Martin Van Buren NPS

#Phenology #AWalkInThePark #Bees While the apple trees are showing off for pollinators, let's share some love for the less showy maple trees! With binoculars, we spotted the yellow-green flower clusters and tiniest seeds or samaras that will mature and spin off later this month.

The adult Lewis children honored the efforts of their parents by continuing to shelter individuals and families seeking freedom in the decades before the Amercian Civil War. #Abolition #Emancipation

The home Graceanna and her siblings grew up was a stop on the Underground Railroad. She writes, "There was never a time that our home was not a shelter for the escaping slave, - a place in which he would be protected and sent forward to freedom..." #Freedom #UndergroundRailroad

Graceanna Lewis' memoir, "Knowing more about my own connection with Anti-slavery work, ... I will speak of that which I best understand... My mother and father were members of the Society of Friends... they were opposed to slavery as one of the greatest crimes against humanity."

Graceanna's earliest mentors were her parents, John and Esther, who opened their home to freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. Her interest in science was encouraged by teachers and a maternal relative.

Graceanna Lewis (b.1821) was 1 of 5 children raised on a farm in PA. She is remembered as a teacher, abolitionist, scientist, suffragist, author, and artist. Photo: Lewis-Fussell Family Papers, SFHL-RG5-087, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College, Item A00185905.

#Throwback to March 2005 in Valatie, NY! A historical marker in front of the childhood home of President Van Buren's mother Maria Hoes was dedicated, thanks to the determination of Dominck Lizzi. #History #Valatie #MartinVanBuren #DutchHistory #Celebration #FlashbackFriday

Sharing a few pics of park staff as we are taking a trip down Memory Lane, while organizing photos to be saved for perpetuity! OK, maybe not quite that long! #MvbTheMvp #WomensHistoryMonth #MemoryLane #FlashbackFriday

A shout out to Jen, who joined the MVB team in January 2024. Thank you for the energy and enthusiasm you brought to routine and unusual tasks! Wishing you great success in your new position with the Army Corps of Engineers. Cheers to a shorter commute and more sunsets at home!!!

🥧 Martin’s usual apple pie? Not today! He’s going for a Blue Moon Pie—because why not? 🌙💙 Also, nice spring green cap, Martin… did Ranger Cait knit that? We can’t prove it, but we have our suspicions. 👀🧶 Happy π Day! 🎉 #PiDay #KnittingMystery #BlueMoon #MoonPi

🔗 Info & RSVP: eventbrite.com/e/van-hoesen-t…

📅 Join the African American Archive of Columbia County on March 9, 2025, from 2-4 PM at the Hudson Area Library for a powerful lecture with historian Fergus Bordewich & restoration expert Ed Klingler. Learn about its Underground Railroad connections & preservation efforts!

🏚️ If only the house on Route 66 could talk! From slavery to freedom, the Van Hoesen-Marriott House has a complex history—from enslaved persons in the 1700s to a Quaker abolitionist in the 1800s. #LocalHistory #UndergroundRailroad #HudsonValley

#ThenAndNow In February 2017, the maintenance team handled a storm that dropped over 10" of snow. In February 2025; they cleared the remnants of melting snow and sleet. Countdown to March meteorological #spring, the #tulip bulbs are breaking dormancy. #ThrowbackThursday

Thank you to Lisa, Peter and Victoria for an overview of research techniques, family genealogy and your vision for the future. More information is available on the organization website. afamarchivecc.org/about.htm

We attended a Sunday afternoon at presentation at #KinderhookMemorialLibrary. The founders of the #AfricanAmericanArchiveOfColumbiaCounty shared their goals that include preservation, research and education, fundraising and outreach!

We are always ready to celebrate here in Kinderhook! Sharing a few #Flashback photos of Original B.A.R.K Rangers, and those who followed in their pawprints, since today is National Walk Your Dog Day. #BarkRanger #AWalkInThePark #FindYourPark #FlashbackFriday #SummerDreaming

A highlight this week #StoryTime with local students. We read 'Let's Go On A Hike' and the children crafted a flag to carry on walks. Park rangers are learning their colors in Spanish, one of six languages heard in the classroom. #ReadWithMe #Preschool #LanguageLearning

Elizabeth Jennings Graham's story is a testament to the power of courage and community. Her legacy lives on in every fight for justice today. #BlackHistoryMonth #CivilRights #Inspiration 5/5

Her victory led to the formation of the Legal Rights Association in 1855, fueling the early civil rights movement in NYC. Elizabeth's bravery reminds us that one act of defiance can spark monumental change. #Equality #Justice 4/5

Meet Elizabeth Jennings Graham – often called the "Nineteenth-Century Rosa Parks." Born in 1827, she was raised in a family committed to change. Her father was the first Black patent holder in the U.S., and her mother was a literary pioneer. 🧵👇 #BlackHistoryMonth 1/5