Myers' House & Cherry Hill June 25, 2014

For some reason my pictures are not loading properly. I will add them later.

This will be my last blog post of the summer. It is definitely a bitter sweet moment. Bitter because I don’t want the fun times to end and sweet because we have all been working for this moment. I can honestly say that I’ve learned so much throughout the journey we had in this program. One major skill I’ve gained is how to assess a tour guide. Every tour we’ve had, our guide has been very different. Whether they are crazy, passionate, monotone, making up answers, or very educated on the topic, they all serve as one purpose; to educate us on the history of their museum. On a scale from Alice to Raymond, where do you fall?

Myers House

Stephen Myers

I would rate our tour guide today at the Myers house 3 above Alice. It seemed as though he wasn’t prepared for our visit and didn’t have much to tell us. I was able to ask a few questions to get a better understanding of the Myers. The Albany/Troy area was a hotspot for abolitionists, and the Hudson River served as a major highway to transport food and fugitive slaves from one place to another. Stephen Myers and his wife was a couple who participated in helping fugitive slaves. They interviewed fugitive slaves then sent them off to a safe place where they can receive food and shelter. On one occasion, Myers wrote that 287 fugitives had visited his house in a 10 month span. With this knowledge, I could only imagine how hectic his house and workload must have been. I liked the point our guide brought up, that most people forget to acknowledge the abolitionists that were not famous who had a big impact on the Underground Railroad. In high school I only learned about Harriet Tubman and a few other abolitionists. I wish they would teach about other abolitionists so that the students get a better understanding that more people helped the cause. I was disappointed on the interior of the house. It was not in good shape and I hope that they are able to restore the building to continue to educate others. Other students felt as though this “tour” was pointless but I think it served as a great point in showing that other abolitionists who helped fugitive slaves are rarely spoken of. If this was the house of Harriet Tubman, it would have already been a museum, restored, and had a major plaque on the outside of the house.

Map of Cherry Hill

I thought Cherry Hill was going to literally be a hill with cherries. Cherry Hill was owned by the Van Rensselaers. The Cherry Hill Van Rensselaers were part of a group of wealthy and powerful families known as the Hudson River manor lords. The eighteenth century Hudson River manor lords grew in wealth and power. They controlled parts of the Hudson River Valley, 850,000 acres, and Kilaen Van Rensselaer's tract called Rensselaerswyck was the only patroonship to be successfully established during the Dutch period. This made me think of the Dutch styled boat we cleaned yesterday, and I can imagine Kilaen Van Rensselaer trading on his Dutch boat. Catherine Putnam, a cousin of the Van Rensselaers, was very proud of her ancestry and it seemed like she bragged about it a lot. I was also disappointed in the interior of this house because it looked as though someone was just moving in. I wish we were there before or after they restored the house so we can get a sense of what it looked like when Catherine lived there.  I was shocked that Catherine was a part of the Anti-Suffrage movement because she did not want the working immigrant women to have a say. Didn’t she know the working class made up most of the population? Why was she so against this movement if she voted when we gained the right to vote? I get so upset when I see women who belittle other women and believe that we don’t deserve equal rights. After hearing that, I didn’t enjoy the rest of the tour.

Interior of Cherry House 

I am so happy that I have made the decision to participate in this program. I have made new friends and learned more about the Hudson River that I probably wanted to. This was such a great experience and I hope that I will be able to share my experience with the young women who are going to be in the program next year. 

Community Service on Dutch Boat June 24, 2013

Original Dutch Boat 

I was amazed by the way they built the boat; without any blueprints and almost exactly how the Dutch would have built their own ships. When we usually tour an area it is a replica instead of an originally built piece. The man speaking to us said that the Dutch could build ships faster and cheaper than anyone else during those times. It made me come to the conclusion that that’s why they first controlled the Hudson River Valley area. Their ships were more efficient and with that they were able to defend off other Europeans who were trying to control the Hudson River Valley. I almost always forget that the Dutch controlled this area before anyone else. They were superb in the business industry and could possibly surpass us in that industry now. The boat that we were cleaning today was built in 1614, making this year its 400^th year anniversary. It was mainly used by the Dutch as a fur trading ship and you could tell because as they said the bottom deck would be just an open space to store. What I found so interesting was that this boat was made by 250 volunteers. They used Dutch tactics, handmade parts of the boat, and used white oak as the main material. You would think that it would take us less time now to build these types of ships but in reality it took them three years to finish. The Dutch would have never taken that long. That just shows how efficient their skills really were. It also shows how dependent we now are on technology to make everything quicker for us. I wonder which tactic is better or serves as a better purpose. 

Below Deck

I was happy to help clean the boat because I enjoy looking at the finished product. Mostly everyone did their part, and I thank them because it helped us get the job done faster. Precious and I cleaned the bottom deck and I was proud by the work we did. Mainly because we didn’t know where anything went, no one does it’s just a boat, but we still put everything away neatly and managed to make a clear space on the floor. We worked as a team, as everyone should, and it turned out looking pretty good if I do say so myself. Even though we weren’t allowed to take pictures below, I did anyways so I can show off our work (see above and below). It wasn’t until we began oiling the floor that I knew I needed food in my system or else I would faint. Usually I would faint but I didn’t this time because I have such strong willpower and I’m just so efficient with my work that I knew I would be done quick (I love to brag). It was weird how while you were on the boat you didn’t feel it rocking. I knew it was moving slightly but I didn’t notice it at all. I wish we were able to sail on the boat because I know that it would be a very smooth sail. It seems crazy to me how this boat was made by Dutch tactics and yet it probably sails smoother than any boat made by the technology we have now. I would prefer using technology, just because it’s quicker, but I think skill beats any man made machine. 

Below Deck 

Schodack Island June 23, 2014

Schodack Island: Ecological Communities

The Schodack Island is 1,052 acres of land that includes about seven miles of the Hudson River. Above is a map of the ecological communities that are in the Schodack Shoreline. Plants, animals and other factors that make up Schodack Island live in these ecological communities and interact with one another. I guess that is why Toby wanted us to interact with the environment. When we first got there, I was sure we were just going to walk along the shore like we did at Peebles Island. I was so wrong. After minutes of screaming and holding for dear life onto Kassiana, I was finally in the water. The mud at the bottom of the river was so thick that my rain boots sank right into the ground. If you stayed in one area for about 2 minutes, you were as good as stuck. Some of the life in the Hudson River includes wild celery, Atlantic Sturgeon, Zebra Mussels, Striped Bass, Hogchockers, American Eel, and Catfish. I’m sure that I have encountered all of these things on my swim in the river. I actually wish I would have seen a Sturgeon because they are so interesting to me. The Sturgeon, a protected species, is the Hudson’s largest fish that eats invertebrates such as mollusks, worms, and crustaceans. They are also older than dinosaurs, which makes them even cooler. I was upset that we didn’t catch anything, probably because Kassiana and I scared it away, because that’s why I got inside the water. But since we didn’t catch anything we had to make fun out of the situation. Rose, Kassiana, and I started throwing mud at each other and it was hilarious. Some got in my mouth and hair but I nonetheless I thought it was fun. We’re already surrounded by dirty water so we might as well contribute to our filth. That was our way of contributing to the environment today. Another way was giving the flies a delicious snack because they were surrounding us on our walk on the trail. I’m glad I actually got into the water because I hate feeling as though I didn’t participate in our activities during the day. Although I can’t say I would ever do that again, I did have fun. 

Schodack Island Area Map

Brooklyn Bridge, Harlem Tour, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island June 20, 2014

Brooklyn Bridge

 Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was not as bad as I thought it would be. I have only walked it once, for the NEDA walk, and it seemed longer than. It was very hot but once I was hydrated I was more willing to walk across. I read in The Hudson that the man who constructed the Brooklyn Bridge was a graduate from RPI. What The Hudson didn’t discuss was that the man’s wife was the one who ran everything after his injury. She was such a crucial part in the development of the Brooklyn Bridge and yet was not mentioned in the book. I’m glad I was able to walk across the bridge without feeling faint or dizzy because of the heat. I pushed myself through the heat and felt as though I deserved to watch the Broadway show later that night. Phantom of the Opera was good but I still wish I was able to see Chicago. The Phantom was amazing and his voice almost put me to sleep (or maybe I was just really tired). Anyhow, that was my first Broadway show and I’m happy I was able to enjoy it with friends.

Stop and Frisk art on wall in Harlem

Nigerian carved door in Harlem

I felt as though the Harlem tour was extremely long and degrading. I didn’t like how he gave us the tour assuming that we have never seen a black neighborhood in our lives. Maybe it is just because I grew up in those areas that it felt humiliating for me to hear him say “Now here is a barbershop selling art” or “Across the street is Conway, a local department store” like we’ve never seen a barbershop. Conway is a cheap clothing store for people in the neighborhood. I didn’t like how he was exposing it, because people shop there every day. What I found interesting was that Harlem was once a separate city. Sometimes I still treat it as though it is separate and I laughed to myself when the guide complained about people doing that. Harlem was also once the third largest Jewish community. When they “allowed” blacks to move in is when the African American culture in Harlem began. According to The Restless City, by 1914, for the first time in NYC history, blacks dominated an entire neighborhood and had access to good housing. The time of the Harlem Renaissance strengthened black pride and fostered hope. Now, the people of Harlem focus on issues such as stop and frisk, reducing crime rate, and etc. 

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty

I have always passed the Statue of Liberty but never got a chance to go to the island. I was surprised by the way the island looked. I imagined it to look somewhat like Bannerman’s Island, with trails instead of actual walkways and vending carts. What I didn’t know what that the Statue of Liberty is on top of the remains of Fort Wood, originally one link in a chain of defenses protecting NYC and its harbor. The fort acted as a lookout position with harbor guns entrenched near the shore. This reminds me of the chains at West Point and the need to secure the Hudson River. I was sad yet glad that we weren’t going to climb the Statue; sad because I wanted to see the view and glad because my body wasn’t physically prepared for that trip. I was mostly excited to go to Ellis Island because I am always fascinated at how many immigrants came to America. There is always a story behind every immigrants travel to America and Ellis Island is a part of many of those stories. I was able to sit down at a computer and search my family name to see if one of my family members came through Ellis Island. I found three names of Giuseppe Giarratano, all of which came from Sicily. I figured one of them has to be my ancestor, I just didn’t know which one. Either way I thought it was really cool to see that name there and know that’s how one side of my family came to America. I was so anxious to leave that day because later in the evening I would attend the 7^th annual Project HEAL Gala. My roommate and I just started a chapter here on Russell Sage campus for Project HEAL. At the gala, I was able to meet the founders of Project HEAL, our chapter mentor, and many other amazing people apart of such a great foundation. How perfect was the timing that the gala would be around the same time we were in the city. I’m so happy I was finally able to introduce myself and get to know everyone apart of Project HEAL. 

My roommate, Talia Lusterman, and I at the
Project HEAL Gala

Chinatown Tour & Tenement House Museum June 17, 2014

Renown American Chinese peope 

As a child I’ve always passed through Chinatown to get food and I never really gave any thought about the area. It is not only a cultural town, but a place where the American Chinese people feel comfortable. I really enjoyed walking through the museum because I thought it was very modern and easy to follow. There are so many things the American Chinese have done for our country that I knew nothing about. From having the first woman dentist to co-founding YouTube, the American Chinese have helped America. I am not saying I thought they have contributed nothing to this country, but I was surprised as to how much they have contributed. American Chinese people such as Maya Lin, Grace Lee Boggs, and David Ho has made advances in architecture, women’s rights, and medicine. The first Chinese immigrant traces back to the end of the 1700s, something I have never learned. To try to restrict Chinese immigrants from coming into the U.S, a race that has been in this area for the same amount of time as other European immigrants, is crazy to me. But I was glad to see that race is not problem for the American Chinese culture. There was one piece in the museum that I really liked; the topic of mixed citizens. Being of many races myself, I understand how difficult it is to explain whether I am white or black. Even though I participate more in my Italian culture, I should not have to explain my background. A woman who’s photo was in the museum said, “I am a whole “other”.” It made me happy to read that because for so long I used to be very frustrated for selecting other for documents who only allowed you to choose one. I think we should all be proud of all of our cultural backgrounds, and who we are.

The tour of Chinatown was brutal. It was scorching hot and we walked around the streets for an hour. The heat made it so hard for me to focus on the tour and actually be interested in it. One thing that I do remember is our guide saying usually in Chinatown there are the same stores in the same area. I thought that was smart because for someone who cannot read the titles of the stores, they would know one specific area to go to. Our guide told us there were many tenement houses in this area and that’s exactly where we went next.

Woman of mixed race

Building in Columbus Park

Street in Chinatown 

I wish I had enjoyed the tenement tour because I find the topic very interesting. I wish we learned more about actual tenements than the families who lived in there. I was surprised by how big the apartment was. Although it is not big for a family of 4+, it is larger than the tenement apartments I have seen in the photos by Jacob Riis. Tenement houses were primarily of immigrants but I’m sort of confused because I see every settler rather than the Native Americans an immigrant. I enjoy learning about this era because this was around the time my grandfather came from Sicily and my grandmother from Ireland. Well at least that’s what my mom has said. Our guide said different races would be in a town relatively of their culture and I can agree with her on that because there is a census of my grandfather living in Little Italy. She then said that Italians began to move to Brooklyn, and I can agree with that also because my grandfather moved to Brooklyn. I enjoy being able to relate things to my family because it allows me to remember it more. The tenement house was extremely hot and I could not imagine having to live there. After almost every tour I am so thankful to have been born during this time period. 

Architecture Rally, Metropolitan Museum, & Museum of American Indian June 16, 2013

Krysti and I 

The past couple of days in the City have been non-stop and hectic. I didn’t realize we would be walking as much as we have because I figured we would be inside of museums. I was surprised our professors were encouraging us to go out, explore, and have fun. I love staying in the city for small periods of time and I’m sure after this week I won’t come back for a little while. The first day of heat torture began when we did our architecture rally. Krysti and I were partners, I assume because I know the subway more than she does. But I have never spent a whole day with just Krysti and it was nice to get to know her more. While we tried to answer questions, I tried to see how these would relate to the Hudson River. New York City was a big part of the industrialization of the Hudson River Valley and the Hudson River allowed it to become a prosperous city.  Our architectural rally allowed us to travel through Manhattan and gain a sense of how large it really is. Manhattan is huge and I know this because after the end of the day my feet were hurting. Krysti and I didn’t get to see the last building in our packet but we worked hard to find the rest of the answers.

At the Metropolitan Museum yesterday we focused mainly on the American Wing. I wouldn’t expect us to focus more on any other exhibits because we are learning about the history of our area. One thing I was surprised to see was how many objects Mrs. Sage donated to the museum. I believe Mrs. Sage knew how wealthy she was and understood the concept of educating others on history through items and objects. She donated things from jugs and a fire-screen to dressers and couches. There is no better way to see how people of the past lived than through their personal items. Another familiar name to see was Van Rensselaer. Their manor house, some of the interior displayed at the Met, was located on the banks of the Hudson River in Albany. The plaque at the museum said that this manor was one of the finest New York architectural carvings during that time. The original owner was Stephen Van Rensselaer, the eighth patroon and sixth lord of the Van Rensselaer Manor. I noticed by the window there was a window seat, like many other houses along the Hudson, and that went to show once again how beautiful the Hudson was. Kassiana and I got lost and ended up on the rooftop garden, but I’m glad we did. The view was beautiful and the garden was laid out very well. It wasn’t really an actual garden but had leaves and glass that allowed you to see a contorted version of yourself. I enjoyed going to the Met Museum, and not just because those are the steps the cast of Gossip Girl sat on.

Chrysler building

Phoenix piece

Couch given to Met Museum by Mrs. Sage

Kassiana and I on rooftop

Rooftop Garden

We always learn about Native Americans, so I wasn’t very excited to go to the Museum of American Indian. The inside was very interesting and covered many Native American groups in such a small exhibit. I was telling the group how my school are called the Liberty Indians but we are not allowed to dress up as Indians because it is disrespecting the Indian culture. What I was glad to see was that the back of the brochure of the Museum of the American Indian answered this question.  They said when a person’s identity is reduced to caricatures, their real concerns can be more easily dismissed. I find that interesting because earlier in time Native Americans were belittled by European settlers. I wonder if their “barbaric” ways as the Europeans described contributes to the stereotype they have today. It took me about a half hour to see the whole Museum and I wished they had more exhibits instead of cramming a lot of information in one place.

Hyde Park, Vanderbilt Mansion & Valkill June 12, 2014

Map of sites we visited

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home

Inside FDR's home

FDR's room (Top)
Eleanor's room (Bottom)

I’ve been to the home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt before, but I didn’t remember anything I saw. The first thing I did when we got there was look at the map of all the places we were going to visit today. Every home we would go to was built right along the Hudson River. I thought of two reasons why they would be built on this river; the first is because of the beauty and the second was because of business. By looking at the outside of the house I was sure the inside was going to be extravagant, but it wasn’t. I felt very comfortable in the house and saw it as a regular home where normal citizens would stay. Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in this house and educated by private tutors of the Hudson Valley estate. The pamphlet I read said that the Roosevelt’s had ties to the Hudson River Valley dating back to the 17^th century, which made me think of the time of the Dutch we read about in The Hudson. Franklin’s father James Roosevelt bought this house in Springwood in 1867. While they were wealthy, James disliked an ostentatious home and made his house more modest compared too many other estates that lined the Hudson, such as the Vanderbilt mansion. Although they were a wealthy family, the Roosevelt’s were not as wealthy as the Vanderbilt’s, the family we would learn about later in the day. You could really tell the distance between Franklin and Eleanor by viewing both of their rooms. Franklin’s room was large and decorated while Eleanor’s room was small and simple. That showed me that Eleanor was not comfortable in the home or around Franklin and his mother. After watching the movie about Eleanor and taking the tour of FDR’s home, I was sympathetic for Eleanor and wished she was happier during FDR’s presidency. 

Vanderbilt Mansion

Ladies Parlor in Vanderbilt Mansion

Room in Vanderbilt Mansion

The Vanderbilt mansion was far more extravagant than it needed to be. The Vanderbilt’s made their money through railroads, which showed they had relatively new money compared to the dating of the Roosevelt’s in the 17^th century. The mansion was built along the Hudson River not only because of its beauty but because their railroad company, New York Central, that ran right along the Hudson River. The Vanderbilt’s contributed to the industrialization of the Hudson River Valley and their wealth showed it. The mansion was of European style and they called themselves American Royalty. I felt cold and uncomfortable in the house but it looked amazing. Not only did they have extremely high ceilings but they also had a central heating system. This mansion was the first house in Hyde Park to have electricity. I think this was a way of showing off because they didn’t need fireplaces or a heating system because they only lived in the house during the spring and summer season. But they didn’t just use their money for very extravagant things, they also paid their servants very well. An employee of the Vanderbilt’s made one to two dollars a day and had medical expenses paid for. I guess if the Vanderbilt’s were going to live well, so were their servants. I was so surprised to hear that 33 people in Mr. Vanderbilt’s will were employees. I viewed the Vanderbilt’s as greedy, stubborn people but they were not as bad as I thought. They gave Christmas presents to all the Children in Hyde Park and let them play on their grounds. I wonder if Franklin was one of the children who received a gift out of friendship between the two families. It was Franklin who would later suggest that the Vanderbilt mansion be donated to the Federal government. I couldn’t wait to get out the mansion because that meant there was one more house to go and then we would be on our way to Troy.

Living-room in Valkill

Dining-room in Valkill

I was annoyed we had to watch the 15 minute video because we knew almost everything they said from watching the movie about Eleanor. Valkill was seen as Eleanor’s home, and you can definitely tell she felt so comfortable in her cottage. I imagine it was so easy to tell Eleanor everything because she was so appreciative of different lives and her home was a comfortable setting. While Ranger Bob was speaking I started to read the titles of the books on the book shelf, in assumption that these were the books Eleanor had on her bookshelf. Three of the books I saw were titled A Laughter in the lonely night, To Sir, with love and Girls Scout Handbook.  I think just by reading those titles I already got a great sense of who Eleanor was. I imagined her reading A Laughter in the lonely night and To Sir, with love during her stays at FDR’s home. I imagined her reading the girls scout handbook the night before a visit to a girls scout camp. Eleanor was such an amazing person. She treated everyone as the same whether it was a King, Queen or mine worker. I think if we all had the mindset of Eleanor the world would be a better place.

Quote of Eleanor Roosevelt

I love this quote because I think it firmly speaks to the women of influence at Russell Sage. We are taught to speak our minds and educate our world. Eleanor is a great example of a woman of influence. She never gave up on what she believed in and always did what she thought was the right thing. As I grow up to be a woman of influence I hope to have the same determination as Eleanor did.

Washington's Encampment & Stormking June 11, 2014

George Washington's encampment

Statue of George Washington

Tower of Victory

I never knew how much George Washington interacted in the Hudson Valley area until today. The proximity of the encampment to the Hudson River was crucial. The Hudson River was the most reliable highway you could have at that time. George Washington himself said, “Hudson’s River and the passes in the highlands, I always considered, as objects of great importance, and accordingly, have provided for their Security in the best manner.” The rebels needed to maintain control of the Hudson River or else they would lose the Revolutionary War. As I was reading this I could only think of the ranger at the Saratoga Monument that said the Hudson River Valley was the birth place of America, because it essentially was. In the battle headquarters we visited today, Washington wrote the 17 page essay that would eventually become the basis for writing the constitution. Every site we visit tends to always lead back to the restoration center at Peebles Island. The portrait at Washington’s headquarters had been restored at Peebles Island and it looked great. As with the iconography we learned about at the Oakwood cemetery, portraits also had symbolic meanings. The pen and paper symbolized literacy and knowledge, the tassels for the amount of terms served, the nice clothing as a symbol of wealth, and the books at the bottom for the many things George Washington achieved. I was upset we were not able to take photos because I wish I had a photo of the portrait to go into further detail of the symbolic images. I think by now we’ve all learned proper house museum etiquette. For instance, sneaking pictures when the tour guide says pictures are not allowed and wiping our feet on the carpet as we walked into the house. We were told that the flooring is the original flooring of the house, so we were basically walking on the footsteps of history. But I don’t think we’ve just walked on the footsteps of history today, I think we’ve been doing that every single day of this program. We don’t necessarily walk on original flooring in the houses we tour, but we experience the history it holds and how it shaped the Hudson River Valley. Since the Hudson River Valley is the birthplace of America, I would say we’ve walked quite a distance on history. 

Sculptures at Stormking art center

 I really enjoyed viewing the sculptures at Stormking because we were able to explore the grounds by ourselves. At first I thought it would be extremely hard trying to relate the art center with the Hudson River School, but as I was exploring I thought long and hard about the different artists. The Hudson River Valley is obviously a beautiful place. The landscape at Stormking includes natural woodlands, native grasses, and farmed fields. The paintings from the Hudson River School would recreate the Hudson River Valley and surrounding areas. But the way each artist used the landscape is very different. Like I said before, the Hudson River School artists would paint Hudson River Valley landscapes and recreate the beautiful setting. They would take the land they are looking at and create a peaceful, detailed piece. The artists featured at the art center add to the landscape. They make their piece surrounding the area to create a cohesive environment. But all of these artists had one thing in common, they each saw the beauty of the land and used it in their favor. Some of my favorite pieces from the art center are shown below. The hands from the gallery remind me of the painters at the Hudson River School and how they would hold their paintbrush while painting. The bridge that was built did not bother the environment it was set in, but was built around the trees which made it all the more beautiful. The different types of marble set on the floor reminds me of all of the different architectural buildings we have been observing on our way to historical sites. And my absolute favorite, the symmetrical poles. It was so peaceful watching the poles spin and I knew I could stand there for hours watching it. I noticed that the art center had a huge feature on the three legged Buddha created by Zhang Huan. I asked one of the employees why they had this sculpture everywhere, and she told me that this was their largest scale sculpture in the whole art center.  It is probably also the most interesting one to put on a shirt. I would like to visit the art center again when it is a little warmer because the cold weather forced me to quickly look at the piece and move on to the next one. I also wish they would have a piece you could climb on because I was so tempted to climb on one of the sculptures we weren’t supposed to touch. If they had at least one sculpture we could climb on, I think people would be less tempted to climb on others. Even though I wasn’t able to climb on anything but the stairs, I enjoyed this trip.

Pieces at Stormking art center

Bridge at Stormking art center

Sculpture at Stormking art center

Marble piece at Stormking art center

Three legged Buddha at Stormking art center

Beacon Institute, Madam Brett Park & Walkway over the Hudson June 10, 2014

Railroad tracks at Fishkill Creek

Marsh at Fishkill Creek

Composting toilet at Beacon Institute 

We hear about railways and how they advanced the Hudson River Valley, but we don’t usually hear about how they affected the environment. What I was really thinking about while watching the train go by is how I wished I was on it so that I could see a different view of Bannerman’s Island and how the castle looks. The creation of the railroads changed the whole flow of the Hudson River by changing the flow of streams and rivers that feed the Hudson. I presume that could have been a problem for sailors and the way they navigated their ships when the railroads were first built. But it also affected the ecosystem. The marsh shown above is one of many the railroads created along with wetlands. But I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. Marshes and wetlands help clean water, which means the Hudson could be less contaminated. But as Toby said you have to see this change in the ecosystem in different perspectives. The marshes also bring mosquitoes and other insects many people don’t like. I know I personally wouldn’t want a wetland or marsh by my house because mosquitoes are so unwelcoming. But it is so true that any time you change the ecosystem it will have consequences, so I guess we have to pick our poison. One of the things I think we can all agree that is a poison, are the water chestnuts. These are invasive species and throughout our adventure during the day I’ve learned about many other invasive species. While walking through the trail I noticed the bricks that have been molded into the ground. Even though this could be a bad thing, I think it serves a great purpose at remembering what was going on in that area. The Hudson was the leading manufacturer in bricks (and leading in a lot of others things so I’ve noticed) and the remnants in the ground and at Madam Brett Park proves it.  I think what I enjoyed most in today’s adventure was looking at the toilets (never thought I’d say that). It was really amazing and I think this is something we should all invest in. I kept saying it saves 60,000 liters of water each year because that’s such a great savings. I know it’s hard to pay more taxes and afford these types of machinery but I can’t see why this isn’t a huge priority for us. 

Remnants of brick building and pipes at Brett Park

Water chestnuts during the Beacon Institute trail is not the only invasive species we’ve encountered today. Nearly one-third of the plants in Madam Brett Park are non-native but have become prevalent throughout the Hudson Valley. The Madam Brett Park sign also spoke about the water chestnuts at Fishkill Creek saying that they have taken over wetlands which were populated by native water celery. Something also related to the Fishkill Creek trail are the bricks. The building we passed during our walk at Brett Park was built from the bricks manufactured in the Hudson Valley. What I thought was cool was that the building still had the pipes which would dump wastes into the Hudson River. I cringed just thinking of how many dirty things once came out of that pipe. But I moved along once again because I had to. We saw a wetland and I knew right away the railroad caused it because right behind it was the railroad tracks. These areas affect the Hudson because they are the ones feeding the river. But I think it’s okay to have them as long as they aren’t in my backyard.

View from our walkway on the Hudson

I think I learned a lot more about the Hudson River reading those little signs on the bridge than I have reading 200 pages in The Hudson. The Hudson River’s width ranges from 3-4 feet at Lake Tear of the Clouds to 3.5 miles at Haverstraw Bay. The part of the river we walked over today was .5 miles wide. The water that was below us is 50-60 feet deep and has very thick sediment. The thickest point in the Hudson is at West Point which is 175 feet. That just helps to show how hard the dredging will be because the sediment is so thick. The traffic on the Hudson River used to be people transporting back and forth but now the traffic consists of tugboats pushing tanker barges carrying petroleum, gasoline, fuel, and other products. It’s hard to imagine only being able to take a boat to go wherever we need to go and even though the cars and other transporting source we have affects the environment, I’m really glad we have them. 

Oakwood Cemetery June 9, 2014

View of Troy from Oakwood Cemetery

Open book gravestone

Model of crematorium 

I think today was a perfect day for a funeral. When I was growing up as a child I was always told that if it rains while there is a funeral that means at that specific time that person is being brought into heaven. I never asked what happens when it doesn’t rain while there’s a funeral, and I just guessed maybe there’s a ceremony to get into heaven so your ceremony time slot didn’t match up with your funeral. The Oakwood Cemetery was made in 1848 at the height of a rural cemetery movement. It was created as a park like setting, although I can’t imagine people having lunch with their deceased loved one. But the meaning behind a rural cemetery makes me understand the setting. It is believed that a person should be laid to rest in a beautiful setting, while representing their accomplishments in life. The view from the Oakwood cemetery is amazing. It has many ponds, trails and a great view of the Hudson River Valley. But the only reason why I enjoyed looking at the cemetery was to see the beautiful gravestones. I always knew there was meaning behind every gravestone, but I didn’t know particular statues had such depth to them. The symbol I chose to research on is the open book gravestone. What I found is that books have long term meaning of knowledge, and sometimes can symbolize the story of life or representation of a person’s good deeds and accomplishments. When a book is open, it can be seen as perfect knowledge and if there is a cross laying over it – faith personified. If a book is shorter on one side it can mean the person died at a young age. Sometimes, bible or book shaped gravestones are used on clergymen or ministers to show their dedication and faith (“Gillies”). The book shaped gravestone shown above does not have a shorter side, which meant the person died at a fairly good age. I could not see a cross or make out the name of the person buried, so my first guess would be that it is symbolizing accomplishments in life. But this symbol is not the only piece of iconography we saw at the cemetery. There were eagles, angels, crosses, anchors and urns. All of these iconography pieces showcase the beauty of cemeteries. 

Uncle Sam 

There are many important people buried in the Oakwood cemetery who helped Troy develop as a town along the Hudson River. People such as Gale, Emma Willard, General George Thomas, Amos Eaton and Burden are all buried in this cemetery. These people served as military, educational, and iron manufacturing leaders in the Hudson River Valley.  These leaders not only contributed to the prosperity of the area but the demand for the cemetery to be built because Troy’s population increased due to demand in labor. I thought it was just a little creepy walking over dead people but I got over it when I realized people might be doing the same to me in some decade’s time. I’m not exactly sure how I want to buried, or even remembered as a person. I guess I am just going to go with the flow.