Category Archives: Technology

war closing

Posted on October 9, 2017 by SUMPTER

Seneca County (New York) Historian Walt Gable’s new book came out in July of this year. As I started leafing through the pages of Historic Tales of Seneca County, New York I stopped when I noticed what might possibly be … Continue reading →

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women’s work

Posted on August 14, 2017 by SUMPTER

It is obvious that war changes things, that wars have consequences. Here’s an example from that Great War as published in the August 12, 1917 issue of The New-York Times Photography probably changes things, too. The same issue of the … Continue reading →

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shovels ready

Posted on July 11, 2017 by SUMPTER

I’ve lived near canals and/or old defunct canals almost all my life, so I’m a little disappointed that I forgot to mention the 200th anniversary of work beginning on the Erie Canal back on July 4th. On the bright side … Continue reading →

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cotton-picking wages

Posted on February 12, 2017 by SUMPTER

Almost two years after the Civil War ended Alfred R. Waud was still providing illustrations from the front for Harper’s Weekly. Back in January his drawings of a rice plantation in Georgia were published. The February 2, 1867 issue of … Continue reading →

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devilish plot

Posted on December 26, 2016 by SUMPTER

Or consider Christmas – could Satan in his most malignant mood have devised a worse combination of graft plus buncombe than the system whereby several hundred million people get a billion or so of gifts for which they have no … Continue reading →

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brotherly love again?

Posted on August 16, 2016 by SUMPTER

On August 14-17 a National Union Convention was held in Philadelphia. Although a new mega-party of Democrats and moderate Republicans was not achieved, it was hoped that the convention would stir up public support for President Johnson’s lenient Reconstruction policy … Continue reading →

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main street rails

Posted on April 23, 2016 by SUMPTER

One of the the things I remember from the American Civil War’s 150th anniversary is that the New York 148th Infantry Regiment experienced trench warfare during the 1864 Overland Campaign. 150 years ago this month the regiment’s first colonel was … Continue reading →

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planes, trains, and auto trucks

Posted on March 31, 2016 by SUMPTER

On March 9, 1916 Francisco (Pancho) Villa’s“guerrilla militia” attacked a United States army outpost at Columbus, New Mexico and killed several Americans. In response General John J. Pershing lead the Villa Punitive Expedition into Mexico. Despite pulling out seemingly all … Continue reading →

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