Cohoes: Trouble, and a drowning, between Locks 15 and 16

 August 1870    The New York Times

Cohoes: Hobbled Skirt Caused Her Death

 August 1911

According to Wikipedia, a hobbled skirt was a ladies skirt with a narrow hem that could impede the wearer's ability to walk. It was called a "hobble skirt" because it seemed to hobble any woman as she walked. The hobble skirt fashion trend peaked between 1908 and 1914.

Cohoes: Drownings in the rivers, locks and canals

 

News of the search for Daniel Benoit off Van Schaick Island in Cohoes

The Times Record 25 October 1955

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

An Update to "Where Have All the Bodies Gone?"

Readers who were interested in the story posted in 2010 about Calvary Cemetery in Cohoes will be happy to learn that the Troy Irish Genealogy Society posted a listing of Catholic interments in Calvary Cemetery.  Check this page and say "merci" to the Troy Irish Genealogy Society who were successful securing the list.

La Fédération Franco-américaine du New York

 On Saturday December 12, 2015, members of La Fédération Franco-américaine du New York, based in Cohoes, NY came together to share their holiday spirit. The site of the holiday brunch featuring seaford crepes, chicken français, omelettes, bacon, sausage, fruits, croissants was at the former St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, now "The Venue".  The food was good and the music was great. Traditional Quebec music - up and on the altar - was provide by musicians who played keyboard and hammered dulcimer, "Two Bits String Band" (Vonnie Estes and John Guay), Maurice Mercier who played "everything" including his feet in the Quebec rhythm keeping style and fiddler Nancy Bakemeier.  These musicians often play together for contra dancing events and at the Saratoga DanceFlurry, so it was quite a pleasure to hear them play and stomp for The Federation!

100 years ago: FrancoAmericans from Cohoes Who Served in World War 1

On July 28th 1914, World War I began when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia were assassinated in  Sarajevo.  The United States didn't participate until 1917 when it joined France, the British Empire, Italy, Russia and others in their efforts.  America recruited heavily in 1917 and Americans rallied to the cause including FrancoAmericans in Cohoes, New York.

Recently, I found a little gem of a book in the Internet Archive

From each Catholic parish in New England, New York, Illinois, Michigan, it lists the FrancoAmerican recruits who fought and those who died in World War I.

Here are the FrancoAmerican soldiers and sailors from Cohoes:

 and more

Alix, Alfred
Amyot, Will.
Archambault, J.-L.
Archambault, Jos.-L.
Archambault, Jos. -A.
Archambault, Tranc.-M.
Arsenault, Arthur
Aubrey, Dr, W.-J.-C.
Barard, Jos.
Bariteau, A.
Berthiaume, Arthur
Baulne, C. •
Béchard, E.-T.
Beaudreault, Jos.-R.
Beaupré, Léo
Beauregard, Joseph-A.
Beauséjour, Arthur
Béchard, A. -A.
Bélanger, Albert
Bélanger, Joseph -F.
Bélanger, Thomas-J.
Benjamin, O.-O.
Bernard, A.
Bernadin, Alcide
Berthiaume, T.
Bertrand, C.-A.
Bertrand, F,-L.
Bessette, A.-J.
Biette. H.
Bishop, B.-F.
Bishop, J.-H.
Bisonnette, G.
Biette, C.
Biais. G.-H.
Biais, R.-J.
Blanchard, L.-G,
Blanchard. J.-J.
Bleau, Jos.
Bouchard, R.-J.
Boudreau, J.-R.
Boudreau, Will.
Bouleri.s. H.
Benac, A. -A.
Brassard, Léo-J.
Brassard, Joseph
Brassard, M.-J.
Breault, Dr, A. -M.
Brier, Adph.
Brier, Jos.
Brisson, Jos.
Brouillet, .U.-E.
Brunet, A.-J.
Bruneau, \V.
Bertrand, E.
Boucher, J.-L. -G.
Biette, C.
Caron, Eug.
Chamberland, I.-J.
Champagne, Arthur
Champagne, Will .
Champous. Henri
Charbonneau, A.
Charbonneau, Ray.
Clairmont, Alf red _
Clairmont, Frédéric
Clairmont, Joseph
Clairmont, Jos.-J.
Clément, Eug.
Collette, Edw.
Colomb, A.-J.
Comeau, M,-L.
Comeau, Arthur
Courchaine, Louis-E.
Courchaine, Oscar
Cournoyer, Will.
Courtois, M.
Coutu. A. -T.
Coutu, E.-J.
Crapo, A. -G.
Crapo, Phil.
Corriveau, W.
Corbeil. I.
Daigneault, W.
Daigneault, Thonias-P.
Dalpé, H.
l'andurand, A.-L.
Daunais, Dr, J.-C.-E.
Delisle. Z.
Delude, E.
Desmarais, Tel.
Deno, J.-F.
Deno, Jos.-E.
Deno, Peter
Dérocher. John
Dérocher, Léo
Dérocher, Will.
Derosiers, Ed.
Dessaultels, Jos.
Dion, A. -A.
DeGruchy, Orner
Dozois, F.-J.
Ducharme, Georges-L.
Dupuis, A.-E.
Durant, A.-E.
Durivage, A.-F.
Durocher, F".-B.
Durocher, J.-B.
Durocher, L.-J.
Durocher, Léo-I.
Durocher, Raymond
Durocher, R.-G.
Dussault, A.
Dussault, V.-A.
Duval. Léo-P.
Duval, Alfred
Favreau, Léo-H.
Fero, A.-J.
Fontaine, Fred.
F'ontaine, L.-D.
Fontaine, M.-O.
Fontaine, Philippe
Fontaine, Will.
Fontaine, Jos.
Fortin, Eddy
Fortin, fico.-J.
F'ortin, Henry
Frament, W.
Fréchette, G.
Frémont, F. -A.
F'rémont, Will.
Froment, E.
Gagnon, Alfred
Ciagnon, Alph.
Gagnon, Georges
Gagnon, Joseph
Gagnon. Léo-J.
Galaice, C.-J.
Galarneau, G.
Galarneau, Joseph
Galipeau, J.
Galipeau, .Mfred
Galipeau, T.-E.
Gamache, Edw.
Garceau, IL-J.
Garneau, H.-J.
Garneau, O.-M.
Gienest, Jos.
Girard, E.
Girard, Francis
Girard, James
Genest, Will.
Goyette, Théo,
Granger, Raymond
Grignon, Wilfrîd
Hébert. E.-M.
Hébert. Fred.
Hébert, Georges
Hébert, Louis-E.
Hébert, Dr, R.-A.
Hébert, R.-J.
Hébert, Wilfrid
Houle, C.
Houle, H.-J.
Tanotte, Georges
Jérôme, L.-G.
Jérôme, Paul
Laberge. C.
Laberge, E.-D.
Lacombe, C.-J.
Laflamme, E,
Laçasse, J.-J.
Lagassé, J,-J.
Lagassé, Narcisse
Laeassé. Charles
Lahaie, C.
Lajeunesse, Arthur
Lajeunesse, Thaddée
Lemay, \V.
Lambert, F.
Lambert, L,-H.
Lamoureux, E.
Landry, W.
Langlais, Will., photo here submitted by his grandson, Bill Simmons:

Langlois, Alfred
Lanoue, D.
Lanoue, Léo
Lanthier, H.
Laplante, Alph.
Laplante, David
Laporte, Louis
Landry, E.-L.
Lavallée, Will.
Lavallée, Emmanuel
Lavallée, Ernest
Lavigne, Alex.-J.
Lavigne, Clarence
Lavigne, John-G.
Lavigne, Ralph.
Lavigne, Will.
Lefebvre, Paul
Lagassé, S.
Lagassé, Will.
Lessard, W.
Lévesque, Rév., H.-P,
Lévesque, John
Loiselle, A.
Lucas, H.-J.
Lussier, R.-H.
Lambert, Geo.-B.
Malo, W.
Maltais, P.
Maltais, U.-F.
Marchand. Alfred
Marcil, E.-B.
Marcil, Georges
Marcil, M.-L.
Marcil, Victor
Marcil, William
Marcoux, Alfred
Marois, H.-R.
Marsolais, A. -G.
Mayott, Z.-J. "i
Messier, A.-J.
Michaud, C.
Michaud, T.
Mingonet, A.-J.
Monat, Will.
Mongeau, L.-P.
Montmarquet, E.-A.
Montmarquet, Jos.-L.
Moquin, Léo
Morin, Albert
Morin. Raoul
Morin, Jean
Mosseau, C.-J.
Mosseau, Georges
Nadeau, F.-J.
Nolin, Nap.
Normandin, L.-A.
Ouellette, E.-W.
Ouimette, Ernest
Ouimette, Eugène
Ouimette, F.-J.
Ouimette, H.-J.
Ouimette, Rod.
Page, A.-B.
Page, E.-W.
Palin, O.-L.
Paquet, Léo
Patenaude, Jos.-N.
Patenaude. Léo-J.
Fayette, I.
Fayette, Orner
Pellerin, Alph.
Peltier, Will.
Perrault, C.
Perrault, W.-J.
Piché, À.
Pinsonnault, A.-J.
Plouffe, D.-A.
Plouffe, J.-A.
Poulet, O.
Potvin, A.-J.
Pouliot, O.
Pouliot, U.-Eug.
Provost, A.-J.
Provost, Alph.
Provost, Georges
Provost, Léo-E.
Provost. Joseph
Provost, Virgil
Robitaille. W.-G.
Revoir, H.
Riberdy, E.
Riel, H.
Rivet, Léo
Robert, L.
Robert, Arthur
Robert, F.
Robert, N.-L.
Robillard, O.-P.
Robillard, E.-A.
Robillard, H.-A.
Robitaille, E.-A.
Robitaille, H.-A.
Rocheleau, W.-G.
Roulier. E.
Roulier, H,
Roux, W,
Roy, Arthur
St-Hilaire, Alfred 
St-Hilaire, Arthur
St-Esprit, W.
Sauvageau, W,-C.
Savoie, Alfred
Sénécal, Georges-H.
Soral, P,
Soulier, P,
Soulière, Ewd.
Surprenant, Louis
Surprenant, Nap. -M.
Surprenant, Léo-P.
Tessier, E.-C.
Tessier, Louis-A.
Terriault, O.
Therrien, D.
Therrien. Joseph
Thibodeau, J.-J.
Tremblay, C.-G.
Tremblay, G.-R.
Tremblay, H.-Z.
Tremblay, P.-J.
Tremblay, T.-J.
Turcotte, Geo.
Turcotte, Alfred
Trudel, A.-J.
Verchereau, J.
Verchereau, Edouard
Vincelette, A.-J.
Vincelette, H.-V.
Vincelette, E.-F.
White, V.


and more  out of alphabetical order.............
Beaupré, Geo.
Bissonnette, G.
Bouchard, O.
Boudreau, L.
Duval. Léo
Lamoureux, Jos.
Landry, H.
Léonard, E.-J.
Mosseau, Jos,
Pilotte, F.
Casse, Albert
Julien, E.
Marchand, A.
Monat, W.
Palin, Arthur
Audette, H.-J.
Beaupré, N.
Bélanger, H.-B.
Bélanger, R.-L.
Bellerose, E.
Berthiaume, J.
Bertrand, F.
Blanchette, A.
Bouchard, O.
Brouillette. R.-A.
Charbonneau, J.-R.
Clermont, J.-O.
Clermont, Ômer
Collette, E.
Courchaine, J.-L.
Dame, F.-J.
Dérocher, F.
Dérocher, Omer
Dérocher, W.-J.
Durocher, A. -G.
Durocher, Will.
Phaneuf, W.-J.
Fontine, G. -H.
Forget, A.
Girard, W.
Girard, Alfred
Goudreau, E.
Goyette, S. -H.
Laçasse. H.-J.
Landry, Fred.
Leduc, Rév., Paul
Malo, Arthur
Marois, Léo
Miron, J.-I.
Moreau, F.
Mousseau, D.
Normandin, Léo-P.
Ouellette, O.-J. '
Pascal, H.
Patenaude, J.-S.
Piché, E.
Riberdy, E.-J.
Raymond, E.
St-Clair, A.
Tessier, H.-A.
Coutu, Laura-H.
Dandeneault, Rév.. -Arthur

and finally those who died in the cause of the war....

MORTS 

Allery, P.C. 

Brière, Jos. 

Blanchette, J.-T, 

Brière. Alph. 

Durocher, J.-B. 

Palin, Arthur 

Rocheleau, W.-J. 

Surprenant. T.-C. 

Turcotte, Georges 

White, E.-C. 

White, Raymond-P. 

Lambert, G.-B. 

Julien, Edouard 

Oh there's also  glossy inserts with photos of prominent citizens  (who probably paid the publisher to print their photos!)

Bricks, Red Bricks on the Old Croton Aqueduct

Yesterday was a beautiful June day and I took a tour of the Old Croton Aqueduct in Ossining New York - a tour that brought you below ground level down into the water tunnel now dry. Well, relatively dry that is.  Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct run the tour and there was a knowledgeable guide who was also on the board of the non profit.  Once inside, it is possible to grasp the number of red bricks that were required to construct the 41 mile conduit for New York City's water. The bricks surround you when you are inside the tunnel.

The construction of the aqueduct began in 1837 and began pumping its water into New York City by 1842.  The Cholera Epidemic of 1832 was a great motivator to bring a source of fresh drinking water to the city.

The tunnels are constructed of red bricks skillfully assembled then plastered over with a water resistant cement that would not crumble.  This may be the same cement devised by Canvas White in the construction of the Erie Canal in the previous decade.  This discovery was described in "The Wedding of the Waters" by Peter Bernstrin. (W.W. Norton Co. 2005) pages 212-214.

Our tour guide told us the need for red bricks spurred the brick making industry in Verplanck, Westchester County.  This made me recall a picture of the St Hilaire 's in Cohoes. The men of the family worked in a brick foundry supplying the red bricks for the construction of the textile mills.

By the way, the tour is highly recommended!

Three 8th Grade Graduations at St. Marie's, Cohoes, NY 1932, 1933 and 1936: Rivet, St Hilaire, Bissonnette and many more

A sincere "thank you" to Mr. Joe Carlin from Cohoes for these wonderful photos! 

1932 Marie Claire Rivet, below, seated on far right:

 1933 Joseph Albert Rivet, below, seated second from far right.  With Arthur Louis St Hilaire standing directly behind him:

1936 Raymond Dedace Rivet, below, standing in the third row back from the priests. He is the third student from the left.  Also in this photo is Therese Bissonnette in the front row, third from right.