The Empire State

I enjoy postmarks, especially American ones. I collect Texas town & city postmarks on airmail stamps. I lived in Texas, so I am familiar with many of the towns of Central Texas.

I am drawn to NY. It's the closest American state to me, and it's the one I most frequent. I'd be nuts to attempt postal history of the whole state... alas, something draws me to NY. I will certainly start an album on NY State... on what? NYC? The Empire State Bldg? The Lady With The Lamp? So much history, so much interest!

Who knows.... time will tell... and then another foray into American philately!

David

I smell the aroma of a passionate endeavor

Postmarks : You gotta luv 'em.

Found B.o.b. (Back of Book)
Lift tickets to the top floor.

Nice, Rod... I keep thinking of Upstate NY... Syracuse, Massena, Watertown, Ogdensburg, etc.

David

Hello David, I'll go for the Empire Building, lot of history there, I believe even the Zepps were supposed to dock there

David, let me know when you zero in on an area..of course Syracuse would provide much material..the border towns less so...when I know I will what to look for..i will search for postcards with the cancels you might want....

How about stuff related to Erie Canal? That's got to be a rich area, and is in the general area you mention... maybe a little further south. Arguably, the Erie Canal is one of the most important parts of New York history, if not the entire United States.

-Allen

I have some NY precancels. Keep us informed on your new collecting project.

Phil:

I know the border towns have less material... but they are the places I am most familiar with.

David

we just travelled a stretch of the Erie canal before heading North at Syracuse..lots of interesting towns on the Mohawk river portion !!

Ah yes, the Big Apple and upstate NY. Two totally different worlds. Been to both many times and I would definitely choose upstate. It would be more of a challenge to you as well, David. Now that you mentioned Watertown, it is a special for me.

marty

Marty:

So you're familiar with Upstate NY? Are you from there, originally? I guess for Phil, Ogdensburg and such places are
Up-Upstate NY, eh?

David

Now I see the area you are talking about, David. I remember there were a few towns in Canada that outright disappeared when the St. Lawrence Seaway was established... I wonder if that was also the case with New York? That could be a fascinating area to collect, towns that disappeared or otherwise changed due to the Seaway.

-Allen

Good Morning, Allens post reminds me of local history..Ulster County the Kingston, New York area...in the latter part of the 19th century resevoirs to provided New York City were built in this area and quite a few small towns were flooded or moved..it must have been traumatic for people whose families had been there for generations...when we drive up route 28 to the Catskill mountains we see the markers on the side of the road..former site of the town of Ashokan etc !

So New York CIty gets to drink some of the best mountain water there is..the Hudson River down that way is quite salty..but I suppose they could process the river water somehow !!

I have to admit this thread is really making me homesick. I miss New York in a big way. I can usually get past these episodes, though, when I think back to the snows of 1977!

-Allen

Allen:

People do collect the towns that disappeared with the building of the St. Lawrence Seaway. I've no interest as I am from North Eastern Ontario.

David