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About The Show
The winner of a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and a New York State Broadcasters Association Award, A New York Minute In History tells the unique tales of New Yorkers throughout American history. With the state’s hundreds of historical markers as a guide, join Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts as they explore the people, places, and experiences that made New York. How is the Erie Canal used today? Where did baseball get its start? And who inspired the story of the headless horseman?
The podcast is produced by Jesse King and Jim Levulis of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Original episodes were co-hosted by Don Wildman of Mysteries at the Museum on Travel Channel.
A New York Minute In History is a production of the New York State Museum, WAMC, and Archivist Media, with support from The William G. Pomeroy Foundation. Original episodes were also sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Find us on social media! Twitter: @NYHistoryMinute Instagram: @nyhistoryminute
Meet The Hosts
Devin Lander is New York’s 16th state historian. Previously, he was the executive director of the Museum Association of New York (MANY) and worked for the chair of the state Assembly’s Tourism, Arts, Parks and Sports Development and Governmental Operations Committees. He holds a BA in History from SUNY Plattsburgh and a MA in Public History from the University at Albany, where he is currently finishing his PhD. Devin is also co-editor of the New York History journal, published by Cornell University Press. He was elected a New York Academy of History fellow in 2020.
Lauren Roberts has been the Saratoga County historian since 2009. She holds a BA in Anthropology and American Studies from Skidmore College, and earned her MA in Public History from the University at Albany. Roberts co-produced the successful 2017 documentary Harnessing Nature: Building the Great Sacandaga, chronicling the construction of New York’s largest reservoir. She also serves as the coordinator for municipal historians in the Capital Region, through the Association of Public Historians of New York State.
More Episodes
Drinking The Waters: The Healing Springs Movement | A New York Minute In History
This episode delves into the public health industry that emerged in New York in the 19th Century. As the understanding of medicine and health evolved over time, there were many communities in New York state whose location was thought to have healing properties,...
Discovering Timbuctoo | A New York Minute In History
Devin and Lauren dive into the history of Timbuctoo, an African American settlement founded by philanthropist Gerrit Smith in response to an 1846 law requiring all Black men to own $250 worth of property in order to vote in New York state. To counter this racist...
Audrey Munson: America’s First Supermodel | A New York Minute In History
In this episode, Devin and Lauren research the life of Audrey Munson, America’s first supermodel. Born in upstate New York, Munson was one of the most famous models of the early 20th Century, and posed for the top American artists in the Beaux Arts movement....
The Irish Invasion Of Canada | A New York Minute In History
In this episode, Devin and Lauren investigate the invasions of Canada by the Fenian Brotherhood, a group of Irish Nationalists intent of freeing Ireland from British control. These invasions were launched from several locations in upstate New York, including the...
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New York's Anti-Rent Wars | A New York Minute in History
Apr 28, 2023 • 00:29:27
On this episode, Devin and Lauren delve into the history of the Dutch patroon system in New York state, and tell the story of the anti-rent movement of the 19th Century, during which tenant farmers banded together to (sometimes, violently) oppose the outdated system. In the Albany County town of…
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The Persistence of Dr. Mary Walker | A New York Minute in History
Mar 29, 2023 • 00:29:27
For Women’s History Month, Devin and Lauren tell the story of Dr. Mary Walker: physician, heroine of the Civil War, and the only woman in history ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Born to progressive parents in western New York, Walker would defy the odds to become a…
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Aaron Mossell and the Struggle to Integrate Lockport's Schools | A New York Minute in History
Feb 27, 2023 • 00:29:27
On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss a William G. Pomeroy marker recognizing the contributions of the Mossell family in western New York, and their efforts to successfully integrate the Niagara County city of Lockport’s public schools in the late 19th century — nearly 80 years before legal segregation ended…
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Hell's Acres: Bare Knuckle Boxing in the Taconic Mountains | A New York Minute in History
Jan 26, 2023 • 00:29:27
On this episode, Devin and Lauren tell the forgotten story of Boston Corners, which once belonged to Massachusetts, but was ceded to New York state by an act of Congress in 1855. The area, now part of the Town of Ancram, was remote in the mid-19th century and hard to…
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Preparing for the 250th | A New York Minute in History
Dec 28, 2022 • 00:29:27
Believe it or not, the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is right around the corner. On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss how some state agencies and communities are preparing for the big event (from 2025-2033), and how local historians can make the most of the commemoration. We also…
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Ithaca's Tuskegee Airman | A New York Minute in History
Nov 30, 2022 • 00:29:27
On this episode, Devin and Lauren tell the story of Verdelle Louis Payne from Ithaca in Tompkins County, who joined the Army Air Forces during WWII and became a pilot. During the war, Payne served in the 99th Fighter Squadron, which became part of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, an all-Black…
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Live From the APHNYS | A New York Minute in History
Oct 26, 2022 • 00:29:27
In this live, special episode of A New York Minute in History, Devin and Lauren visit the annual Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) conference in Kingston, New York. What is it like to work in history? We’ll discuss how today’s public historians are striving to expand…
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Discovering the Nation's "Founding Fossils" | A New York Minute in History
Sep 28, 2022 • 00:29:26
It’s a new season of A New York Minute in History! In this episode, Devin and Lauren dig into the 19th Century discovery of a mastodon skeleton in Orange County. The “Orange County Mastodon” was one of the earliest, if not the first, complete mastodon skeletons discovered in the U.S.…
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The Fulton County Courthouse: 250 Years of Legal History | A New York Minute in History
Jul 15, 2022 • 00:29:30
On this episode, Devin and Lauren visit New York’s oldest continuously operating courthouse, located in the City of Johnstown in Fulton County. Built in 1772 by Sir William Johnson, the Fulton County Courthouse has seen the transition from British colonial rule to the establishment of the United States, and 250…
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Georgia O'Keeffe and Her Visit to Wiawaka | A New York Minute in History
Jun 16, 2022 • 00:29:00
On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss how the poor conditions of female textile workers in Capital Region cities led to the creation of a retreat where women could “escape” the cities. Wiawaka was founded by Mary Fuller, an advocate for women workers in Troy, and the wealthy philanthropists Katrina…