Mary Ellen Johnson

William Crounse was among the numerous Guilderland volunteers who answered the call to fight for the Union during the Civil War.

Unlike the current controversy that swirls around Columbus and the impact of his voyages, to Americans in 1892 Columbus represented the heroism of a great explorer whose discoveries were considered

Sitting impatiently, waiting for the light to change at the intersection of routes 158 and 20, few drivers are aware that these corners have a rich history dating back to the 18th Century.

The delicious prospect of enjoying a frequent, inexpensive dish of ice cream or a glass of soda became reality for young and old alike during the last quarter of the 19th century.

As flames consume a dormer of the Thacher mansion, peering through a window frame on the second floor is one of the firemen from Altamont, Fort Hunter, Guilderland Center, McKownville, Pine Grove, or Westmere fire departments who took part in the exercise. The volunteers, under the direction of Chief Ed Pollard, were practicing various methods of firefighting that day.

For decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, late spring and early summer warm weather’s return brought several wealthy, prominent Albany families to the escarpment above Altamont to reop

Over many decades huge numbers of Town residents have experienced Tawasentha Park’s rolling hills  with its sweeping view of the Normanskill.

Rising in wetlands near Duanesburg, the Normanskill flows 45.4 miles downstream through the towns of Guilderland, New Scotland, and Bethlehem to its confluence with the Hudson River.

A century or more ago, Frenchs Hollow would have been a familiar landmark to just about everyone in Guilderland, most of them having actually visited the scenic spot on one or more occasions.

Editor’s note: When writing about local social history, it’s important to examine the ugly parts as well as the heroic parts.

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