Poor Old Upstate
It’s a shame what’s happened to Upstate New York. While the city and Westchester County prosper from the wealth (yes, it still exists) of our heady financial system, Upstate suffers. A trip through Upstate is a trip through a region in decline. Empty factories, empty homes, bankrupt farms, it’s sad really.
What’s really sad is it’s such a beautiful part of the country. You’ve got the Adirondacks, the largest state park in the country, with its dense forests and old, weathered mountains; microbreweries like Saranac, Ithaca, Ommegang, and Old Saratoga (to name but a few); the amazing Thousand Islands; the peaceful Finger Lakes region; and miles and miles of unspoiled farmland. But I guess that’s not enough in this age of globalization, financial ruin, the off-shoring of America’s industrial might and intellectual property, and perhaps the lousiest state government in the country.
The other thing New York has to offer is a storied past. It can be argued that New York is a state with greater historic significance than any other state in the Union. This state was a central battleground in the French & Indian War, the Revolution, and the War of 1812. It didn’t factor heavily in the Civil War (other than contributing thousands of troops and the famous NYC draft riots), but during WWI and WWII the city was the great port for the embarkation of millions of troops. Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty were seen by millions of immigrants, from which the majority of the population now descends. Three Presidents were born in the state, and one (William McKinley) was murdered there. There’s a lot of history in New York’s borders, and significant portions of that in Upstate.
Fort Stanwix is one of those historic spots in this great state. It’s smack-dab in the middle of Upstate, right outside Rome, NY. It, along with sister forts Ticonderoga and Saratoga, factored heavily in the Saratoga Campaign during the Revolutionary War. Today, it’s been reconstructed and is the sight of regular re-enactments and special events. Stop by next time you’re trucking across the state at 85 MPH, trying to get wherever you’re going in such a damned hurry. While you’re at it, stop by Howe Caverns, the Baseball Hall of Fame, any of the numerous covered bridges over the Hudson, Lake Placid’s Olympic training facility, the Herkimer Diamond Mines …
New York: much, much more than the Five Burroughs. Check it out. Tell ’em Barky sent ya. 🙂
[Sadly, I didn’t own a digital camera when I visited Fort Stanwix, or the Adirondacks, or anywhere else I visited during my two-week swing/stay through the state. But I do have fond memories of the place. Pics & graphic from the National Park Service.]
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Links:
Fort Stanwix National Monument
The pretty ugly, but pretty complete, Adirondacks.com
Everything you wanted to know about Herkimer diamonds
I titled this post “America’s Queen Mum” for a reason. Eleanor Roosevelt, like Britain’s Queen Elizabeth (the current Queen Elizabeth’s mother, who passed away in 2002) was a beloved figure during terribly troubled times. Throughout the Depression and then the War, both women were strong role models for their beleaguered citizenry. These ladies did what leaders are supposed to do: walk amongst the people. With regular public addresses, newspaper articles, and visits to various cities and towns, they were inspirations to the people when they needed it most. Cowards sit in their undisclosed locations or corner offices or posh resorts when the shit hits the fan. Leaders stand in front and take the full spray. OK, I think that’s the most repulsive sentence I think I ever typed, but it makes the point….
America In Context 