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In just a few short weeks, how the scene can change.
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Not everyone’s choice, I know. But I love a frosty morning.
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After breakfast, once it was light, I donned a jacket and went out to distribute nuts.
It was fresh but really not that cold.
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These are the days when temperatures rise and fall dramatically over a period of hours.
Two days ago, we topped out at 75F/24C.
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This coming Sunday night we are promised a hard frost of 27F/-3C, but a few days later we’ll be all the way back up again, in the 70’s.
Once it’s cold, it should stay cold!
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Winters have certainly got warmer in the 60 years I’ve been in the States, yet I can remember a Christmas in the 1970’s when it was very mild.
It was the year I was given a warm coat and I couldn’t wear it for weeks!
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Anyway, I was going to tell you about Whitehall, not that there is very much to say about this place that claims to be the birthplace of such a major military force.
Other cities make the same claim.
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“The New York State Legislature declared Whitehall the birthplace of the U.S. Navy in 1960. Benedict Arnold built a fleet at Whitehall after capturing a trading schooner. However, the U.S. Navy does not recognize Whitehall’s claim because the operations were under the authority of the Continental Army. “
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Major Philip Skene sold out his commission in the British Army to establish the community of Skenesborough which became an important trade centre at the southern end of Lake Champlain.
It was his ship that was seized by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allan for their attack on Fort Ticonderoga.
Wikipedia claims it was Major Philip Schuyler who subsequently built a small fleet.
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Skene Manor sits on a hill overlooking the Champlain Canal.
It has changed hands many times and has a rather unlikely reputation for being haunted.
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Whitehall was renamed in 1786, in honour of primary citizens Nathaniel White and David Hall.
The Revolutionary War was only a part of Philip Skene’s interesting life. He was pardoned and returned to England in 1778, remaining there for the rest of his life.
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There was not much happening in the historic district.
I’d venture to say, nothing in fact.
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Parking, we walked across the bridge.
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Inevitably, shadows caught my eye.
And had to be photographed.
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On the far side of the canal, apart from the manor which we may visit another time, there were only very scruffy and mostly abandoned shops, so we turned to walk back.
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Using the opposite side of the bridge, we noticed a small park and took some steps down.
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Riverside Park is little more than a few trees beside the canal, but it looked very attractive and a stiff breeze was rustling the leaves, so I got out my phone to capture the sight and sound, only to discover when I got home, that I must not have actually pushed record.
Curses! It was all so lovely.
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Always remember to look up!
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Grant sat taking it all in as I wandered.
Scuffing about in the leaves.
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The other side of that grey stone holds a WW1 memorial but it is too sad to share. Inadequate and neglected.
You could barely make out the words.
Hotchkiss guns sat on either side, anchored presumably to prevent someone walking off with them.
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The memorial struck me as offensive.
As if it was an after thought.
If there was someone to write to, I might. But it didn’t look as if there would be.
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Whitehall seemed barely more than a ghost town but Grant seemed taken with it.
Then I discovered why.
He follows Big Foot stories and as it turns out…
The Beast of Whitehall.
You can watch it on YouTube:
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Which makes it all the more strange that this town seems so forgotten. Don’t people flock to this sort of thing?
There are many sightings in the Adirondacks, while not far away there is an area called the Bennington Triangle, where people mysteriously disappear without trace.
Additionally, the Hudson Valley claims a fair number of UFO sightings.
But we had none of those strange experiences.
We walked under the bridge and up the other side.
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Where I saw bright colours!
Burning bush is well named.
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We set course for home, down the still-empty road.
Perhaps the traffic had been abducted.
What a lovely day to take a ride!
The park looks so beautiful, and peaceful, this time of year!
No traffic, and no people, to be seen. Perfect!
Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Catherine
Such a pity when memorials fall into disrepair!
I found it very disrespectful.
Despite nothing happening there, I enjoyed the tour of historic Whitehall. Ther should be no excuse for neglecting the WW1 monument in such an affluent place.
Best wishes, Pete.
I have never seen such a pathetic excuse. If they couldn’t be bothered to do better, they shouldn’t have done it at all in my view.
For a haunted building, the Skene Manor looks lovely. Like Pete, I enjoyed your narration on the history of Whitehall and love your bridge photos and the golden leaves. It’s a pity you didn’t get a picture of Big Foot …