The Colonie Historical Oracle
If you are interested in any of the listed editions that do not have the PDF document attached, please contact the Town Historian via the contact us form.
| Edition | Date | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 18, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2023 | Jefferson Mayell - Who Was He? | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 17, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2022 | A Trans-Atlantic Mystery | previously published article by Martin Jenkins |
| Vol. 16, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2021 | Mr. R. Arthur Johnson | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 16, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2021 | The Homestead Farm: The 2,500 Acre Farm of Stephen Van Rensselaer III | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 16, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2021 | Tobin's "First Prize" | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 16, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2021 | Toxicity of Sacred Ground | Kelly Grimaldi |
| Vol. 15, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2020 | The Nutshell | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 15, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2020 | Elizabeth W. C. Little and Little's Lake | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 15, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2020 | The Other Schuyler Mansion of Colonie | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 15, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2020 | Full Circle! A Second Tribute to Colonie's Carlyle Smith | Kevin Franklin |
| 6/19 Special Issue | Albany Rural Cemetery Tour | Mark Bodnar | |
| Vol. 14, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2018 | The Cellar Hole of Poor John Dennick | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 14, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2018 | Historic Tour of Albany Rural Cemetery Knocks ‘em Dead! | Mark T. Bodnar |
| Vol. 14, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2018 | "The Grand Old Man": Louis Menand (1807-1900) | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 14, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2018 | The Man Who Wore Many Hats | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 13, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2017 | The Frederick Cramer House | Mark T. Bodnar |
| Vol. 13, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2017 | The Dutch Door of the Schuyler Home at The Flatts | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 13, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2017 | Jane S. Olton Colonie Town Historian Emeritus 1969-2003 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 12, No. 4 | Oct.-Dec., 2016 | The West Troy Water Works | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 12, No. 3 | Jul.-Sep., 2016 | The Bacon Family of Loudonville and the Loudon Plank Road | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 12, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2016 | Confederates in Colonie!!! | Mark T. Bodnar |
| Vol. 12, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2016 | A Traffic Light—On the Northway??? | Jeff English |
| Vol. 11, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2015 | The Forgotten Burial Ground of the West Watervliet or Union Methodist Church | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol. 11, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2015 | What's in Your Family Bible? The Knapp Family |
Mary Alingh Bebe Morehead |
| Vol. 11, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2015 | How Did Wolf Road Get Its Name | Mark T. Bodnar |
| Vol. 11, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2015 | The Snow Cruiser | Kevin Franklin & Anthony Wayne, Jennifer M. Paley |
| Vol. 10, No.4 | Oct. - Dec., 2014 | It's All Relative | Jennifer M. Paley |
| Vol. 10, No.3 | Jul. - Sep., 2014 | Rediscovering Benjamin Prescott (1755-1826) & aThe Albany Water Works: Part 2 of 2 | Kevin M. Franklin |
| Vol. 10, No.2 | April - June, 2014 | Rediscovering Benjamin Prescott (1755-1826) & aThe Albany Water Works: Part 1 of 2 | Kevin M. Franklin |
| Vol. 10, No.1 | Jan. - March, 2014 | “From Sheep to Shipping” A Short History of the Albany Felt Company of Menands and the Production of Paper-Making Felts, 1895-2010 | Kevin M. Franklin |
| Vol.9, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2013 | Stories Behind the Stones: Military Heroes Interred in St. Agnes Cemetery | Mark Bodnar |
| Vol.9, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2013 | The Dutch Door from the Schuyler House | Charley Flanagan |
| Vol.9, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2013 | The Cohoes Crescent Road | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.9, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2013 | The Civil War Arrives in Colonie | Mark Bodnar |
| Vol.8, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2012 | Hedge Lawn, Part 2 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.8, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2012 | Hedge Lawn, Part 1 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.8, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2012 | The Free Church of St. Margaret at Menands | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.8, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2012 | Streets: What's Behind a Name | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.7, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2011 | Who Took Bertha Cleveland? | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.7, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2011 | Colonie's Disappearing Heritage, part 2 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.6, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2010 | Colonie's Disappearing Heritage, part 1 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.6, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2010 | Ebenezer Hills, Jr. Farmhouse on the Move | Anthony Brankman |
| Vol.6, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2010 | Mannsville | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.6, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2010 | The Old Family Cemeteries of Colonie | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.5, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2009 | Ths Sage Family and Their Estates, part 2 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.5, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2009 | Ths Sage Family and Their Estates, part 1 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.5, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2009 | A century of struggle at Schuyler Flatts | Paul Huey |
| Vol.5, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2009 | Don't miss the boat. New historic sign at Schuyler Flatts | Charles Flanagan |
| Vol.4, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2008 | Leland Stanford, part 2 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.4, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2008 | Leland Stanford, part 1 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.4, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2008 | A Colonie Calamity; radioactive dusts at the former N. L. Industries site | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.4, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2008 | Schuyler Flatts revisited; the saga of Isaac Jogue, S. J. and his escape, part 2 | Charles Flanagan & Charles Franklin |
| Vol.3, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2007 | Schuyler Flatts revisited; the saga of Isaac Jogue, S. J. and his escape, part 1 | Charles Flanagan & Charles Franklin |
| Vol.3, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2007 | Thomas Hillhouse, 1766-1834; Hillhouse lands sold to Albany Rural Cemetery in 1841 | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.3, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2007 | Squire Whipple, 1804-1888; the father of iron bridges in America | Kevin Franklin |
| Vol.3, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2007 | Levittown, North part 2 | Charles Franklin |
| Vol.2, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2006 | Levittown, North part 1 | Charles Franklin |
| Vol.2, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2006 | Mulberry Hill; the intriguing story of "Mulberry Hill" and it's connection to the French Revolution | Jean Olton |
| Vol.2, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2006 | The Pruyn Family & the Pruyn House | Diane Morgan & Charles Flanagan |
| Vol.2, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2006 | The Ebenezer Hills, Jr. Farmhouse (one of the oldest farm houses still standing in Colonie) | Anthony Brankman |
| Vol.1, No.4 | Oct.-Dec., 2005 | Growing up in "Polack Town", part 2, (a "town" within a village) | Charles Franklin |
| Vol.1, No.3 | Jul.-Sep., 2005 | Growing up in "Polack Town", part 1, (a "town" within a village) | Charles Franklin |
| Vol.1, No.2 | Apr.-Jun., 2005 | The Albany Car Wheel Company; Clickety- clack, clickety- clack, clickety- clack down the railroad tracks | Charles Franklin |
| Vol.1, No.1 | Jan.-Mar., 2005 | Welcome. The Schuyler Flatts - what is this all about? | Charles Franklin & Charles Flanagan |
Historical Places in the Town of Colonie, N.Y. (Click on title to download)
Colonie was settled in 1630 by Patroon Kiliaen Van Rensselaer for the Dutch West India Company. Rensselaerswyck included land purchased from the Indians, and ran from Beeren Island in the Hudson River, approximately 11 miles south of the City of Albany, to the Cohoes Falls in the Mohawk River.
The Town of Colonie: A Pictorial History
A The Town of Colonie: A Pictorial History was published in 1980. It was compiled by Jean S. Olton with the assistance of members Maurine Evans, Dee Hebrandson, Arthur Johnson, Elizabeth Shaver, Barbara Ruch Puig; with graphics by Elizabeth Lee. Chapters include: the early history of the land, the military history, economic neighborhoods, and much more.
The History of the Religious Communities in the Town of Colonie
The History of the Religious Communities in the Town of Colonie was first published in 1976 under auspices of the women of the women of St. Mathew's Episcopal Church, edited by Reverend Alfred O. Siegal of the Loudonville Presbyterian Church. The 1995 version was edited by Rev. Siegel and Jean S. Olton, Historian, with all religious communities submitting updated information.
The Archaeology of Schuyler Flatts
The Archaeology of Schuyler Flatts is an 8 page pamphlet describing the investigations conducted by Paul Huey, New York State Archaeologist.