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Visit the History of America’s Pastime on Your Way to Downtown Gloversville Those who played little league ball or spent youthful summers playing neighborhood pick-up games, along with those who idolize Mickey Mantle or know the statistics of every World Series Champion team, will want to visit the City of Gloversville as it is a place all baseball fans will want to put on their Bucket List. Just outside Downtown Gloversville, Harrison Street is the new Mecca of Baseball with both the historic Parkhurst Field and the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame beckoning those who love everything baseball to come explore the history behind the National Pastime of the United States. At Parkhurst Field, the stadium is a perfect replica of the original from 1906 that held 1500 spectators and is so flawless that one could almost hear the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowds despite sitting alone in the grandstand seats on an early Monday morning. The field was a popular stop on the FJ&G Railroad line. Visit website www.parkhurstfield.org to learn more about its history and how many baseball greats such as Cy Young played on the field. The park was home to exhibition games that featured teams such as the Cuban Giants and the Brooklyn Royal Giants. The park has always been in use for games as in 1955 the Gloversville Little League began to play on the grounds and continues to do so to this day. Retired stockbroker and baseball fanatic Rene LeRoux brought his dream of a baseball museum to Gloversville, choosing this city because of Parkhurst Field and being only 45 minutes away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame Museum not only has historic baseball artifacts such as signed balls, jerseys, bats, photos and cards, it also has a movie theatre complete with authentic stadium seating. Displays set up as lockers show off jerseys and collections from players including Mickey Mantle and Mookie Wilson. Ian Anderson, a local star that is a Saratoga County native who graduated from Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park in 2016, also donated items as he pitched for the 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves. Those who don’t know stats will also enjoy visiting these two sites. Remember the character “Moonlight” Doc Graham and the movie “Field of Dreams”? It will give you pleasure to know the real Moonlight Graham played at Parkhurst. Most people know the reputation of sports announcer Bob Costas. He was inducted in this Hall of Fame and a plaque hangs on its walls in his honor. (To learn about other inductees, visit www.nysbhof.com) As hot dogs are the top treat at baseball games, this trip would not be complete without getting a bite to eat at the New York Lunch, located on Bleecker Street. If baseball is the National Pastime of the United States, this restaurant is a slice of Americana and certainly goes hand in glove with a tour of the field and museum. In existence since the 1930s, the New York Lunch establishment has been known for its hot dogs. While current owner Tammy Capano has been at the helm for nearly 25 years and serves a wide variety of home cooked meals and fabulous lunches, she keeps the eatery’s reputation for its hot dogs fresh as she serves them with a wide variety of toppings, including her famous meat sauce. Spend a day in Gloversville appreciating the sites dedicated to your beloved pastime. It will bring back childhood memories and will create new ones for you and your family. Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Find Locally Made Products at Mohawk Harvest Buying local and shopping small businesses are mantras that we say when purchasing much needed and loved items. Why not use it as a fun game when exploring the Mohawk Harvest and Micropolis Art Gallery on 30 N. Main St.?! A community-owned grocery store in historic Downtown Gloversville, Mohawk Harvest is dedicated to supporting local farmers and producers, and recently became a sponsor of the Farm to Table Tour that will be held in Fulton and Montgomery counties on July 30th. Can you name at least 10 products that are made locally that can be found in the store? We will give you four to get started ... Upstate Coffee produced in Gloversville, Baucy Be’s hot sauces from Broadalbin, Y Not Dog Cookies from Mayfield, and Lanzi Brothers Gourmet Italian Dressing from Fulton County. While investigating the Mohawk Harvest for great and local buys, be sure to check out the Micropolis art Gallery that is housed inside. Numerous works that are on display include those by many local artists and include paintings, drawings, pastels, photographs, fiber art, mixed media, woodwork, glass, digital art, jewelry and more. Enjoy this summer exploring Downtown Gloversville and learning the local flavors and art that are created by your Fulton County neighbors! Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Explore the Fulton County Museum Tucked away just outside the Downtown Gloversville corridor, is the Fulton County Museum, located at 237 Kingsboro Avenue. If you haven’t visited yet, you are missing a true gem! Trip Advisor lists the museum as one of the best 5 things to do in Gloversville (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47802...). It’s also a site on the NYS Path Through History map and a stop on the NYS Haunted History Trail. It’s also listed on the NYS Historical Marker database for being the site of the Kingsborough Academy, “built 1831 demolished 1900 private school 1831-1863 public elementary school 1863-1900.” Google reviews include this one from Kathy R.: “Friendly docents, learned more about our nee adopted home county!” Tek T. wrote this Google review: “What a gem. If you want to learn the history of this town, this is the place to go.” On July 11 and 18, continues the museum's Hands on History Series for kids ages 5 to 10. Events begin at 10 a.m. and run for an hour and are free. Take the time to explore the two levels of history with exhibits ranging from leather and tanning to military, railroad history to school, and Native American to farming. For more information on the museum, visit https://fultoncountyhistoricalsociety.org/ Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

The Meaning of Flag Day Did you know that Wednesday is Flag Day? Do you know what Flag Day is? While it is not an official federal holiday where banks and schools are closed for observing the commemoration, it is an important day to remember the birth of the nation and how colonists from all walks of life came together to fight for freedom. “When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag. Instead, most regiments participating in the war for independence against the British fought under their own flags. In June of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army—a unified colonial fighting force—with the hopes of a more organized battle against its colonial oppressors. This led to the creation of what was, essentially, the first ‘American” flag, the Continental Colors,’” according to www.history.com/news/what-is-flag-day. The first flag was created in 1877, 100 years after the Continental Congress adopted the flag, according to this news article, What is flag day? Here's when and how to celebrate the summer holiday (usatoday.com), but the United States didn’t have an official standard flag until 1912. Flag Day was established in 1916 with President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing June 14 as the day to commemorate the nation’s flag and President Harry Truman made Flag Day a National Day of Observance in 1949. Many people honor Flag Day by hanging their flags out and leaving them up through Independence Day on July fourth. This Wednesday, the Gloversville Senior Citizens Center at 53 Church Street will be hosting a Veteran’s Lunch in honor of the holiday. A short program for Flag Day will be held. Be sure to notice the flags flying around Downtown Gloversville! And if you fly your own, follow the etiquette and rules of flag flying that can be found at www.usa.gov/flag Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

You’re Invited to a Free Fulton County Small Business Symposium on June 13th Gloversville residents who are thinking about starting a business and those who have a business but want to expand are invited to Fulton County Center for Regional Growth’s free Small Business Symposium that is being held on Tuesday, June 13th, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Comrie Avenue in Johnstown. All of the county’s business experts will be in one room so it will be easy to travel from table to table to find the answers to your concerns. Sponsored by Community Bank, Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, First Financial Choice Credit Union and Pursuit Lending, vendors can talk to you about financing your business, getting insurance, establishing an online presence, and creating a business plan. Information on energy rebates and grants will also be available. Business owners will also have the time to mingle and meet other businesses. This networking may create new relationships and creative ways to sell one another’s products! In addition to the sponsors of the event, experts in the room include: · NYS Empire State Development · Fulton Montgomery Chamber of Commerce · Fulton County Industrial Development Agency · Fulton County Tourism and Planning Department · Fulton County Veterans’ Agency · FMS Workforce Solutions · Mohawk Valley Economic Development District · New York Life Insurance · Fulton County Center for Regional Growth At 5:30 p.m. Greg Chanese from the Albany Small Business Development Center will give a discussion on “What Is the Small Business Development Center and How Can It Help Your Business Grow.” At 5:50 to 6:10 p.m., Betsy Emery from Emery Designs will give a talk on “Best Marketing Strategies, How to Have a Better Footprint in the Digital World for Your Business.” There is no fee, but participants are requested to RSVP and can by calling (518) 725-7700 ext. 4 or by emailing JennD@fccrg.org Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Busy Weekend Ahead for Gloversville Food Truck Fridays, Art Walk, Southern Adirondack Wine & Food Fest, Glove Theatre Marker Unveiling and More are Slated for June 2,3 and 4 Mark your calendars as Downtown Gloversville is slated to be full of activities this coming weekend. Starting on Friday, June 2nd, is the return of Food Truck Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Castiglione Park at 47 Main St. in Gloversville. Food Trucks that will be on hand include A&S Spice on Wheels LLC, Jammin Juice Bar, Parkside Hot Dogs, Teddy’s Gyro of Herkimer, and Trucksteraunt. Michelle King will be performing during the lunch hour. This is a joint venture sponsored by the Gloversville Recreation Commission and Fulton County Center for Regional Growth. Cricket Wireless has joined as a corporate sponsor. John and Sunday Blackmon are sponsors for the music and entertainment during Food Truck Fridays. At 6 p.m. on Friday, June 2nd, the Fulton County Historical Society kicks off its First Fridays series with a tour of the Schine Memorial Hall at 6 p.m. on June 2nd. Participants are asked to meet in front of the Glove Theatre at 42 N. Main St. At 7 p.m. on Friday, June 2nd, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, 66 Kingsboro Avenue, will host a concert with Kirk Knuffke and Michael Bisio, two artists who love jazz. On Saturday, June 3rd, spending the morning exploring the FJ&G Rail Trail as part of National Trails Day and end at the Farmers Market, located at 2-8 Elm Street. The hours of the market are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. At 2 p.m., the Glove Theatre, located at 42 N. Main St., will unveil its new state Historic Marker, funded with a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. Its museum, located next door, will be open for the public to see its new look and renovations. Later that day, both the Gloversville Art Walk and the Southern Adirondack Wine and Food Festival start at 3 p.m. Main Street will be blocked off for these activities and people are encouraged to park in lots nearby and enter through Church Street. For more information on the festivals, visit www.facebook.com/southernadirondackwineandfoodfestival and www.facebook.com/glovecitiesarts. Not far from the Downtown Core, the Fulton County Museum, located at 237 Kingsboro Avenue, opens for the season, also on June 3rd, from noon to 4 p.m., and it will also be open on Sunday, June 4. For more information and other hours, visit https://fultoncountyhistoricalsociety.org Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Remembering and Honoring Memorial Day in Gloversville Memorial Day is upon us, a day that we honor the country’s military members who died in service. Take a look at our local cemeteries, such as Prospect Hill Cemetery and Kingsboro Cemetery, and you will see that volunteers have been busy placing flags next to all our veterans’ graves as we prepare for Memorial Day, this year being commemorated on Monday, 29th. Many also use Memorial Day to say thank you to all those who served and lost their lives in defense of our nation. Gloversville DPW recently installed new flags honoring each of our Armed Forces at Veterans Park, located at Kingsboro Avenue and East State Street, and the Doughboy statue in Estee Park in Downtown Gloversville is has a beautiful patriotic wreath and servers as a reminder of those who served. Please take time to remember and thank our fellow brave Americans for everything they have done for us. Here are some places and events to visit for honoring our military: * The American Legion Post 137, located at 200 North Main Street, has displays dedicated to our military and reminds visitors of the sacrifices made by our soldiers. Outside is a marker that explains the post was named after Private Harold Wilmot, a Fulton County native that was thought to be the first casualty of Ward War I. * Be sure to stroll down Main and Fulton Streets and take in the views of the Hometown Hero Banners. These banners honor Gloversville’s own heroes, who dedicated their lives to fighting for the freedoms we are able to enjoy today. Several of the heroes’ families submitted personal stories about their loved ones and they can be downloaded from website www.downtowngloversville.org/hometownheroprofiles * The Fulton County Museum opens for the summer season on June 3rd. Be sure to visit as it has a military displace dedicated to our local heroes. Museum hours are Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. in June; Thursdays through Sundays noon to 4 p.m. from July 1 through Labor Day; and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. from Labor Day to Columbus Day. Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Celebrating Earth Day Also Means Celebrating Your Community This year, Earth Day falls on April 22, and it is a day dedicated to raising awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Communities also use that day to clean up parks, streets and neighborhoods. Not only is it the right thing to do, but beautification efforts help cities to be welcoming, inviting and great places to visit. Keeping parks clean not only give recreational opportunities to residents in the area, but they also help enhance nearby property values, and that can help bring in homebuyers and families. This weekend there are many clean-up crews hitting the streets of Gloversville with teams from City Hall, Fulton-Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce and Fulton County Center for Regional Growth. The Gloversville Women’s Alumni Club also participates in caring for the community as they pick up trash in the Prospect Hill cemetery from now leading up to Memorial Day, and they place the flags for our veterans at their headstones. Their clean-up also includes removing dead trees and cutting down limbs with help from family members and local business owners. Keeping care of our community doesn’t stop at Earth Day. Next week is National Historic Marker Day on April 28th where volunteers clean and check up on historic markers throughout the area. Not only is taking care of the markers a part of beautification, but it also reminds us of all the great local history that is here. The one at Rail Station Park reminds us of the impact of the railroad industry on this region when Gloversville was the Glove Capital of the World. The one at Parkhurst Field reminds us of our rich baseball history. The one at Fulton County Museum reminds us of our education and school beginnings in this area and the one at the American Legion reminds us of the sacrifices our military and veterans gave on our behalf as the legion is named after Harold Wilmot, the first Fulton County person who died in World War I on behalf of defending his country. Similar to parks and greenspace, communities with a strong sense of history can attract employees that will want to work and live here, increase tourism revenues, and enhance economic development by showing developers the area’s numerous assets. Whether you are a developer, tourist, resident or a soon-to-be resident, we all want a good quality of life in our communities. Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

April's Calendar is Filling Up for Gloversville April is lining up to be a busy month for Gloversville, not just in the Downtown Core but throughout the city, with events of interest for all. These events are in addition to the weekly movies at the Glove Theatre at 42 N. Main St., the Thursday nights Open Mic Night at AGORA Market place at 50 N. Main St., the weekly activities and classes at the Gloversville Public Library at 58 E. Fulton St., and all the other ongoing activities! Parkside Hot Dogs will open for the season on Wednesday, April 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is located directly behind 44 Bloomingdale Avenue, across from Park Terrace School. Gloversville Public Library will host an Erie Canal Comic Book Creation session on Wednesday, April 12, from 2 to 3 p.m., at 58 E. Fulton St. For those ages 10 to 16, participants will explore the Erie Canal from conception to creation through comics and then create their own canal-themed comic strip. The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum at 66 Kingsboro Avenue has a model of the RMS Titanic currently on display. It will be 111 years since the ship sank in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, in the North Atlantic Ocean, four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The museum also has replicas and documents of note such as the S.O.S. from Captain Arthur Henry Rostron and sheet music that the band played while the ship sank. The museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays, including April 15, from noon to 4 p.m. Flame will perform at The Glove Theatre on Saturday, April 15, at 7 p.m., to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Dorn Space at 99 N. Main Street will host Writer’s Club Open Mic on Monday, April 17, at 7p.m. where poetry, prose, original music, comedy and more will be performed. A press conference will be held on Monday, April 17, at 11 a.m. at Trail Station Park highlighting Earth Day Clean-Ups in the City, sponsored by the Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful initiative, Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce, Joyce Royal Realty, Center for Regional Growth (CRG) and the City of Gloversville. The Chamber, the City and CRG are hosting teams on Saturday, April 22nd, to clean up and pick up litter. They welcome participants into their groups, or people can create their own teams for Earth Day and can sign up through Fulton Montgomery Chamber (518-725-0641), The City of Gloversville (518-773-4500), CRG (518-725-7700 x4), The City of Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing, and Recreation (518-841-4307) or KMVB (315-866-4671). Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting for Infinity Nails, a new business at 19 N. Main St., on Friday, April 21, 2023 at 12:15 PM. The Shoeleather Express will be hosting a birthday square dance for Toni Cilberti’s 98th birthday on Saturday, April 22, from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the ED Center, 31 Spring St., Gloversville. Those interested in learning how to square dance are welcome to attend. Call (518) 225-1405. The Dorn Space will host Niki Kaos in concert on Saturday, April 22, at 7 p.m. at 99 N. Main St. The Glove Theatre will be hosting a 90’s Dance Party on Saturday, April 22, at 7 p.m. at 42 N. Main St. The Gloversville Downtown Development Specialist (GDDS) Office at Fulton County Center for Regional Growth (CRG) will be participating in the National Historic Marker Day by cleaning Downtown Gloversville historic markers on Friday, April 28th, at 1 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to participate, and the group will start with the marker located at Trail Station Park on West Fulton Street. For more information, or to sign up, call (518) 725-7700 ext. 4 or email at JennD@fccrg.org. The Glove Theatre and Jurassik Jamz Present Sing for Life: A Singing Competition Fundraiser (PG) on Friday, April 28, at 4 p.m., to benefit the Rob Constantine Foundation and Hickstrong, supporting mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The Gloversville Recreation Commission will be hosting its annual Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wohlfarth’s Pond. The event is open to children of Gloversville ages 15 and under and they are to bring their own poles and earth worms. This is a hook and worm, catch and release competition. No mealworms or corn. Trophies will be awarded for the most fish caught, largest fish caught in each age group, first fish caught, and smallest fish caught. Each child who catches a fish will receive an award ribbon in recognition of their accomplishment. Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Enjoy Gloversville’s Parks and Greenspaces for National Take a Walk in the Park Day and DEC’s Bird Challenge Grab your mud boots, maybe your mittens, and a healthy attitude on March 30th and go explore a Gloversville Park as part of National Take a Walk in the Park Day! The day was created to remind people of the benefits of walks and to encourage them to spend more time outdoors. Why not use Gloversville’s greenspaces and parks to get out and move? Even better, talk a walk through Downtown Gloversville to visit all of them. Here is a list of parks and greenspace, not just the ones in the Downtown Corridor. Be sure to take a photo of you enjoying the greenspace and post it on social media with the hash tags #TakeAWalkInTheParkDay and #DowntownGloversville · Castiglione Memorial Park, 47 N. Main St. · Trail Station Park, West Fulton Street · Wandel Park, Spring Street · Estee Park, 99 N. Main St. · FJ&G Rail Trail · Elk Street Park, 110 E. Fulton St. · Washington Street Park, 127 Washington St. · The Community Garden, 110 Fremont St. · Littauer Park, 12 Prospect Ave. · Spring Street Park, 139 Spring St. · Veterans Park, 256 Kingsboro Ave. · Melchoir Park, 94 Kingsboro Ave. · Herman Meyers Memorial Park, located near Park Terrace Elementary School, off 50 Bloomingdale Avenue · Wohlfarth's Pond, 44 S. McNab Ave. · Darling Field (located off Kingsboro Avenue and Newman Street) · Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home’s walking Trail, 99 E. State St. · Parkhurst Field, Harrison Street While visiting the greenspaces, use the opportunity to participate in the I BIRD NY Challenge, sponsored by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Open to all ages, and ending on November 1, participating can identify any 10 bird species of their choosing and logging the findings on a sheet that can be downloaded from www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/ibirdnychallengeform.pdf. When complete, submit the challenge sheet to DEC at www.surveymonkey.com/r/IBirdNYChallenge. Upon submission of the sheet, participants will be awarded a commemorative patch, a completion certificate and will be entered into a drawing for birding prizes. In one day, a participant can find an American Robin, American Crow, and Black-capped Chickadees. Ducks, such as the Hooded Merganser, can easily be found in the Cayadutta Creek along the FJ&G Rail Trail and Trail Station Park. Hard part is taking a good, quality photo of the birds when they are in flight! Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Dancing with New Friends at The Shoeleather Express It was a blustery windy day on March 19th, but the Shoeleather Express Dance Center’s floor was hot with a dozen dancers stepping to upbeat tunes in the forms of square and round dancing in Gloversville. Under the direction of Elaine Mikes and Dennis Viscanti, participants not only came from Gloversville, but from Rotterdam, Malta and beyond. Previous dances brought people in from Connecticut and Massachusetts. The building in Gloversville is the former Trinity Episcopal Church and Elaine and Dennis put in the beautiful hardwood dance floor in the main hall, where at the very end is the enormous couch from the 1990s PBS show “The Big Comfy Couch.” Elaine and Dennis have been at the 31 Spring Street location since 2011. Their mission is to introduce square and round dancing in a fun way and to cultivate the next generation of dancers. Square and round dance clubs were once numerous in Fulton County and now Elaine and Dennis are carrying the torch for newcomers to follow. It should be noted that Elaine and Dennis are also participating in the 72nd Annual National Square Dance Convention, held this year in Alabama, and will proudly represent Fulton County at the event. Wednesdays are typically dedicated to private lessons made by appointment and Thursdays evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. are lessons for all. Elaine describes lessons as, “Just like getting ready for a basketball game, we want people to come practice, practice, practice and learn the steps before the big dance.” Dances are a full afternoon affair with a workshop for beginners learning the basics of square dancing, a potluck lunch to socialize, and then a regular square dance with “alternating mainstream/plus tips and PH 2-4 Rounds.” The next dance in Gloversville is slated for Saturday, April 1st, with the theme of April Fool's Clown Dance. It will be held from noon to 4:30pm. On March 19th, the dance hall was full of Irish music with a St. Patrick’s Day theme and also saw two beginners joining the fun. The regular dancers welcomed them in and were incredibly supportive of them learning while dancing. All were invited to come to the dance that will be held on April 22nd that will celebrate Toni Cilberti’s 98th birthday. Elaine was excited to report The Shoeleather Express will be a sponsor of the Gloversville Rail Fest on Aug, 12th and will be hosting a square and round dance demonstration and dancing in the pavilion at Rail Station Park from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Also in August, Mike Sikorsky and the Mid-Atlantic Callers College will be held at The Shoeleather Express facility in Gloversville on Aug. 21 – Aug. 24. In addition to learning the art of calling, each student gets at least three hours of mic time. For more information on these programs, or to take a lesson, call Elaine and Dennis at (518) 225-1405, or email them at The ShoeleatherExpress@aol.com. They can also be found online at www.facebook.com/TheShoeleatherExpress and at website www.theshoeleatherexpress.com Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day as a Way to Honor the Irish Labor of Our Area’s Past There is an expression that states everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Whether it be tasting decorative sweet treats, wearing green clothing, indulging in authentic Irish dinners, attending an Irish concert or dance, purchasing items from businesses conducting holiday specials, or helping a service organization using the holiday as a fund-raiser, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is big in this country. Some say the bright green colors and vibrant music help people push through the winter doldrums (like today’s weather) and think of spring and that is why they get into the spirit of observing the Irish culture at this time of year. No matter the reason for celebrating, we should remember the Irish ancestors who had an effect on our area and upstate New York. Irish immigrants had an impact on this region, most notably Sir William Johnson. Johnson, the British colonial administrator that oversaw this area in the 1700s, was actually an Irish official of the British Empire. Along with his family he recruited 12 families and friends to come to this region and “this began a pattern of settling Irish immigrants on his estates … these served as a buffer against the often antagonistic Albany Dutch, who had long held a virtual monopoly on trade with the Iroquois and also carried on an illegal trade with the French and native peoples in Canada,” according to the Dictionary of Irish Biography and on Johnson can be found at the National Park Service's website. Irish immigrants were instrumental in the creation of the Erie Canal on the Mohawk River, which flows through nearby Montgomery County, and its many extensions that can be found throughout upstate New York, according to the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. It took canal laborers roughly eight years to finish the project, finalized in 1825, and they cleared the land by hand and blasted through rock with gun powder. Canal history can be found at the New York State Canal Corporation website and here. Irish laborers played a major role in the construction of the railroad system in the 1800s. They worked on early lines such as the Mohawk Valley’s New York Central, the line our Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville (FJ&G Railroad) connected to in order to move freight to the west and to passengers to New York City. More information can be found here. Be sure to visit our Downtown Gloversville businesses and eateries when celebrating this weekend, as well as supporting our local organizations, but also take the time to salute the work our Irish ancestors did for our area. Stay. Play. Explore. Live. Discover Downtown Gloversville