Press Release

Holiday Gift Ideas from the Department of History and Archives

"Running out of Holiday gift ideas for the history buff in your family?"

With the holidays fast approaching, everyone is scrambling to get the perfect gift for their loved ones and friends. Find great, affordable items at the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives this year that make wonderful gifts or stocking stuffers. Past favorites include the reprint of F.W. Beers' 1878 History of Montgomery & Fulton Counties ($40.00), Arcadia Publishing Images of America series' books Montgomery County and Amsterdam ($19.99 each), "Muskets to Microwaves" cookbooks ($3.00 each or 2 for $5.00), A. Joyce Berry's Time of Terror series, and the Department of History & Archives' "Steeple Chase" booklets on the history of the churches in the towns of Minden and Canajoharie ($7.00 each). Limited supplies of the Old Courthouse wooden collectible and Willis Barshied's Shoes for John (published in 2007 by the Montgomery County Historical Society) are also on hand. Making great stocking stuffers would be the variety of postcards, notepaper, and Old Courthouse 150th anniversary commemorative coins.

The newest item for sale is the 2009 Calendar marking Montgomery County's Quasquibicentennial (225th) anniversary. In 1784, Tryon County, created in 1772 and named after Colonial Governor William Tryon, was renamed in honor of Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery. At that time, the configuration of Montgomery County included lands west of Schenectady to the territory of the Six Nations, north to the Canadian border, and south to the Pennsylvania border.

2009 Calendars will include photographs from around the ten towns presently in Montgomery County (image of calendar cover is attached). Color calendars will be $10.00 and black and white calendars will be $5.00. These and the other items will be on sale at the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives at the Old Courthouse, 9 Park St., Fonda. The Department of History & Archives is open Monday thru Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm and will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Questions on shipping can be directed to staff at 518-853-8186.