Pember Library

1812: New York’s War, New York’s Impetus

A lecture by Robert W. Arnold III

While the Battles of Sackets Harbor or Plattsburg do not carry the cachet of a Gettysburg or Saratoga, the War of 1812, now approaching its bicentennial, was very much New York’s War. Much of the war was fought on our soil or on our waters. New Yorkers responded to the conflict militarily and otherwise and the war exposed serious inadequacies in the state’s infrastructure and the nation’s military capacity. This presentation with slides and period quotes examines the impact of the war and its aftermath on the people of New York and the public improvements roads and canals made partly in response to the war.

Robert W. Arnold III is a career public historian at the New York State Archives. He was Albany County Historian, a historical archaeologist and is a Commissioner of Historic Resources for the City of Albany. Arnold teaches American, New York State and regional history at the College of Saint Rose and other colleges.

Author Andy Flynn will share colorful stories about Adirondack life straight from the archives and collections of the internationally acclaimed Adirondack Museum at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the Pember Library in Granville.

During the program, “Turning Points in Adirondack History,” audience members will see how historical events shaped the lives of Adirondack residents. Topics include: the American Revolution, World War II, the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and the creation of the Adirondack Park and the New York State Adirondack Park Agency. During the presentation, Flynn will tell human-interest stories about some of the artifacts at the Adirondack Museum to support his themes. “Turning Points in Adirondack History” highlights Flynn’s work with museum curators in Blue Mountain Lake, documenting regional heritage for his five-volume “Adirondack Attic” book series.
Flynn is an author and publisher living in Saranac Lake, and he currently operates Hungry Bear Publishing with his wife, Dawn, publishing the “Adirondack Attic” book series and the Meet the Town community resource guides.
In 2004, Flynn founded Hungry Bear Publishing and self-published his first book, “New York State’s Mountain Heritage: Adirondack Attic, Volume 1.” His catalog now includes five “Adirondack Attic” books, which include the columns he wrote from 2003 to 2007. A sixth book is expected by the spring of 2010.
Flynn is an award-winning journalist, garnering merits of excellence from the National Newspaper Association, New York Newspaper Publishers Association and the New York Press Association (NYPA) for photography, headline writing, editorial writing, news writing, feature writing, front-page layout and community service reporting.

For more information, contact Andy Flynn at (518) 891-5559 or visit www.HungryBearPublishing.com.

The  lecture 1812: New York’s War, New York’s Impetus by Robert Arnold originally planned for September 24 has been postponed until October 29.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

We are participating in the Hudson River Champlain Valley Heritage Weekend http://www.ny400.org/events/hudson-river-valley-heritage-weekend

On Sunday, September 13, we will have a historical interpretation of Henry Hudson as portrayed by Don Thompson. The program will start at 1pm and the library will be open from 1-5 on Sunday.

Pember Presents: The Storycrafters

Join us at the Pember Library at 6 PM on Wednesday, August 26, when Barry Marshall, and Jeri Burns, PhD, will present stories and songs from the history of NY State. “The Storycrafters” will bring us tales ranging from Native American origins through Dutch and English colonization, Henry Hudson’s exploration, and the NY State tall tale tradition. Other stories may include: Abenaki stories, ghost stories, tall tales, NY State folktales, more!

Jeri and Barry believe in the time-tested wisdom of traditional stories, and share that wisdom with today’s audiences. They strive to honor world cultures by telling the old stories in respectful ways, often integrating the musical instruments, songs or dances indigenous to that region.