New York Trivia & Tidbits - Page 2

Looking for New York trivia? Try our list New York little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

—In 1926, Gertrude Ederle, born in New York City, became the first woman to swim the English Channel, and she did it in a little over 14.5 hours. Her time for the 35-mile swim stood for 24 years before it was broken in 1950 by Florence Chadwick.

first appeared: 1/11/2009

—The 1869 Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie (pop. 42,777) is among the oldest operating theaters in the state. Artists who have performed in the facility include Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt, Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra.

first appeared: 12/29/2008

—Rise Stevens, born in 1913 in New York City, was a celebrated mezzo-soprano and actress for the Metropolitan Opera in the 1940s and 1950s. She also appeared in films, including Going My Way with Bing Crosby.

first appeared: 11/30/2008

—The Bronck Museum in Coxsackie (pop. 8,884) sits on land purchased from a local Indian tribe by Pieter Bronck in 1662. Bronck built his home in 1663, and decades later his grandson built his home a few feet away, with the houses connected by a brick passage. Today, the homes and farm structures serve as the Greene County Historical Society’s headquarters and museum.

first appeared: 11/16/2008

—Mary Burnett Talbert (1866-1923), of Buffalo, actively battled racism in her home city as well as nationally. After a lifetime of working for equality, she was given the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, in 1922.

first appeared: 11/2/2008

—Noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s father helped him acquire a farm on Staten Island in 1848, and the property remained in his family until 1866. Today, the estate, including Olmstead’s house, is managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

first appeared: 10/19/2008

—The Peace Bridge, which connects Buffalo with Fort Erie, Ontario, was so-named to commemorate 100 years of peace between the United States and Canada. Construction began in 1925, and the bridge was opened in the spring of 1927.

first appeared: 10/5/2008

—In 1787, the Manumission Society founded the African Free School in New York City. The society was composed of influential and wealthy white males dedicated to advocating for the country’s African-Americans.

first appeared: 9/21/2008

—The Fenimore Art Museum in Coopers-town (pop. 2,032) is home to a diverse collection of American folk art and American Indian art as well as American decorative arts, photography and 20th-century art.

first appeared: 9/7/2008

—The Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany was completed in 1798 for Gen. Abraham Ten Broeck, commander of the New York Militia during the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Saratoga. Originally built in the Federalist style, the mansion was named “Prospect” and offered a sweeping view of the Hudson River. In 1948, it was deeded to the Albany County Historical Association.

first appeared: 8/24/2008

—North Tonawanda (pop. 33,262) is home to the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. Located in the original complex of the Allan Herschell Co., a carousel maker founded in 1915, the museum offers exhibits and demonstrations, and operates two of the company’s original carousels.

first appeared: 8/10/2008

—The Sphere, a 45,000-pound steel and bronze sculpture by Fritz Koenig, was situated in the fountain at the World Trade Center until the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The twisted sculpture, relocated to Battery Park, was dedicated as an interim memorial to the lives lost in the attacks.

first appeared: 7/27/2008

—Fort Amsterdam, constructed in 1625 at the mouth of the Hudson River, was the first permanent settlement established on Manhattan. The fort marked the official founding of New York City.

first appeared: 7/13/2008

—The Empire State Carousel in Cooperstown (pop. 2,032) is a full-size operating merry-go-round created by 1,000 volunteer carvers, quilters, painters and woodworkers. The animals and panels, all hand-carved, depict indigenous animals and folklore or portray various New York figures.

first appeared: 6/29/2008

—Author Herman Melville, born in 1819 in New York City, sailed to the South Seas on the whaling ship Acushnet in 1841 and stayed in the Marquesas Islands, which provided fodder for his works. The novels Typee and Omoo were based on his experiences.

first appeared: 6/15/2008

—Since 1863, the New York State Military Museum has collected military artifacts. After extensive renovation, the Saratoga Springs (pop. 26,186) historic armory was designated as the new, permanent home for the collection and opened in 2002.

first appeared: 6/1/2008

—The USS Slater, a restored World War II destroyer escort berthed on the Hudson River in Albany, is the only ship of its type still afloat. During the war, 563 such boats protected convoys on the Atlantic Ocean.

first appeared: 5/18/2008

—About 80 acres in size, Prospect Park in Troy (pop. 49,170) was designed by Garnet Baltimore, the first black American to graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Built on a site overlooking the city with views of the Hudson River Valley, the park opened in 1907.

first appeared: 5/4/2008

—Covering 400 acres, Oakwood Cemetery in Troy (pop. 49,170) is among the larger rural cemeteries in the nation and overlooks 100 miles of the Hudson Valley. Famous people buried in the cemetery include “Uncle Sam” Wilson, who inspired the patriotic U.S. symbol; educator Emma Willard; and Civil War Gen. George H. Thomas.

first appeared: 3/9/2008

—Visitors can enter an old-time jail cell, see turn-of-the-century mug shots and gaze on the spiked baseball bat used by the original gangs of New York when they step inside the New York City Police Museum. The museum highlights every facet of police life in the city over the last 160 years.

first appeared: 2/24/2008

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