FrancoAmerican Gravy: Family History & Stories from Upstate New York, Quebec and Acadia

Stories of family and ancestors who lived and worked in Cohoes (textile and garment workers, butchers and barbers), Waterford (canalers), Whitehall (farmers and canalers), Port Henry (iron miners and Civil War soldiers), Champlain (canalers and farmers) and other towns along the Champlain Canal in New York State with some diversions to the places they emigrated from....Quebec (landless farmers, shoemakers, sailors, soldiers), Acadia (more farmers), and even Cornwall, England (tin miners).

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Cohoes Parade, 1955

After considerable investigation, this parade has been identified as the 325th Anniversary festival of Cohoes, NY. Here is the source:

Albany Times Union

October 30, 1955, Section B, page 1

Mayor Roulier holding his hat

Empire State Grenadiers Drum & Bugle Corp from Cohoes

Monday, August 5, 2019

Sixty summers ago 3 men moved to southern California, 2 returned to New York and 1 remained....

Robert Wills, Arthur Mylott and Al Rivet left the Northeast for golden California, its promises and possibilities. They had many first impressions of southern California from the perspective of upstate New Yorkers who arrived in late June 1959. They were accustomed to snow, lots of snow, in winter and moderate summers. It is no wonder Al was fascinated by the weather..by mid August Bob and Art returned to New York. One with a prison record and the other without a driver's license and so for them there was no job. Only Al remained in the sunshine state with a job at Hughes aircraft... here is one of Al's first letters to home.