HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS

2011-12-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Sarah Gordon is doing an incredible job on helping small family farms.. Congratulations Sara on our success and your appearance on TED! This is really worth watching!

2011-11-28T13:08:00.001-08:00

Echoes of a New York revolt

Ignoring the public's grievances can wear down the government

By BRUCE W. DEARSTYNE, Commentary

Published in the Times Union Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Hilltowns of western Albany County — Berne, Knox, Rensselaerville, Westerlo — usually are models of snow-covered fields, picturesque woods and charming rural life this time of year. But in December 1839, they were invaded twice — once by a sheriff's posse, once by the state militia — to suppress an armed rebellion of tenant farmers who were staging a rent strike and trying to pressure their landlord, Stephen Van Rensselaer IV, to sell them the farms they worked.

The anti-rent movement embroiled New York's political life for decades. Its historical insights about government failure to confront problems head on are relevant today.

The Van Rensselaers were one of several landed families, or "patroons," who held permanent title to thousands of acres in eastern New York through Dutch and English colonial land grants. Tenant resentment built up over many years. Tenants felt they paid too high rent and challenged the validity of the archaic colonial titles.

Stephen Van Rensselaer, who inherited lands that included much of Albany County when his father died in 1839, disavowed his father's policy of leniency for late or partial rent payments and demanded that the rent be paid in full. The farmers' pent-up anger exploded.

Soon, nearly 10,000 tenants in Albany, Rensselaer and other eastern counties began protesting and withholding rent. Farmers organized in secret and took to wearing disguises made of calico cloth. Calling themselves "Indians," they chanted "Down With the Rent!" at mass rallies and threatened the landlords' agents.

In the fall of 1839, they chased deputy sheriffs sent to evict tenants for nonpayment of rent out of the Hilltowns.

That December, the Albany County sheriff assembled a posse that included some of Albany's most prominent citizens, former Gov. William Marcy, and John Van Buren, son of President Martin Van Buren. An armed, jeering mob of more than a thousand farmers turned them back near Reidsville.
The alarmed Albany authorities appealed to Gov. William Seward. He dispatched the state militia and called for the farmers to disperse, but he also promised a study of the manorial system. Armed resistance melted away as the militia advanced into the hills.

But Seward's study committee dithered and the troubles resumed. An Albany County deputy was set upon by a mob of "Indians" near Rensselaerville in September 1841 and forced to hide in the woods for two days. In August 1845, a Delaware County deputy was killed. The violence tarnished the anti-rent cause and led to a number of arrests and stepped-up campaigns against the "Indians" by local authorities and the state militia.

The anti-renters escalated their appeals to the state. They argued that the manor system was a drag on New York's agricultural economy, endorsed political candidates who supported their cause and organized their own political party. But state government equivocated. The two major parties, Whigs and Democrats, postured for the tenants' votes but neither crusaded to end the patroon system. Seward soon lost interest.

His successor, Gov. William Bouck, met with a thousand angry tenants in West Sand Lake in August 1844 and offered to mediate. But the farmers mistrusted him and the landlords thought he was too soft on the lawless anti-renters.

Gov. Silas Wright (1845-1846) declared Delaware County in a state of insurrection after the murder of the deputy sheriff there, but also pardoned some of the convicted anti-renters. Gov. John Young (1847-1848) pardoned remaining imprisoned leaders but did not attack the manorial status quo.
The state Legislature voted to tax the landlords' manor income and restrict evictions for non-payment. But they banned armed, disguised people from public highways and authorized the governor to aid sheriffs overwhelmed by anti-rent forces. Proposals to end the patroon system were debated but never passed.

Court decisions shielded the landlords against initiatives to invalidate their titles or use state eminent domain authority to seize their land. An 1846 state constitutional convention added an amendment to restrict future — but not existing — long-term land leases.
The issue gradually died down, mostly through quiet compromises where resentful tenants bought their farms from weary landlords. But remnants of organized resistance continued to the late 1880s.

The lessons of the anti-rent movement resonate today.

History shows that government often procrastinates or chips away at contentious issues rather than addressing them head on. Cynical politicians hope the issue will fade or voters will blame their opponents for inaction.

But kicking the can down the road usually ill serves the public interest. People who feel they are denied justice over a long period of time may become confrontational and even resort to violence.
The issue may finally be resolved but it may take decades of agitation and dispute, and exact a heavy toll.
Today, the federal government is deadlocked over taxation, spending and other issues. The two major political parties undermine and discredit each other. Drift and uncertainty substitute for policy.
People take to the streets in the Occupy movement to demand government action. Police arrest unruly demonstrators. Reformers call for higher taxes on the rich.

Similar issues were simmering as the county and state armed forces made their way warily into the snowy Hilltowns 172 years ago.

Bruce W. Dearstyne, Ph.D., of Guilderland, is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland. He previously was a professor at Maryland and a program director at the New York State Archives.

2011-11-28T07:28:00.001-08:00

REIDSVILLE HISTORY

Altamont Enterprise Oct 19 1934

1933 History of Reidsville

REIDSVILLE GREW FROM HAMLET TO A THRIVING CENTER OF MOUNTAIN INDUSTRY, THEN SLID BACK TO HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Little Village in Helderberg Hills Once Boasted Two Churches, Two Hotels, Several Stores; Abandoned Church Now Monument to Town That Slipped Away

Editor's Note — The following article, written by Inez Shook, appeared in the Sunday Knickerbocker Press, Sept. 16, 1934.

Dust lies like a grey shroud over the interior of a little old church high in the Helderberg hills. It spreads over the huge Bible open on the rough, low pulpit; over the organ with its muted echoes of music that once swelled an accompaniment to the chorus of young voices from choir seats on each side the raised platform; over the twin stoves at the rear of the room, and the sedate rows of square, low-backed pews.

This abandoned church is a monument to a town that died. A town that grew from hamlet to a thriving center of mountain industry, then slipped back to its humble beginnings as time and progress stole its reason for existence. Now, only this crumbling building and vine-tangled quarries in the hills outside remain as testimony to the days when Reidsville was a thriving community of several hundred souls, and could boast two churches, two hotels and several stores.

Augustus H. Salisbury knows the story of Reidsville. Mr. Salisbury lives in a neat grey house on the narrow unpaved road that runs through Reidsville, and can look out his windows at the vacant lots where business places once nourished. He knew as familiar sounds the voices of men making merry in the hotel across the way after a day of toil or during the long winter lay-off. Many times he has watched, the four-horse stage from Albany swing to a whip-cracking halt before William Stoneburner's Inn.

Augustus Salisbury, too, is the man who can tell you about the blue stone Quarries that once kept Reidsville "on the map". He went to work there as a youth of 20, and has watched the in dustry dwindle, from its onetime high peak. And it was he who made the last stand with the quarry industry, to which he was forced to hang up the "out of business" sign a year ago. "Cement did it," Mr, Salisbury observed. Reidsville had the finest blue stone quarries in this section of the Helderbergs, and was the center of the business for over 50 years.

"The men who worked in the quarries around town and in the old Grippie quarry near South Berne all used to live in Reidsville. We had two churches, the Methodist and the Christian - full every Sunday, too- two hotels, several stores and a street lined with houses. "We shipped blue stone from Voorheesville as far away as Philadelphia. Albany, however, was our best market. We also shipped some stone for use as rough boxes.

"But all that ended about 15 years ago. The quarries were kept open until June, 1933, but business was dead."

A. H. Salisbury went to work in the Reidsville quarries nearly 40 years ago. He learned how to blast away top rock, to find the natural seams of blue stone about 10 feet below. Then came the "driving up" with wedges and rolling out of the slabs. "Tracing up" was next, when holes were bored at intervals and the stones cut into required sizes.

This was "quarry cut" stone. Sometimes there would be an order for rock chiseled into smooth edges. Horses crept down over the steep, winding roads into the valley below with their wagon loads of cut stone. It was a 12-hour haul to Albany, and a teamster had many a spare moment for philosophic musing on the journey.

In the early days, the cut rock was loaded into the waiting wagons by hand. Later, derricks were used. Aaron Hotaling and William Brate were the first operators of the 75-year old quarries, as Mr. Salisbury recalls. They were followed by other holders, including John Flagler and the Albany County Blue Stone Company for which Mr. Salisbury worked as a foreman for 21 years. When this company gave up the quarries, Mr. Salisbury took them over. By this time, however, blue stone window sills, curbing and sidewalks were becoming outmoded. Cement and artificial stone usurped its place. For a while, Mr. Salisbury sent truckloads of stone to Saugerties for shipment to New York. He Also kept wheels running over the routes to Bennington, Vt, and Massachusetts towns. Then there was the coping for the Schuyler Mansion and Fort Crailo which he supplied. Blue stone has an antique appearance and is popular in the reconstruction of old stone buildings, he explained.

About six years ago, the Lane Construction Company resurfaced 10 miles of the Rensselaerville road and 10 of the Thacher Park-New Salem highway with rock from the Reidsville quarry. Last year, there was an order for blue stone as backing for the new Trinity Methodist Church of Albany. And from Stockbridge, Mass., came a few orders for blue stone to be used in "crazy walks."

But the groans of laboring derricks died from the quarries, and loaded trucks rumbled less and less on the roads to the valley cities. Quarries that had run from April to November every year closed in the middle of the summer.

In June, 1933, the last wagon load of stone trundled out of the village. Mr. Salisbury turned his eyes toward other fields of endeavor. Cement the material that ruined Reidsville and his own business furnished one job. He constructed over 30 of the cooking fireplaces set up last summer in Thacher Park. And he has found many other places to use the skill developed in the quarry town. But rotting wagon tongues lie half buried in the stagnant pools that fill the abandoned quarries. Reidsville, which offered Frederick W. Conger and William Brate as candidates for sheriff of Albany County, has shrunk into a roadside hamlet once more. Many homes have burned or been torn down to leave gaping vacancies along the road. The hotels and other business places have disappeared. Stone cutters have died or moved away from the village they made. Besides August Salisbury, there are only Adam and Charles Otto to recall working days in the quarries. Coat hooks in the entry of the Christian Church erected in 1821 hang empty, and Wilkins and David Crawford, former trustees, look wistfully upon its crumbling walls and sagging pews.

Belongs to the Past

Services are still conducted in the Methodist Church on the hill. There is a tiny schoolhouse, and there are a few homes to send pupils there. But these houses belong to a new type of Resident: Newcomers who never knew that thriving community which sent wagon-loads of stone down to valley railroads running to great cities of the East.

Reidsville belongs to the past. A surely as the Reidsville Rural Cemetery on the hill sheltering 15 soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic and that young Clifton Flagler, nephew of A. H. Salisbury, who died on World War battlefield in the 55th Regiment of the United States Marines. That cemetery across which Nathaniel Newberry flung a jest that brought a grim return.

Newberry helped build the cemetery. When it was finished he shook with deep laughter and cried:"Bring 'em on now. Your cemetery is ready for business."

It was Nathaniel Newberry who rested in the first grave.

2011-11-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

Recent Additions

Reidsville Quarry owned and operated by the Brate and Flagler Families

At the turn of the century, the Reidsville Quarry was a bustling site employing between 100 – 150 men who worked to produce bluestone that was used as sidewalks in the City of Albany. Constant streams of horses with wagons carried the flagging stones to Albany and more recently just to the Village of Voorheesville after railroad tracks were built there. Paul Giebitz owns this area now, and his company, Heldeberg Bluestone, is still busy cutting and drilling bluestone in its Mt. Grippy quarry. An article written by Shiela Stempel, “Heldeberg Bluestone paves the way through historic years,” may be found in the September 23, 1975 issue of The Helderberg Sun.

Fuller and Brate Families
224 Lark St. in Albany N.Y.

Truck #4 with Billy Ernst standing by the fender
Reidsville Blue flagstone Quarry 2 - Courtesy of Timothy J. Albright

2011-11-14T10:26:00.001-08:00

From Helen Lounsbury: BKW is in the process of trying to establish an ed relationship with Dudley Observatory. We recently met with folks from Dudley. I think a large attendance at the Star party they sponsor would be helpful. Pat and i went to the last one--it was excellent. Please do what you can to promote this worthwhile event.

2011-10-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

From John Elberfeld: JElberfeld@aol.com,

Dear Hilltown Neighbors and Friends:

We’d like to share some exciting news with you and ask for your help. We’re under contract with Arcadia Publishing to write a new pictorial history book, Helderberg Hilltowns, and we’re looking for vintage photographs to include in it. The book will be part of Arcadia’s “Images of America” series—possibly you’ve seen some of their books with sepia-tone photographs on the cover.

We’re excited to be writing a book that will encompass all the Hilltowns, but we need your support. Do you have any vintage photos that tell about life in the Hilltowns—Berne, Knox, Rensselaerville, and Westerlo—from approximately 1880 to 1960? We’d love to include SCANS of your photos of people doing everyday things, like feeding the chickens, riding a new bike, showing off ribbons won at the fair, standing beside a huge snowbank, or working at a quarry.

If you have any good-quality vintage photos, please contact us, and we’ll take a look. If we use your photo in our book, you’ll receive credit in the Acknowledgements section. The publisher asks us not to use photos of old photos, newspaper clippings, or Xerox copies. They want new scans of original photographs.

On November 8, we’ll be scanning photos at the election night supper at Knox Reformed Church from 4:30 to 7:00. We can scan while you eat, and you can take your photos home with you. We can also bring the scanner to your house almost any day or evening and scan them right there.

In Memoriam to Gordon Wright, Webmaster of the Berne Historical Project at Bernehistory.org

2011-10-23T12:36:00.000-07:00


	Gordon Wright
	Gordon Wright, age 58, of Lone Rock, died on Friday October 21, 2011 at the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Tuesday at the Lone Rock Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Glenn Wilson officiating. Burial will be in Fenton Township Cemetery of rural Lone Rock, with Military Rites conducted by the Kerr-Hamerstrom American Legion Post #557 of Lone Rock. Visitation will be 5 - 7 pm Monday at the Lone Rock Presbyterian Church. Gordon John Wright was born on April 26, 1953 in Troy, NY, the son of Harvey and Shirley (Graham) Wright. When he was eight, his parents moved to the southern California area, settling in Garden Grove. He joined the Navy at 17 and spent his 20 year career on the East coast, mostly in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Virginia. He was a missile technician on nuclear submarines and spent nearly 4 years underwater, 72 days at a time. While in the navy, he married Corrine Mandojana, and made a family with her son Danial and their two children, Rachel and Jeremy. After retiring from the navy, a string of jobs landed him in Colorado where he was a partner in a computer software company. There he met Joan Leaneagh in January of 2000 and they were married in Las Vegas, NV on June 9, 2001. After the sale of his business, Gordon wanted to pursue a lifelong dream to live in an RV and travel fulltime, a dream he shared with his father. Starting in 2004, Gordon and Joan did just that for 7 years, dropping in a couple times a year to see Joan's mother in Lone Rock. In 2008, they purchased a project house in Lone Rock and he has been working on restoring it. Gordon loved traveling, his children and grandchildren, the family cats and was known as a computer whiz. He is survived by his wife Joan, of Lone Rock; his step-son Danial (Wendy) Mandojana from Rhode Island, daughter Rachel (Kevin) Ruddock of Rhode Island and son Jeremy (Jennifer) of Virginia; six grandchildren: Cassie, Kyle, Brandon, Dylan, Zachary and Madison; two sisters, Dee Dee (Fred) Speicher and Debbie (Charlie) Heintz, both of California; one adopted brother, Mike and two adopted sisters, Denita and Yuridia, his Aunt Gladys of NY and three cousins: Billy, Nancy, and Susan. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Darcy.

2011-10-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

Partnership Grants allow agricultural service providers to explore topics in sustainable production and marketing in cooperation with client farmers. The goal is to build knowledge farmers can use, encourage the understanding and widespread use of sustainable techniques, and strengthen working partnerships between farmers and farm service providers. Projects must take place on farms or directly involve farm businesses. Reviewers look for well-designed inquiries into how agriculture can enhance the environment, improve the quality of life, or be made more profitable through good stewardship.

You must be engaged in agricultural research or outreach in an organization like Cooperative Extension, NRCS, a state department of agriculture, a college or university, an agricultural nonprofit, or a commercial agricultural consulting business.

Funds can be used to pay for your time and time that your partnering farmers spend on the project, materials specific to the project, projectrelated services like soil testing and lab fees, project-related travel, outreach expenses, equipment rental, and other direct costs.

The deadline to apply is November 1st. For more information, visit http://nesare.org/get/partnership/

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION : August 2011 meeting

2011-08-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Helderberg Hilltowns Association Meeting Notes 08 08 2011

Attending: Rick Blysma, Vicki Blysma, John Elberfeld, Zenie Gladieux, Barb Husek, Dawn Jordan, Bonnie Kohl, Leonard

Loeb, Jack Milner, Amy Pokorny, Dotty Verch, Anna Wolfe

The meeting convened at the Red Baron at Lake Onderdonk at 7:00 PM.

Hosts Rick and Vicki gave us a tour of their facility. Rick grew up spending summers there. They bought it 6 years ago after

they heard it was slated for demolition. They have 5,000 square feet on the first floor (with downstairs entrance accessible to pickup trucks) and 3,500 square feet in the large room on the second floor (parking lot level). They hope to make it available to the public for events, workspace, farmers’ markets, and a community kitchen/cannery. They welcome other ideas. It offers opportunities for ice skating, swimming and water sports, fishing, snowmobiling. The operation needs to be sustainable; must generate income. They hope to run a coffee house to create a community gathering place. Fred and Carolyn Wellington’s might be a model to consider. It could be used by HHA for various fund raising activities. It is centrally located in the Hilltowns, and it could serve many constituencies, including farmers, community locals, and service organizations. It was built in 1920 and operated as the DeWitt Casino. It had bath houses in the area behind the parking lot, and an ice house across the road. It had a four lane bowling alley on the first floor. Later it became the Red Baron. Bonnie gave her assessment of the work and materials needed and associated costs. Rick and Vicki are working to convince the Westerlo Town Board of the merit of their vision for the building and grounds.

Farm tour: - Around 28 people signed up by the deadline of August 6, and a few more may be getting their forms in soon.
Publicity: John demonstrated the website support he has developed, including the full schedule for both days, pages for each farm or artisan, an icon for access to a tour map, and Google access to maps for each location. John reviewed the publicity resources on the website, including logos and the NOFA Locavore information. He provided posters and 1/3 page handouts for members to distribute. Suggested assignments for posters:

o Delmar – Zenie

o Guilderland - Anna

o Knox - Amy

o Rensselaerville – Barb

o Voorheesville - Amy

.Other locations are available. John will make more 1/3 cuts for Sarah’s farmers to include in deliveries. Some will be distributed to farmer’s markets – Delmar, Voorheesville, Schenectady.

· We need to ask Hal Miller and Sarah Gordon to send notices to their email distributions.

· Barb brought laminated samples of the HHA logo, with slight changes to indicate HHA membership.

Promotional Strategies:

· Our goal is to attract over 200 visitors.

· Dawn will work on a new press release directed to patrons of the event.

· We can develop a news story and send a release or invite reporters from Times Union, Gazette, Enterprise,

Metroland, TV stations.

· We can request an interview on WAMC’s Roundtable program.

· Dawn will contact Albany County Visitor’s Bureau.

· Zenie will email Jane with a list of special services. We can contact senior housing and senior services organizations.

· Zenie and her mom will compose sample tour suggestions.

· We’ll encourage patrons to carpool.

Signs:

· Signs will be put up along roads on September 4 and removed on September 12.

· Sign painting party will be scheduled sometime around August 20 or so. Rick offered space at the Red Baron.

Maps:

· Amy will design paper maps. They will be 11 x 17 inches, two sides, folded in quarters.

· Dawn will make up the descriptions of each destination on the map.

· We will have 500 black and white copies of maps made. Rick and Vicki can help with costs.

· Numbers could be used to correlate roadside signs with map notations.

· Maps will indicate rest rooms and family friendly destinations.

· Partnerships and sponsorships will be included on maps; e.g. NOFA Locavore Challenge, Zenie, John and Jane, etc.
Insurance:

· Anna is researching liability insurance, is waiting to hear back from Clickman. Will check with Stafford Ins. Co. and Marshall and Sterling in Leeds (800-724-0695).

· We will ask another organization (Huyck Preserve? Kiwanis?) to sponsor the event so we can buy insurance through them.

The meeting closed at 8:50 PM.

Next meeting will be held in Medusa at the Medusa General Store at 7 PM on Monday, August 29.

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION

2011-08-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

The next meeting place for HHA on Monday night Aug. 8 at 7pm at the former Red Baron on Lake Road off County Route 1 on the north end of Lake Onderdonk in Westerlo.

Our reason for visiting this location is that it has been offered as a site for a community cannery. Owners Rich and Vickie Bylsma have some other ideas that could work with ours as well – such as a permanent farmers’ market with cool cellar for self-serve items, and a couple of ideas that could allow us to earn a little income to support our activities.

Also on the agenda will be a discussion of the so-called Dark Skies initiative, updates on the website, and, of course, reports and plans for the Farmers and Artisans Tour (known to the cognoscenti as FAT) which is galloping along due to the efforts of Jane and her crew.

I’m hoping you can make it. If you know you are coming please respond back to me, so Vickie will know about how many tables to set up. Thanks. Zenie Gladieux

June 6 minutes of HHA

2011-06-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Helderberg Hilltowns Association

June 6, 2011

Tim Lippert’s Crosby Farm

Present: Zenie Gladieux, Tim Lippert, John Elberfeld, Jane McLean, Anna Wolfe, Amy Pokorny, Dawn Jordan, Barb Husek, Gerry Chartier

Zenie opened the meeting at 7:20 after a tour of Tim’s home/old farmhouse—thank you, Tim

COMMUNICATIONS: None
WEBSITE UPDATE: Discussion about farms on website; John sent 30 letters to farms as listed on Hal Miller’s website, informing them about website. Anna showed “FarmFresh Guide to Schoharie County” as a sample of what could be done. We discussed the value of paper advertising vs. website, and concluded both are needed. We discussed concentrating on getting businesses on website by sending our brochure, either on paper or as a PDF? The possibility of a center supplement in Altamont Enterprise was raised, but they charge for paper/printing; perhaps we could get promotional articles in Enterprise, ex. places to eat, farm stands using letters to the editor every couple of weeks. Tim mentioned Constant Contact as a tool for an enewsletter: the question was raised, are we preaching to the choir? We can ask our HHA group if someone wants to do an e-newsletter with topics, ex. farmstands.
DUDLEY OBSERVATORY: Amy reported: June 4 introduction at Octagon Barn: event a great success, “a lovely evening”. Invitations sent to dignitaries from federal to county to town levels; Sandy Gordon, Albany County, Tom Wolfe & Nick Viscio, Town of Knox, attended. There were approximately 50 people in attendance for the presentation; folks kept arriving and some went directly out to the telescopes, so approximately 115 attendees and workers were actually there, including members from at least three star clubs associated with Dudley. Zenie spoke for HHA, Sandy welcomed Dudley to the Hilltowns. The refreshments were a hit! Dudley people were also present at renewable energy expo on same day w/ solar telescope. Dudley people want to have another event; their focus is on education. Amy would like an “Astronomy for Dummies” program. The only problem was getting the folks to leave! It was suggested for next time to put an end time on all publicity materials.

FARMERS MARKET:

Helderberg Market.com is metamorphosizing into FarmieMarket.com. Sara is expanding to four counties with more and different farmers on her website; consumers can choose the county they wish.

Po’ Boys farmers market has not been heard from since we handed it off to them. It is difficult to keep a market going in Hilltowns.

Zenie urged getting all small businesses on website to push “Buy Local”. We need to get more of our brochures into circulation; Zenie can’t keep upo with the demand alone so she distributed sheets of the heavier brochure paper for people to print their own copies of Dawn’s brochure as well as HHA form for website listing information.

There was discussion on how to get our local businesses hooked into the various GPS systems tourists might use; Gerry will research how businesses get listed on GPS.

PUBLICITY: Dawn is preparing a presentation to town boards, approx. 10 minutes, starting w/ Zenie’s elevator speech from the Dudley Star Party, and adding proposed activities and screen prints of website as a handout for each board member. There should be a statement about how HHA will benefit the town—promote businesses for revenue, and what we want the towns to do for us? Can we take a prototype for each town presentation to facilitate current businesses? We might then ask the towns to appropriate funds for marketing, provide permission/personnel for installation of signage, tell us what kind of marketing the town is doing for its community [ex. signage: Gerry talked about Greene County’s signage; Tim kiosk at border, Anna visitor center; info glass front w/ brochures]. The group leader will contact the town clerk and ask to be put on the agenda for 10 minutes; that should get us more time than using public comments. Several people will attend as a group; in July: Rensselaerville 07/, Barb leads, Tim, Dawn, Pam McSweeney; Berne: 07/13, Dawn leads, Gerry; Knox 07/12: John leads, Jane, Amy, Anna; Westerlo 07/05: Bonnie? Gerry Boone? We still need to get an informational direct mail to local organizations, but it’s too late for this summer. Russ Pokorny in Knox and Tim in Berne/Rensselaerville will contact fire departments to see if we can get our logo/website on firefighters calendar for this year.

TO DO: Many projects!!

UPDATES ON COMMITTEES:

FALL WEEKEND: 09/10-11 “Discover the Hilltowns: Farm and Artisan Tours” farm tours, craft/artisan open studios. We can use Amy’s list of local businesses to contact them, and also use our website. John will add information to our website as it becomes available. Dawn will develop a flier and sign-up sheet.

EVENT: Knox Historical Society: 07/31 new display, period music, Civil War w/ reenactors, Michael Barckley’s letters, and biographies of Knox soldiers available for research

NEXT MEETINGS:

06/27: Knox (John and Jane) at Beebe Farm, 66 Beebe Road [Cty Rd. 259]

07/18: Westerlo (Dawn)

08/08: Rensselaerville (Barb)

Respectfully submitted, Phoebe Beebe

Star Party to introduce Dudley Observatory to the Hilltowns community

2011-05-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Time	Saturday, June 4 · 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Location	Octagon Barn, 588 Middle Road in Knox (use Delanson 12053 for GPS directions)

Created By	Helderberg Hilltowns, Harold Hal Miller

More Info	The Dudley Observatory, chartered by the State of New York in 1852, is the oldest independent organization in the United States supporting research and education in astronomy and the history of astronomy. Now, Dudley Observatory is extending its astron- omical activities to the Hilltowns, to property on Middle Road in Knox. Beginning this summer, Dudley telescopes will be viewing the skies from a new angle on "the Hill." You are cordially invited to attend a First Light Star Party to intro- duce Dudley Observatory Helderberg Site to the Community on Sat- urday, June 4 at 8 PM, rain or shine, at the Octagon Barn, 588 Middle Road in Knox (use Delanson 12053 for GPS directions). Amateur astronomers and families are invited to bring telescopes and binoculars. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, and to RSVP please call 894-8589. Sincerely, Zenie Gladieux, Chair Helderberg Hilltowns Association Dudley Observatory, 107 Nott Terrace, Suite 201, Schenectady, New York 12308; tel. 518-382-7583

Helderberg Hilltowns Association Comittees 2011

2011-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Helderberg Hilltowns Association

Hi, Hilltowners,

Attached is the list of committees, for lack of a better term, that we have been hammering on over the past few meetings.

Under each committee is a list of activities HHA has decided it would like to see happen in this area, and in some cases a list of names of folks who have volunteered to work on said committee.

Some activities have already been done; I marked those in red ink.

Some activities are in the works, either by our own group or by another one that we know of. Those are marked in green. Those identified by the group as of prime importance are numbered.

The remaining list of items – let’s call it a wish list- are in blue. These offer some guidelines as to where we might put our energies in the next year or two.

I think it’s important for us to realize that HHA can’t do all of these things. Nor do we need to. What we do need to do is to check with as many other Hilltowns organizations as we can and identify what they are doing, so we can check it off our list and avoid duplication of effort – both ours and those of other busy folks.

We all belong to and have contact with many other organizations. That’s the beauty of this group, that it brings to one table so many individuals with so many diverse contacts.

I’d like to ask you to utilize those contacts on our behalf before our next meeting on 4/18. Please take the attached list and see if you know of any organization (or individual, for that matter) who is doing or planning to do any of the things on our list. When you find such a group or calendar of activities, would you please email to all of us the information: type it in, scan and email a flier, email us a link to their website. However, but let’s make a concerted effort to collect information so that we’ll have it to digest on the 18th.

And by the way, Dawn is making great strides in developing our own brochure. We’ll be emailing copies to you soon.

Thanks-

Zenie

File:Committees001.pdf

Click on link then on symbol for list of committees

MARCH MEETING OF HHA

2011-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION

Report of March meeting - 03/07/11. Called to order 7:10 p.m. by Zenie at Helderberg Lutheran Church (formerly St. Paul’s) in Berne. Many thanks to Jack Milner, our host, for shoveling the walkway and providing a tour of this beautiful old building. Present: Zenie Gladieux, John Elberfeld, Jane McLean, Jack Milner, Anna Wolfe, Amy Pokorny

COMMUNICATIONS:

Randy Grippin has a scheduling conflict, but wanted to advise us that the Berne Town Park may be available for weekly farmer markets; he has been speaking with Berne Supervisor George Gebe.
Cheryl Frantzen: The Second Annual Knox Conservation Council Fall Festival will be on October 8th, Columbus Day weekend, during the Albany County Firemen’s Muster being hosted by the Knox Fire Department.
Bonnie Kohl emailed that she won’t be able to do the squash wholesale growing project this year; the government requires a stiff fee for permits which she can’t absorb. Tom Gallagher, Cooperative Extension farm rep, won’t be able to assist her this year as his coverage has been extended to 9 counties due to budget cuts. She reported that the farmers who participated in the project last year did well.

WEBSITE: John has continued to work a bit on the site, but there has not been much activity. He will contact people who are on the site to discuss their web page. We discussed how we can continue to contact people to add to the site? We can seek articles in the Altamont Enterprise, the Greenville Pioneer, the Albany Times Union, and the Schenectady Gazette about the website after we polish it and make decisions about community calendar. Amy will send to John her spreadsheet with the names of local small businesses to be contacted. We can use community contacts to do a direct mailing to local organizations: a one page flyer describing our group and explaining how to use the information on our website to better publicize their own efforts.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR: We spent some time discussing the needs of a community calendar. John was asked if we could have links to community calendars of local papers? (Probably not). Can we set up a simple way for organizations to submit their information, such as a spreadsheet? (Possible, but our website format MediaWiki doesn’t automatically sort entries by date, which would make it impossible to group entries by date.) Mediawiki would allow entries to be set up by categories [ex. church, recreation] but not by date within categories. Date sorts would be by entry date and not by event date. To be useful the calendar must allow entry by the public, tie events to the correct dates and allow events to be grouped by date and possibly by category. John will check Hal Miller’s website to see how events are entered there and will check freeware sources for possible community calendars. (N.B. A sample calendar is being tested on the website as of 3/11; please check it out - Zenie)

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: We need to develop an “elevator speech” presentation about our group and ask to present it at the Town Board meetings in all four towns soon. Berne and Knox Historical societies already have historical drive-yourself tours which could be made available to the public quickly. Do Rensselaerville and Westerlo have something similar that we could use?

COMMITTEE FOR ACTIVITIES: The remainder of the meeting was devoted to discussion of the Proposed Areas of Interest [from last meeting]: which do we need and what should the responsibilities for each be? We decided that each area will be a committee; we will need a Chair and volunteers to work on each committee; the Chair of each committee will be a member of the Steering Committee. The Proposed Areas of Interest list from last meeting was evaluated for relevance and efficiencies. Some of the items on the original list have already been completed or are in process; these have been flagged as follows:

= things we’ve accomplished;

- = activity in process. Top priority items have been tagged. Volunteers will be sought to populate these committees; please call or email Zenie with your interest.

HILLTOWNS COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Chair Dawn Jordan, John Elberfeld, Zenie Gladieux

Create website,

- Create Hilltowns community calendar,

Develop a publicity kit for HHA,

- develop a web page for each local business, with a link to any existing website

Help businesses develop own websites

Develop an “elevator speech” presentation to be put on disk,

1) Present ourselves to the town boards to urge cooperation in promoting and supporting Hilltowns activities

2) Develop and promote a ”buy local” campaign to the Hilltowns

AGRICULTURAL: Chair Amy Pokorny

Farmers’ Market at Octagon Barn,

- October Harvest Festivals in Knox and Medusa,

Help promote Heldeberg Market,

Reestablish a wholesale growing project (now inactive),

- Develop a Farmers’ Market at the Berne Town Park

Explore establishing a community cannery,

Explore offering classes on home canning and freezing (in cooperation with Coop Extension?) Organize classes in farm activities (free help for farmers?)

2) Organize classes on designing home vegetable gardens

HOSPITALITY: Anna Wolfe

1) Identify public restrooms in the Hilltowns, put them on our maps & website

2) Identify lodgings, put on maps & website

Promote availability of weddings/family reunions/ business picnic catering by local businesses

Tie tours and events to existing local services and activities

Promote use of local products in restaurants

TOURISM: Zenie Gladieux

- Develop maps and documentation for drive-yourself tours

Develop farm tours, perhaps by topics of interest, i.e. sheep-shearing .

1) Organize town-wide garage sales for each town

2) Organize open house studio/antique shop toursIdentify and publicize one or more “scenic byways”

Work with towns to set up visitor centers for maps and brochures

Organize weekly thematic tours during summer months: baby animals, alternative energy, fiber arts, fall foliage, maple products, pumpkins, Xmas trees, etc.

Improve local signage for businesses

Develop interface with Albany County Visitors Bureau

RECREATION: Gerry Chartier, Dan Driscoll, Jack Milner, Chad Jemison

- Promote the Long Path and develop links with it from other areas

1) Develop a series of seasonal hikes

2) Develop ATV/snowmobile link on website

Arrange classes for hunting or fishing with other organizations

HISTORICAL/LIBRARIES: John Elberfeld, Jane McLean

Genealogy Days in September and October 2010,

Establish a link to Hal Miller’s website

1) Organize training class with experts for historical societies and libraries

2) Genealogy class for public

3) Organize school programs with historical societies: going into school with “suitcase” of information; (Helen L, Mary K, Carol W?)

Build an inventory of old homes in each town

CULTURAL/EDUCATIONAL: Amy Pokorny

Hilltown Players, contradances in Rensselaerville

- Contradances at Octagon Barn [Paul Rosenberg via Amy]

- Star parties at Octagon Barn with Dudley Observatory

1) Hilltowns-wide “studio Open Houses” for artists and crafters

Band concerts

Arts and Crafts shows

NEXT MEETINGS - All at 7:00 PM:

03/28: Knox Town Hall: John and Jane
04/18: Westerlo at Dormansville Hiawatha Grange : Jack Milner
05/09: Rensselaerville: Barb Husek

Respectfully submitted, Phoebe Beebe

REPORT OF RECENT MEETING OF HHA

2011-03-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION

Report of February meeting - 03/07/11. Called to order 7:15 p.m. by Zenie at Rensselaerville Library, Rensselaerville, NY. Present: Zenie Gladieux, John Elberfeld, Jane McLean, Gerry Chartier, Jessica Duval, Barb Husek,Jack Milner
HELDEBERG MARKET: Sarah Gordon reported via email: recent week was the best week ever; products include produce, meats, eggs, and breads at www.heldebergmarket.com
CONTRACT GROWING: Bonnie Kohl reported via email: she met recently with Tom Gallagher, Ralph Douty, and her husband to review last season. She is seeking 25-35 farmers who want to be part of the group for the coming season. For more information, contact Bonnie at 797-3959 or bkohl@fleursdallumage.com.
DUDLEY OBSERVATORY: Ron Barnell, Dudley Observatory Site Committee, reported via email: Dudley is looking at a site in Knox for their observatory, although their offices will continue to be off-hill. Ron has asked to attend April meeting to discuss plans, including rural land initiative and diminishing light pollution in the Hilltowns.
WEBSITE/MEDIA:

John has added info on how to do publicity for Hilltown events, including a comprehensive list of organizations to contact in various media complete with phone numbers and email addresses.

Gerry brought to our attention the educational program Division of Soil and Water is offering on how to work with the media, 9:00-4:00 on 03/24, at the Cooperative Extension center in Voorheesville. The program is free and designed for farmers and people in farm support organizations. It is an interactive, hands-on program: how to present positive benefits of agriculture to media, taught by professionals. Call Barbara Silvestri in Ag&Markets to register.

MISSION STATEMENT: Adopted: The Helderberg Hilltowns Association (HHA) consists of neighbors from Berne, Knox, Rensselaerville, and Westerlo working together to help preserve and promote local farms, businesses, and organizations. HHA is committed to:

- developing a unified Hilltown presence

- cultivating a vibrant local economy

- safeguarding our rural culture and heritage

- encouraging stewardship of our agricultural lands, forests, and open spaces.

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE FOR 2011: After some discussion, it was decided to continue with steering committee format, rather than electing officers, at least for the present. The Chairs ofthe various areas of activities will form the steering committee. As special projects are undertaken, members of those committees can join steering committee on a temporary basis.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF INTEREST: At the meeting of 5/18/10, part of the meeting involved breaking the attendees into groups and asking each group to develop ideas for projects that might benefit their group. During subsequent meetings other ideas were added to the lists as well. Zenie passed out the original ideas; a copy is appended to the minutes.
Zenie has realigned these initial ideas into proposed areas of interest; a copy of that document is also attached to the minutes. During the ensuing discussion, other ideas were brought up, including:

- kiosks for maps/tours

- adding recipe exchange to website

- town-wide garage sales: Rensselaerville in May, Berne July or August?

- helping historical societies and/or libraries share resources

- each area committee set up two activities to be completed by 12/31?

- need improved communication to town governments about what HHA is doing

- how can we coordinate town activities?

- keep youth [middle-high schoolers] in mind, geocaching, clubs at school

- beekeeping class

- Dutch Barns

- energy tour: can HHA help Helderberg Community Energy during energy fest in April?

The “areas” of interest (subject to revision or change at this point) are:

- Hilltowns Community Support

- Agriculture

- Hospitality

- Services

- Tourism

- Recreation: Gerry will continue to work on trail project with trail committee

- Historical: John and Jane will chair this committee

- Cultural

- Classes

Volunteers to chair any of these other areas will be gratefully accepted.
NEXT MEETINGS:

03/28: Knox: Monday, March 28, 2011, 7:00p-9:00p Place TBA - Presentation by Dudley Observatory - Contact Zenie Gladieux at (518) 894-8589 for more info.
04/18: Westerlo: Jack will find place
05/09: Rensselaerville: Barb will find place

Respectfully submitted, Jane McLean

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine

2011-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

The Helderbergs - Originals

Thanks to John Elberfeld for this post:

Scans of the original article from 1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - purchased on eBay by John Elberfeld in December, 2010.

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 652

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 653

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 654

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 655

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 656

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 657

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 658

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 659

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 660

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 661

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 662

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 663

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 664

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 665

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 666

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine - The Helderbergs - Originals - Page 667

MICHAEL H. BARCKLEY

2010-12-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to John Elberfeld for transcribing and posting information on Michael H. Barckley from images, letters and documents in the collection of the Knox Historical Society at the Saddlemire Homestead museum in Knox

Knox - Barckley - Portrait - lithographed by Murray & Goodwin, Albany, NY 1865.
More info

Here are some highlights from the biography of Michael Henry Barckley.

Landmarks of Albany County

Michael H. Barckley, born in the town of Knox, graduated at Union College, raised a company in his town, was wounded at Cold Harbor and died July 6, 1864.

Landmarks of Albany County - Complete Text

Heroes of Albany

Michael Barcklay - Michael, born in Knox in 1840, educated in the public schools, and grew to manhood on his father's farm; when the civil war broke out he was active in raising a company and went to the front as lieutenant of Company K, Seventh New York Heavy Artillery; at the battle of Cold Harbor he was wounded by a bursting shell, taken to a military hospital at Washington, D. C., where he died from the effects of his wound, 1864; he was unmarried; his memory is preserved in Altamont where Michael Barckley Post, Grand Army of the Republic, is named in his honor.

Heroes of Albany - Complete Text

Michael Barckley Post, Grand Army of the Republic, in Altamont is named in his honor.
Photo by permission of Morrisville State College Library, Morrisville, NY
More Info

Carnival of Blood

The following excerpt is from Carnival of Blood, by Richard Keating:

Page 3: - In the rural hamlet of Knox, in farm country ten miles west of Albany, young Michael Barckley gained a commission as first lieutenant in Company K, primarily because he was a recent college graduate, but he had also managed to convince twenty-one men from the small community to enlist in the Regiment. His recruiting efforts were then a cause for admiration and celebration, during the patriotic euphoria which gripped the Northern States in the summer of 1862. Three years later, Barckley and sixteen of the twenty-one were dead, and the mood would be far different."

Page 154-6: - Another popular officer was struck down that day. Nearly two years earlier, when he had been mustered in as a First Lieutenant in Company K, Michael Henry Barkley had been presented with a sword and sash, and a belt and pistol, given to him by the citizens of his small home town of Knox, in rural Albany County. At the ceremony , he had been reminded that the Bible "cursed [him] who keepeth back his sword from blood." And then they had sent him off to war, with a prayer that invoked God, not only to protect him, but also to grant him an honorable death and a heavenly salvation: " May God sustain you in your trials, give you a valiant heart, shield you from evil, and return you and your comrades to us again in peace. If it may be, or if it must be, that you fall, be yours an honored grave,...by and by to enjoy the bliss of heaven."

In accepting the gifts, the Union College graduate promised "...to hold them sacred, to use them where duty calls, and never return them dishonored." Keeping his word, his sword had been blooded during the assault, and on that Sunday morning, when a Rebel shell fragment ripped through his right leg just above his knee, his trial was indeed about to lead to an honored grave. In an effort to save his life, his leg was amputated above the knee that same day. Three days later, while waiting to be put aboard a hospital transport, he wrote to his father, explaining the situation, and urging him not to worry: "Do not be alarmed, as I am getting along first rate." But Barckley was destined to die in a Washington hospital on the evening of July 6. Just before his death, he remarked to his mother, "I could not die in a better cause."

Knox - Barckley - Grave

At his funeral in the Knox Dutch Reformed Church four days later, his sword lay amongst flowers strewn upon his flag-bedecked coffin. His pastor described the ceremony: "Citizens from every direction flocked to the house in mourning until the church was filled to its unmost capacity, the vestibule crowded, and the grounds in front filled by a multitude from far and near.... After the ceremony, the assembly followed his remains, in slow and solemn procession, to the new cemetery and on a most beautiful spot, overlooking the place that gave him birth,.... was deposited the lifeless form of the once loved and noble youth...."

Sword

Michael Henry Barckley's sword is on display at the Saddlemire Homestead in the center of Knox beside the Fire House and in front of the Knox Town Hall. Thanks to Allan Dietz for reminding us.

Knox - Barckley - Sword

Gallery of Sword Photos

Burial

Lt. M. H. Barckley is buried in Knox Cemetery.

Gallery of Barckley Grave Photos

CONGRATULATIONS!

2010-11-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

November 21, 2010

Jennifer May (Bees Knees), Sally Ryan (Girl & The Goat), Craig Lee (Prospect),

Lee Celano (Mike's on The Avenue), for The New York Times

Top from left Borscht with grass-fed beef and local vegetables at Bees Knees Cafe in

Preston Hollow, N.Y.; chickpeas are served three ways at Girl and the Goat in Chicago.
Above from left Wagyu beef with potatoes, cippolinis, trumpet mushrooms and
spinach at Prospect in San Francisco; Louisiana crab and crawfish cakes at Mike's
on the Avenue in New Orleans.

The Bees Knees Cafe has hit the NY TImes! This Sunday's travel section! Preview online. The 4 Towns are San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans and ... Preston Hollow!

Heather Ridge Farm web site.
Heather Ridge Farm Facebook page.

Heather Ridge Farm
989 Broome Center Road
Preston Hollow, NY 12469
518-239-6234

Thanks to Tim Lippert for calling this to our attention: "Here’s a ‘Local” farm exceeding all expectations in quality and marketing. I’m really proud of John and Carol for their hard work and accomplishments. Berne could have five or six of these type operations!!"

37 Acres given to Huyck Preserve

Huyck Preserve neighbors Jeri and John Woodhouse formally donated 37 acres of their long-held family property to become part of the Huyck Preserve. The land includes fields and shrub habitats, but is dominated by a pristine quality emergent marsh.

Chad Jemison, Jeri and John Woodhouse

Located just along Route 85 just north of Rensselaerville, this large open wetland is easily viewed and can be enjoyed by all. This land has terrific birding potential and is on the edge of being suitable habitat for the endangered bog turtle. Along with being protected in perpetuity, this wonderful gift will be highly valued at the biological field station for research and education opportunities.

Indian Summer

2010-11-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

Golden Eagles in Berne From Al Deitz: "Three days straight in October of 2009, I passed the field on the east side of Switzkill Road near the Foxenkill Bridge and saw this Golden Eagle feeding on a deer carcus. On the third day I had my camera, and when I took this photo from my car, I could hear the eagle tear the meat from the bones . When I left the car for a closer photo, this spooked eagle would fly up into a tree to join it's mate. Golden Eagles are rare in Albany County. They are more common in New Hampshire and occasionally seen near Tupper Lake. They're more common out west. Golden Eagles are slightly larger than Bald Eagles. I suspect these two lived on West Mt."

Heldeberg Market Turkeys

The Heldeberg Market will be selling locally raised turkeys for Thanksgiving this year. Varieties will include broad-breasted white turkeys, and heritage breeds with darker meat. If you are planning to order a turkey, please complete the one-question survey linked here: Turkey Survey.

This will let us know how many turkeys to reserve with our farmers.

Thank you for supporting our local farms!

Country Holiday Gift Bazaar

The annual Country Holiday Gift Bazaar will be held at the Thacher Nature Center of Saturday, Dec. 4, 10 am – 4 pm. and Sunday, Dec. 5, 11 am – 3 pm. Meet friends for a day of shopping and beautiful scenery, enjoy baked goods and refreshments, take home beautiful and original items hand made by local artists, crafters and artisans. Jewelry, jams and jellies and maple products, homespun wool products and knitted items, original artwork, pine needle baskets, stained glass, breads and spices, home made soaps and organic beauty products, wildlife and nature photography, Native American style dream catchers and decorative art, rustic holiday ornaments, carved wooden bowls, rustic wooden bears and outdoor wooden items and more! Call 872-1237 for additional information.

Helderberg Hilltowns Association fall report; Vendors wanted for fall events

2010-10-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION MEETING

- Report of last meeting - Go to the Helderberg Hilltowns Association page for a full report of September 13, 2010 meeting plus updates since then.

- Next meeting - 10/25/10, Buddhist Center, Game Farm Rd., Berne;

6:00 harvest meal. Bring products from your garden to share; will need RSVP when invitation comes out;

meeting 7:00

Happy Fall to All!
As an organization we're becoming busier and more visible, and it's going to get even better.

Long Path North - A short note from Gerry Chartier gives an update on the idea to connect the Long Path North to future trails on the Buddhist Retreat Center (Tenzin Gyatso Institute) on Game Farm Road. Jonathan & Ryan of the Center, Jon Kusler of the Berne Conservation Board, Mike Willsey of the LPN, and Gerry Chartier walked the DEC forest trails beginning from the shale bank parking area on Irish Hill Road. We "rediscovered" the old roads linking Irish Hill Road to Game Farm Road. There was agreement that the link will be easy to accomplish with a minimal amount of work. This area is extremely scenic, with relatively open mature forest cover with a wetland/stream network, and offers walking and Nordic skiing opportunities. Should we be exploring further either forming a work crew to get going on this or coordinating some other groups to take it on?

Genealogy Workshop - On September 25th, John Elberfeld and Jane McLean welcomed about 25 folks to the Octagon Barn (courtesy of Amy and Russ Pokorny) for a morning of feasting on goodies made from local products by Jane and learning about the resources available in this area to search about folks who live, or used to live, on the Hill. Representatives from several of the local resources were present for John's excellent presentation and left clutching copies of his handout. I found it interesting that the representatives from the various organizations seemed unaware of what their neighbors were doing, and what they had available to share. It seemed to me that HHA might well serve as a catalyst for getting these groups together to exchange ideas and information about their resources and collections. The Altamont Enterprise gave us a nice half-page on the meeting in its 10/1 edition, and since that was published, I've gotten a couple of calls from folks off the Hill with information and items to share about the Hilltowns.

Jane McLean

Ralph Miller, Berne Town Historian
President, Berne Historical Society

This Saturday 10/9 there are two festivals celebrating the Hilltowns:

- The Helderberg Hilltowns Fall Festival - at the Knox Town Park in conjunction with the Knox CAC; contact: Cheryl Frantzen.

- The Preston Hollow Harvest Festival - at the Bayard Elsbree Town Park on Rt. 145 in Preston Hollow; this one extends to Sunday 10/10; contact: Dennis Pillts. Both are featuring local crafts and produce, with food and games for the whole family. Please turn out if you can to support these, and pass the word where you work or shop.

Annual Roast Beef Dinner - Berne Volunteer Fire Company will have their annual Roast Beef Dinner serving at noon at the fire house. Cost is $10 at the door and $11 for for take out (prices may change closer to the day of the event. The menu will include: roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage salad, homemade pickles, vegetables, homemade applesauce, rolls, coffee, tea, milk and homemade pies!

Dawn Jordan has written a letter to them asking permission to set up a table to run John's "Researching Your Hilltown Ancestors" power point presentation and hand out literature about HHA. Please contact Dawn if you can help at Dawn Jordan.

Next Meeting - October meeting on 10/25, we've been invited by Chris Pollei to get acquainted with the Tenzin Gyatso Institute in Berne. The meeting is at 7 PM for the public BUT HHA members are hereby invited to dinner at 6 PM. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN RSVP EVENT: if you're coming for dinner, please notify them by 10/20 how many will be in your party, so they can prepare. Thank to Chris for her hospitality.

Take care- Zenie

INVITE TO NEXT MEETING OF THE HHA
Hello neighbors!
You and your families are invited to join us for a potluck dinner & harvest bounty share at the Tenzin Gyatso Institute on Monday, October 25th at 6pm. The Helderberg Hilltowns Association meeting will follow at 7pm.
We'll provide a delicious main course followed by dessert. And as promised at our last HHA meeting... beer and wine (as well as some non-alcoholic refreshments). If you can, please bring along any of your harvest bounty: fruits, veggies, eggs, meat, honey and any other products that may be overflowing from your farm or garden so we can all get to know what you grow.
We are located at 165 Game Farm Road (off of Switzkill Road), follow the signs to the lodge. There is parking around back. Go to the website: for a map and directions
Please RSVP so we can make sure we are prepared. You can either email Jessica Duval or call telephone 872-1250.
Looking forward to seeing you all here!
Best, Christine & Jessica

VENDORS WANTED

- Helderberg Hilltowns Fall Festival - The Knox Conservation Advisory Council is planning its first annual Helderberg Hilltowns Fall Festival for October 9th from 10 am -3pm. There will be live music, activities for children, farm vendors, crafts, and more. They are seeking farm, craft, and other vendors from Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville. Those interested in participating should contact Cheryl Frantzen, Chairperson, at 872-1199, 573-5949, or Cheryl Frantzen

- Preston Hollow Harvest Festival - We already have many local crafts people - Dried Flower Arrangements; Stained Glass, Pottery, Jewelery, Wine Tasting, Antiques, Collectibles. The cost per vendor (10x10 booth) is $25.00 one day; $40.00 for 2 days! that a great bargan, and at the very least a nice donation to cause and a lot of fun to meet local people and say Hay!

- Thacher Park Fall Festival - Thacher Park is seeking vendors for the Annual Thacher Park Fall Festival. The event will be held Oct. 16 with a rain date of Oct. 17, from 10am - 4pm. The vendor fee for the event is #25. Only quality handcrafted items will be considered. The Park is also looking for volunteers for the Fall Festival to run games, face-painting, scarecrow building, and other events. Call the park office at 872-1237 orJoy Scism if interested in being a vendor or volunteer.

- Eighth Annual Hilltown Holiday Gift Bazaar- There are spaces for 20 vendors at the Eighth Annual Hilltown Holiday Gift Bazaar which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 27 at Historic Conkling Hall from 10am - 3pm.Spaces will be available on a first come, first served basis. Vendors must be creators of the products they sell. Contact Cheryl 797-5201.

OCTOBER EVENTS

2010-09-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER

2nd

- Huyck Preserve Trail Day

- Roast Pork Supper - Served family style from 3:30-6:30pm at the Berne Reformed Church: roast pork, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, gravy. green beans, homemade applesauce, rolls, homemade pie and beverage.

9th

Helderberg Hilltowns Fall Festival - There will be live music, activities for children, farm vendors, crafts, and more. They are seeking farm, craft, and other vendors from Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville. Knox town Hall 9th from 10 am - 3pm. Sponsored by the Knox Conservation Advisory Counci. Contact Cheryl Frantzen, Chairperson, for more information at 872-1199, 573-5949, or Cheryl Frantzen

9th & 10th

Preston Hollow Harvest Festival - Oct. 9 & 10 10-4pm at Bayard Elsbree Town Park on Rt. 145 in Preston Hollow.

- This is a Fund raising Event to benefit the non-profit Preston Hollow Beautification Committee, the Preston Hollow Town Park, and Youth Group.

- We invite all to spread the word, bring a "home-baked" specialty for sale, an item to donate at the "Silent Auction" such as "gift certificates from local businesses, etc....

- We already have many local crafts people - Dried Flower Arrangements; Stained Glass, Pottery, Jewelery, Wine Tasting, Antiques, Collectibles

- Vendors. The cost per vendor (10x10 booth) is $25.00 one day; $40.00 for 2 days! that a great bargan, and at the very least a nice donation to cause and a lot of fun to meet local people and say Hay!

- There will be Hay-Rides, Face Painting; Pumpkin Carving; and Games for Kids, Family, and Friends. We hope for contributions from local business for sausages, Kosher Hot Dogs, rolls, Apples, Pumpkins, Gourds, Corn Stalks, Apple Cider, etc. and paper products so the sales will all go to the Beautification Committee Town Park and Preston Hollow Youth Group. Any donation big or small will be welcomed. Give us some notice and we'll pick up your donation from your farm or business.

- We need your support and welcome your participation. We are trying to build community spirit in our beautiful little hamlet!

For more information, contact Margaret Sedlemier, Chairperson, Preston Hollow Beautification Committee, NY 12469. Tel. 518-239-4039

16th

Thacher Park Fall Festival - will be held Oct. 16 with a rain date of Oct. 17, from 10am - 4pm. There will be face-painting, scarecrow building, and other events. Call the park office at 872-1237 or Joy Scism for more information.

17th

Annual Roast Beef Dinner - Berne Volunteer Fire Company will have their annual Roast Beef Dinner serving at noon at the fire house. Cost is $10 at the door and $11 for for take out, (prices may change closer to the day of the event). The menu will include: roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage salad, homemade pickles, vegetables, homemade applesauce, rolls, coffee, tea, milk and homemade pies!

20th

Solar, Wind & More - at Fox Creek Farm! 10am - Noon, Fox Creek Farm, 182 Fox Creek Farm Road, Schoharie, NY 12157 (Schoharie County). Fox Creek Farm not only grows vegetables for their CSA, the farm also harvests almost all of the electricity needed for the farm right on site. The farm operates a 200 member CSA off the grid (that is, without a connection to National Grid), and is probably the only CSA of this size in the country doing so. The farm produces its electricity with a farmer-installed 1.3 kW solar array with Evergreen panels (manufactured in Massachusetts), and harvests wind energy with a Bergey XL1 wind generator on a 100 foot tower. On a good day Fox Creek Farm harvests approximately 8 kW in electricity. The farm also features a site build energy efficient walk-in cooler run with an air-conditioner unit in combination with a CoolBot regulator, and a farm house incorporating passive solar design elements. Sponsored by the Cornell Small Farms Energy Work Team. To register, contact Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 or vws7@cornell.edu.

24th

Newcomb's Farms Annual Open House - from 1-5pm. 1498 Thacher Park Road., East Berne; Tel. (518) 872-2576 or Email Newcomb's Farm.

25th

Helderberg Hilltowns Association next meeting will be 10/25/10, Buddhist Center, Game Farm Rd., Berne; 6:00 harvest meal, bring products from your garden to share; will need RSVP when invitation comes out; meeting 7:00pm-9pm

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION : Sept. meeting

2010-09-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION MEETING
September 13, 2010; Note: Since the meeting, we've made some progress in several areas, and info on those have been added to Jane's notes.

Present: Jessica DuVal, John Elberfeld, Roswell Eldridge, Zenie Gladieux, Barb Husek, Chad Jemison & Maya, Dawn Jordan, Tim Lippert, Jack McEneny, Jane McLean, Christine Pollei, Fred Wagner. Zenie facilitated the meeting, Jane acted as scribe.

HELDEBERG MARKET: Sarah submitted a report; Market was on YNN last month, increased visits to website; continues to add new customers; adding two-three new vendors; planning meeting with local farmers to strategize next steps [ex. maximizing four-season farming]

RESEARCHING YOUR HILLTOWN ANCESTORS: 09/25/10, 9:00-11:00, Octagon Barn in Knox; John and Jane reported on event; Zenie will represent HHA; specialists from several groups will be there to add to information-sharing; 10-12 attendees have registered so far; articles beginning to appear in local papers; refreshments will include local ingredients; members asked to spread the word, attend if possible as this is HHA’s first public event [besides our meetings]; Beebe Farm will underwrite costs for event, Russ and Amy Pokorny will provide meeting space at no charge; [mailto: jelberfeld@aol.com John Elberfeld] for more info; Greenville Pioneer newspaper recommended for Westerlo/Rensselaerville

GENEALOGY EVENT: at Berne Roast Beef Dinner: 10/17/10: Dawn has several members from DAR to assist; Berne fire station has internet access; Dawn will follow up with Gerry; John’s PowerPoint presentation from 09/25 can be available.

N.B, update 9/21: Gerry Chartier has had to pull out of the project.

HILLTOWN FALL FESTIVAL: 10/09/10 in Knox, no report.

N.B. 9/21 A flier was emailed to the group under separate cover.

COUPON: discussed ideas for October; contact Zenie or Michelle if interested in advertising; Crosby Farm and Buddhist Center expressed interest; cost approx. $23 to underwrite [500 copies on colored paper], Michelle will underwrite October; Crosby Farm will underwrite November; Huyck will do April 2011. Discussed insertion of flyer in town papers: Dawn will research Berne paper and Chad will research Rensselaerville paper. We need deadline dates for both.

FALL HIKES: Chad reported: Huyck Preserve Trail Day 10/02/10; he will meet with Mohawk-Hudson group; plan: a Fall hike in each town that weekend

TRAILS: Buddhist Center would like help in designing trails for x-c skiers; could HHA have a recreation committee to help with multiuse of trails?

PHASE II: Chad: how do we coordinate the Hilltowns to bring downhill money uphill? Suggested coordinated effort to request line items on all four town budgets; we should be looking at strategic structures to support economic development; Jack reported on rural resources group in state Assembly, incentive grants for consolidation while retaining individual community identities; “the State’s in no position to help anyone” financially; recommended contacting Michelle at Visitor’s Center in Albany about low-impact tours to Hilltowns

LAND MANAGEMENT: Zenie reported on conversation with Melissa Neely, wildlife biologist with DEC; NYS program to help landowners restrict and manage their land for hunting.

LOGO: discussion of submitted logos and slogans; Barb showed photo of sunflower with idea for wording in center.

N.B. 9/21 - several versions of this idea has been emailed to the group under separate cover. The group seems to be leaning toward the simpler visual. The idea would be to use this as a medallion for road markers, trails, involved businesses, etc. The slogan “The Helderbergs- A Great Place to Be!” was deemed too dull. “Head for the Hills!” is still under consideration. Any and all other ideas - please e-mail them to Zenie or send them out directly to the group, so we can get dialogue going on this before the next meeting.

COMMUNITY CANNERIES: No report

HHA MISSION STATEMENT: Zenie handed out HHA Goals as listed on Albany Hilltowns website:

Promote the study and dissemination of the history of the Helderberg Hilltowns and

the genealogy of the people who live there

Historic building preservation in the hamlets and countryside of the Hilltowns
Preservation of the farmland and scenic beauty of the Hilltowns
Promote farms and farm activities
Work towards the economic development of the Hilltowns
Encourage low-impact tourism as a means of achieving the above goals.
Suggestions from around the table for inclusion in the mission: new jobs on the hill,

cultural tourism, day trips, coordinating and developing ideas, schedules and communications. Barb and Tim will draft a mission statement and “toss it out for comment” before next HHA meeting.

HHA WEBPAGE: John will start a simple webpage for HHA with pages available for businesses/organizations; Tim suggested listserves as a fairly easy way to keep information flowing to our “friends”.

N.B. 9/21: Hal Miller had already reserved for us the site HelderbergHilltowns.com, so we’re good to go there. John will be drafting a sample page for use by a business; if the business already has a page, it will include a link to the other website. Part of the functionality should allow us to collect “friends” names for e-mail updates. Zenie will put together a “check list” of products and services offered on the Hill to make things more searchable.

NEXT MEETING: 10/25/10, Buddhist Center, Game Farm Rd., Berne; 6:00 harvest meal, bring products from your garden to share; will need RSVP when invitation comes out; meeting 7:00

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR RHS GENEALOGY PROJECT

Last fall Rensselaerville Historical Society started a pilot project to scan and upload their genealogy books to RHS Genealogy Files on this site. Half of the books have now been scanned and the pages are ready to code. This can be done from your home computer whenever you have an extra hour or so to help us. No time pressure, no deadlines. Please contact Hal Miller if you can help. Eventually we would like to upload all Hilltown Historical Societies files to the site.

HILLTOWNS GENEALOGY

The Hilltowns Genealogy on the Berne Historical Project site has recently been updated recently. There are about 80,000 individuals. If you or your ancestor are from the Hilltowns and should be included but are not, contact Hal Miller. Also, the files have much more information than what is posted on line. Hal will be glad to run off an ancestor or descendant report.

Upcoming Events of Special Interest to Hill Town Residents

2010-09-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the upcoming events of special interest to residents of the hill towns . Event organizers are strongly encouraged to add the events themselves to ensure they are worded to their satisfaction.
(Click here for Upcoming events for visitors)

SUGGESTION TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

Those of you who live in the Hilltowns; please encourage your local organizations to buy local, especially when planning fundraising meals. We need to put our money where our mouths are, and buy local produce to feed our mouths and those that come to our fundraisers. Our local organizations should be proud to advertise that the meals they serve are from local farmers.

HILLTOWN POTLUCKS

For Hilltown organizations wouldn't it be a great idea to have "Hilltown Potlucks" with all dishes made from food from the hilltowns. This would help to raise consciousness about the abundance, variety and quality of locally-produced food.

VENDORS WANTED

SEPTEMBER

11th

Making History: Revitalizing "Main Streets" - The Rensselaerville Historical Society invites you to a special program, titled Making History: Revitalizing "Main Streets" in the Town of Rensselaerville, as part of its Annual Meeting and Pot-Luck Supper on Saturday, September 11.

The village Main Streets of Preston Hollow, Potter Hollow, Medusa, and Rensselaerville were once bustling commercial centers. Is it possible to restore some of the old vitality to these historic places? This program will feature a representative from the Preservation League of New York State and others who will discuss the League's recent designation of the hamlet of Rensselaerville as a “Seven to Save” site and what this can mean for other villages and hamlets in the Town. State and county resources that are available to help revitalize, develop and improve local villages will be surveyed and discussed and we'll look at current and potential projects in all villages of the Town.
The supper and program will follow the Annual Business Meeting for the Town Historical Society. The Annual Meeting begins at 5:00 pm, followed by the Pot-Luck Supper at 6:00 pm, and the "Making History..." program at 7:00 pm., all at the Medusa Fire Hall.
All interested persons are welcome to attend. Please bring a dish to share at the Pot-Luck. Beverages will be provided.

13th

Helderberg Hilltowns Association - next meeting will be held at Conkling Hall, Rensselaerville at 7 PM on Monday, Sept. 13. All are welcome to come and participate.

New Falls Overlook Platform (Huyck Preserve photo)

16th

Harvest Party & Bonfire - Third Annual Harvest Party to be held in at the Patroon Land Farm, 153 Ketcham Road, Town of Knox. Come - enjoy gathering with ole friends, new friends, great food, bonfire, ole tyme music, and pumpkin painting for the children. $25 for adults, 12 and under free. Time: 5:30pm - 7pm. Phone: (518)786-3691

18th

Barbecue and yard sale - Berne-Knox-Westerlo Sports Boosters will hold a fund-raising barbecue and yard sale Saturday Sept. 18, from 10am to 5pm. at Berne Town Park. The chicken barbecue will begin at 1pm. Each dinner will cost $9, and will include a half chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, and dessert. Members of all 21 teams are participating, from the fall, spring, and winter sports seasons.

25th

Researching your Hilltown Ancestors - The Helderberg Hilltowns Association is planning a genealogy workshop to help community members connect with their family roots. To be held at the Octagon Barn, Knox, It will be a sit down class with a take home package of materials. Breakfast will be included as part of the event. Local products will be served.

OCTOBER

9th

16th

20th

NOVEMBER

27th

Hilltown Holiday Gift Bazaar - Local Artisians gather to provide beautiful works of art, jewelry & hand crafted products for your holiday shopping. Held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Hours are from 10 to 4 pm.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

2010-07-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR RHS GENEALOGY PROJECT

Last fall Rensselaerville Historical Society started a pilot project to scan and upload their genealogy books to RHS Genealogy Files on the Helderberg Hilltowns wiki site. Half of the books have now been scanned and the pages are ready to upload. We need about 25 volunteers to help us. This can be done from your home computer whenever you have an extra hour or so to help us. No time pressure, no deadlines. Please contact [[mailto: halned1@gmail.com Hal Miller]] if you can help. Eventually we would like to upload all Hilltown Historical Societies files to the site.

HILLTOWNS GENEALOGY

The Hilltowns Genealogy on the Berne Historical Project site has recently been updated recently. There are about 80,000 individuals. If you or your ancestor is from the Hilltowns and should be included but is not, let me know. Also, the files have much more information than what is posted on line. I will be glad to run off an ancestor or descendant report.

RECENT BIOGRAPHIES

Many thanks to Betty Fink for researching and creating biographies of Hilltown families from information in Landmarks of Albany County. Recent biographies include the families of:

Jacob Hochstrasser (1730) of Germany who was the first supervisor of both the towns of Rensselaerville in 1790, and of Berne when it was broke off Rensselaerville in 1795.
Alexander Mackey of New Paltz who was in the Revolutionary War who with his brother William were among the early settlers of the town of Rensselaerville.

Hilltown organizations should have "Eat Local Dinners"

2010-07-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Below is a posting I made on my Helderberg Hilltowns Facebook site along with a response I got this morning that I want to share with you:

Harold Hal Miller Those of you who live in the Hilltowns; please encourage your local organizations to buy local, especially when planning fundraising meals. We need to put our money where our mouths are, and buy local produce to feed our mouths and those that come to our fundraisers. Make your organizations proud to advertise that the meals they serve are from local farmers.
11 hours ago · Comment · · Flag

Kathleen E Moore July 2 at 8:08am Report

Our church, Emmanuel Baptist in downtown Albany, has begun

a tradition of having "100-mile potlucks" once or twice a

year; people are encouraged to bring dishes made with food

from within a 100-mile radius. This has helped to raise

consciousness about the abundance, variety and quality of

locally-produced food. I know of some other churches in the

area that are doing the same thing.

Follow up: For Hilltown organizations wouldn't it be a great idea to have "Hilltown potlucks" with all dishes made from food from the hilltowns.

For Farmers and Local Folk

2010-07-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

VENDORS WANTED

The Knox Conservation Advisory Council is planning its first annual Helderberg Hilltowns Fall Festival for October 9th from 10 am -3pm. There will be live music, activities for children, farm vendors, crafts, and more. They are seeking farm, craft, and other vendors from Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville. Those interested in participating should contact Cheryl Frantzen, Chairperson, at 872-1199, 573-5949, or by e-mail at cfrantzen@knoxny.org.

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION -The third meeting of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association was held on Monday, June 28. The following agenda items were discussed:

- Update on data gathering activities

- Update on Helderberg Market activities

- Updates on projects from last meeting:

Fall Hikes - Chad Jemison

Turkey Hunting classes - Jack Milner

Weekly Coupons - Michelle Catalano

Genealogy Day - Jane McLean

- Discussion of supporting activities for agriculture

Farm Tour

Farmers Market

Store front off the Hill

Month-to-month featured agricultural activities

Heather Ridge Farm

HELDEBERG MARKET

The Heldeberg Market - a new, low-cost service that markets Hilltown farmers' and home industrialists' goods online to customers throughout the Capital Region launched in June.

To take advantage of this service visit theHeldeberg Market web site. For more information please contact owner, Sarah Avery Gordon at 518-669-3446 or Sarah Gordon.

MARKETING HELP

Marketing help from Sarah Gordon - I would be more than happy to host a community message board, announcements, maps that guide customers to local farm, home and commercial businesses, or other items that would help get the message out about goods and services available in the Hilltowns. I could integrate these features into the Heldeberg Market website. I think that coordinating in this manner could be very beneficial to a wide range of efforts in the Hilltowns, given that I will be pursuing widespread marketing, outreach, and awareness raising activities throughout the Capital District. Coordinating efforts would increase public exposure and create something like a one-stop virtual window into the Hilltowns.

Sarah Avery Gordon
Sarah Avery Gordon Environmental Consulting, LLC
D/B/A Heldeberg Market
371 Hamilton Street, 2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 669-3447
Sage Consulting
SAGEnvironmental Consulting
Heldeberg Market

KIWANIS CLUB OF THE HELDERBERGS

Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs

Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs - now has a page on this site. This an active club with approximately 30 members from the Berne-Knox-Westerlo area. We meet almost every Wednesday at The Highlands Restaurant on Route 156 (1670 Berne Altamont Road, Altamont, NY 12009) in Knox. For details about club activities and the procedure for joining with us (we are always looking for new, active members), please contact our secretary, Zenie Gladeaux at 872-1469.

On May 19, 2010, we celebrated our 50th Anniversary at the Octagon Barn in Knox. As part of the celebration we gathered historical information from many sources. The articles and pictures below will give you a detailed history of the club and an idea of our current projects.

Kiwanis Club of the Helderberg Gallery of Photos

Thanks to John Eberfeld for postings on the Kiwanis Club.

2010-06-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Hilltowns Genealogy on the Berne Historical Project site has been updated recently. There are about 80,000 individuals. If you or your ancestor is from the Hilltowns and should be included but is not, let me know. Also, the files have much more information than what is posted on line. I will be glad to run off an ancestor or descendant report.
Last week we had biggest day ever for the Helderberg Hilltowns site. Over 100 hits to the main page in one day.
LETTER TO Mr SAMUEL T SCHOONMAKER in the TOWN of KNOSE [KNOX] ALBANY COUNTY

Dear brother

I now sit down with pleasure to inform you that we are all in a midling state of health at present and hope that these few lines may find you enjoying the same blessing I have been a great deal out of health since we have moved here but I think it was occaisconce by the fatiuge of the journy It took us four days and a halfe to come from duanesburg here The road was very rough and muddy and we had a heavy load besides our eight children and our selves my baby was but little over two month old but she stood the journy verry well I have been taken several times since I have been here with a suden pulsation of my heart which I thought would terminate my life but thanks to the Lord I feel some better of that complaint but it has left me verry nurves we have bought sixty acres of land here There is but eight acres cleared on it we have a good log house to live in and we have the frame of the barn nearly ready to put up...

Samuel T. Schoonmaker

Drawings dated 1886 found in wall of 1835 house when torn down.

2010-06-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

The main page of Helderberg Hilltowns wiki site has been updated. One of the new articles is on the Jacob Ball House built of brick about 1835 at the same time as St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Berne just down the road from it. When the house was torn down in 1960 for the construction of St. Bernadette's Catholic Church, two old drawings from around 1886 were found in the walls. One pictures the small house of the former slave Jack Dietz, and shows Jack and his wife Diana in the front yard.

The other is a depiction of the Berne and Beaverdam Cemetery. Follow the links on to the pages on the Jacob Ball House, Jack Dietz, and Beaverdam Cemetery for the complete stories.

CONGRATULATIONS: Sarah Gordon; Huyck Preserve; Bees Knees Cafe

2010-06-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Heldeberg Market - CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah Gordon on the opening of her new on-line business. Read this great article in the Albany Times Union: Farmers get an online lifeline -

A new website aims to connect busy consumers and local farmers in Albany County. By JENNIFER GISH, Staff writer

Photo at left: Sarah Avery Gordon started a website in Albany that connects the people in the city who want produce, eggs and meats with farmers in the Hilltowns who have products. ( Michael P. Farrell / Times Union )

Reopening of The Bees Knees Cafe - Heather Ridge Farm - (Preston Hollow, New York)

Outdoor cafe with a great view of the Catskill Mountains. Open every Saturday through October 9. Tasty lunch items feature our own products as well other other local, seasonal foods. A changing menu with local cheese and our own charcuterie platters, sandwiches, paninis, soups, desserts. 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM. Heather Ridge Farm, 989 Broome Center Road, Preston Hollow, NY 12469; Phone: 518-239-6234.

From Local Harvest newsletter

Huyck Preserve - Congratulations to the Preserve on the completion of the Falls overlook. Dedication of Rensselaerville Falls Overlook Platform -- Saturday, June 19th, 4:00pm. Meet at the Visitor Center. All are welcome, please wear appropriate shoes to walk to the top of the falls. Reception to follow.

Report on 2nd meeting of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association

2010-05-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Helderberg Hilltowns Association held its second meeting at the Berne Senior Center on May 18.

The meeting began with a presentation by Dudley Observatory about their historic telescopes. At the present time, Dudley has no observatory; they are examining a site in the Helderbergs. With our clear, dark skys, a Helderberg Hilltowns observatory would be a major tourist attraction.

Break-out groups then brainstormed a series of ideas for near-term projects that the Association might accomplish in the next 10 months. After listening to all of them, the group chose four:

a series of fall hikes at Hilltown preserves (such as the Huyck Preserve) possibly coordinating with a similar effort in the Catskills;
turkey hunter training in advance of the fall turkey season;
a Hilltowns history / genealogy class and research day possibly coordinating with the roast beef dinner put on by the Berne Fire Company,
a Helderberg Hilltowns Fall Harvest Festival on October 9, possibly an annual event involving all the Hilltowns.

Sarah Gordon, of Heldeberg Market made the following offer to the group:

"I would be more than happy to host a community message board, announcements, maps that guide customers to local farm, home and commercial businesses, or other items that would help get the message out about goods and services available in the Hilltowns. I could integrate these features into the Heldeberg Market website. I think that coordinating in this manner could be very beneficial to a wide range of efforts in the Hilltowns, given that I will be pursuing widespread marketing, outreach, and awareness raising activities throughout the Capital District. Coordinating efforts would increase public exposure and create something like a one-stop virtual window into the Hilltowns."

Thank you, Sarah!

The third meeting is planned for 7pm June 28 at the Octagon Barn, Knox.

Hal Miller

Huyck Preserve

2010-05-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Huyck Preserve. The Albany Times Union named the Preserve one of Our Backyard: Spring's best five

The first sound you hear upon arriving at the Huyck Preserve in Rensselaerville is the rush of water over the falls. Fed by snowmelt from high up in the Helderberg Mountains, the falls are at their best this time of year. By mid-June, an overlook will sit across the top of the spectacular falls. Hike along nearly seven miles of trails that wind up the plateau and back down around Lake Myosotis and Lincoln Pond. Stand amid 200-plus-year-old hardwood stands, or take in the flora and fauna on docent-guided geological, wildflower and bird walks
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=919042&category=EXPLORE&BCCode=&newsdate=4/16/2010&TextPage=2#ixzz0o7mrmb6p

Bird Festival
Saturday, May 22nd, 9am to 1pmEldridge Research Center, 284 Pond Hill Rd. Rensselaerville

This annual event is perennial favorite for all ages, and is not to be missed. The warblers are just returning and the first goslings were sighted on Lincoln Pond on Tuesday. Join us for this welcome kick-off to the upcoming season of events at the Huyck Preserve.
Special guests:
Rich Guthrie--Talk and bird walk
Wes Laraway--Wildlife Rescue Center
Kelly Martin--Wildlife Rehabilitator
Jim Webber--Falconer
Hudson Mohawk Bird Club
BBQ lunch available for purchase
$5/person suggested donation, free to members

----

A REMINDER: The next meeting of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association will be this Tuesday May 18 7pm at the Helderberg Senior Center on Rte. 443 half way between Berne and East Berne.

The agenda will be:
Dudley Observatory - History and Prospects for Locating in the Hilltowns - Ron Barnell
Breakout Session - Ideas for promoting the Hilltowns:
Agriculture/Crops;
Agriculture/Other;
Hospitality/Food/B&Bs;
Services;
Tourism/Crafts/Classes/Act
ivities;
Recreation;
Historic/Cultural)
Presentations by Breakout Groups - Dan Driscoll/Zenie Gladieux
Helderberg Hilltowns Association Leadership - Dan Driscoll
Next Meeting Date and Place

Fearure Article in Altamont Enterprise on Helderberg Hilltowns Association

2010-05-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

I want to call everyone's attention the to the feature story in the Altamont Enterprise this week on the organizational meeting last month of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association. The photo here was taken by Zack Simone, Altamont Enterprise writer, at Huyck Preserve where the meeting was held.

It also goes into detail about an interesting proposal by the Dudley Observatory to perhaps locate what would be the largest observatory in NYS in the Helderbergs. Pictured here is the current largest NYS observatory at Oneonta.

And the article tells about the exciting on line Heldeberg Market that Sarah Gordon is creating to market farm produce from the Heldeberg Hilltowns to consumers in the Captiol region.

All this and more is covered in the latest update of main page of Helderberg Hilltowns

Upcoming events

2010-05-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

There are two calenders of upcoming events available for announcements for organizations and businesses on www.AlbanyHilltowns.com .

Those who wish to post events on these pages are urged to do so themselves.
___

May 13

The Heldeberg Market is a new, low-cost service that will market Hilltown farmers' and home industrialists' goods online to customers throughout the Capital Region. It will launch on June 1, 2010.

Farmers and home artisan producers interested in learning more about the Heldeberg Market are invited to an informational session at the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Middle School, Room 170, on Thursday May 13, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

Please contact owner, Sarah Avery Gordon, to RSVP for the informational session at 518-669-3446 or Sarah Gordon.
___

May 15 and 16

Save Thacher Park!
Join Us, On May 15'th, and 16'th, For "Thacher Day Out". The time will be 12:00 pm-5:00 Pm on both days. We will have tons of food, music, and FUN!!

May 18

The next meeting of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association will be at the Hilltowns Senior Center, 1656 Helderberg Trail (Route 443, half way between Berne and East Berne), May 18 at 7pm.
It has been suggested that since the focus of the first meeting was heavily agriculture, we should continue the discussion of "Ideas About What the HHA Should Do" but divide the discussion into several distinct categories -- Agriculture; restaurants; bed & breakfasts; recreation; open space protection; cultural tourism; historic preservation; sightseeing; museums; family-tree research; etc. That way we will get a better perspective of the broader role of the HHA (or Albany Hilltowns Association?).

May 31

The Hilltowns Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10 AM along Helderberg Trail (Route 443) from the Senior Center to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School. A big old-fashioned celebration has the Color Guard by the VFW and American Legion, the BKW Band, floats, firetrucks and ambulances, marching units of youth and adults, and a number of horses. At the end of the parade, ceremonies to honor our veterans are held on the common in front of the school; a wreath is laid at the memorial by the Gold Star Mother, a volley is shot, taps is played. Prizes are awarded to floats and marching units. Many organizations offer refreshments or baked goods for sale. Best viewing along the route of march is from the intersection of Routes 443 and 156 to the BKW school. Get there early as good spots go quickly. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs.

CIVIL WAR SOLDIER, POSSON'S STORE, FARM ACTIVITIES

2010-01-31T17:01:00.000-08:00

I have just finished the weekly update to Albany Hilltowns main pages. It summarizes changes made this past week and gives links to them: Civil War soldier biographies, Lot numbers, farm houses, farm activites, ideas for farmers, and much more. Here are a few of the new or updated pages:

William Henry Harrison Posson
was born 1840 in the Town of Wright, Schoharie, son of William Posson and Mary Catherine Becker. He saw four years of active service in the civil war Co. G, 45th Inf. After the war he married Mary Zimmer of Gallupville. They moved to West Berne where William purchased and ran Posson's Store. William H. Posson was a member of Charles McCulloch post, No. 645 G.A.R., West Berne and served as commander of that post for three times.
William Henry Harrison Posson moved to West Berne after the Civil War and purchased and ran a Posson's Store until his death. After his death, his son Fred Posson took over the store. The Posson home was next door to the west.

Of Interest to Visitors:

Elderberry Mary - jams and jellies, 217 Lake Rd., Berne, NY 12023.
Jimmy Walker's Greenhouse - Herbs, heritage vegetables, traditional flowers, ornamental grasses, landscape design; 2958 Rt. 145, Preston Hollow, NY 12469; Tel. (518)-239-4039
Light the Way -
a mother-daughter operated hog farm in operation since 1996; we raise many breeds, including Yorkshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Spotted. We have about 20 sows, and sell many feeder pigs. East Berne; MaryAnn Youngs, Tel. (518) 872-0027
Weston Hill Farm and Boarding Kennels - Registered Border Cheviot and Registered Shetland Sheep; quality fleeces , wool products and delicious meat; registered breeding stock and freezer lambs. Eileen creates fiber sculptures from the fiber her flock of sheep produce. We also raise herbs, make potpourris and all things floral, keep bees and sell honey , beeswax ornaments and candles. Patrick & Eileen Testo, 133 Route 412; Tel. (518) 797-9252.
Crosby Farm - Grass-fed, beef, produced with heritage breed, dexter cattle, sides, custom butchering, all natural. Timothy Lippert; 30 Bradt Hollow Rd., Berne; - Tel. (518) 797 3610 or Email tlippert@starband.net

Reformating Albany Hilltowns web site

2010-01-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

The main page of Albany Hilltowns has just been updated.

I have started adding 18th C. Van Rensselaer survey notes and leases.

Westerlo barn, by Andy Arthur

The Albany Hillotwns wiki site will gradually be reorganized to emphasize the unity of the Albany hill towns. Now the basic organization of the site is by hill town. This will be overlaid with the same content also organized by subject. Think of the content as being organized on a grid or spreadsheet with the names of the towns heading the columns along the top and the subject matter heading each of the rows going down. Users of the site will be able to choose the subject in which they are interested and go to a page with all the links on that subject regardless of which hill town they are in.

The first subject to be consciously reorganized with this is mind is that of Hill town trails. The thinking is that is if someone wants to Head for the Hills - the Albany Hilltowns for hiking, they don't want to have to look at each of the following pages to find all of the various hiking opportunities:

This should work as well for history buffs and farm visitors as it does for nature lovers. Folks interested in visiting farms, exploring old cemeteries, or admiring our historic homes don't care in which town they are located, they want to have an easily accessible list of everything in the hill towns of interest to them.

The site will also retain the present organization by town.

KNOX CEMETERIES

Dan Driscoll in Elsass Cemetery

A transcription of the stones at the Elsass Cemetery has just been posted. The name was a corruption of Alsace. It is located in the town of Knox at the corner of Pleasant Valley, Witter Road and Route 156. The cemetery has been abandoned and is overgrown. Dan Driscoll tells me that a Boy Scout is planning to clean up that cemetery as a Eagle Scout project.

Other Knox cemeteries transcriptions just posted:

Frink Cemetery
No. 13‎
Barckley Family Burying Ground‎
Cornell Family Burying Ground‎
Quay Road Cemetery
Schoonmaker Family Burying Ground‎
Jonathan D. Wood Family Burying Ground

Can anyone tell me the name of the cemetery in Knox on Quay Road?

I will be in Berne the last half of April to speak at the organizational meeting of a proposed "Hilltowns Farmers and Business Associati...on" tentatively scheduled for April 17 at the Huyck Preserve in Rensselaerville.

I have also been invited to give a talk on the early settlement of the hill towns at the Berne Historical Society Meeting on April 26 in Berne, place to be announced. The general public is invited, as are folks from all the hill towns.

ALTAMONT ENTERPRISE FEATURE ARTICLE

2009-12-25T05:54:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ALTAMONT ENTERPRISE ARTICLE

Proposals on the Albany Hilltowns web site to encourage folks to visit the hill towns as a means to preserve the farmlands and the scenic beauty, and at the same time boosting the local economy, are the subject of The Altamont Enterprise Feature Story for the week of December 24, 2009. Barb Husek tells me the front page article in weekly the Altamont Enterprise, by Zack Simone, also includes several nice photographs, and that the editor wrote a "glowing editorial" about our efforts. (Barb's words. My copy won't arrive here in Oaxaca, Mexico for another week.)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

This Christmas season Albany Hilltowns is celebrating its first anniversary! It was only a year ago that the first few pages of my site went online. There are now 2063 pages, "and growing daily." The main page is viewed over 1000 times a month, and that rate is also increasing steadily.

Westerlo Historical Calender for 2010

Westerlo Fire Co. Volunteers are selling Westerlo Historical Calenders for 2010. The theme this year is "Transportation Over the Years." The calenders are also available in Rensselaerville at the Hilltown Café; in Greenville at The Booksmith, Greenville Norton Lumber, and the Greenville Library; in Dormansville at Hill...town Farm and Garden and Original Applebees; and in Westerlo at the Town Hall, Hannay Reels, and M & B Stop & Shop. Price is only $6! For home delivery call Raye Saddlemire 966-4082 or Kate Lathalm 736-3295.

BERNE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Build your own terrarium, a complete ecological system in itself. All families are welcome to this special story time.

Please let us know if you will be attending so we can plan accordingly. Sign up before Dec. 29th to be able to take home your very own terrarium. Call us at 872-1246.

Join us Tuesday, December 29 at 11:...00 am.

HEAD FOR THE HILLS - Economic benefits from visitors

2009-12-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

High Point Road in Partridge Run WMA
Charles Sloger, Oct. 2008.

Here is a link to more of Charles Sloger's incredibly beautiful photos.

The purpose of this Albany Hilltowns has been broadened from history and genealogy to include the following:

ADDITIONAL GOALS

Historic building preservation
Farmland preservation
Boost the hill towns economy

A primary means to accomplish these goals is to make people aware of the beauty of the Albany County hill towns, thus giving them reasons to visit the hill towns. Visitors spend money, thus supporting farmers and other local businessmen and their employees. This will encourage historic building and farmland preservation.

Giving visitors as many reasons as possible to "Head to the Hills - The Albany Hilltowns" is one way to make progress towards those goals.

HEAD FOR THE HILLS

Economic benefits from visitors

Not all visitors to the hill towns are hikers and leaf peepers; or at least they don't have to be.

The secret to separating visitors from their money painlessly, is to offer them something they want to buy. Head for the Hills - The Albany Hilltowns has suggestions for farm activities that could make visitors want to spend more of their time and more of their money in the hill towns.

One of the suggestions is to have a central Hilltowns Farmers Market every weekend at a different town park pavilion.

Let's imagine that a couple from below the hills decides to attend the Farmers Market on Saturday; then they decide since they are going, why not make in a mini-vacation weekend.

Saturday morning they go to the Farmers Market and stock up on a week's worth of fruits and vegetables. While there they buy some of Bob Rowe's alpaca head-wear and scarves for gifts. They also buy a couple of dozen fresh eggs and a free range chicken from the stand of Frantzen's Scenic Acres, some antiques, and crafts made by "Sister Sue."

Time for lunch at Jersey's in East Berne, then an afternoon's hike in the Burke Wildlife Management Area in Knox. They enjoy dinner at Maple Inn, (but then so does everyone who eats there!).

They spend the night at Ralph and Jan Miller's in one of their spare rooms. Since the Miller's are renting rooms by the night or week on an occasional basis in a bedroom in their own home, they meet the criteria to call their home a Guest House.

The next morning our couple eats breakfast at the Hilltown Café in Rensselaerville. This is followed by a Sunday Drive in the Partridge Run WMA; then by lunch at the Palmer House.

They leave for home Sunday afternoon with full bellies, a trunk full of goodies bought in the hill towns, empty pockets, and smiles on their faces.

What have they left behind? Not pollution and litter!

They have left behind their money! And not just for sales tax at the MobilMart; rather they have transferred two or three hundred dollars from their pockets to the pockets of farmers and other business persons, the guest house owner, restaurants owners, and waitpersons in the hill towns.

They also took home lots of pictures and fond memories. They are anxious to tell their friends about the wonderful weekend they had, and suggest that the following weekend their friends "Head for the Hills."

And with a Hilltowns Farmers Market every weekend in a different town on a rotating basis, it would not be just one couple deciding to spend the weekend in the hill towns, it would be a dozen or two every weekend.

Where is the harm in that?

NATURAL AREAS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITES

2009-12-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

The Albany hill towns are known for their natural beauty: pastoral rural country side, rolling hills, meandering creeks, waterfalls, forest land.

There are now separate pages for each of hill towns.

Rensselaerville Natural Areas and Outdoor Recreation
Knox Natural History and Outdoor Recreation
Westerlo Natural Areas and Outdoor Recreation
Berne Natural History and Outdoor Recreation - (Take a look at this page for ideas for making more use of the natural beauty of Berne to attract outside visitors interested in hiking, fishing, history, and photograph.)

HEAD FOR THE HILLS - THE ALBANY HILLTOWNS

2009-11-30T19:18:00.000-08:00

I spent more of the day updating the main page of the Albany Hilltowns wiki site, and this page suggesting ways to increase the number of visitors to the hill towns, to remove the offending phrases "Tourists" and "Tourism." I had no idea they would give so many people bad connotations of the hill towns being turned into a Woodstock with tour buses, pollution, and congestion. Calm down folks!

I changed the name of the new Facebook group promoting tourism to Head for the Hills - The Albany Hilltowns . Again I removed the phrases "Tourists" and "Tourism." You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view the site and read the discussions.

HEAD TO THE HILLTOWNS

2009-11-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

Waterfall on Fox Creek
Nov. 2009, Charles Sloger

I have spent most of the last few days updating the main page of Albany Hilltowns wiki site. I have broadened the purpose of the site from history and genealogy to include the preservation of historic buildings, farmland preservation and the encouragement of low impact tourism to benefit the local economy. Barb Husek suggested a possible theme "Head to the Hilltowns."

Upcoming events:

The Knox Historical Society usually meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Knox Town hall. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 1, at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome. Check out our display of the Cassidy Castle at the Altamont Town Library.
Rensselaerville Library Annual Greenery Sale - 10:00AM Saturday, December 5th: Come buy your holiday trees, wreaths & roping! Crafts vendors inside the Library, roasted chestnuts, apple cider, and cookie decorating for the kids!
The town of Berne is updating its comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan committee meets on December 2 at the Berne Town Hall. While they already have a full agenda, they do allow time for public comment. Here are proposals for them to consider:

Whereas Eco-tourism is a low impact way to encourage tourism in the town and would be a benefit to the economy of the town:

The planning and construction of scenic trails for use by hikers, bikers, horseback riding, fisherman, photographers, cross country runners, etc is encouraged. In the fall they might be used by hunters; in the winter by cross country skiers and snow mobiles.
Landowners whose land a trail crosses or who live within 1000 feet of a trail are encouraged to build facilities along such trails to benefit users of the trails and to charge for their use: tent camping sites, toilet facilities, picnic tables, fire pits.
In any district of the town a home owner may operate a Guest House. The definition of a Guest House is a home owner who makes extra bedrooms available in their home for occasional guests. The Guest House is not a business but rather a way to earn extra money for the home owner from time to time.
With special permits, landowners in agricultural districts may build up to five cabins to rent to tourists, and to build facilities for use by up to five recreation vehicle campers.

HEAD TO THE HILLTOWNS

Encouraging low impact tourism in the hill towns would be a great way to bring money into the local economy. The hill towns have a lot to offer in the way of natural beauty and on the farms.

Outdoor Recreation

Make people aware of what the hill towns already have to offer in the numerous natural areas already set aside for preservation.

Knox Natural History
Berne Natural History and Outdoor Recreation - (Take a look at this page for ideas for making more use of the natural beauty of Berne to attract tourists interested in hiking, fishing, history, and photograph.)
Westerlo Natural History
Rensselarville Natural History

Trails

Make the hill towns known for its great variety of trails. Add new trails to connect existing natural reservations. Advertise the natural beauty of the hill towns and the outdoor recreation opportunities. Attract tourists interested in hiking, fishing, history, and photography.

Agro-Tourism

Farmers Markets - publicize all the local Farmer's Markets in as many print and electronic media as we can. Encourage producers to distribute their brochures in as many venues as possible.
Corn Mazes - encourage farmers to build corn mazes for the fall season
Farm Demonstrations - cider pressing, sugaring, sheep shearing
Farm tours.
Petting Zoos.
Hay rides during summer events, etc.
Horse back lessons and trail rides
Cut some walking and X-country ski trails on the farm.
Weed walks
Forestry demonstrations/classes
Plant sales, especially if for responsibly acquired Heritage varieties.
Holiday marts featuring locally produced items.
Christmas Tree Farms

Low Impact Tourism

Head to the Hilltowns for more ideas on low impact tourism.

ALBANY HILLTOWNS ECOTOURISM

2009-11-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

Partridge Run State Wildlife Management Area

This is photo of High Point Road in Partridge Run Wildlife Mgt. area near Berne in Albany County, New York, taken by Charles Sloger, Oct. 2008. Here is a link to more of his incredibly beautiful photos.
Eco-tourism. Getting tourists to come to the hill towns for the beauty of the countryside: hiking, biking, caving, visiting old cemeteries, trails to historic ruins, taking pictures, admiring our historic hamlets. It is a low impact way to help the local economy and encourage preservation of farmlands, scenery, historic homes and hamlets. Tourists need guest houses, B & B's, campgrounds, and picnic sites. Tour maps! To further that end I have created a new Albany Hilltowns Ecotourism Facebook Group. You don't need to belong to Facebook to check out the group. While there, click on the Wall tab. If you support our goals, we would love to have you join us.
Partidge Run is one of several Berne Natural History areas open to the public in for hiking, photography, picnicking, etc.
I have also updated the list of Knox Natural History areas.

HILL TOWNS TRAIL SYSTEM?

2009-11-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I added a page on the Albany Hilltowns site on Knox natural history. I did not realize Knox had so much to offer! In continuing my thinking as to how the hill towns could increase tourism, I got to thinking that Knox could tout itself as a destination for locals to come for the weekend and hike the many beautiful preserves. I am going to add a link to the Natural History page with suggestions as to where out of town visitors could find something to eat or buy groceries. They could camp at the Thompsons Lake Campground. Eventually someone could open a guest house or B&B.

I wonder if it is possible to start linking some of the Knox preserves together, then linking them with the Thacher Park trail system and with the Christman Sanctuary in Duanesburg.

I suggest that the town of Berne consider a trail from the top of Cole Hill at the Long Trail and down the hill somewhere and along the tree line on the east side of the Cole Hill valley, across the Fox Creek at the bridge on Cole Hill Road and up the old Camp Orinsekwa Lane and along the west side of Warners Lake and on to some of the land preserves in Knox. Along the lake it might be used by bicyclists and runners as well as hikers.

The Long Trail should also have a connection to the Hyack preserve in Rensselaervlle.

Searching the Internet I found that there seems to be quite a lot of interest in hiking in the hill towns, but that it is not easy for hikers to find the trails. Maps are either non-existent or mis-leading.

Helder-hiking blog

Local Hikes

Partridge Run

There should be a few more trail shelters. It would be nice if there were a small campground somewhere near Partridge Run, perhaps privately run. A guest house might be useful, and a place to buy supplies.

I am sending this to a variety of people, since different people have different experiences, outlooks, and expertise.

Is there a local group that is interested in building trails? How did the Long Trail get built? Would the people who built it be interested in helping expand side trails?

This is outside by area of expertise, but something I have an a peripheral interest in because of my interest in preserving open land in the hill towns.

2009-11-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

Photo of Catskills from the town of Rensselaerville, by Barbara Husek

I encourage all of the members of this group to also join the Rensselaerville Farmland Protection Facebook group. If Rensselerville can protect its farmlands, all of the hilltowns should be. A wonderful goal.

I recommend The Golden Age of Homespun written in 1956 by Jared Van Wagenen, Jr. who was born in Schoharie. It is a true description of how rural upstate New York farmers cleared the land, built their log cabins, and lived up to the days of the Civil War. A fascinating read.

HILLTOWNS A TOURIST DESTINATION?

2009-11-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Special thanks this Veterans Day to Rich Hungerford, who for the past month has done a tremendous job in gathering and posting information on 20th C. veterans from the Hilltowns on this site!

Big SKY in New York. I took this looking towards the Catskills. Not too far from home. Eric Chamberlain

Eric says: "I took this looking towards the Catskills. Not too far from home." Eric is one of our newest and most enthusiastic participant in this site. For more of his beautiful photos click on "Helderberg Landscapes." Eric has also contributed and number of photos to "Then and Now."

HILLTOWNS A TOURIST DESTINATION?

How about making Albany Hilltowns a tourist destination! Like Rensselaerville, every hamlet could have a designated historic district. Within each historic district there could be an antique store or two, a bed and breakfast, a country cafe. People from the city, down state, and yes, even The Big Apple, would want to come to the Albany Hilltowns for a getaway weekend and make the tour. It would make the hilltowns more than just bedroom communities. We could have have special hilltown weekends. We could be make the hilltowns like Vermont. Revive the resorts. Make the hillltowns a tourist destination once again. Trade on our heritage, on our old buildings. It would require the towns working together. Can they do this? I think they can.
There are a couple of things that could be done immediately without waiting for the towns to act:

Creation of a Hilltowns Tourist Association to promote tourism in the Hilltowns. Members would be the local restaurant owners, farmers markets, vineyard, llama farm, etc. Someone would have to contact all possible members and call a meeting to move this idea forward.
Inventory historic buildings in the Hilltowns starting with the individual hamlets. We would need a volunteer for each hamlet. There could also be historic districts elsewhere along Helderberg Trail where there are small concentrations of historic homes. And elsewhere with towns. This would help preserve the rural look we all love.

Once they see scenes like the one below, they will be coming back for more!

THEN AND NOW

"Then and Now" is proving to be very popular. Not only are people looking at the pictures, but there are even a few people contributing pictures. Soon I will split this page up so there is a separate page for each town. Here are more "Then" photos that might be suitable of accompanying "Now" photos. In some cases the buildings are gone, but in which case a "Now" photo of the site makes a strong statement about the loss of our heritage.

NEW OLD STORIES

I just uploaded an interesting story sent to me by Marty Duell on his memories of life on West Mountain in the 1950's.
"After I got out of the Air force in early 1960”s I went back to Leona and Cliff’s. Then they had water and electric. They were all setting on the floor and the table and chairs were gone! What happened I asked?" ...

Capital District Genealogical Society

The Capital District Genealogical Society will meet at Saturday Nov 21, 2009, 2 P.M. to 4 P.M. At the Colonie Town Library, 629 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville. The computer group will meet at 1 P.M. with tips on using your computer for genealogical research. The topic for the 2pm meeting will be Cemetery Restoration. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Albany-Schoharie Plank Road

Albany-Schoharie Plank Road operated from 1850-1867. It ran from Schoharie east through the town of Wright and the town of Knox and Guilderland, reaching the Western Turnpike. Here is a link to a personal recollection of a young boy seeing a regiment from Schoharie camping in Altamont on their way to Albany, then on to Gettysburg. Wives, mothers, children accompanied them to Albany to see them off and many never returned.

ANTIQUE MOTOR VEHICLES

AMVETS vehicle in Memorial Day Parade

" Antique Motor Vehicle" page has still not found anyone to help identify any of these vehicles.

ALBANY HILLTOWNS FACEBOOK GROUP

Albany County Hilltowns History and Genealogy Facebook group, is a sister site to AlbanyHilltowns.com. Please join us.

ALBANY-SCHOHARIE PLANK ROAD

2009-11-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Altamont Enterprise, May 2, 1998; Laura Westfall, Wright town historian:

''The Albany-Schoharie Plank Road company was incorporated [in 1849] with $70,000 in capital stock. Stocks were sold for $25 each. Road work was started in 1850. The road ran from Schoharie; east through the town of Wright and the town of Knox and Guilderland, reaching the Western Turnpike. The two mile branch running to Central Bridge made a total of 26 miles. The original cost was about $1,800 per mile.

''To construct the road, six 4 x 4 hemlock sills were laid end to end and planks were lain crosswise. No nails were used. The edges of the road were left uneven to enable the wagons to pull to pass. The road was ten foot wide with an improved dirt road along the side. With no wood preservatives in use, the wood soon became rotten and had to be replaced about every five years, each time at a higher price. Timber was readily available from landowners along the way, thus cutting down on the cost of transporting lumber. Toll gates were located every five miles. There were five toll gates on this road.

''The Albany-Schoharie Plank Road was extended through Warnerville, Richmondville, Summit and on to Charlotteville. The plank roads faded from the scene when Albany to Central Bridge Railroad became operational in 1863, providing much faster service than horse-powered vehicles. In May, 1866 the road lying east of Gallupville was abandoned. In April, 1867, the corporation was dissolved and the roadway was given to the towns.

The Old Albany and Schoharie Plank Road
The Old Albany and Schoharie Plank Road is a detailed history of the road written by Miss Mary Gregg of Altamont in 1932 for her graduation essay topic. Thoroughly researched, it has fascinating facts as well as many reminiscences by then elderly folk who remembered the road in its hay day. Especially riveting is the story of the night the 134th Reg. of N. Y. S. Volunteers camped over night near the Keenholts Hotel in Knoweresville, (now Altamont) when they marched down the plank road from Schoharie enroute to Albany and Gettysburg. Here is a brief excerpt from her essay as printed in the Altamont Enterprise, August 12, 1932:

"Webb" Whipple, who as a little boy lived in old Knowersville, states, "that on the 22nd day of Sept. 1862 I was down at Cold Spring near the Bozenkill gathering butternuts where you kids do today. Suddenly I heard a sound of music and hurrying up to the old plank road saw the soldiers from Schoharie coming over the hill. There were about 80 less than their full 1000 for a regiment. With them were their ambulance and commissary trains. Behind followed riding in every conceivable conveyance their women folks and children. In the fields about Knowersville they camped for the night. Everyone in the neighborhood depleted his larder to feed the Schoharie soldiers. As dark came on they simply rolled up in blankets all over the fields as the weather was quite warm. I can remember how my mother's heart went out to the women and children who had come thus far to be with their loved ones and now were crying and sobbing. Some of the men were stoic. Quite a few got drunk and eight men deserted. In the morning they marched down the plank road to Albany and from there by boat to New York. The tears of the women at old Knowersville were indeed prophetic and the fields of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Missionary Ridge ran red with the blood of their husbands and fathers."

And now for the rest of the story, click on The Old Albany and Schoharie Plank Road.

EARLY MILLS AND AXE FACTORY SITES IN HAMLET OF BERNE

2009-10-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a map of the ax factory remains and remains of other mills in the hamlet of Berne in 1975, and the site of other early mills. It is from Our Heritage. I have no idea what evidence there is now of the axe factory and early mills. You can see the beginning of the old road to Knox going through Fox Creek Park. There was once a mill building that spanned the creek. That may be a possible site for a reproduction King Post Truss Bridge that could be used as a pedestrian bridge to link the north and south banks of the Foxenkill. My thought was that the ruins on the north side (if any) would be accessible from the park. If there are no ruins, then concrete corner posts could be put in place to show the size and location of the various buildings.

Perhaps a grant could be sought to help pay costs.

A couple of knowledgeable people have expressed interest in working a mill project.

ANTIQUE MOTOR VEHICLES

2009-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

I just started an antique motor vehicle page on Albany Hilltowns wiki site, and posted 26 old cars, trucks, buses, and a tractor. Any antique vehicle buffs out there who can identify them? I hope people will add more of the same, but only with antique vehicles that are in the Hilltowns. Here is a preview:

Dr. Deitz's new car
The car pictured above was owned by Dr. Wallace E. Deitz (1856-1928) who lived in the hamlet of Berne. A current image of the house in the hamlet of Berne is posted on the Then and Now page. With him is his third wife, Theodora E. Ball (1866-1920) whom he married in 1899. Don't you just love her hat? And notice the two dogs at their feet. His new car is a ...

Gallup Car

Homer Gallup and wife in their 19?? Model? Ford.

Wood Car
Warren and Bernice Wood in their new ....

HISTORIC HOMES and ANTIQUE CARS

2009-10-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have added at least 4 new sets of Then and Now photos to AlbanyHilltowns.com (see main page for link). I now need more old photos to add. My goal is to someday have an inventory of all historic homes in the Town of Berne with the complete history an...d photos of each one. Someday I would like to see a plaque on each home giving the name of the family who had it built and the approximate date of construction.

Photo is of Dr. Dietz and his wife. Can anyone identify the year, make and model of the car?

There are many old cars and trucks posted on the Albany Hilltowns site. To view them all, click on Transportation in the left hand column of the site AH site. I would like a volunteer to identify the cars and year.

ALBANY HILLTOWNS PROGRESS REPORT

2009-10-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

I sent out 4 ancestor reports Tuesday using the Hilltowns Genealogy at Berne Historical Project. One was 21 pages, one 33, one was 40 and one was 77 or so. UPDATE: Wednesday I did a 183 page ancestor report going back 18 generations to 15 Century Holland.

Albany Hilltowns history and genealogy facebook group has grown from 200 a couple of weeks ago to 215.
Albany Hilltowns wiki project main page has gone from 10.000 views a couple of weeks ago to over 10,500 views. That was started last December.
Rich Hungerford is adding 20th C. veterans. Anyone with a hilltown veteran ancestor is welcome to help or just add their name and hopefully a biography.

My icon photo is not really me as some people think, it is actually Daniel Barkman. He just looks like me.

GOOGLE AN ANCESTOR

2009-10-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

While trying to help Barbara Thompson find information on her ancestor, Edwin L. Filkins, I did a Google search and surprisingly found something shocking that she had not known; and it was on the Albany Hilltowns wiki site. Russ Tallman, Albany Hilltowns Master of the Web, had posted the 1889 diary of his ancestor, Salem M. Tallman. In it was this entry:

"Fri. Mar 8, 1889 - Squalley and snow flies. Our folks drawed a few logs and sat around - thy fetched in two lambs in eve. MR. GEORGE FILKINS was shot in his side by his Brother EDWIN L. FILKINS."

This may explain why later that year Edwin's wife divorced him and married another man.

Sort of makes one want to search on an ancestors name. It inspired me to update all of the Hilltown sites.

Tallman Family Register of Family of Jonathan Tallman & Caroline Bouton

RENSSELAERVILLE HS PILOT SCANNING PROJECT NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

2009-10-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Village of Rensselaerville, photo from People Made It Happen Here

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Rensselaerville Historic Society has started a pilot project to scan their genealogy and land records and put them on line at the Albany Hilltown wiki site. Janet Haseley, Senior Researcher for the RHS, is having the first book of their genealogy files photocopied at the town office; the copies will be mailed to volunteers who will scan them and upload the images to the Albany Hilltowns site. The photocopies will be mailed back to the Historical Society and kept in a separate building as a backup to the original files. Volunteers should contact Janet directly at <Edhase@aol.com> giving her your snail mail address. She will provide instructions for scanning. I will be posting instructions for posting.
I have gotten two donations so far for the RHS pilot project to help cover hardware costs. The donors are being made Sponsors of the Albany Hilltowns wiki site, and a link is being put up to their genealogy and history web sites.
If the RHS pilot records project is a success, it will become a long term project. Our next goal will be to develop a pilot records project for each of the Hilltowns Historical Societies. We are also looking for ways to raise funds to help them with costs associated with a records project and to find volunteers to help them. The wonderful thing is that volunteers don't have to be local.

RENSSELAERVILLE PILOT SCANNING PROJECT

2009-10-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

The Rensselaerville Historical Society has 52 “Genealogy books”, 12 “Cemetery books”, and 7 “Deeds and Leases books” that are available to researchers at the old Grist Mill in Rensselaerviller during the warmer months. At their last monthly meeting I submitted a proposal that they scan these handwritten records and post them on the Albany Hilltowns site. They have agreed to have a Rensselaerville Pilot Scanning Project this winter to see how much time it takes, and how the results look on line. The Society currently has an old desk top PC at the Grist Mill that does not have the capacity to store the scanned files, so they need to buy a new one or upgrade the one they have. They also need a laptop computer. A scanner has already been donated. Please contact me if you can contribute hardware, or hard cash.

Remember the Knox Historical Society will sponsor a Dutch barn tour on Saturday, October 10th.

photo by Allen Deitz 2005

Knox is having their monthly meeting Tuesday, October 6. We should all support our local Historical Societies
The Berne Historical Society annual meeting was held Tuesday, Sept. 28. Ralph Miller, Historian, Town of Berne, was elected President. His wife, Jan Miller, is the new Secretary. At this time I do not have the names of the other officers.

REUBEN L. WEIDMAN AND THE CIVIL WAR IN BERNE

2009-10-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

While doing research for an upcoming book on the Hilltowns particpation in the Civil War, I find that with the start of the war there was tremendous enthusiasm in Albany, and especially in Berne. In the first year Berne contributed from their taxes more than two thirds of the amount raised in Albany County. In the second year they contributed almost half. What was there that caused the folks of Berne to be such strong supporters of the Civil War? Any suggestions?

The photo is of Reuben L. Weidman who was in the 15th Cavalry during the Civil War. He was born in Berne, enlisted in the Town of Wright and was buried in Westerlo. That is what I mean by the Hilltowns are interconnected. We are all family.

KNOX DUTCH BARN TOUR

2009-10-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Knox Historical Society will sponsor a "drive-in-yourself" Dutch barn tour on Saturday, October 10th. It begins at the Saddlemire Homestead in Knox (Rt. 156) where tour information can be obtained. It is free; (donations accepted at the Saddlemire Homestead - formerly the Knox Museum), and the homestead will be open from 11 am to 3 pm. Directions are provided at the Saddlemire Homestead so if people cannot do it all that day, then another day. However, the Shultes barn will be open only on that day. The first stop will be the William Shultes Barn in West Berne. The Shultes barn was built about 1800-1810 for William Shultes, born 1762, son of Mathias Shultes, one of the earliest settlers of Berne. It has many of the original Dutch Barn features, and the current owners, Pam and Ken Malcolm, keep it in museum like condition. There will be road-side viewing of other barns. The Highlands Restaurant will offer a 20% discount to participants who show them their tour information. The tour ends at Schoolhouse #5 (restored by the Kiwanis) with refreshments over at Thatcher Park area.

The Dutch Barn Preservation Society has more information on historical importance of Dutch Barns.

The tour was planned by my cousin and good friend Allan Deitz. Earlier this year he planned a similar tour of Dutch Barns in Guilderland that was very successful. He has also done a survey of Dutch Barns in Berne.

Two other Dutch Barns that Al has researched are:

Jacob Post Barn on Lot 592
Mathias Shultes Barn on Lot 575

The photo to the right is the Mathias Shultes Barn. It was taken 2005 by Allan Deitz.

ONLINE NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES

2009-09-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

One of the many projects that I am pushing for AlbanyHilltowns.com is the collection of the names of the men and women who served in various wars. I was wondering how we could do that. Rich Hungerford came up with the idea of searching the Altamont Enterprise archives, which are on line. Another great newspaper archives is Fulton History which has the archives dozens of upstate New York newspapers.

On line newspaper archives are invaluable to librarians, historians and family researchers. They are a wonderful source for researching local history, such as the who served in what wars, the history of a local organization, such as a library, grange, church or fire department.

If someone wants to write a biography of a grandparent or great grandparent, just search on their name. In fact each article mentioning their name came be copied and pasted into a digital scrapbook on a person or event. Then that could be used as a source for writing a biography.

Librarians need to accept the fact that not all sources are in books.

BEAUTY OF THE HILLTOWNS

2009-09-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

< Berne Falls; Photo by Charles Sloger

I have started a new series of images to show the beauty of the Hilltowns that I am posting on AlbanyHilltowns.com. I only had time to add landscape photos from a few friends and family whose photos are posted on the Internet. I hope others who have photos showing the beauty of the Hilltowns will add them themselves. When we get enough images we will make a separate page for each town. Maybe some day we will have enough to make a coffee table book!

Fall Foliage; photo by Jeremy Rue

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF BERNE, NEW YORK: SHULTES AND BALL FAMILIES OF BERNE

2009-09-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Albany Hilltowns has history, genealogy, and photos

KNOX CAVE

2009-09-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Knox Cave is located near Knox in Albany County, N. Y. It is one of the largest caverns in New York State with many high passages and other natural beauties. It was used in Dutch Colonial times as a refuge by Indian war parties. It was open commercially from 1933 to 1958. It is now owned by the Northeastern Cave Conservancy and is a permit is required to visit it.

John Elberfeld has done a magnificent job of posting pictures, postcards, and articles about Knox Cave. One of the articles he posted, Knox Cave, 40th Anniversary of death of Mrs. Robinson, brought back fond memories. As a boy I went on the commercial tour a number of times. Me and my siblings skated at the Roller Rink many times. Then in my college years I got into spelunking and made a number of trips beyound the Gunbarrel, a very long, narrow, tight passage. Once I led my brother Ralph and his wife Jan on a tour. If I recall correctly, she was a few months pregnant. Got stuck in there for a while. Whew! Great memories. Thanks, John!

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS

Echoes of a New York revolt

Ignoring the public's grievances can wear down the government

By BRUCE W. DEARSTYNE, Commentary

Published in the Times Union Saturday, November 26, 2011

Recent Additions

In Memoriam to Gordon Wright, Webmaster of the Berne Historical Project at Bernehistory.org

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION : August 2011 meeting

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION

June 6 minutes of HHA

Helderberg Hilltowns Association

Star Party to introduce Dudley Observatory to the Hilltowns community

Helderberg Hilltowns Association Comittees 2011

Helderberg Hilltowns Association

MARCH MEETING OF HHA

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION

REPORT OF RECENT MEETING OF HHA

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION

1869 Harper's New Monthly Magazine

MICHAEL H. BARCKLEY

Landmarks of Albany County

Heroes of Albany

Carnival of Blood

Sword

Burial

CONGRATULATIONS!

Indian Summer

Helderberg Hilltowns Association fall report; Vendors wanted for fall events

OCTOBER EVENTS

OCTOBER

HELDERBERG HILLTOWNS ASSOCIATION : Sept. meeting

Upcoming Events of Special Interest to Hill Town Residents

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Hilltown organizations should have "Eat Local Dinners"

For Farmers and Local Folk

Drawings dated 1886 found in wall of 1835 house when torn down.

CONGRATULATIONS: Sarah Gordon; Huyck Preserve; Bees Knees Cafe

Report on 2nd meeting of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association

Huyck Preserve

Fearure Article in Altamont Enterprise on Helderberg Hilltowns Association

Upcoming events

May 13

May 15 and 16

May 18

May 31

CIVIL WAR SOLDIER, POSSON'S STORE, FARM ACTIVITIES

Reformating Albany Hilltowns web site

The main page of Albany Hilltowns has just been updated.

I have started adding 18th C. Van Rensselaer survey notes and leases.

I have also been invited to give a talk on the early settlement of the hill towns at the Berne Historical Society Meeting on April 26 in Berne, place to be announced. The general public is invited, as are folks from all the hill towns.

ALTAMONT ENTERPRISE FEATURE ARTICLE

Westerlo Historical Calender for 2010

Sponsored in part by UHLS, Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the NYS Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.

HEAD FOR THE HILLS - Economic benefits from visitors

NATURAL AREAS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITES

HEAD FOR THE HILLS - THE ALBANY HILLTOWNS

I changed the name of the new Facebook group promoting tourism to Head for the Hills - The Albany Hilltowns. Again I removed the phrases "Tourists" and "Tourism." You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view the site and read the discussions.

HEAD TO THE HILLTOWNS

Waterfall on Fox CreekNov. 2009, Charles Sloger

Upcoming events:

HEAD TO THE HILLTOWNS

Outdoor Recreation

Trails

Agro-Tourism

Low Impact Tourism

ALBANY HILLTOWNS ECOTOURISM

HILL TOWNS TRAIL SYSTEM?

HILLTOWNS A TOURIST DESTINATION?

Big SKY in New York. I took this looking towards the Catskills. Not too far from home. Eric Chamberlain

Eric says: "I took this looking towards the Catskills. Not too far from home." Eric is one of our newest and most enthusiastic participant in this site. For more of his beautiful photos click on "Helderberg Landscapes." Eric has also contributed and number of photos to "Then and Now."

HILLTOWNS A TOURIST DESTINATION?

THEN AND NOW

NEW OLD STORIES

Capital District Genealogical Society

Albany-Schoharie Plank Road

ANTIQUE MOTOR VEHICLES

ALBANY HILLTOWNS FACEBOOK GROUP

I changed the name of the new Facebook group promoting tourism to Head for the Hills - The Albany Hilltowns . Again I removed the phrases "Tourists" and "Tourism." You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view the site and read the discussions.

Waterfall on Fox Creek
Nov. 2009, Charles Sloger