Something to Consider for the Long Weekend

The Columbia County Historical Society recently added two new road trips to its Drive Through History series: "Artifacts of Industry" and "Patriots & Patroons."

Peter Stott's 2007 book, Looking for Work: Industrial Archaeology in Columbia County, NY, explores more than 130 surviving sites and structures from the industrial era. The "Artifacts of Industry" tour visits some of those sites--from the crumbling ruins of an ice house to abandoned cement factories and former mills that have been given new life in the modern renaissance of places like Hudson and Chatham. "This road trip tells the stories of how western Columbia County--the first area to develop and for many years the county's industrial epicenter--came into its own thanks to the Hudson River and the hard work of many."

The second new road trip, "Patriots & Patroons: Politics in Columbia County" visits sites connected with men who played important roles on the nation's political stage--including a drafter of the Declaration of Independence and the eighth president of the United States. "The county has produced more than its fair share of political luminaries. But there are more stories, too. For instance, did you know that technically two Columbia County natives were elected President of the United States--though only one would take office? Or that Alexander Hamilton participated in multiple legal cases of great local import? Buckle up for this bumpy tour of Columbia County's political past!"

The Gossips post about the previous two road trips--"Legends & Folklore" and "Sacred Spaces"--can be found here. The itineraries and maps for all four of CCHS's Drive Through History Tours can be downloaded here:

• Legends and Folklore of Columbia County
• Sacred Spaces (Part I)
• Artifacts of Industry
• Patriots and Patroons: Politics in Columbia County