Thursday, July 31, 2014

The McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers


Image from the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers in the collections of the Schenectady County Historical Society.  


This blog entry is written by Library Volunteer Jason Thomas.

A new addition to the Schenectady County Historical Society's holdings is the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers, 1790-2006. The family papers contain photographs, correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and genealogical resources including family bibles and detailed family histories. The bulk of the material is dated between the 1880s and 1910 and represents material collected by Hawley Bell McWilliam, Sr. The only documents in the collection that date post-1950 are family histories.

Image from the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers in the collections of the Schenectady County Historical Society. 


The family story begins when George McWilliam (1749-1812) left the Parish of Whitman in the Shire of Galloway, Scotland, and arrived in America in 1774 with several other Scottish Families. George McWilliam settled on a 114 acre farm in the Charlton-Galway area of New York. He married Mary Millory (1772-1840) and had a son, Robert A. McWilliam (1804-1883). Robert married Jane Ann Wemple, a descendant of the Dutch Wemple family who were a founding family of Schenectady, in 1828. Robert and Jane McWilliam had six children: Mydert Wemple McWilliam (1829-1910); Margaret M. (1831-1837); Elizabeth A. (1833-1888); John McWilliam (1837-1850); Margaret M. (1841-1881); and George McWilliam (1844-?).  Mydert lived on the farm for much of his life but never held active ownership of it as his parents lived until the 1880s. Mydert married Mary E. Bell (?-?) in 1856. Mydert and Mary had two children: Jennie A (1858-?) and Hawley Bell McWilliam (1863-1918). Hawley took over ownership of the farm after the death of his grandfather Robert. He married Alberta Parkhill Simpson (1868-1954) in 1890. Hawley and Alberta had five children: Jennie Louella (1890-); Alberta Cornelia (1892-); Robert S (1894-1894); Hawley Bell Jr. (1907-1967); and Mary Elizabeth (1909-).  Hawley Bell McWilliam Jr. married Florence Young (?-?). The marriage did not result in any children and the McWilliam family name died out with Hawley’s death in 1967. The family farm was sold in 1968.

Click here for a complete finding aid for the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

"The Most Destructive We Have Ever Witnessed": Schenectady's Great Fire of 1819

This blog entry is written by Library Volunteer Victoria Bohm. 

Throughout its 350-plus years of history, Schenectady has had its fair share of destructive fires. Like most cities grown from colonial times built for the most part of wood, the threat of fire was familiar and inevitable. The lack of building codes and standards and zoning laws only enhanced that threat.

The great fire of 1819 was a particularly destructive event in Schenectady’s history. Firefighting -- its techniques, equipment, and manpower -- was still fairly primitive. The wooden structures creating the crowded, unregulated urban sprawl were an architectural tinder box wanting only that first spark. On November 17, 1819, between the hours of 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning, that spark was ignited in Isaac Haight’s currying shop on Water Street. By the time the fire was finally out, most of the city between State Street and the Mohawk Bridge (itself barely saved) lay in ashes. It was one of the worst disasters since the Massacre of 1690.


Len Tantillo's painting Schenectady Harbor renders the city as it may have looked in 1814, just a few years before many of Schenectady's buildings were destroyed by fire. 


The winds were definitely a major factor in 1819; the fire quickly jumped to John Moyston’s home and store, on the opposite side of the street from Mr. Haight's currying shop, and went almost immediately out of control. From there, adjoining buildings were quickly engulfed in the flames. As the stiff south-easterly wind swept the fire along, many buildings in the city between State Street and the Mohawk River burned to the ground; the pitiful remains smoldered on for days.

Injury to the firefighters and to all those who put themselves in harm’s way to help those directly threatened and affected, their persons and their possessions, was severe. About 160 buildings, including homes, storefronts, offices, barns, and other outbuildings, were simply destroyed, along with most of the personal property in them. Trees, grain supplies, and other provisions were destroyed. An article in the Schenectady Cabinet following the fire estimated the damage at over $150,000.00 (over $2.7 million today). Water Street, State Street, Church Street, Union Street, Washington Street, and Front Street all suffered massive damage. Fortunately, not one life was lost in the blaze. Those left homeless had to look to friends, relatives, and charity for help. Union College students were among the largest group who came to the aid of those in need, in helping to protect homes from being burned and in assisting those suffering from the losses after the fire. The town of Glenville started a succession of regional aid actions to bring the basic necessities to the victims, especially those who escaped with only the clothes on their backs in frigid November weather. The region’s Shaker Communities also stepped up to offer aid and comfort, and David Tomlinson and Joseph C. Yates headed up a relief drive in Schenectady.


Certificate signed by Henry Yates, mayor of Schenectady, appointing Daniel Vedder, Bartholomew Schermerhorn, Nicholas Bradt, and John Pangburn as Relief Collectors in Rotterdam (then referred to as the Third Ward of Schenectady) immediately following the fire of 1819. The collections were intended to help those "who, by an awful visitation of Providence, have been suddenly deprived of their dwellings, and in many cases of their all -- and who are thus cast, without a shelter, without cloathing [sic] and without bread, upon the charity of those friends and neighbors whom the devouring element has spared." Image from the Historic Manuscripts Collection, LM 323, Grems-Doolittle Library.


Schenectady in 1819 had only two fire trucks which, given the scope of the fire coupled with the wind and weather, proved almost useless. There were neither the material resources nor the technology to battle such a fire. And, it was later discovered that the winds had blown bits of burning shingles and other materials as far away as Charlton, a distance of about nine miles! Attempting to save personal property, even with so many able bodies, including the students from Union College, also proved for the most part futile. The best solution found with spur-of-the-moment desperation, was to heave furniture and other items onto any available flat-bottom boat and float out into the middle of the Mohawk River and stay along the banks to which the fire did not reach. The smoldering aftermath revealed yet another sad fact; very few of the buildings destroyed were in any way insured.


These notes of thanks, from people whose homes were saved by the efforts of volunteers who battled the fire in Schenectady, appeared in the Schenectady Cabinet newspaper on November 24, 1819, a few days after the fire destroyed a number of homes in the city. Image from 1819 Fire clipping file.


Jonathan Pearson’s History of the Schenectady Patent cites the 1819 fire as a catalyst for bringing in a newer, more modern style of architecture as the city rebuilt itself, specifically the English style replacing the original Dutch style. In his 1902 book Schenectady County, New York: Its History to the Close of the Nineteenth Century, author and historian Austin Yates claimed that no truly official documented historical record was ever made regarding the 1819 fire, and that most information about the fire came from eye-witness accounts jotted down before the witnesses died out. Yates then offered another re-telling of those extant descriptions collected through the years for articles and books.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Schenectady After Dark

The hustle and bustle of nightlife in Schenectady's downtown can be seen in this 1957 color picture postcard. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Postcard Collection. 


As the city that lit and hauled the world, Schenectady showed off its lights -- streetlamps and neon -- for the world to see. These nighttime images of Schenectady's downtown from the turn of the last century to the 1950s capture the city at both its bustling and quiet moments.  

Interested in learning more about Schenectady County's past in photographs? Visit our Library or contact our Librarian.


State Street gleams in this image taken around the turn of the century. The numerous flags and banners visible in the photograph suggest the image was taken around Memorial Day or Independence Day. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 

This 1954 view shows Jay Street looking toward the intersection with State Street. This section of Jay Street is now a pedestrian area. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 

The darkened street highlights the Carl Company window display on State Street in this photograph taken during the 1920s. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection.  

This 1909 view of lower State Street was taken to show the newly-installed G-I Flame Arc Lamps made by the General Electric Company. Image from Grems-Doolittle Photograph Collection. 

In this photo of the newly-completed City Hall building on Jay Street in 1931, the moon, clock, and streetlights compete to shine brightest. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Rear Views of Schenectady Buildings


The garden and rear of 17 Front Street in Schenectady can be seen in this undated photograph. Notice the two people in the garden to the left of the path. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 


Photographs of buildings in our holdings usually show the fronts of houses and businesses. The images shared here are unusual in that they show the sides of buildings not usually seen from the street, along with a few back gardens. Enjoy these "peeks beyond the streets" of places in Schenectady.

Interested in learning more about Schenectady County's past in photographs? Visit our Library or contact our Librarian.


This image of the rear of the Boston Store at 411 State Street was taken on January 9, 1906, in the aftermath of a fire in the building. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 


This photograph of the rear of 32 Washington Avenue in Schenectady was taken when the building housed the G.E. Women's Club. Today, the building is the home of the Schenectady County Historical Society, and exhibit space, a lobby, and a library have been built on to the back of the building. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 


House foundations, porches, fences, and clotheslines can be seen in this undated photograph of the backs of properties on Summit Avenue in Schenectady. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 


View of the gardens and rear of the YWCA building at 44 Washington Avenue, circa 1931. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 


The snowy backyards and back sides of the houses at 21, 19, and 17 Barrett Street, as seen in December 1956. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 


Image of the rear of the home at 56 Washington Avenue as it appeared in 1890. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection.  


Friday, July 4, 2014

Summer Fun in Schenectady's History

Swimming revelers play at "Tempting Father Neptune" in the Mohawk River in this photo circa 1910. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 


Summer is here! Celebrate the season with these photographs of summertimes of yesteryear in Schenectady. They are best enjoyed with an ice-cold glass of lemonade, a slice of watermelon, and a breeze coming through a window screen.

Interested in learning more about Schenectady County's past in photographs? Visit our Library or contact our Librarian.

Schenectadians congregate in Blesser's Grove, a park which once existed at Albany Street, near where Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School now stands. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 

Children swim in Schenectady's Central Park in this photo taken during the 1920s. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 


This 1899 photo depicts golfers on the Mohawk Club golf course. Incidentally, the man putting is Willis T. Hanson, Jr., who would later author the book History of Schenectady During the Revolution. His father, Willis T. Hanson, Sr., best known as the promoter of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People, stands at right. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 


Enjoying a picnic lunch along the banks of the Mohawk River, ca. 1905. Notice the boat pulled up to the bank at left. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 


Swimmers frolic at the Grout Park pool in Schenectady in this July 1941 photograph. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 

Spectators watch as two children have a footrace in Central Park in 1909 during a picnic outing. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 

Swimmers pose in caps and suits in front of the Mohawk Swimming School building in Glenotia Park, ca. 1915. The Mohawk Swimming School operated out of Glenotia Park from 1912 to about 1928. The park was located on the island off the Scotia shore alongside the Glen Sanders Mansion. The 10-acre park began to be developed in 1907 and also included a picnic area, baseball diamond, and a pavilion for dances. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 

Crowds gather in Crescent Park (now Veterans Park) for a celebration following a July 4th parade on State Street in 1880. Image from Grems-Doolittle Library Photograph Collection. 

A family enjoys a picnic meal during a car camping trip in July of 1927. Image from Larry Hart Collection. 

Children play in the old fountain in Crescent Park (now Veterans Park) in Schenectady in 1946. Image from Larry Hart Collection.