Daniel Campbell: Businessman, Patriot, Human

This post was written by library volunteer Robert Baldwin.
Readers are advised that this post includes quotes from historical primary sources which contain offensive, insensitive, and racialized language. In the interests of accurately presenting the historical record, we do not alter the language used in original primary source documents. Spellings, punctuation, and grammar in the transcriptions are unaltered from the original document. 

 
For a recent research request at the SCHS Library, I investigated land-purchase activities of Daniel Campbell. The individual whom I assisted in this research effort was primarily interested in Campbell’s acquisition of land in Ballston; particularly, property the researcher owned in Ballston Spa that Mr. Campbell did at one time. Though my efforts had limited success for this individual, I became interested in gleaning the personality of Daniel Campbell. Research began with the Letter Book of Daniel Campbell 1771-1801, transcribed by Elizabeth D. Shaver, 1982-3. Subsequently, after investigating other sources, I discovered that information relating to the personality of Mr. Campbell was nominal. Thus, I determined that it was a worthy effort to probe Shaver’s work to paint Campbell’s personality. A fur trader, land speculator, salesman, and a military officer were among the most common labels associated with Mr. Campbell. Yet, my investigations indicated that there was much more to learn about him. What did he like? What caused him great disdain? What types of people did he embrace, or attempt to disenfranchise? Who were his favorite acquaintances, and who were not? What about politics and loyalty? How did family play a role in Mr. Campbell’s life?



Portrait of Daniel Campbell by Thomas McIlworth.

Let us begin with the most commonly known practices of Mr. Campbell without much reference to personality. The fur trade was not limited to the historical and stereotypical beaver pelt trade. He dabbled a great deal in a wide variety of furs/skins with his friendly "aborigines" (Campbell used this word frequently to describe Native Americans and used it interchangeably with "Indians"). Among these were as follows: leather (tanned cow or cattle hides), beaver, fox, deer, raccoon, otter, seal, martin, bear, fisher, musquash (muskrat), cat (referring to large cats such as mountain lions and bobcats), and elk. Of course, beaver was the most important, and followed by deer, leather, raccoon and bear. The least desirable was musquash, being inferior in quality, smaller than a beaver, and more difficult to skin and process. 

Among his most important inventory stores were wampum and cord to trade with Native Americans. Second in importance was rum, a common bartering item for fur trade. Let us not forget knives, very commonly a trade items for furs. Campbell's fur trade interactions with Native Americans led to his great feeling of appreciation towards them. He considered his Native trading partners both industrious and an excellent source of promoting revenue.



Mr. Campbell attributed his success as a merchant to the people with whom he worked. Diplomacy was critical. The fur trade was the basis for his early successes. Thus, appeasing Native American fur hunters and traders was essential for acquiring furs. Constant communication and negotiation with transporters, both within the colonies and over to Europe, required finesse. As for providing trade with the military, neither politics nor loyalty had a place until the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Mr. Campbell and several other prominent citizens, were examined about their relationship with the British military. An ultimatum was decreed by the Schenectady Committee of Conspiracies, requiring said businessmen to cease all activities with the British or be imprisoned on a ship in Kingston for the duration of the war. Unfortunately for Mr. Campbell and his affiliates, their sworn allegiance to the United States destroyed many of their business activities until the end of the war. While the American Revolution did not destroy Mr. Campbell’s practice of land acquisition or nominal trade, it caused a great deal of angst and significant loss of commerce. Furthermore, Mr. Campbell spent a great deal of time attempting to recuperate unpaid debts created prior to the war. I would venture to say that approximately twenty percent of his letters were some form of correspondence with debtors as well as law enforcement to recuperate his revenues. As anyone might surmise, his letters reflected frustration and anger, not only towards debtors, but also with the legal system.

Though the fur trade was lucrative, Mr. Campbell’s merchandise trade is nothing to disregard. Within the letters there were two times that inventory was included, and quite extensive. He was very hard on his employees to assure that conducting inventory was complete and accurate. As a matter of curiosity, I discovered that the store’s ending inventory in 1772 was £2917:19:67 (2917 pounds, 19 shillings, 6 pence); or, equal to 2024 inflation rate $664,0768 (2024 USD). Mr. Campbell understandingly had reason to be so particular. Some inventory include: wampum, linen, textile, buttons, sewing supplies, clothing, hats, hand tools, garden tools, spices, wine, rum, dishes, chimney tile, playing cards, bridles, hardware, playing cards, gun powder, paper products, and horse trade or livestock. The inventories also provide evidence of Mr. Campbell’s involvement in the slave trade.

Painting of Campbell Mansion, State Street, Schenectady.

We cannot afford to be historical apologists for the darker sides of our ancestors. Mr. Campbell was not an exception. Five of the letters reference Campbell’s willingness and promotion of slave trade. He claimed ownership over enslaved people in his own household. Within his business practice, he brokered deals to purchase enslaved people for his clients. The following are a few examples of this from the transcribed letters:


2 August 1771 Letter:


“…It is very hard to get such negroes as you described and you are very right to purchase none but such as good character. If there of any I will immediately acquaint Mr. Sherbrook…”


28 August 1771 Letter: 


“…Mr. Walker desired me to remit the amount of these bills to Mr. Mills Sherbrooke merchant in New York as he said he wanted to purchase some Negroes I have paid the money to Mr. Mills Sherbrooke Merchant in New York agreeable to such directions…”



January 1772 Letter: 


“…to Mr. Tymes…I shall do my best to procure you a good Clarke and a servant or negro…”



26 April 1773 Letter:


“…I wish you could meet with a bargain of a negro gerrill* of about from 10 to 12 years old let her be sound. I have seen several advertisd in Mr. Gains paper. I have an order from Mr. Andrews at Detroit for one.”



I would be remiss to exclude how Mr. Campbell felt about the enslaved people on his property. He did value loyalty; and, he got it. His Black enslaved servants occasionally made sure he knew about ongoing property encroachments of contiguous landholders. Furthermore, he insisted that his servants were of sound body and high personal character.

Aptly dubbed a land speculator in a multitude of resources, Mr. Campbell gained most of his wealth in later years from purchasing, selling, and leasing land. The records indicate that Mr. Campbell purchased more than forty thousand acres of land. Land acquisition within the Kayaderosseras Patent was over twenty-four thousand acres alone. With very little thinking effort, we can clearly relate his prowess to real estate magnates of today. However, this undertaking not an easy task. He wrote many letters of inquiry, and those relating to offers and acceptances; relying heavily on messenger services via horseback and carriage. Several correspondence letters were unrelenting to the point of frustration and disappointment among parties. The acquisition of land was not only to increase his land wealth; rather most often his purchases led to lease agreements for tenants to pay to use the land, as well as improving the land. 

For example:

18 November 1773 Letter:


“…I have purchased amounts to 24000 acres. It is all wood land free of any quit rent to the (King?) or any other person forever…there are on my lands about 8 tenants who must either agree with me for rent or must purchase the land…”



January 1774 Letter:


“…I have been down to York this fall & made a purchase of 20,000 acres of land which lays all around Bauls Town** & is very convenient to settle…I make no doubt but next summer I shall settle fifty or sixty families…I shall endeavor to settle it by giving leases forever.”



It was Mr. Campbell’s expectation to find tenants who were capable, hardworking and trustworthy, being of very good character. Mr. Campbell often wrote letters admonishing those who did not meet his high standards, both tenants and neighbors. As a remote landlord, Mr. Campbell was fiercely protective of his land. When individuals living contiguous to his lands encroached, he took swift legal actions. Three common encroachment issues reflected in his letters referenced theft of wood, grains, and claiming property as their own. Mr. Campbell frequently communicated intentions of litigation and incarceration. Furthermore, he did not have any compunctions to claim property of perpetrators. The following excerpts from his letters illustrate this:

30 March 1773 Letter:


“As my negroes has informed me…that you cut down part of the grass to the amt of a wagon load of hay this seems to me strange that such measures should be carried into execution at a time when I was 100 miles from home…I suppose by measuring my land which no man had a right to do and what I never in my life expected from you…”     



24 January 1774 Letter:
 

“…having proof that William Brisby cut 150 loggs of my land…be assured I will prosecute you as the law directs if you do not immediately come & make me payment for the full value of every log you have cut & for deceiving me in this manner you shant have one acre of land from me altho I was determin’d to have given you a lease.”



Mr. Campbell was very possessive with his land holdings. It was apparent that what land he had great value. For instance in 1779, the land tax assessment value for his property in Ballston was £9,045. I took the time to determine the inflation and exchange rates from 1779 to 2024. The above-mentioned amount would equal $1,505,992.5013 (2024 USD) today. Who would not be protective of such an investment? Apparently, he took land holdings very seriously.



Ireland, the place of his birth, was always on Mr. Campbell’s mind. Several letters were to his brother, Davy. The letters give a positive portrayal of how Mr. Campbell felt about America. Whether the letters were about politics and business, the gist was obviously in favor of being an American. His letters would include land acquisition and his plans for them. Planting fruit trees, keeping sheep, growing profitable livestock, and a variety of trade excursions with the Native Americans were commonly addressed. In these letters, Mr. Campbell was a braggart; for example:
    


18 October 1773:


“… I now begin to follow your example in somethings which is in purchasing land…I have of late made a very large purchase of land which is well situated to settle, 20 & farthest not more than 25 miles from this town & a fine patent of land…I have purchased amounts to 24,000 acres…”


(then expressing his patriotic perspective) “…encouraging those to come to do making them & there posterity to come over to a free country not loaded with taxes, tythes, hearth money, high rents & twenty other burdens that must forever crushd the heart of goodmen…”



Ironically, the political, economic and social climate in America quickly changed shortly after this letter to Davy. In a colonial community increasingly confronted by taxation issues, restlessness of citizens, and increase in trade restrictions, Mr. Campbell began to question on which side of the fence he should fall:



22 July 1775 to George Folliot Esq:


“…I hope Mrs. Folliot & you enjoy your health these unhappy times As yet I have been a perfect looker on neither leaning to one side nor the other this far I wish & hope that America may never be tax’d without their own concent…”    
   


One letter to his brother Davy expressed feelings about war’s end and his ability to persevere:    


2 January 1784:


“…happy to be able to write and receive letters, unable to do during the unhappy war…I have not suffered much by the war in my property farther than it has prevented me from settling my land at present there seems to be a demand for land…I have good prospects having a good many tenants next year as many people from New England states are dayly moving in our state on account of having cheape land...I have not done any business as a merchant during the war…”



In studying history, we often see people of the past as a series of life events: birth, education, graduation, marriage, military service, election to office, etc. Their personalities, preferences, and viewpoints are often lost to time or difficult to determine from accessible sources. Delving into primary source documents such as these letters maintained at the Schenectady County Historical Society provides an opportunity to explore the personality and character of Mr. Campbell. Daniel Campbell can easily be perceived as a scoundrel, money-monger, demanding landlord, unrelenting bill collector, and a self-serving community leader. Certainly, his perspective on ownership and servitude of humans is neither politically correct nor humanly acceptable to today’s standards. Notably, a great deal of his economic and political endeavors are not foreign to leaders of today. Further study of Mr. Campbell’s letters might reveal more connections and parallels to the people, places, and events we encounter today as well as give insight into the person he was and the Schenectady he inhabited and helped shape.

* sic: girl

**Ballston, Saratoga County

The WGY Players

This post was written by Gail Denisoff, library volunteer, and originally appeared in the SCHS Newsletter, vol. 65, no. 4, 2021.

Today, a century after the first commercial radio station began broadcasting, over 80% of Americans ages 12 or older listen to the radio in a given week. It’s a technology that we may take for granted now, but the rapid development of radio technology and programming in the early 1920s led to significant changes in American culture and communication. According to Professor Tom Lewis of Skidmore College, “radio became the first modern mass medium, one that knew no geographic boundary, and excited the imagination and minds as well as the ears of listeners.” The act of tuning in to hear the latest news, the weekly antics of beloved characters, the current sports game, and the most popular music quickly became a standard ritual in the daily lives of Americans across every age, class, and race. It exposed millions to new entertainment, politics, culture, and information. General Electric, as a leader in technology and invention, was one of the companies pushing the envelope of what radio could and should do. The creation of the WGY Players, GE’s in-house radio acting troupe, was one such innovation.

Early performers at WGY (from the Grems-Doolittle Library Photo Collection)

In February of 1922 General Electric received its first broadcasting license for a new radio station to be located in Schenectady, NY. The debut broadcast took place on February 20th of that year. It began at 7:47pm with announcer and Program Director, Kolin Hager, welcoming listeners to station WGY, explaining the call letters signified W for wireless, G for General Electric and Y for the last letter of Schenectady. The broadcast, “furnished by some of the city’s best talent,” consisted of live music with announcements of song titles and lasted about an hour. The next broadcast was two days later and featured a speech about George Washington delivered by W.W. Tranch, the commander of Schenectady’s American Legion post, followed by a live concert.

 
With one of the strongest signals in the state, more than three times the power of other stations, WGY could be heard in at least a 500-mile radius. The broadcasts quickly became more sophisticated and innovative. Just three days after signing on, they presented a speech by Governor Nathan L. Miller from the Union College gymnasium followed by a short concert, becoming a pioneer in remote broadcasting. They also aired the Harvard-Yale football game live from New Haven, CT, the WGY String Orchestra live from the State Theater in Schenectady, the first live broadcast of a World Series game as well as many other remote presentations from GE scientists, explorers, and politicians during their first year.

Edward H. Smith, the director of “The Masque”, a community theater group from Troy, NY, suggested to Kolin Hager that the station carry weekly adaptations of plays. On August 3, 1922, “The Wolf”, directed by Smith and mainly using actors from his theater group, became the first full length melodrama ever produced for radio. Since there was no rigid schedule to follow, listeners heard the play in its entirety, about 2 hours, with the WGY orchestra performing between acts. The response was overwhelming; the station received over 2000 letters asking for more radio dramas. One letter, from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, claimed that the screams of the character “Hilda” were so real that a policeman on foot patrol hearing the program through an open window burst into the writer’s home to stop the “assault.”

 
By September, the WGY Players were formed, becoming the first dramatic radio troupe for radio, ultimately presenting 43 plays during the initial 1922-23 season. After the production of “The Wolf”, 40 minutes were allotted for these plays as it was thought unwise to dedicate an entire evening’s programming to a single play. Director Edward H. Smith worked to carefully edit full length plays to the required 40 minutes. They became such a popular feature that after the first eight plays the time limit was abandoned and many were performed in their original length. As more regular programming was introduced, the Schenectady GE Works News included the WGY weekly broadcast schedule in each issue. Detailed information including the names of the actors playing each character was included in the schedule.

Most of the WGY Players had professional theater backgrounds, but performing on radio was a new experience for everyone. When “microphone fright” was discovered, the microphone was covered by a lampshade. The actors initially wore costumes and stage make-up, thinking it would help them get into character, but that was soon abandoned as unnecessary. They became pioneers of radio sound effects, experimenting with many found objects to get the desired effect for radio. The actors carefully rehearsed their roles, but read from scripts during broadcasts to avoid missed cues and forgotten lines.

Dr. Francis Norton, GE Research Laboratory, and Neil B. Reynolds presenting a radio broadcast on experiments in sound, 1937. (Photo from the Grems-Doolittle Library Photo Collection).

 
The WGY Players served as a springboard for talented actors in the early stages of their careers, such as Lola Sommers. Sommers, an orphan from Hoosick Falls, started her career as a Vaudeville dancer and stage actress, and supplemented her acting income by working as a maid in Schenectady. She became a household name and a Capital District celebrity as one of WGY’s first leading ladies. Several successful and celebrity radio performers and personalities started their careers with The WGY Players. Rosaline Greene, for example, started her career in radio when she auditioned for The WGY Players during her sophomore year of college. After three years with WGY, Greene went on to win a ‘perfect voice’ competition at the 1926 Radio World’s Fair, perform in numerous radio plays, and host regular programs for CBS during the Golden Age of Radio. Stars of stage, opera, and concert halls, intrigued by the novelty of radio, considered it an adventure to come to Schenectady to be part of a broadcast.

By December of 1922, WGY became part of the first radio “network” linking it to stations in New York City and Washington DC who were able to listen in to The WGY Players. Eventually that network expanded, and one night each week listeners across the country tuned in to hear Kolin Hager announce: “Station WGY, General Electric Company, Schenectady, New York. Our program for this evening will consist of the drama/comedy —,” followed by the title of the play.

The WGY Players staged both dramas and comedies. Some of their early broadcasts, in addition to “The Wolf” included such plays as:” “The Garden of Allah,” “Way Down East,” “Are You a Mason?” “Within the Law,” “Under Cover,” “Bought and Paid For,” “The Witching Hour,” “The Man from Home,” “The Sign of the Cross” and “Miss Lulu Bett.”  The light operas, “H.M.S. Pinafore,” “The Mikado” and others were also performed with the WGY orchestra and singers joining the productions. Actors in leading roles were paid, usually $5.00 to $7.50 a week. Actors in lesser roles received no pay, although they may have experienced the thrill of stardom when a limousine and chauffeur brought them to the station.

On November 6, 1922, The WGY players presented their twelfth play of the first season, “The Sign of the Four,” a Sherlock Holmes mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Edward W. Smith performed the role of Holmes and F.H. Oliver, who usually did sound effects, played Dr. Watson. What makes this particular performance interesting is that the famous Sherlock Holmes actor, William Gillette, has often been cited as the first actor to portray Holmes on the radio in “The Speckled Band” on October 20, 1930. However, this distinction actually goes to Edward H. Smith for his 1922 performance, although Gillette can still be credited as the first to perform Holmes in a radio network series.

Since many of the actors came from the professional ranks, they usually left Schenectady to perform in summer stock theaters from July through September. In order to continue the radio dramas, the Schenectady GE Works News encouraged workers to try out for the “WGY Student Players”. Many applicants, eager to make their radio debut, came forward and Edward W. Smith was kept busy interviewing prospective thespians. A group was selected, most employees of General Electric, and “has given some very credible performances during the summer season… which was demonstrated by the many complimentary letters received by WGY during their run” according to the Works News. Several of these players were also selected to augment the regular player group when they returned. 

The WGY Players performed many of the popular dramas and comedies of the day. By their second season, they were looking for new material. An article in the October 1923 GE Monogram, a nationwide GE publication, advertised a contest to be held “for the best play written for the specific purpose of being broadcast in Schenectady by the WGY Players.” The first-place prize was $500 (over $7700 in today’s dollars) and having the play produced over the WGY airwaves. According to the rules for the contest, the plays should be 1.5 hours in lengths and “plots must be clean with no attempt at questionable situations… No ‘sex dramas’ will be considered.” Over one hundred plays were submitted and, according to Kolin Hager, only one produced with disappointing results. 

The WGY Players perform the radio play "Danger" circa 1924 (Photo from miSci)

 

Radio dramas were soon being broadcast by many stations around the country. The WGY Players as well as groups in other cities could be heard through radio networks from coast to coast. In the late 1920s, WGY added the WGY Matinee Players that performed a weekly daytime radio drama in addition to the evening plays. Later, plays for children were introduced. By the 1930s, daily radio dramas, eventually referred to as “soap operas,” were being broadcast from New York City and quickly became very popular. Network shows for children such as “Little Orphan Annie” and weekly scripted comedy and drama programs written specifically for radio were mainstays in American households.

 
The WGY Players were also were responsible for the earliest known attempt at a television drama in the country. A production of “The Queen’s Messenger” was presented with the Baird/Jenkins mechanical TV process in 1928. As television gained popularity, radio dramas slowly declined. The WGY Players performed into the 1940s with a weekly show called “The FBI in Action” and continued to provide radio dramas on a limited basis as late as 1956. 

In their early years, no other actors had as large an audience as The WGY Players. It was estimated up to a million people tuned in around the country to listen to their productions. Thanks to the vision of Edward H. Smith and Kolin Hager, WGY in Schenectady became the true birthplace of the radio drama as well as the first “network” dramatic programs.

References:
Barnouw, Erik, A History of Broadcasting in the United States: Volume 1: A Tower in Babel, Oxford University Press, 1966.
“Forty Years of Radio Broadcasting Leadership,” WGY 40th Anniversary 1922-1962. Booklet
Huntly, Charles H., “Plays by Radio,” The Drama, Nov. 1923, pg.52-53.
Huntly, Charles H., “When All the Air’s a Stage,” The Wireless Age, May 1923, pg. 27-28.
King, R.R., “The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes and the 1920’s Radio Drama,” Radio Recall, June 2008.
McLeod, Elizabeth, “The WGY Players and the Birth of Radio Drama,” The Radio Historian.
Schenectady GE Works News, various issues 1923-1929.
WGY (AM), Wikipedia.
WGY 25th Anniversary, 1922-1947. Booklet
Lewis, Tom. “‘A Godlike Presence’: The Impact of Radio on the 1920s and 1930s.” OAH Magazine of History, vol. 6, no. 4, 1992, pp. 26–33. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25154082. Accessed 26 Aug. 2021.
Lewis, Tom. Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Harper Collins, 1991.
Becque, Fran. “Rosaline Greene, Alpha Epsilon Phi, #NotableSororityWoman, #WHM2021” Fraternity History and More, March 29, 2021. https://www.franbecque.com/rosaline-greene-alpha-epsilon-phi-notablesororitywoman-whm2021/

Boot and Shoemakers in Schenectady

 This post was written by library volunteer Susan Cromer.

In November of 1852, a new firm named Van Epps & Poland opened up their shop at 113 State Street in Schenectady, New York. Their business was boot and shoemaking (sales and manufacturing). They opened after purchasing the stock of Wolf and DeForest (former proprietors of 113 State St.). Andrew C. Van Epps and William V. Poland joined many other boot and shoemakers in Schenectady as this lucrative business was quickly becoming one of the most profitable in the state. The 1859 Schenectady Business Directory lists fourteen boot and shoe manufacturers in the State Street area of the city. In some directories, Van Epps & Poland is listed as manufacturers and in others as sellers of boots and shoes, leading us to believe that they were both. The new business advertised inexpensive ready-made as well as custom-made footwear using quality materials and prompt delivery. The partnership of Van Epps & Poland dissolved in February of 1856. Both the creation and the dissolution of the firm were advertised in local newspapers. Van Epps continued the business for the remainder of his life. 

Newspaper announcement of the new firm Van Eps and Poland, 1852

We can view Van Epps and Poland as an example nineteenth century business thanks to a recent donation of papers to the Grems Doolittle Library. This small collection of papers turned out to be a treasure trove of information about the business of boot and shoe making in upstate New York although it covers only a snippet of time (1852 – 1855). The collection was donated by a Stockade homeowner who found them in the attic of her newly-purchased home. The neatly-folded papers (which turned out to be receipts, invoices, and orders) were bound together with a leather band. Rather than throw them away, the homeowner (luckily for us) donated them to the library. The majority of the papers indicate items ordered, received, and billed by various large suppliers in Albany and New York City. A gas bill from Schenectady Gas Works (Jan.1, 1855 – Feb. 1, 1855) gives us another view of the small business ($3.80 for the month!). Also included are a few more personal letters addressing order mix-ups, requests for payment, and late shipments which describe issues typical of running a small business.

The manufacturing portion of the firm is well-documented with many receipts and orders dated between 1852 through 1855. Van Epps and Poland purchased boot and shoemaking materials from several different firms in Albany and New York City. Many of their purchases were from three vendors in Albany: Samuel Gross, Jared Holt Leather and Findings, and G.A. Woolverton. A bill of sale dated December 7, 1852 from Anable and Smith (Leather, Oil, Finding, and Wool Store, Albany, N.Y.) records the sale of 2 dozen men’s cork soles for $3.50. On December 24, 1853, a sale of 4 ½ dozen calfskins for $102.19 was recorded. Various animal skins, leather, soles, and nails were frequently ordered as were decorative items such as braiding and ribbons. A letter from a supplier indicates that he has lambskins for sale but that the order should be placed “by return mail as they go off very fast” and he may not be able to supply everyone.

Van Epps and Poland also purchased ready-made footwear from several vendors. For example, a bill of sale dated January 5, 1854 from G.A. Woolverton and Co. (Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in Boots, Shoes and Rubbers, Albany, N.Y.) records that Van Epps and Poland purchased 25 pairs of women’s rubbers at 55 cents per pair for a total of $13.75. The same bill indicates the sale of 12 pairs of men’s sandals at 85 cents per pair for a total of $40.20. The number of orders indicates that Woolverton was a major supplier of boots, slippers, gaiters, shoes, and rubbers for Van Epps and Poland. While they purchased mostly from firms in Albany, one order for a dozen “silk fox gaiters” (at $1.10 each) came from A. Bragg and Co. in New York City. 

Newspaper announcement for the dissolution of the Van Epps and Poland partnership, 1856

 

The name of William V. Poland disappears from the business in 1856 when the partnership with Van Epps was dissolved. He is listed in the 1850 U.S Federal Census where his date of birth is “abt” 1817. He likely died close to 1865 because his wife, Eliza (Lake), is first referred to as a widow in the Schenectady City Directory of 1865. Schenectady census and earlier city directories show that Poland lived with his wife, Eliza, and daughter, Anna, at 104 Romeyn St., Schenectady. Records indicate that at some point, William V. Poland refers to himself as Vedder Poland (perhaps the “V.” in William V.). He is first listed as Vedder Poland, shoemaker, in a Schenectady Directory from 1860 and in other directories until 1865. We have few business records of William V. Poland after the dissolution, although there are several directory references to him as a shoemaker (mentioned above). There are no references to a new place of business with the possible exception of a mention of Vedder Poland, Shoemaker, at 85 Union St. in the 1862-1863 Schenectady City Directory. Since many boot and shoemakers were itinerant at this time, it is possible that Poland did not have a storefront but, instead, traveled with his work. 

Records for Andrew C. Van Epps (August 6, 1817 – March 20, 1899) are more numerous. His surname is variously spelled with one “p” or two. The Van Epps were a prominent Dutch family in New York State and thus church and various other records contain dates of his life events. Andrew joined another prominent local family when he married Catarina Peek in 1840. His death at 82 is recorded in Bible records and his place of burial (in a family plot in Glenville) is also recorded. After the dissolution of the firm in 1856, Van Epps continued as owner until at least 1897 under various names including “Van Epps, Andrew C. Manufacturer and Dealer in Boots and Shoes.” It is interesting that in the later directories, the place of business is listed in various locations, mostly on State St. but also on So. Ferry St. In the Schenectady Directory of 1882, E. J. Van Epps joined the business which was now located at 161 State St. Geneological records indicate that Andrew C. had a son named Edward James so it is probable that this son joined the business for a short time. A business listing is missing from an 1885 City Directory but reappears in 1886 under only Andrew (E.J. does not appear). The business listed under AC Van Epps continues to appear until 1897, two years before Andrew’s death.

City Directory Ad for A.C. & E.J. Van Epps Boots and Shoes

 

Van Epps and Poland (and other boot and shoemakers) conducted business during a pivotal time in their industry. In the mid-nineteenth century, shoemaking was listed as America’s second largest industry after agriculture. A sewing machine had been invented by Elias Howe in Massachusetts in 1848. While it would be a few years before machines were invented that could sew leather uppers together and attach them to soles, these inventions would revolutionize the shoemaking process which had had previously been done completely by hand. This invention also led to the development of shoemaking factories which replaced many (but not all) small shoemaker shops. Labor was done by “teams” or “gangs,” each of which had a particular task such attaching soles or polishing uppers. Mass-produced shoes became more popular. In the later half of the nineteenth century, Van Epps conducted business at several addresses (mostly on State St.) and it is possible that he was dividing up the shoemaking tasks to be performed at his various locations to make use of these new technologies and processes.

 

From Crescent Park to Veterans Park: An Evolving Story

 This post was written by library volunteer Diane Leone.

One of the gems in downtown Schenectady is Veterans Park, that small oasis on State Street between Lafayette Street and Veeder Avenue that was once called Crescent Park.

In 1857, when the Schenectady Common Council decided to create a park, the Weekly Reflector envisioned the proposed space as “a delightful breathing spot at the head of the city.” (1) Unfortunately, the onset of the Civil War led to a delay in its completion. When work resumed after the war, the builders had to tackle the terrain, which included a gully with a small stream that emptied into Cowhorn Creek, dwindling as it flowed down toward Lafayette Street. The plan required the gully to be filled, anchored with trees and grass, and later enhanced with benches and other park features, including walking paths, lampposts, and shade trees, primarily maples and elms. 

The park was located on what is currently State Street, bordered on the east by Veeder Avenue and on the west by Lafayette Street. At that time State Street was the state turnpike, connecting Albany and Schenectady and serving as the primary route for wagons and carriages that plied the roads. Creating the park meant setting aside what came to look like a parcel of land bordered by Albany Turnpike on the north side and a road running into Albany Street on the south side. Some adjacent landowners, whose names are listed on the map below, donated parts of their property to facilitate creation of the park. 

The source of the park’s original name is unclear. One story posits that Robert Furman, a well-to-do merchant instrumental in the creation of the park, proposed the name of Crescent Park because the park had a half-moon shape, although the drawing below reveals an irregular oval. In any event, the thoroughfares noted above were supposed to be named North and South Crescent Streets, although that never occurred. 

Map of Crescent Park and surrounding area. Property owners of adjacent land identified. Surveyed April 4th 1863. Grems-Doolittle Library Map Collection.

Within a few years after the Civil War ended, the public wanted to have a monument honoring all of the county’s veterans. A committee was formed to create the design, and a fair helped defray the cost of the project, which ultimately came to $4,000. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was dedicated on July 15, 1875, to great fanfare, including a parade of Civil War veterans on State Street, with music provided by an army band.

Situated at the end of the park at Lafayette Street, this first monument was quite impressive. Facing west, where the majority of the city’s population resided, the memorial stood 24 feet high, including a 6-foot high Civil War soldier “standing at parade rest with his army rifle.”(2) The four sides commemorate four major Civil War campaigns: Gettysburg, Wilderness, Antietam and Sherman’s March to the Sea. The inscription on the base recognizing the March to the Sea reads, “In memory of the soldiers & sailors from Schenectady County who aided in the suppression of the Great Rebellion of 1861-5."

Civil War Monument in Crescent Park, undated. Grems-Doolittle Library Photo Collection.

 

Another early park feature was a three-tiered cast iron fountain, 12 feet in diameter, at the top of which was a water nymph spouting water that was continuously recirculated by hydraulic pressure. The fountain was enclosed by a low granite wall. During the warm weather, it served to cool visitors, who often dipped their feet into the pool at its base.

The bandstand was a centerpiece of the park. Built by 1880, it was constructed of wood, painted green, encircled by a wrought iron railing, and supported by pillars was a rust-colored canopy. Used for concerts, as well as political and social gatherings, it soon became the venue for weekly performances by Rivette’s Silver Cornet Band, named for a local music professor who played lead cornet in the ensemble. In his newspaper column, historian Larry Hart commented on the growing importance of the park, which became a center for a wide variety of public events in this forward-looking city with a growing population and industrial base: “Indeed, Crescent Park became closely associated with a feeling of community pride which swept through the city after the 1880s.”(3)

View of the Crescent Park Fountain, 1911. Original bandstand in background. Wayne Tucker Postcard Collection, Grems-Doolittle Library.

The early years of the twentieth century saw the addition of the bust of a deceased president, as well as a drinking fountain. In 1902, only a year after President McKinley’s assassination, the Italian American community donated a granite bust of the late president, which was dedicated on Memorial Day that year. Unfortunately, it vanished about two decades later, never to be found. Some attributed its disappearance to a Union College prank, but there was no evidence to support that accusation. A granite drinking fountain was added in 1904, courtesy of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, which gifted fountains to many American cities in the promotion of an alcohol-free life. According to a 1983 article by Larry Hart, it had not been working for about two decades.

Drinking Fountain, donated by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Photo taken August 2023 by author.

Less than a decade later, the city council decided to install a more modern bandstand to replace the wooden one mentioned above, which was razed in 1912. The new brick structure, twice as large as the earlier version, was an octagon, with eight wood columns and a railing made of wrought iron. It was topped by a corrugated metal tile roof. The brick base housed restrooms for park users. The bandstand had a high price tag for the time: $17,000. The cost, as well as nostalgia for the old bandstand, led some to call it “Lunn’s Folly”—after Mayor George R. Lunn. Until the end of World War I, the new structure was popular as the site for Salvation Army Band concerts. During the war, the organization used it for open air meetings. It also served as a canteen for military personnel. Its use dropped off sharply during the post-war period.

View of Crescent Park Memorial and New Bandstand, ca. 1920. Bandstand on the right, World War I memorial in left foreground and the original fountain in the center. Wayne Tucker Postcard Collection, Grems-Doolittle Library.

Following the First World War, then known as the Great War, a stone memorial was added to the park, dedicated to those in Schenectady’s 27^th Division who gave their lives during the conflict. It is shown in the postcard photo below, in the left foreground. Above the list of heroes is an engraving that reads:

"Be it our task to save

In memory of the life you gave

Those rights for which 

Your blood was shed."

Crescent Park Rally, circa 1915. Grems-Doolittle Library Photo Collection.

As the city changed in the early decades of the twentieth century, Crescent Park was changed as well. With urban growth, its acreage began to shrink. New buildings, including a new fire station on State Street, the county jail on Veeder Avenue, and the courthouse adjacent to the firehouse, meant more traffic. The city needed to accommodate these added vehicles, including larger trolley cars, which ran on both the north and south sides of the park. As a result, the park edges were redrawn to make room for wider streets. In addition, post-World War I inventions such as the automobile, radio and motion pictures, in combination with the accessibility of the newly built Central Park, opened up new recreational opportunities, so that by the 1930s the popularity of Crescent Park was beginning to wane.

The park shrank further in size after World War II. Once again, the need for wider streets led to shaving several feet off the edges of the park, so that over the years it came to resemble a footprint rather than an oval. The surrounding area was transformed as well. The trolley tracks were dug up and new asphalt streets were laid. The State Street Armory just above the park near Nott Terrace was razed in 1947; it is now Pulaski Plaza. Other buildings erected earlier in the century were also demolished for new construction.

The year 1948 was a particularly notable one. Over ninety years after the park’s creation, legislation was proposed—and enacted in 1950—to change its name to Veterans Memorial Park to commemorate all Schenectady County veterans, both living and deceased. The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) donated a 110-foot high flagpole with a flag measuring 12 by 18 feet, placed at the lower end of the park near Lafayette Street, celebrating the company’s centennial and honoring all those from Schenectady who died for their country. The deteriorating bandstand, having become a gathering place for vagrants, was razed and replaced with a round flower bed. Lastly, a new, more modern fountain replaced the original wrought iron one. Forty feet in circumference, it was named the Charles Steinmetz Memorial Fountain. At its dedication on July 14, 1948, floodlights were triggered by Steinmetz’s recorded voice. With the press of a button by the mayor, water poured forth from the many spouts. As an article in the Schenectady Union Star described it, “A dome of water is created by the 12 spouts around the edge of the fountain, while the center jet sends its stream 25 feet into the [air]. Ten different colors are thrown in succession on the spray by the floodlight system, which repeats its cycle every minute." (4)

Steinmetz Memorial Fountain, August 9, 1948.  Photo from miSci - Museum of Innovation and Science.

Another veterans’ memorial, underwritten by the county, was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1960. The plaque on the granite monument, which includes a raised speaker’s platform with side benches, recognizes the service of county residents who served in all wars with these words: “Dedicated to the men and women of Schenectady County who have faithfully served their country in time of national danger.” 

This memorial is “Dedicated to the men and women of Schenectady County who have faithfully served their country in time of national danger”. Photo taken August 2023 by author.

One of the newer monuments sparked some controversy. In 1981 the city erected a memorial recognizing the sacrifice made by those who died in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. An agreement was made with the headstone maker to include one black man among the six figures represented. It was a black soldier, James Pittman, who was the first Schenectady resident to pay the ultimate price in Vietnam. Unfortunately, upon the project’s completion, the figures represented were all white. Willis Sanders, once president of the Schenectady NAACP, in conjunction with the city, forced the contractor to honor the agreement. The figures were redone with a black soldier, as shown below. 

Figures on the memorial to those who died in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Photo taken August 2023 by author.

Around the same time, an unexpected problem with the Civil War monument led to an interesting find. The cornerstone, originally laid in 1874, had pulled away from the foundation. The city had it opened and discovered that the contents of the enclosed metal memory box had gotten damp. It was replaced with a new plastic box, and the contents updated with additional, more current artifacts. Larry Hart, then Schenectady City/County Historian, in a letter to “those who come after us,“ expressed this sentiment:

We hope that when there should come a time when this cornerstone must be removed for whatever reason, those who inspect its contents as we have this past week will appreciate what changes are wrought in the mere passage of time. We who today consider ourselves in a fast-moving and inventive age—with space explorations, nuclear research, jet planes, television orbital stations, etc.—might well be looked upon in years to come as those who lived in the twilight of the primitive 20^th century, when life was slow and easy. This is exactly how we today look back upon the mid-19^th Century. (5)

Honoring World War II veterans is a small monument, possibly installed in 1992, and dedicated to the 2^nd Battalion, 105^th Infantry Regiment of the 27^th Infantry Division, who, as the inscription reads, “Served in defense of the Hawaiian Islands,” and took part in hard-fought battles on several islands, wresting them from Japanese control.

Memorial for the 2^nd Battalion, 105^th Infantry Regiment of the 27^h Infantry Division. Photograph taken August 2023 by author.

In recent years, additional monuments have made their appearance. The year 2009 saw the unveiling of a memorial sponsored by the Schenectady Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and “Dedicated to those who shed their blood in defense of our country.” The striking rectangular shaped monument bears a carving of the medal and an inscription: “My stone is red for the blood they shed. The medal I bear is my country’s way to show they care. If I could be seen by all mankind maybe peace will come in my lifetime."

Purple Heart Memorial. Photograph taken August 2023 by author

Another monument, originally proposed by the Schenectady County Council of Veterans and the American Gold Star Mothers, was completed over a period of several years, beginning in 2006. Reminiscent of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, the large memorial consists of two separate walls, one on the north side and the other on the south side of the park. Each is composed of two back-to-back polished black granite panels, framed by brick columns. On their surfaces are engraved the names of Schenectady County service members, both living and deceased, who received an honorable discharge. The emblems of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard are engraved above the names. Names can be added for a fee put to the monument’s upkeep.

Memorial dedicated to Schenectady County residents who served in the military. Photograph taken August 2023 by author.

Over the years, government officials, as well as local residents, have recognized the need for park maintenance and initiated projects to improve it, with the assistance of dedicated volunteers. With many parks to manage, however, the city’s resources are limited, resulting in challenges to the park’s upkeep. Still, Veterans Park is a valued green space in the heart of downtown that offers people a chance to appreciate the sacrifices of those who served.

Works Cited:

1) Larry Hart, "Robert Furman's Many Achievements Remembered," Daily Gazette, January 10, 2000, B-02.

2)  Larry Hart, "85 Years Ago: 1st Monument Day," Schenectady Union-Star, November 8, 1960.

3)  Larry Hart, "Crescent Park a Symbol of Community Pride," Schenectady Union-Star, January 24, 1961.

4)  Norman Mackie, "3,000 at Steinmetz Fountain Dedication," Schenectady Union-Star, September 15, 1948.

5)  Larry Hart, Schenectady City/County Historian To those who come after us, April 8, 1981, Grems Doolittle Library, Schenectady County Historical Society, Schenectady, NY

Complete bibliography