In the Days After Thanksgiving

Things are quiet in Hudson in the days after Thanksgiving. The biggest news was reported by the Register-Star this morning, that jury selection for the trial of the four people accused of beating up Harold Handy III during a Fourth of July party in 2020 was halted yesterday by Judge Richard Koweek, with no explanation of why: "Rosenstrach jury selection halted." Roger Hannigan Gilson reported in the Times Union that jury selection was halted after a private discussion between Koweek and District Attorney Paul Czajka. 

As I sometimes do when there's not much to report about, I turned to old newspapers. Apparently, November 29, 1872, the Friday after Thanksgiving that year, was a pretty slow news day as well. But old newspapers never disappoint, and in the Hudson Evening Register for November 29, 1872, I discovered this news item, which reveals that 150 years ago life in Hudson was decidedly different.

According to the Hudson city directory for 1872, there were two men named Sullivan who lived on State Street. Dennis Sullivan, a laborer, lived at 175 State Street, and Thomas Sullivan, also a laborer, lived at 182 State Street. It is not known which of them was the owner of the hapless bovine, but both of their houses still stand.

After the change in house numbers that happened in 1888, 175 State Street became 321 State Street, so this is the house where Dennis Sullivan lived.

The number of Thomas Sullivan's house, 182 State Street, is now 330 State Street. 

My guess, supported by the 1873 Beers Atlas map, is that the cow belonged to Thomas Sullivan, because there was more open space around his house for keeping a cow.

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