history
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Natty Bumppo Slept Here
A fun fact about my hometown: it was the setting for a piece of classic American literature. Sort of. I say “sort of” because the novel in question, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pathfinder, or, The Inland Sea, was set at a time when the patch of ground that is now Fulton was really just a Continue reading
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Goethe & Schiller in the Salt City
During a 2016 trip to Germany, my son Grant and I were walking through Frankfurt am Main. We happened across a statue of the great 18th-century polymath Friedrich Schiller. I took a picture and remarked to Grant that one really doesn’t see statues of poets or philosophers in the U.S. It turns out I was Continue reading
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Oswego’s Other Forts
Anyone who has spent time in Oswego, New York is very familiar with Fort Ontario. It is a centerpiece of the area’s history, having played a role in the French & Indian War, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and even World War II. What is less known, even among many long-time locals, is Continue reading
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Fort Stanwix
After visiting Oriskany, I decided to take a short side trip to Fort Stanwix. It’s a little ironic that I would regard Stanwix as the side trip since there’s a lot more there, and historically speaking, the battle at Oriskany was an outgrowth of the siege at Fort Stanwix. The fort is in the middle Continue reading
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Oriskany
The Oriskany Battlefield State Historical Site is about 50 miles from my house. Despite living so close to it all these years, and despite having read a fair amount about the battle and the larger British Campaign of 1777, I had never visited the site until today. From the National Park Service: Considered to be Continue reading
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536 A.D. Vibes
Because I am a history nerd, I have a tendency to liken current events to some historical precedent. Because I am a modern-day American, living in 2023, I am prone to catastrophize and think of the present moment in apocalyptic, end-times, “this is the worst thing ever!” terms. Therefore, since this wildfire-induced haze engulfed my Continue reading
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Normandy
In order to commemorate the 79th anniversary of Operation Overlord, here are some photos from a trip the family made to Normandy in 2018. Continue reading
About Me
Researcher. Marketer. Teacher. Father of adult children and dogs. 20th Century holdover. Central New York native. Long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan. History nerd. Traveler. Vintage advertising enthusiast. Hat wearer.
a.k.a. V.J. 