Saturday Podcast "Thirty One" Minutes
Bob with the Weekend Update
Episode 284–Duncan White talks about Howard Fast (who wrote the novel that was the basis for Kirk Douglas’s movie Spartacus), Boris Pasternak and other authors in White’s book: “The Cold Warriors: Writers Who Waged The Literary Cold War.”
Saturday, September 21, 2019-Focus on History in the Daily Gazette-William Byrne, the Congressman from Bean Hill in the town of Florida.
Bob Cudmore will meet and greet visitors today, Saturday, September 21, 2019 at the Summer’s End Festival at the Ames Museum, on Latimer Road in the village of Ames, six miles south of Canajoharie. https://amesmuseum.weebly.com/new-at-the-ames-museum.html
The Historians on Amsterdam Radio at Noon today, Saturday, September 21, 2019
WCSS 106.9FM and 1490AM
The Congressman from Bean Hill
By Bob Cudmore
William T. Byrne, who became a State Senator and Congressman representing the Albany area, was born in 1876 on Bean Hill Road near the hamlet of Minaville in the town of Florida.
His parents were Richard Henry Byrne, a carpenter, and Margaret Manifold Byrne, a school teacher. Both were immigrants from Ireland. When William was a youngster, the family moved to Albany where his father operated a tavern on Broadway.
A graduate of Albany High and Albany Law School, Byrne attended the 1896 Democratic national convention where William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech opposing the gold standard. Inspired by the talk, Byrne also became well-known as a public speaker.
Back in Albany Byrne developed a lucrative law practice. He ran as a Democrat and was elected to the State Senate in 1922. He was part of the Democratic Party machine headed by Dan O’Connell.
A liberal and associate of Governors Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Byrne was co-sponsor of state legislation that created unemployment insurance.
Byrne and his wife Josephine lived in Loudonville in a house now on the National Historic Register. They had a summer home on Bean Hill in the town of Florida where Byrne enjoyed scenes from his boyhood. A devotee of exercise, Byrne sometimes walked to Bean Hill from his Loudonville home.
Monday, September 23, 2019-The Story Behind the Story Podcast focuses on William Byrne, the Albany Congressman born on Bean Hill in the town of Florida.
THE HUSTONS
The Byrnes’s summer home was adjacent to what was known as the Amsterdam YMCA farm, later called Camp On-A-Nol. One day YMCA physical director Leon “Prof” Huston’s family was on an outing at the YMCA farm. One of the five Huston children struck up a conversation with then Senator Byrne, who was dressed in a disheveled manner.
Pearl, the child’s mother, did not know Byrne so in a protective way she marched to where her eight-year-old son Dick and Byrne were talking.
The conversation turned to Byrne’s occupation as a State Senator and his interest in dogs. He knew a breeder of black spaniels who found he could not sell dogs for show that had splotches of other colors. Would the Hustons like one of the spaniel rejects?
Byrne arranged for a dog to be shipped by train to the Hustons and the family named the dog Senator, “Sen” for short. The Hustons moved for a YMCA assignment in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1942 where Senator the dog was struck and killed by a car.
By then Byrne was serving in Congress, first elected in 1936. When notified of Senator’s death, Congressman Byrne shipped another spaniel by train to the Hustons. They named the new dog Representative, “Rep” for short.
Byrne’s wife Josephine Diener Byrne died in 1948 and was described in the Amsterdam paper as hostess at many gatherings at their summer home. If the Congressman was called to Washington in the summer, she typically stayed at Bean Hill. She was a published poet, founder of the Albany Poetry Club and wrote a newspaper column. They were married for forty years and had no children.
Congressman Byrne died of a cerebral hemorrhage after being taken from his Loudonville home to St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy in 1952. He had served fifteen years in Congress and was eulogized as the “genial gentleman from Albany” by then Congressman and future U.S. Senator Jacob Javits.
Leo O’Brien succeeded Byrne in Congress and said his constituents sent him scores of letters citing his predecessor’s “countless little acts of goodness and kindness.”
Peter Huston, one of the children who used to romp with “Sen” and “Rep,” provided information for this story. For many years Huston was a teacher at Scotia-Glenville High School.
The Weather today, Saturday, September 21, 2019 in Ames and The Mohawk Valley-Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind.
Tonight Patchy fog between 1am and 2am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 53. Calm wind.
Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
This Sunday’s Talk of the Town with Bob Cudmore takes a look at the Capital District job market. The guest is Miriam Dushane who advises local companies on how to hire and keep good employees. Listen Sunday morning, September 22, 2019 at 6:30 on Magic 590 plus 100.5 and on 1410 and 96.9 in the North Country. Podcast posted hear on The Historians
Wine and pasta event slated by Mike Anich Leader Herald
JOHNSTOWN — Friends of Johnson Hall will hold its first-ever “Wine and Pasta Pairings” fundraiser from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at Sam’s Seafood Steakhouse, 281 N. Comrie Ave.
According to the Friends group, proceeds will directly benefit the Johnson Hall State Historic Site on Johnson Avenue. Money raised will benefit ongoing historic interior restoration.
https://www.leaderherald.com/news/local-news/2019/09/wine-and-pasta-event-slated/
Amsterdam council authorizes borrowing $12.3 million
City looks to bond for capital projects
Jason Subik Daily Gazette https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/09/20/amsterdam-council-authorizes-borrowing-12-3-million
Listen on the Radio or On Line
Jason Subik Mid-Morning Show Amsterdam WCSS 106.9FM 1490AM
9am
Monday-Thursday https://www.facebook.com/jason.subik
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