NYSHM's: It Happened Here – A Quiz for President's Week

by Tom Arthur

More than any other state, New York has been home to Presidents, and was frequently the destination of history-making presidential visits. It is not surprising, then, that many New York State Historical Markers have had presidents as their subject. In honor of President's Day this month I offer up a short quiz about Presidential NYSHMs. In each case, I am looking for (1) the President (or presidential hopeful) and (2) the location of the sign. If you know the existence of any other “Presidential NYSHMs” I would by very interested to hear about them, as well. (tba998 @ gmail.com) The answers and some pictures of the signs will be given in the next post,  next week. So here we go:

1. This president became so closely associated with his hometown, he was nick-named “Old

    Kinderhook”.Documents and papers that received his signature were said to have gotten

    his “O.K.”

2. Before he became President, this national figure toured the Hudson and Mohawk 
    Valleys visiting battle sites that were critical to American success in the American 
    Revolution.

 3. Though he was not known as especially religious, the only NYSHM marking his 
     residence in this town is one at the church he attended.

 4. A NYSHM commemorates this president's home on Long Island.

 5. This presidential hopeful in the election of 1860 was born here in a house that was later
     converted into a barn.

  6. This president stopped here to change horses in an urgent nighttime ride to take                 

      the oath of office to become president. He took the oath in the Wilcox Mansion, in this  

      city.

   7. This president is buried here in this “rural” cemetery.

   8. This New York Governor was a leader of his party and the leading candidate for 

      president.His neighbors turned out with a marching band, cannon and fireworks to 

      celebrate his anticipated nomination, but were devastated when an upstart lawyer from

      Illinois “stole” the nomination. He overcame his keen disappointment and   

      embarrassment, and would serve with distinction in his rival's cabinet.

   9. This president was shot in this city and died here 8 days later at Milburn House.

  10. This president lived here, and would attend Union College.  

  11. This president, suffering from throat cancer, came here to finish his memoirs and to  

      escape the summer heat in New York City. He died here. 

  12. The international incident that resulted in this president being perceived as weak, 

      and undermined his reelection bid ended here. Fifty two U.S hostages landed nearby, 

      and were driven to West Point.

  13. During the “era of good feelings” this President toured upstate New York and was  

     greeted at a bridge on the entrance to town by a nineteen gun salute, and a delegation of 

    Revolutionary War veterans. 

 14. This president loved horses. (He set an equestrian jumping record during his West 

     Point years that would stand for decades.) He was delighted to accept an invitation here 

     to see the trotters run.

  15. This president was the only president elected in two non-consecutive terms (1884 and 

     1892). He lived in this town as a boy, according to the NYSHM “in the first house on the 

     left, north  of the corner house.”

  16. As a boy, this president worked in this town in a fulling mill in 1814. (Extra points for 

      describing what's done at a fulling mill. In an upcoming post I hope to talk about the 

      NYSHM's that mark the locations of the carding and fulling mills that were fixtures in 

      many small 19^th Century, New York towns.)

    17. This president lived here, and practiced law here from  1874 to 1881, not in the Ohio 
        city founded by a distant relative.

    18. As a young man, this president preached in its church here, and ran a writing school

        to help earn his tuition to Williams College.

     19. This president's father preached in the church in this small hamlet, north of Albany.

     20. While a general, this president-to-be had a sword made here, now in the

          Smithsonian.

                                                                                                (Seneca R., Cayuga Co Rte. 31, Monteauma)

Marker of the Week

(a more-or-less regular feature of this blog)

      “Paradise of Mosquitoes”! 

– Betch-ya the local Chamber of Commerce wasn't consulted on this marker.

                                                

E-Mail Me: If you have comments about this quiz, this blog or any other thing having to do with NYSHM's I would be delighted to hear from you. I would be especially interested if you know of any new or interesting markers or can report on any efforts to restore old markers. My email is

tba998@gmail.com

Next Week: The Answers, and another Marker of the Week.