Bob Cudmore Libri

"Forgotten stories from Mohawk Valley history"--

Nestled in Upstate New York along the banks of the Mohawk River are the many communities of the Mohawk Valley. These villages, towns and cities have unique histories but are inextricably tied together by the waterways that run through them. The mills, railroads and the Erie Canal sustained early growth; the Painted Rocks beautified the landscape; and tales from the local Mohawk Nation still enrich the folklore. Many remarkable individuals have called the Mohawk Valley home, including psychedelic philosopher Benjamin Paul Blood, Queen Libby, the Daiquiris and actor Kirk Douglas. For over a decade, local native Bob Cudmore has documented the interesting, important and unusual stories from the region's past, and he has compiled the best of them here.

Life in the Mohawk Valley today is vastly different from generations ago. Long gone are the factory whistles calling workers to their shifts in old mill towns. Fort Plain still benefits from little-known inventor William Yerdon, and Utica baseball player George Burns was so skilled that fans called left field "Burnsville." Few realize that a local artist shared a special bond with John Philip Sousa, one of the nation's greatest musicians. The Tamarack Playhouse was once the venue of spectacular theatricals, and as time goes on, there are fewer alumni to remember Amsterdam's Bishop Scully High School. Local author Bob Cudmore shows that while lost, these and other compelling stories no longer need be forgotten.