look forward to con-tinuing to build on the museum’s mission, pro-grams, exhibits, annual events and create new, innovative ideas to en-hance the visitor experi-ence and effectively pro-mote and market the cul-tural, natural, and rec-reational assets that we have in Waterford.

I moved to Troy, NY from Chattanooga, TN last Au-gust when my wife, Katie, was offered the librarian position at the Emma Willard School. We live on

campus with our three chil-dren, Riley (9 yrs.), Jack (7 yrs.), Bryce (5 yrs.), and dog, Bailey (14 yrs.)

I am originally from Read-ing, PA and I received my B.A. in Anthropology at Bloomsburg University and M.A. in Public History at U.N.C. Charlotte. I have professional experience in archaeology, historic pres-ervation, community devel-opment, planning, and tourism.

I was previously employed at the Southeast Tennessee Development District (SETDD) in Chattanooga, TN. At SETDD, I provided assistance with National Register nomination prepa-ration, preservation grant writing, cultural resource inventory, and historic preservation fundamentals and principles training to local governments, non-

profit organizations, and interested parties in the ten county southeast Ten-nessee region. I also served as the Assistant Director in the Community Develop-ment Department manag-ing staff and overseeing multiple federal grant pro-jects including Recreation Trails and Parks projects, Transportation Enhance-ment projects, Community Development Block Grants, and USDA Rural Develop-ment projects.

My family and I are ex-cited to be living in the Capital Region of New York State, an area with a rich heritage and excel-lent quality of life. I look forward to growing pro-fessionally in this posi-tion, working on some great projects, and meet-ing all of you soon!

Greetings from the new director! August/September 2014

Upcoming Events and Programs

Paul Archambault, New WHMCC Director

Board of Directors

Patricia Burke, President

Max Kintner, Vice Presi-dent

Emily Wilson, Treasurer

Donna Diviney, Secretary

Kevin Millington

Sherry Rosekrans

Nancy Spretty

Susan Walker

Cathy Walsh

Tugboat Roundup, Sept. 5-7, Visit www.tugboatroundup.com for more information

Empire State Aerosciences Museum 30th Anniversary Celebration, Aug. 8-17. Visit www.esam.org for more information.

WHMCC Meet and Greet with Paul Archambault at the Museum, Aug. 20th, 6-8 PM

WHMCC Autumn Day Trip to Kinderhook, NY, Oct. 8th (Flyer inside)

WHMCC 50th Anniversary Gala at Chrome, Oct. 18th, featuring Graham Tichy Band and Johnny Rabb

2 Museum Lane, Waterford, NY 12188

The “Mules of Waterford”

By Sherry Rosekrans, WHMCC Board Member

(Article featured in the July 17th edi-tion of The Express)

The mules were actually a concept that Mary Pliska, a museum volun-teer, originally researched. As a board member, I took the project and moved it forward. I first contacted the manu-facturers and decided to use Ned’s Animals, owner Ned Fleetwood, out of Bloomington, IN. Mary and I traveled around Waterford, manned the phone and the internet soliciting sponsors in the Summer of 2013. The sponsors, in the end, are The Town of Waterford, Pioneer Bank, Stewart’s Corporation, Golub Foundation, and a donation

from Mohawk paper for the Museum’s mule.

Brad Utter, former director, put out a call to artists looking for the design-ers. We had 8 artists submit designs. It was difficult to decide on only 5. The artists are the following: Georgia Wohnsen, designer of “Welcome to Waterford: for the Town of Waterford on display at the Waterford Visitors’ Center; Tamitha Stevens, designer of “Waterford’s Torrent Gates” for Stew-arts Corporation on display in front of Stewart’s on Saratoga Avenue; Mary Pliska, designer of “She’s the Boss” for Pioneer Bank on display in front of Pioneer Bank on Saratoga Avenue near Van Ness Street intersection; Christine Harney, designer of “Historic Crow Hill, Waterford” for

Golub Foundation on display in front of One Day Signs; and “EPOCH” de-signed by Kayla Keeler for Mohawk Paper, located at WHMCC.

Once we had our sponsors, we placed the order in late October with a tenta-tive delivery of the first week of Janu-ary 2014. Due to extremely cold weather, we did not get the mules until early February. The mules were delivered to David Fusco Auto Body on River Road as Mr. Fusco donated a garage for storage and his time and materials to clear coat them after they were completed. He also deliv-ered them to their display locations. The concrete came from Grimm Build-ing Materials and the plaques were a donation from One Day Signs.

Canal Mules spotted once again in Waterford

PAGE 2 HUGH WHITE HOMESTEAD VOLUME 16, ISSUE 3

“EPOCH” designed by Kayla Keeler and sponsored by Mo-hawk paper, located at WHMCC.

“Waterford’s Torrent Gates” de-signed by Tamitha Stevens and sponsored by Stewart’s Corporation at Stewart’s.

“Historic Crow Hill, Waterford” designed by Christine Harney and sponsored by Golub Foundation, located near One Day Signs.

“She’s the Boss” designed by Mary Pliska and sponsored by Pioneer Bank located on Saratoga Avenue.

“Welcome to Waterford” designed by Georgia Wohnsen located at the Wa-terford Visitors’ Center.

Today in Waterford we see a built environment consisting of homes, churches, government buildings, fac-tories and mills, restaurants, retail shops, canal-related structures, rail-roads, etc. from the last two hundred years. They give us insight into the his-tory of Waterford and its large signifi-cance during the industrial age of America. What if I told you that Water-ford’s history goes back well beyond 200 years? Think more like several

thousands of years! Humans have inhabited the area where the Mo-hawk and Hudson Rivers meet for approximately 9,000 years.

Yes, the new His-tory Underfoot: Ar-cheological explora-tions of Waterford exhibit, open until November 2nd, features artifacts that span a time of 100 to 5,0000 years old. Excavations that took place in the area from 1977 to 2008 revealed thousands of arti-facts providing us

with information about the lives of prehistoric inhabitants, colonists, American Revolution soldiers, indus-try, Champlain Canal, and 19th cen-tury Waterford residents. Pottery sherds, arrowheads, stone tools, clay pipes, ceramics and more are on dis-play at the exhibit.

The History Underfoot exhibit was made possible by Paul G. Schneider Jr., exhibit design and coordinator; Brad Utter and Mary Doehla; Mat-thew Kirk, Hartgen Archaeological Associates and exhibit consultant; the New York State Museum; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund; and One Day Signs.

available at the museum, electronically (send request to info@waterford mu-seum.com), or you may download the recipe forms from the website. We ask that you submit your reci-pes by email or by snail mail by September 20th so

To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the WHMCC, we will be publishing a cook-book that will be available in the Fall. We are encouraging museum members and com-munity members to submit their recipes now. Forms for the recipe submission are

we have ample to time to publish and print. These will make great gifts for yourselves or others this holiday sea-son!

Thanks for your support of this Mu-seum project and helping us celebrate 50 years!

Gan Israel Camp visits for Canal Ways Program

New archeological exhibit, History Underfoot, featured at the museum

Museum is now collecting recipes for the 50th Anniversary Cookbook

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nal to teach the campers about the history of the Erie Canal and Champlain Canal.

The group learned about the area’s geography and what purpose the canals served. Campers experi-enced what the

typical canal boat size was in the 1820s and 1830s by measuring it with ropes. They also learned what

was transported on the boats. Further, Cassy tested their knowledge with a trivia game and led them on a scaven-ger hunt in the mu-seum’s exhibits.

On July 31st, the Gan Israel Camp visited the museum for a summer educational program. Twenty-one camp attendees aged five to nine and seven camp counselors at-tended. Using the museum’s Canal Ways program, Cassy Jane Werk-ing, volunteer coordinator, and Paul Archambault led interactive ses-sions at the museum and nearby park along the Old Champlain Ca-

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PAGE 3 HUGH WHITE HOMESTEAD VOLUME 16, ISSUE 3

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

2 Museum Lane Waterford, NY 12188

WATERFORD HISTORICAL MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER

Thank you to all renewing members and our sponsors!

Phone: 518-238-0809 E-mail: info@waterfordmuseum.com Website: www.waterfordmuseum.com Mailing Address Label

Non-Profit Org.

Postage Permit #24

Waterford, NY 12188

New Hours May-October 2014! Monday-Friday: 10AM– 3 PM

Saturday: 10 AM— 4 PM

Sunday: 2 PM—4 PM

Canal Ways and Programs Sponsors

Corporate Sponsor: Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

Business Sponsors: Folmsbee’s Transportation

Adirondack Trust Insurance Agency

The Homestead Newsletter is printed on paper

donated by Mohawk