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Scotia High School
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This is a postcard of what was my 7th grade building, but before that was Scotia’s first high school, on First Street in the village. Gone now, a parking lot for St. Joseph’s Church; the church hadn’t yet been built at the time of this photo. The building was unchanged through the years, and…
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All Roads Lead to Colonie Center
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Believe me, the entire Capital District did not always possess a genetic instinct for how to get to Wolf Road. It was a backwater road with a country club up against Central Avenue and farmland out to Albany-Shaker Road. Then the Northway came, and then, in 1966, Colonie Center came. Here’s a thing you…
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The INclosed Double Mall
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Just a little over 47 years ago, the Tri-Cities got their first full-fledged mall, Colonie Center. It was billed as the “INclosed Double Mall,” “located on the tree-studded site of historic Colonie Country Club.” I don’t recall that any trees were left once they were done building the mall, but maybe I’m wrong about…
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Flah’s bursts its cocoon manana
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A post over at the Nostalgic Syracuse Facebook page reminded me that I have never written about Flah’s Department Store,. This ad from October 31, 1966, celebrated the grand opening of its Colonie Center store the next day (“manana“!). I really have no recollection of the Flah’s location, though I do remember as a…
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Thacher Park
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Hoxsie’s crazy busy this week. Instead of enlightening history, you’re going to have to settle for a pretty picture postcard of Thacher Park’s overlook at the edge of the Helderberg escarpment. Early 1960s? Pretty as a picture, it is.
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Remember to use your telephone in an emergency!
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In 1917, the New York Telephone Company was still getting Albany residents used to some of the benefits of the burgeoning telephone systems. This ad from the Blue Book reminded residents: “In An Emergency Telephone first, there is no quicker way to call help in case of fire, burglary, sickness or any other critical…
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The end of Goold’s carriages
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An alert reader (thanks, John!) sent along this article from the Feb. 27, 1951 Knickerbocker News, detailing the end of the line for the venerable Goold’s carriage company, which invented the Albany sleigh, created the first railroad cars, and built custom auto bodies. The company had a 138-year run. Carriage Plant Bows to Time…
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The Albany Auto Show
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Back in 1911, auto shows were a very big deal, and Albany had a big one in the Washington Avenue Armory. It ran for a week and had 47 exhibitors, showing 137 cars of 56 different makes. What was being shown? G.W. Wait is showing seven cars from the Elmore plant. The Trojan Garage…
