New York City Archives - Chris Carosa

Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: Timothy Barnard, A Soldier’s Story

By Chris Carosa on June 25, 2024

Previous: Competing Memories Turn Lafayette’s Rochester Visit From History To Mystery

Siege of Yorktown (1781), by Auguste Couder (1789–1873) Rochambeau (center L), Washington (center R), Marquis de La Fayette (behind Washington, L), Marquis de Saint Simon (behind Washington, R), Duke of Lauzun (L, mounted) and Comte de Ménonville (R of Washington). Source: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“Another Revolutionary Patriot Gone.” That was the lead, buried at the very bottom of the third of seven dense columns on page two in the Tuesday, April 13, 1847, edition of the Geneva Courier. Three perfunctory sentences followed.

“Hon. TIMOTHY BARNARD, father of Hon. DANIEL D. BARNARD, the distinguished ex-member of Congress of the Albany district, died at Mendon on the 29th inst. Judge Barnard took an active part in the revolutionary struggle, and for his services he drew a pension until his death. For many years judge Barnard was associate judge of the old county of Ontario, and after Monroe county was set off; he held the same office in the latter county.”¹

That was it. That was the sum total of nearly 91 years of life.

But there was more to Timothy Barnard. He represented all that made America great; that first generation of rebels turned heroes turned pioneers turned nation-builders. In a way, Continue Reading “Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: Timothy Barnard, A Soldier’s Story”

Posted in History, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Anah Babcock Yates, Ashley Sampson, Barnstable, Battle of Yorktown, Bloomfield, Canfield Road, Connecticut Colony, Daniel D. Barnard, Ebenezer Barnard, Eleven Thousand Acre Trac, Forrest Gump, Fran h. Barnard, George Washington, Hartford, Hoard's Tavern, Jeremiah Wadsworth, Lafayette, Massachusetts Colony, Mendon, Monroe County, New York City, Ontario County, Ontario County Agricultural Society, R. 5, Revolutionary War, Roger Newberry, Sarah Williamson, Timothy Barnard, Township 11, Valentine Hill, Valley Forge, West Bloomfield Road, Yorktown

Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: America Welcomes The Nation’s Guest

By Chris Carosa on February 20, 2024

Previous: And The Lucky Winner Is…

Landing of Gen. Lafayette at Castle Garden, New York, 16th August 1824, artist unknown, 1886. Public domain from The New York Public Library

The Cadmus, having departed from Havre on July 13, 1824, had been at sea for thirty-two days before seeing land on the horizon. On Saturday, August 14^th, the passengers and crew spotted their destination.¹ New York Harbor would present the ideal place to make their inaugural landing. The Cadmus would reach that port early the next morning.

The Committee appointed by the Common Council of the City of New York was busy putting the finishing touches on the celebration to welcome Lafayette. It had arranged for a “suite of splendid apartments in the City Hotel” to be set aside for The Nation’s Guest and his party. Besides the military display (anticipated to include 20,000 men), the City planned to host “a great civic feast, in the Banqueting Room in the City Hall, which will be illuminated at night, together with the whole City.” To make a memorable first impression upon entering the Harbor, “a grand salute of 100 guns will be fired from Fort Lafayette, together with salutes from the Batteries and ships of war in the harbor, and the decoration of all the shipping.”²

So, America’s largest city was more than prepared to host The Nation’s Guest. Only, not on Continue Reading “Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: America Welcomes The Nation’s Guest”

Posted in History, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Andre Gretry, Auguste Levasseur, Battle of Monmouth, Cadmus, Chancellor Livingston, Colonel Marinus Willet, Daniel Tompkins, First Restoration, Fort Lafayette, Hendricks Reef, Kingdom of France, Lafayette, Lafayette Guards, Mohawk, New York City, New York Harbor, New York Historical Society, New York State Society of Cincinnati, Robert Fulton, Second Restoration, Staten Island, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: The Lucky Winner Is…

By Chris Carosa on February 13, 2024

Previous: America In 1824

The nation waited anxiously for a formal response to President James Monroe’s invitation to General Lafayette. In March and April of 1824, newspapers across the country printed letters hinting that Lafayette had prior commitments.

To Major Joseph Wheaton of Washington came word from Lafayette that “…duties to the cause of freedom make it, if not a matter of hope, at least a point of honor, to keep his present post.”¹ Similarly, Lafayette wrote to Dr. James Thatcher, “At this moment a sense of duty keeps me on the European side of the Atlantic.”²

While the papers proclaimed these missives as “the latest communication from Lafayette,”³ they were months old by the time they hit the press. It wasn’t as if Lafayette disliked America. In truth, he loved his adopted country. He wrote his good friend William Eustis, Continue Reading “Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: The Lucky Winner Is…”

Posted in History, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Boston, Daniel Tompkins, James Monroe, James Thatcher, Joseph Wheaton, Lafayette, New York City, Norfolk, Staten Island, William Eustis

How Far Do Private Property Rights Go?

By Chris Carosa on June 6, 2023

Many see Thomas Jefferson’s iconic “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” as having derived directly from Aristotle’s “Life, Liberty, and Eudaimonia.” For those of you not familiar with Greek, eudaimonia literally translates to the state or condition of “good spirit.” It represents the combination of the eu (meaning good) with daimon (meaning spirit).

Aristotle used the term in his Nicomachean Ethics, his tome devoted to the “science of happiness.” As a result, we commonly equate eudaimonia with happiness. Aristotle was all about living the good life, and by “good life” Aristotle alludes to a morality of higher Continue Reading “How Far Do Private Property Rights Go?”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Alan S. Waterman, Andrew Cuomo, Aristotle, asylum, Covid, Crossroads Hotel, Declaration of Independence, Eric Adams, Eudaimonia, Founding Fathers, home rule, Hudson Valley, illegal alien, John Locke, Kathy Hochul, liberty, life, New York City, Newburgh, Nichomachean Ethics, Orange County, property, pursuit of happiness, Ramada by Wyndham, refugee, rights, Sanctuary City, State of Emergency, Thomas Jefferson, Veronika Huta

Why Are Hamburgers The Fast Food King Instead Of Hot Dogs?

By Chris Carosa on July 19, 2022

July 20^th is National Hot Dog Day. It’s a perfect time to consider this intriguing question asked by Paul Freedman in his book The Restaurants That Changed America while describing the impact of the fast-food industry on Howard Johnson’s: “Why did the hamburger triumph as opposed to the hot dog?”

He points out, “Frankfurters are also easy to eat in the car and historically they were the food item most closely identified with the United States in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century… it’s clear from the lack of mammoth national hot-dog chains that even now there is something about the frank that doesn’t lend itself to the industry.”

Why are hamburgers and not hot dogs the more popular/sustainable fast food business model? This is all the more interesting because hot dogs arrived on the scene well before hamburgers.

Search newspaper archives from the mid-nineteenth century and you’ll see plenty of Continue Reading “Why Are Hamburgers The Fast Food King Instead Of Hot Dogs?”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged 1904 World's Fair, apple pie, Barry Popik, baseball, Bruce Kraig, Burger King, Charles Menches, Chevrolet, Chicago, Chicago World's Fair, Coney Island, Dan O'Connell, David Edgerton, David Shulman, fast food, football, Frank Menches, frankfurter, Gerald Cohen, hamburg, Hamburger, Harry Truman, hot dog, Howard Johnson's, In-N-Out, James McLamore, Madison Square Park, McDonald's, Menches Brothers, Nathan's Famous, National Hamburger Week, New York City, Pamela Vaccaro, Paul Freedman, Shackburger, Shake Shack, St. Louis, White Castle, wiener, World' Largest Hamburger

It’s Your Party And You Would Cry Too If It Happened To You. Don’t Let It Happen!

By Chris Carosa on March 1, 2022

Do you think you own your house? Better think again.

You almost lost it in this year’s New York State budget. You see, the state budget process is a very tricky – as in devious – tool. Unscrupulous politics have learned how to use it to enact legislation without even enacting it.

It’s an easy way to introduce controversial policies without the tediousness of actually having to vote on a specific law. Of course, those same conniving officials will quickly say, “Well, the budget IS voted on,” but that’s not the same thing as voting for a bill that only addresses the matter they’re trying to slip through via the budget process.

And about that process. You already know it only takes three people to craft the budget. It’s not an open forum. It’s a behind-closed-doors smoke-filled-meeting sort of thing. Just because we’ve changed governors doesn’t really change the process. Indeed, given the Continue Reading “It’s Your Party And You Would Cry Too If It Happened To You. Don’t Let It Happen!”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, American Dream, home rule, homework, Livingston County, local rule, mandate, New York City, Niagara County, Orleans County, Vladimir Putin, zoning

Remember 9/11 Forever

By Chris Carosa on September 7, 2021

It was the kind of Tuesday that can’t make its mind up if it’s Summer or Fall. In that way, it was a textbook “on the cusp” day. The skies were clear and crisp that morning. If you woke up early enough, you could feel the dew, smell the moisture, and immerse yourself in a cocooning blanket of warmth.

You can’t imagine a more pleasant beginning to a practically perfect day.

In a moment, in a series of unbelievable moments, the world changed.

There are two seminal occasions in our lives that most late phase Baby Boomers finally felt accepted, recognized, and part of what this nation is all about. One was good, the other Continue Reading “Remember 9/11 Forever”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, B-25, Baby Boomers, Big City, Bright Lights, Charlie Sheen, CNBC, Empire State Building, Greatest Generation, Lake Placid, Masters of the Universe, Nazis, New York City, Somerset County, Tom Wolfe, Twin Towers, Washington DC

The Real News About Kathy Hochul Being New York State Governor

By Chris Carosa on August 24, 2021

You’ve probably read the headlines about Kathy Hochul “making history” by becoming the first woman to hold the position of New York State Governor.

If you’re like me, you cringe every time you see the appellation “first” applied to anyone. With the clear exception of sporting events, landing on the moon, and a few others, the term “first” seems more like a back-handed compliment. In today’s world of woke, it makes people wonder if “token” wouldn’t be a better description.

And that’s not fair.

I know. I’ve lived with this designation. The “first” Italian-American to do this… The “first” Catholic to do that… The “first” graduate of Gates-Chili high school to…

Each time, despite the apparent good intentions of various speakers of those words, it always felt condescending.

While I’m proud of my heritage, I didn’t want to be remembered merely as an Italian-Continue Reading “The Real News About Kathy Hochul Being New York State Governor”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Albany, Allegany County, Buffalo, Catholic, Charle Evans Hughes, Chautauqua County, Democrat, Erie County, Fortune Magazine, Frank Higgins, Gates Chili, governor, Greater Western New York, Grover Cleveland, Horace White, Italian American, Jack Kemp, John Roberts, Kathy Hochul, Manly Fleischmann, National Football League, New York City, New York State, Republican, Reuben Fenton, Roger Goodell, self-esteem, Tammany Hall, Tom Perez, United States Supreme Court, William Donovan

What Do You Think An Independent Greater Western New York Should Look Like?

By Chris Carosa on July 6, 2021

Last week’s Commentary received an inordinate amount of positive feedback (see “It’s Time For Greater Western New York To Declare Its Own Independence,” Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, July 1, 2021). Since these came from a variety of sources on a plethora of platforms, it’s likely you haven’t had the opportunity to see them all.

Allow me to summarize.

It starts with a simple question:

“What do you think an independent Greater Western New York should look like?

OK, it turns out it’s not so simple as you might think. But at least it sounds straight-forward. While the answer to this question yields a spectrum of solutions, at least most Continue Reading “What Do You Think An Independent Greater Western New York Should Look Like?”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, Allegany County, Autonomous Zone, Buffalo, Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua County, dictatorship of the majority, Erie County, Genesee County, George Borrello, Greater Western New York, independent, Midsummer Night's (Virtual) Town Hall Meeting, Monroe County, New York City, New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, Orleans County, Rochester, Safe Act, statehood, Stephen Hawley

It’s Time For Greater Western New York To Declare Our Own Independence!

By Chris Carosa on June 29, 2021

One of the perks of serving as a national reporter includes access to a coast-to-coast network of sources. I usually stick to my standard beat (finance and retirement) when sourcing questions. Every once in a while, however, I stray from that path and have a little fun.

As a life-long booster of the Greater Western New York region, I’m always searching for ways, no matter how small, to help promote the region.

Now, combine these two facts together and you can understand how I discovered this Continue Reading “It’s Time For Greater Western New York To Declare Our Own Independence!”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, America's First Frontier, David DiPietro, Declaration of Independence, Gadsden, George Borrello, James Ostrowski, Mark Aselstine, Midsummer Night's (Virtual) Town Hall Meeting, New York City, Safe Act, Stars and Bars, Stephen Hawley, Susan B. Anthony, Western New York