Capital District Genealogical Society Meeting & Anniversary

On 22 October 2016, the Capital District Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting at the William K. Sanford, Town of Colonie Library at 629 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville. This month's program is titled Getting Past Research Roadblocks and will be presented by Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer.

Program snipit: What genealogist doesn’t have research roadblocks? Breaking through them requires studying the ancestor and his associates as thoroughly as possible to construct a detailed timeline of his life and find clues for further research that may yield a solution.

The CDGS meetings are held on the 4th Saturday of month, except 3rd Saturday of month in May; and no meeting in December.
All regular meetings 1:00PM.
Interest groups meet 12 to 1PM.
Computer Resources Group meets 2:30PM.

After this month's program, a celebration of our 35th year as the Capital District Genealogical Society will be held. I have been a member of the CDGS on and off for years and may have been present at one of the very first CDGS meetings. I recall attending a CDGS meeting in a small lecture room within the New York State Library many many years ago. I remember Peter and Florence Christoph giving a talk during that meeting.

Lecture on Early Relgion in Albany

Although this is short notice regarding this program, it was brought to my attention yesterday that Stefan Bielinski, retired Senior Historian in the History Office of the New York State Museum, will be conducting a lecture on Early Religion in Albany this Sunday, 25 September 2016 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Details below are cut and pasted from the Cathedral web page.

EVENT DETAILS 

Event: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception History & Heritage Program Fall Lecture 

Title: Religion in Early Albany: Spiritual Comfort in an Emerging American City 

Date: Sunday, September 25, 2016 Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. 

Place: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Eagle Street & Madison Avenue, Albany 

Cost: The presentation is free & open to the public; Suggested goodwill donation in support of the Cathedral’s Social Services Program. 

Description: A multi-media presentation by Public Historian Stefan Bielinski will look at religion in early Albany and focus on the people involved in the half dozen early churches operating in Albany before 1800. 

For Further Information Contact: Reverend Michael A. Farano, Administrator Phone: (518) 463-4447 or Contact: Brian Buff, Cathedral History & Heritage Program Coordinator Phone: (518) 322-7036 

Nassau Oktoberfest

Copied from the Rensselaer County Advertiser newspaper:

Nassau's Village Beautification Committee presents a traditional Oktoberfest celebration on Sunday, September 25th, at the Village Commons Park on John Street, just off US Route 20. The event runs from 12 noon until 4 PM and features traditional German foods, beverages, and entertainment.

Inspired by European harvest festivals, the Oktoberfest menu will include a variety of tasty treats including an array of locally-made German sausages, vegan bratwurst, imported German sauerkraut, potato salad, and made-as-you-watch potato pancakes. All foods are available for take-out.

What's an Oktoberfest without good beer? That question is answered with a broad selection of both imported German beers and fresh and local ales from Nassau's own S & S Farm Brewery.

Nassau's own Bavarian Barons, a traditional German brass band founded in the village over 50 years ago. With a lively program of polkas, waltzes, and marches, the group has a long history of entertaining the public throughout New York and New England.

Admission is free and will take place under tents rain or shine. Guests may bring their own chairs if they wish. For additional information, go to www.Nassau12123.com or call 518.766.2291.

Nassau Library Local History Program

Free programs that explore local history have been set for the Nassau Free Library. Many family history files containing names, dates, and other information through which one can trace area family roots are on file in the library.

Genealogy 101 presented by Arthur Young will begin at the library on Monday, October 17 and will conclude on Monday, November 21, with "What's in the Nassau Free Library Local History Collection?" presented by Kurt Vincent, Nassau Village Historian and Nassau Free Library Trustee.

All programs start at 7PM, are scheduled for the historic "main room" of the Library, in the original 1835 structure. Home of the Library since 1893, the building is part of the Church Street Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Library is located at 18 Church Street, US Route 20, Nassau.

The Library's web page is located here.

Lecture on the Impact of World War I on Albany's German-American Community

A lecture on the impact of the First World War on Albany's German-American community is being developed for a presentation this coming February at the New Scotland Museum; the home of the New Scotland Historical Association. The talk is scheduled for Sunday 5 February 2017. The museum is open Sundays between 2 PM and 4 PM and is located in New Salem at the Wyman Osterhout Community Center on Old New Salem Road off Route 85 just past the intersection of Route 85A. More details will follow as the date approaches. For more information please visit the website or call 518.765.4652.

Upcoming Albany History Event

Coming up on Saturday 24 September 2016 is the third annual Albany History Race. Last year I participated in this race with a friend Paul. It was a lot of fun and we took third place out of about 20 + teams. Not bad for first-timers. The event is hosted by the Albany Public Library and its focus will be on historic buildings in the city.

Last September I posted an article on my participation in the Albany History Race. The story can be found here.

Details clipped from the library website:

Event Type: Adult Program
Age Group(s): Adult (Ages 18+)
Date: 9/24/2016
Start Time: 1:00 PM
End Time: 4:00 PM

Description:

 The Third Annual Albany History Race is an Amazing Race style afternoon scavenger hunt for history experts, novices, and visitors interested in learning about Albany’s past. No prior knowledge is needed to participate. For this year's race, the Albany Public Library is partnering with Historic Albany Foundation and showcasing the endangered buildings of our city. The event will begin in the library’s local history room and conclude at McGeary’s Pub, where teams will receive 20% off their food and drink that afternoon. Additional Albany themed prizes will be awarded to the fastest teams!

Here's how you can participate and win!

Make a team! All teammates must fit in one car. You provide the car.

Meet at the library at 1pm on Saturday, 9/24 to receive clues directing you to historic locations in Albany.

Plan the quickest route to visit the locations that afternoon.

Hop in your team's car, race to the spots, and document your visit with your cell phone camera or digital camera.

The final stop is McGeary's Pub where all teams will get a 20% discount on food and drink! We'll also reward the fastest teams with additional Albany themed prizes!

Registration begins September 1, 2016. To sign up your team, have only one member of your team register below. or call 518-427-4376. For more details, please email localhistory@albanypubliclibrary.org.

Library: Washington Ave. Branch    Map 
Location: Albany Public Library -- Washington Ave.
Registration Ends: 9/23/2016 at 5:00 PM
Status: Openings

Register at this link