A New York Minute In History

Believe it or not, the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is right around the corner. On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss how some state agencies and communities are preparing for the big event (from 2025-2033), and how local historians can make the most of the commemoration. We also highlight a pair of William G. Pomeroy Foundation programs designed to recognize sites of the Revol...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren tell the story of Verdelle Louis Payne from Ithaca in Tompkins County, who joined the Army Air Forces during WWII and became a pilot. During the war, Payne served in the 99th Fighter Squadron, which became part of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, an all-Black group of pilots serving in the then still-segregated U.S. Army. Our hosts also share the stories of some of...

In this live, special episode of A New York Minute in History , Devin and Lauren visit the annual Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) conference in Kingston, New York. What is it like to work in history? We'll discuss how today's public historians are striving to expand the narrative, engage with their communities, and learn from one another. We’ll also get the details on t...

It's a new season of A New York Minute in History ! In this episode, Devin and Lauren dig into the 19th Century discovery of a mastodon skeleton in Orange County. The "Orange County Mastodon" was one of the earliest, if not the first, complete mastodon skeletons discovered in the U.S. As our hosts will learn, these large fossils captured the attention of many of America's Founding Fathers, who wer...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren visit New York’s oldest continuously operating courthouse, located in the City of Johnstown in Fulton County. Built in 1772 by Sir William Johnson, the Fulton County Courthouse has seen the transition from British colonial rule to the establishment of the United States, and 250 years of legal history. Among the important judges to hold court at the courthouse incl...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss how the poor conditions of female textile workers in Capital Region cities led to the creation of a retreat where women could “escape” the cities. Wiawaka was founded by Mary Fuller, an advocate for women workers in Troy, and the wealthy philanthropists Katrina and Spenser Trask. Wiawaka originally included a planned artist’s retreat, called Wakonda, where...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss a William G. Pomeroy marker recognizing a 1900 auto race in Suffolk County, New York, and the importance of racing in automobile history. Was that race to Babylon really the first of its kind in the U.S.? And how did Watkins Glen International get its start?

In honor of Women's History Month, Devin and Lauren highlight a Pomeroy marker in Tioga County and tell the story of Corporal Margaret Hastings, a member of the Women's Army Corps who survived 47 days in a New Guinea jungle during World War II. Marker of Focus: World War II , Owego, Tioga County Guests: Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Lost in Shangri-La ; Emma Sedore, Tioga County historian A New York...

On this episode, hosts Devin and Lauren delve into the history of Albany County's Rapp Road Community, an African American neighborhood built by southern immigrants who moved north for a better life in the late 1920s. Marker of Focus: Rapp Road Community Historic District , Albany County Guests: Stephanie Woodard, board member of the Rapp Road Historical Association ; Dr. Jennifer Lemak, chief cur...

  In the first episode of our new season, Devin and Lauren look to a William G. Pomeroy marker in Westchester County to learn about American patriot Thomas Paine, his influence on the American and French Revolutions — and just how and why his body went missing. Where is Thomas Paine today?   Marker: Thomas Paine , New Rochelle, Westchester County, NY   Guests: Dr. Nora Slonimsky and Dr. Michael Cr...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren tackle all of New York’s historical markers at once — sort of. Devin and Lauren discuss how the state’s historical marker program got started, what happened to it, and how communities can apply for a marker today. As an added bonus, Devin and Lauren speak with Susan Hughes of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation about the foundation’s new “Hungry for History” grant p...

In this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss the “Burned Over District,” and how upstate New York became a “cauldron” of emergent religions and alternative communities during the 19th century. How did the Burned Over District collide with state and national history? And what role did the Erie Canal play in establishing it? Devin and Lauren also discuss how these new religions contributed to the creat...

This episode delves into the public health industry that emerged in New York in the 19th Century. As the understanding of medicine and health evolved over time, there were many communities in New York state whose location was thought to have healing properties, most often because of the existence of springs or some other perceived environmental benefit. The most famous is Saratoga Springs, but the...

Devin and Lauren dive into the history of Timbuctoo, an African American settlement founded by philanthropist Gerrit Smith in response to an 1846 law requiring all Black men to own $250 worth of property in order to vote in New York state. To counter this racist policy, Smith decided to give away 120,000 acres of land to 3,000 free, Black New Yorkers, hoping to enable them to move out of cities an...

In this episode, Devin and Lauren research the life of Audrey Munson, America’s first supermodel. Born in upstate New York, Munson was one of the most famous models of the early 20th Century, and posed for the top American artists in the Beaux Arts movement. Sculptures based on Munson dot the landscape of New York City, and are held in museums around the country. She was also one of the first Amer...

In this episode, Devin and Lauren investigate the invasions of Canada by the Fenian Brotherhood, a group of Irish Nationalists intent of freeing Ireland from British control. These invasions were launched from several locations in upstate New York, including the site of a recently-erected William G. Pomeroy Foundation marker in the Franklin County town of Constable. (more…)

On September 2, 1945 the hostilities of World War II ended when Japan’s formal surrender was signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Aboard that ship 75 years ago was Bob Kennedy, a native of New York’s Steuben County who now lives in Saratoga Springs. WAMC’s Jim Levulis, the producer of A New York […]

In the third episode of our series: Legends and Lore of the Empire State, A New York Minute In History explores the inspirations behind Washington Irving’s “Headless Horseman” and “Ichabod Crane.” The Village of Sleepy Hollow lies along the eastern banks of the Hudson River about 25 miles north of New York City. If you […]

In the second episode of our series: Legends and Lore of the Empire State, A New York Minute In History explores the mystery of the inspiration for Natty Bumppo, one of the most recognizable characters from James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales series. A trip to Hoosick Falls wouldn’t be complete without a drive down Main […]

75 years after the end of World War II, the ranks of the so-called Greatest Generation are dwindling. Among those still able to tell their stories, is Lieutenant Colonel Harry Stewart Jr. Turning 96 on the Fourth of July, Stewart was a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and is featured in National Geographic’s coverage of […]

Join A New York Minute In History for the first episode of a special series on folklore. In this initial journey of our “Legends and Lore of The Empire State” series, co-hosts Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts explore the legend behind a storied lake monster in northern New York. If you happen to find yourself […]

On this special episode of A New York Minute In History, we explore how historians are documenting the coronavirus pandemic in real time. Co-hosts Devin Lander, the New York Historian, and Saratoga County Historian Lauren Roberts are joined by Christine Ridarsky, the City of Rochester Historian and President of the Board of the Association of […]

The coronavirus pandemic has altered the world. And it’s upended how many people go about their daily lives. One organization in New York’s Capital Region wants to collect and preserve the stories of how ordinary people are living through COVID-19. The Schenectady County Historical Society is asking county residents to share their experiences of how […]

On this episode of A New York Minute In History, we recall the Miracle On Ice, when the U.S. Men’s Hockey team upset the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Co-hosts Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts also explore how the 1980 Games got off to a rocky start and how they […]

On this episode of A New York Minute In History, we explore slavery in New York and specifically the resistance to the institution, including the Underground Railroad. Co-hosts Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts speak with area experts and tour a historic home in Albany that is living a new life as a museum depicting the […]