nies, and silent auction. One of the highlights of the evening will be the live auction of our public art project’s decorated mules, which have been on display this summer throughout Waterford. The bidding will start at $500 and bidders must be in atten-dance. The festivities will con-tinue afterwards with music and dancing provided by the Gra-ham Tichy Band with Johnny Rabb. Tickets for the gala are now available at $35.00 each and we are welcoming business spon-sorships for the event. For ticket and sponsorship registra-tion and purchase, please con-tact the Waterford Historical Museum by telephone at 518-238-0809 or by email at info@waterfordmuseum.com. You may also visit the website at www.waterfordmuseum.com or on Facebook. The deadline to purchase tickets will be Oc-tober 8th.

The Waterford Historical Mu-seum and Cultural Center is preparing for its Golden Anni-versary Gala to be held at Chrome Food and Spirits, located at 405 Hudson River Road, on Saturday, October 18th. We will be celebrating 50 years of interpreting and promoting the great history and culture of Waterford, New York, as well as the sav-ing of the Hugh White Home-stead. In 1964, America was in the midst of much social, political, and cultural change. President John F. Kennedy had been recently assassinated, the Civil Rights Act was being passed, advances were being made in space exploration, color tele-vision was on the horizon, and the Beatles made their inva-sion of the United States, cre-ating pandemonium among the young Baby Boomer genera-tion. Here in Waterford, a group of passionate preserva-tionists gathered together to save an historic 1830s land-mark from certain destruc-tion, which was threatened by

the Grand Union Corporation shopping center proposed for construction on the site of the Hugh White home on Saratoga Avenue. Well, fifty years later, the Hugh White home survives, now located one block south on Museum Lane overlooking the Old Champlain Canal. On the other hand, the Grand Union shopping center, a product of the urban renewal movement and symbol of the new commercial built envi-ronment, no longer survives. The Waterford Historical Museum will be posthumously honoring the museum’s First Charter Trustee, William Gratton. Mr. Gratton was instrumental in the museum’s formation, reflecting the com-mitment, vision, and leader-ship required to create this cultural prize for Waterford. 

The celebration will begin at 6:00 PM with a cocktail hour and cash bar, followed by a sit-down dinner, remarks from our Master of Ceremo-

WATERFORD HISTORICAL MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER

Hugh White Homestead on Wheels

Board of Directors

Patricia Burke, President Max Kintner, Vice Presi-dent Emily Wilson, Treasurer Donna Diviney, Secretary Kevin Millington Tracy Murray Sherry Rosekrans Nancy Spretty Susan Walker Cathy Walsh Director Paul Archambault

Docent Volunteer Coordinator Cassy Jane Werking

Volume 16 , Issue 4 2 Museum Lane, Waterford, NY 12188 October/November 2014

Celebrating 50 Years!

Upcoming Events and Programs WHMCC 50th Anniversary Gala, Chrome Food & Spirits, October 18th, 6 PM WHMCC Annual Meeting, Waterford Historical Museum, October 22nd, 6:30 PM Canal Ways Appreciation Luncheon, Waterford Harbor Visitors’ Center, November 8th, 12 PM Lecture Series: Marty Podskoch, Adirondack 102 Club, November 11th, 7 PM, Whiskey River Tavern

Stories featured inside Eagle Scout Project Underway at Museum, Page 2 Canal Ways Volunteer Appre-ciation Luncheon, Page 2 First Winter Lecture Series Speakers Announced, Page 3 Museum Applies for Grant, Page 3

The ADA ramp at the Wa-terford Historical Museum is under repair! Josh Hos-bach, a Boy Scout residing in Troy and museum member, is working toward his Eagle Scout medal. Josh, a crew of six Boy Scouts, and two experienced carpenters, one being Josh’s dad, Charlie, began work on September 20th to replace most of the ramp with new wood and paint it. After completion of the work on the ramp, Josh plans to repair the front

porch steps, concrete step, banister, and railings. Museum director Paul Ar-chambault said, “We are excited and very grateful to Josh and the local Boy Scouts troop performing service work at the mu-seum. We are looking for-ward to seeing Josh com-plete the work and receive his Eagle Scout medal. What a great honor!” With the weather fully co-operating the past two weekends, the expected completion time for the

ADA ramp is mid-October. Josh plans to receive the official Eagle Scout honor, the high-est ranking in Boy Scouts, once the pro-ject is documented and approved by the Na-tional Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In addition the museum has secured funding to address siding repair/painting, a new roof, and ceiling repair in 2015.

cannot express how truly thankful we are for their par-ticipation.” This year was the Canal Ways Program twelfth year, and through the course of one week in June, the 2014 program catered to approxi-mately 700 children in the Capital Region. As part of the program, Werking traveled to the nine participating schools to pre-sent a lesson plan about the New York State Canal Sys-

On November 8th, the Wa-terford Historical Museum will thank all of its Canal Ways Program volunteers at a luncheon being held at noon at the Waterford Visi-tors’ Center. Cassy Jane Werking, the museum’s docent volunteer and Canal Ways program coordinator, will be organizing the Canal Ways luncheon. Werking says, “All of our volunteers are part of the museum family and words

tem and provide an overview of the field trip. Each presentation was com-plete with Werking’s rendi-tion of “American Idol,” oth-erwise known as “Canal Idol.” Students sang “The Erie Canal Song” in front of some very strict and stub-born mule judges to win prizes. From that moment on each and every student fell in love with the famous mule, Sal! The school field trips are

Canal Ways Program Appreciation Luncheon

Page 2 Hugh White Homestead Volume 16, Issue 4

Eagle Scout Project Underway at the Museum

“We are looking forward to seeing Josh complete the work and receive his Eagle Scout medal. What a great honor!”

Josh Hosbach, pictured center, stabi-lizes the railing while his dad, Charlie (left), drills the screw into the post.

All of the rotted boards and railings were removed during the first weekend of work. Materials that could be reused were saved.

New ramp floor boards were cut and secured along with the painted railings the second weekend of work.

located at the Waterford Visi-tors’ Center near the Erie Canal Lock #2. In addition to a ride through the canal locks, students learned the following: how historians learn about the canals; how transportation was more efficient via the ca-nal system; and how a tow-path functioned. The students were tested on their canal knowledge with fun trivia games and each student received a Canal Ways packet of goodies.

We are pleased to an-nounce our first two Win-ter Lecture Series speakers for November and Decem-ber. On November 11th at 7 PM at the Whiskey River Tavern at 26 Broad Street in Waterford, author and historian Marty Podskoch, will talk about his latest pro-ject, the Adirondack 102 Club, which encourages peo-ple to visit all 102 towns and villages in the Adiron-dacks. The idea for the 102 Club began after Podskoch read about Dr. Arthur Peach of Vermont, who in 1954 suggested the idea of an informal group, the Ver-mont 251 Club, to veer

off the beaten path “to discover the secret and lovely places that main roads do not reveal.” Podskoch believed the Adi-rondacks would benefit from a similar club and has traveled extensively in the Adirondacks gathering ma-terial for his five books on the Adirondack fire towers, the Civilian Conservation Corps camps, and Adiron-dack lore, and will share the joys of fully experienc-ing the Adirondacks and getting to know its local people and places. After the presentation, Podskoch will be selling and signing copies of the new book, Adirondack 102 Club: Your Passport & Guide to the

North Country.

In December, Sloane Bullough, a volunteer with the Hudson Mo-hawk Industrial Gate-way, will present Christ-mas in Troy: The Origins of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and Jingle Bells.

First Winter Lecture Series Speakers Announced for November and December

Museum Applies for Greenway Conservancy Grant

Sloane works at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preserva-tion and coordinates the New York State Historic Homeowner and Commercial Reha-bilitation Tax Credit Programs. She will have literature available on

these programs at the lecture. The date and location for the December pres-entation have not been confirmed, but the mu-seum will provide an update on its website, Facebook page, and through a press release. Please stay tuned!

Page 3 Hugh White Homestead Volume 16, Issue 4

Marty Podskoch, above, will be the featured speaker on Novem-ber 11th.

On September 5th, the Water-ford Historical Museum sub-mitted a grant to the Green-way Conservancy of the Hud-son River Valley Inc. to de-velop and install four, 3'x2' interpretive and way-finding signs along the Old Champlain Canal trail. The museum is requesting $2,500, and if funded, will match it with $2,500 of in-kind labor and materials. The signage will provide edu-cational and interpretive infor-mation about the history of the Champlain and Erie Canals and the importance of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers

to the Town of Waterford and the surrounding Capital Region. In addition, the sign-age will include educational information about the natural habitats along the canals and rivers, as well as provide trail users with way-finding to natural, cultural, and histori-cal resources, and attractions in Waterford The proposed project di-rectly implements several plans, including the Town and Village’s fully approved inter-municipal Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, which specifically identifies this pro-ject; the Canal Revitalization

Program, a major element of which is expanding and enhancing waterfront ac-cess on trails along and parallel to the State Canal System, as well as enhanc-ing the major canal harbor centers, such as Water-ford; and the Erie Canal-way Heritage Corridor Management Plan, which identifies projects to en-hance interpretation of the Canal corridor’s heritage as a key priority. The status of funding for the project should be known by December.

View east along the Old Champlain Canal trail near the museum. The proposed sign-age will help with interpreta-tion and way-finding for trail users.

WATERFORD HISTORICAL MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER

2 Museum Lane Waterford, NY 12188

518-238-0809 www.waterfordmuseum.com info@waterfordmuseum.com

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

Saturday: 10 AM— 4 PM Sunday: 2 PM—4 PM

Non-Profit Org. Postage Permit #24 Waterford, NY 12188

Mailing Address Label

The Homestead Newsletter is printed on paper donated by Mohawk

Thank you to all renewing members and our sponsors!

Canal Ways and Programs Sponsors Corporate Sponsor: Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Business Sponsors: Folmsbee’s Transportation Adirondack Trust Insurance Agency