The Douw Building: A Collateral Demolition
The Douw Building was at 36 State Street, on the corner of Broadway. Built 1842, it once housed the mercantile establishment of Voickert Peter Douw. The…
A Glamour Girl and Her Pig
Barbara Pepper was born Marion Pepper in 1915 at the Astor Hotel in the heart of New York’s theatrical section. Her father, David M. Pepper, was…
WTRI-FM, yet another “lost” broadcaster.
WTRI-FM was an early Capital District FM broadcaster, owned by the Troy Broadcasting Company and operating from 1948-1952. William A. Riple, owner of Troy Broadcasting, was…
Albany’s “Street Arabs”
In the latter part of the 19th Century, homeless urchins were referred to as “street arabs.” In 1885, a semi-charitable home was established at 51 Rensselaer…
Ronnie Tober: Albany’s Dutch Superstar
Do you know who Ronnie Tober is? You would if you lived in Holland. Born in Bussum, Netherlands, in 1945, his family moved to Albany three…
Thomas L. Hisgen, trustbuster
Another forgotten Albany success story. From a 1908 newspaper article: “[Thomas L.] Hisgen was born at St. Petersburg, Ind., in 1858. When he was 16 years…
Albany’s Fantastic Halloween Carnival: Two Years of Mirth and Magic
This is a recounting of Albany’s “All-Hallowe’en Carnivals” from a 1933 Times-Union article. The citywide celebrations were held only two years – 1904 and 1905. This…
Albany Public Market and Westgate Plaza: An Immigrant Success Story
Giuseppi Nigro -age 24 – and wife immigrated to America in 1904. They hit the ground running. In 1905, the Nigro family opened a little…
The End of the Great Western Turnpike
Chartered in 1799, the Great Western Turnpike Company was largely responsible for the development of Western Avenue (and Route 20 out to Cherry Valley). The road…
The Short, Sad Tale of Allyn King
Allyn King was a beauty of the stage, a tragic figure whose career began and ended in Albany. King was born in Winston-Salem, NC in 1899,…
