History Episodes

The Shandaken Theatrical Society turns 50 this year, and its home stage — the Phoenicia Playhouse — has a history that stretches back even further. Built in 1887 as a lodge for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the building later served as an auction house and a movie theater before falling into disrepair by the 1980s. Community intervention saved it from demolition, and STS has run it ever since. This episode brings together voices spanning the organization's history: board member and lo...

In 1845, a feudal land system that had survived the American Revolution finally met its match in the hills above Andes, New York — and the clash left a county undersheriff dead and hundreds of farmers under arrest. The Anti-Rent War was a massive, organized uprising that had been building since the late 1830s and swept across upstate New York — yet it remains largely unknown outside this region. Victoria Kupchinetsky and Misha Gutkin are Russian-born journalists who stumbled upon the story at...

What did Beethoven's piano actually sound like? At the Catskill Mountain Foundation's Piano Performance Museum in Hunter, New York, you don't have to wonder — you can sit down and play one. Brett Barry visits the museum at the Doctorow Center for the Arts with performing arts director Pam Weisberg and docent Stacey Bowers, who guide him through dozens of historic instruments spanning three centuries — from a mid-18th century French harpsichord to a nine-foot Baldwin concert grand that once tr...

In this episode, host Brett Barry joins Jan Jaffe, board president of Wellington Blueberry LLC, outside the shuttered Wellington Hotel on Main Street in Pine Hill, New York — a 12,000-square-foot, 19th-century landmark and one of the few remaining intact Catskill hotels that survived the era's notorious fires. Jan shares the origin story of this ambitious community-driven project: how roughly 20 neighbors pooled resources in the fall of 2022 to purchase the long-vacant building. Their goal: r...

In this special long‑form conversation, Brett Barry sits down with legendary angler‑writer and publisher Nick Lyons, now 93, whose life has been shaped by water, words, and the Catskills. From a childhood spent catching frogs for pocket money to founding one of the most influential fishing imprints in America, Nick’s story is a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and literary devotion. Recorded in Nick’s home in Woodstock, this episode traces his journey from the Bronx to the Beaverkill, from boar...

New York State Historic Newspapers Project with Chuck Henry Episode Overview Dive into the largest state newspaper archive in the country! Chuck Henry, Project Lead for New York State Historic Newspapers, takes us through this incredible digital repository containing over 1,200 newspaper titles, 1.5 million editions, and more than 15 million pages—all available free of charge. Guest Chuck Henry IT Coordinator, Northern New York Library Network Project Lead, New York State Historic Newspapers ...

In this episode of Kaatscast, host Brett Barry visits Catskill Collectibles, a unique shop in Catskill, NY, curated by Tom Illari. The shop specializes in Catskills memorabilia, blending new creations with rare vintage items going back to the 19th century. Tom shares his journey from a finance career to running the shop and his lifelong passion for the Catskills, highlighted by his extensive personal collection of historical items. Brett and Tom chat about the nuanced relationship between the vi...

In 1985, Bob Steuding published The Last of the Handmade Dams: The Story of the Ashokan Reservoir, a historically rich account of the building of the Ashokan Reservoir—and the lives displaced in its wake. Forty years later, the book remains a cornerstone of Catskills regional history and the inaugural title from Purple Mountain Press. In this episode, we visit Bob and Martha Steuding at their 18th-century stone farmhouse near the reservoir. Literary correspondent Rebecca Rego Barry sits down ...

Exploring Howes Cave: History, Tragedy, and Tourism Historian and author Dana Cudmore, a former tour guide and current chronicler of Howes Cave, Howe Caverns, and Schoharie County's "Cave Country," gives us a lay of the land and recalls the oft-repeated question, " Anybody ever die down here?" Cudmore recounts in his 2024 book, The Cave Electrician’s Widow: The Tragedy at Howe Caverns & Dramatic Courtroom Fight for Justice, the story of two Howe Caverns employees who tragically asphyxiated...

In this episode, Captain Drewski of the Delhi Polecats , formerly known as the Delhi Vintage Baseball Club, joins us to discuss the revival of vintage baseball in Delaware County, New York. Drewski shares the historical significance of a 200-year-old baseball challenge documented in an 1825 edition of the Delaware Gazette , marking the earliest recorded organized game of baseball in the United States . The Hamden 9, as part of the town's bicentennial celebrations, continue the tradition of pl...

Newly appointed Ulster County historian Eddie Moran discusses the role of a municipal historian and emphasizes the importance of presenting a complete and accurate history that includes all groups, with one such focus on the indigenous Lenape people. Moran, a SUNY New Paltz graduate and descendant of the region's Huguenot and Dutch colonists, shares his experiences working with various local organizations to expand the historical narrative. The episode also features a tour of the Ulster County H...

Exploring the Legacy of Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates: The One-Legged Dancing Legend In this live episode of Kaatscast, recorded at theEmerson Resort & Spa on November 8, 2024, host Brett Barry engages in a detailed discussion with Elinor Levy,Folk Arts Program Manager at Arts Mid Hudson, about the life and legacy of Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates. The show explores Bates' inspiring journey from losing a leg in a cotton gin accident at the age of 12 to becoming one of the most celebrated tap dancers, p...

This episode of "Katz"cast delves into the fascinating life and career of Morris Katz, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor and acclaimed painter known for his lightning-fast painting technique using a palette knife and toilet paper! Recognized by the Guinness World Records, Katz captivated audiences with his vibrant performance art in the Catskills, creating over 280,000 pieces. Learn about his unique method, his impact on Jewish cultural history, and recent exhibitions celebrating his work. Lis...

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Kaatscast visits the unique International Museum of Dinnerware Design in Kingston, New York. Founded by Margaret Carney in 2012, the museum recently found its new home, offering dedicated exhibitions that celebrate the art and history of dining. This episode highlights the museum's two inaugural exhibits, 'Dining Grails,' featuring renowned designers like Eva Zeisel; and 'Dining Memories,' showcasing a diverse array of dinnerware in nostalgic vignettes. And f...

This episode of Kaatscast delves into the transformative period of the 1830s in the United States, marked by mass enfranchisement and significant demographic changes. The focus narrows to New York's Anti-Rent War (1839-1845), a period of political violence rooted in immigration anxiety and financial distress. Rebecca Rego Barry, our new literary correspondent (!), interviews author Jennifer Kabat about her new book, The Eighth Moon, which explores the Anti-Rent War and its legacy in the Catsk...

We sat down with historian Samantha Misa in the Frisbee family cemetery to uncover some witchy tales from our collective Catskills past. Just in time for Halloween, Samantha shares some haunted encounters from Delaware County's Frisbee House and recounts tales from her book, Witches of the Catskills, including Molly Meyers, "witch cat," in Gilboa area's "Spook Woods." Misa recounts the challenges of researching historical witchcraft, using old newspapers and archival records to reconstruct...

In the early 20th century, ⁠Cauliflower Was King⁠ in the western Catskills, and –– especially in the good years –– farmers called it "white gold." Historian Diane Galusha describes the origins of cauliflower farming in Margaretville, the rise and fall of the industry from the 1890s to the 1950s (and beyond), and the notable contribution of the Van Benschoten family. Plus, voices from the annual ⁠Cauliflower Festival⁠, celebrating its 20th year on September 21, 2024. 00:00 Introduction to Caul...

Michael Kudish is a Catskills legend and the authority on Catskills trees and forests. In 1971, Kudish earned his PhD with the thesis, "Vegetational History of the Catskill High Peaks." Five decades later, that research is ongoing. In 2000, Purple Mountain Press published his landmark book, The Catskill Forest: A History. Now, an updated 6-volume set is in the works. I met up with Michael at his home/research library in Delaware County, to hear about his latest research sampling Catskills bog...

Dede Terns-Thorpe is the historian for the Town of Hunter, referred to locally as "the mountain top," and comprising the villages of Hunter and Tannersville, and the hamlets of Edgewood, Elka Park, Lanesville, and Platte Clove, plus the historic private communities: Onteora Park, Twilight Park, and Elka Park. Dede's passionate about the history of this place, and she's got her own history here, too, which is mostly what we talked about when we met at Tannersville's Mountain Top library. We were ...

Join us for our very first LIVE show, recorded at Emerson Resort & Spa as part of their weekend celebration of Ralph Waldo's birthday (born May 25, 1803). Hear from Catskills scholars and writers Leslie T. Sharpe and Bill Birns, with music by Steve Koester! Q&A with the audience, and more! --- If you missed the live event, you can still play our trivia! Top three submissions will win 2 drink tokens to the Catamount bar + a CD of Henry David Thoreau's Autumnal Tints! In the case of a tie...

Dubbed the "first lady of radio," Mary Margaret McBride was a welcome voice in millions of homes in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, pulling in 6 to 8 million listeners daily! Mary Margaret interviewed 30,000 guests, from Eleanor Roosevelt to the neighborhood plumber, and produced 15,000 shows –– no repeats! Oh, and she was a radio pioneer, broadcasting some of those shows from her converted Catskills barn. When I learned about Mary Margaret, I picked up a copy of Susan Ware's biography, "It's One O'C...

Will Nixon has been writing about Woodstock for decades, including a column in the Woodstock Times, and two popular books--Walking Woodstock, and The Pocket Guide to Woodstock, all in collaboration with writer Michael Perkins, who died in 2022. So when Will suggested we hike Overlook Mountain together to talk 'history,' I knew he'd have much to reveal. On today's Kaatscast: join us for a history hike, with Will Nixon. --- From Atlas Obscura: "Overlook Mountain House: The Skeletal Remains o...

Before cell phones, before touch tone, before dial tone, even, if you wanted to make a phone call, you'd pick up the receiver and talk to an operator. If that call was placed in the Catskills in the late 1940s through the early 1960s, Lula Anderson might have been working the switchboard. Lula invited me to her home in Greene County, where she recounted tales of the telephone, and growing up in the Catskills. Many thanks to the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation for their generous support o...

On today's Kaatscast, we checked in with Bill Merchant, Deputy Director for Collections, historian, and curator at the D&H Canal museum, recently transplanted to the historic Depuy Canal House in High Falls, NY. Not every visit to the museum comes with Bill's VIP tour, so here's an opportunity to soak up his encyclopedic footnotes before embarking on your own to the D&H Canal Museum. Many thanks to this week's sponsors: ⁠Briars & Brambles Books⁠, ⁠The Mountain Eagle⁠, and the Central Catskills ...