Columbia County History Events

History of Whaling Teacher Workshop

HUDSON, NY  - In conjunction with our current exhibit, Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce, the Hudson Area Library History Room staff are offering a Teacher Workshop on Wednesday, October 22, from 4-7pm cosponsored by the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center – with 3 credits of Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE). This workshop will be held at the library (51 North 5th Street, Hudson, NY). It explores Hudson’s whaling past and the application of this fascinating history to Social Studies, Language Arts, and Art curriculum and will be facilitated by co-curators and educators Elaine Eichelberger and Brenda Shufelt. The exhibit material covered in this workshop will be online in 2026 and accessible to teachers and their classes on the Hudson River Valley Heritage website.

Everyone who drives through the city of Hudson sees signs with the whale logo paying homage to Hudson’s beginnings as a whaling and maritime port during the late 1700s. This legacy of whaling left a lasting imprint on Hudson's cultural and economic landscape. Educators will have an opportunity to learn more about this unique local history and view documents and objects that help illustrate it, offering them a perspective they can incorporate into classroom study materials.

Registration is required. Register at https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?I=5102705&D=13206 The workshop will include digital and physical resource materials on the topic for all participants and light dinner.

The Hudson Area Library History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce Exhibit, on view during this workshop, traces Hudson’s founding and early history and the commerce that created its wealth and reputation as a whaling town. The exhibit is on view September through October 2025. This program was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Alan Coon, artist, graphic designer, and co-owner of Spotty Dog Books & Ale, has designed the graphics for the exhibition, which can be viewed during the workshop. The genesis of this exhibition came from the work and vision of Richard Bazelow. Richard is a local history researcher. For the past five years he’s been searching special collections at museums, libraries, the National Archives and historical societies for Hudson’s artifacts and whaling past. 

“Tales from Hudson’s Crypts: The Tour”

by Kelley Drahushuk

Hudson Area Library presents the eighth annual tour of Cedar Park Cemetery, Tales from Hudson’s Crypts: The Tour with Kelley Drahushuk on Sunday, October 19, 12-1:30pm  (RAIN DATE: Sunday, November 2, 12pm). Registration is required and on a first come first serve basis. Limited to 45 participants. Register by emailing brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org. Donations are appreciated but not required and they will support the library’s History Room. 

Attendees will meet in the cemetery office parking lot promptly at 12pm. As this is a walking tour, wear appropriate footwear & dress for the weather & conditions. We may encounter uneven ground, semi-steep hills, and mud and will not always be sticking to the paved pathways.  

Long-touted as “a virtual treasure trove for historians and enthusiasts of American funerary art”, the Hudson Cemetery includes over 10,000 grave sites for a wide range of interesting and notable individuals, including the Proprietors and their ancestors, war heroes, famous artists, paragons of industry, disaster survivors and much more. Learn about the history of the original cemetery, more recent history and discoveries as well as its current layout.  

Kelley Drahushuk is a long-time resident of Hudson, NY with family history in the city dating back to the 1800s. She, along with her husband Alan, own The Spotty Dog Books and Ale, now in its 18th year of operation on Hudson’s Warren Street in the former CH Evans Hook & Ladder building. She has served on the board of the Hudson Area Library and continues as a member of the History Room Committee. She earned a BS from Rochester Institute of Technology in Industrial Engineering. Two adorable children, a very chill cat, and two bossy guinea pigs keep her quite busy.

The Hudson Area Library History Room houses a collection that pertains to the history of the City of Hudson, Greenport and Stockport; as well as Columbia County and New York State. The History Room also hosts the Local History Speaker Series at the library, offering free monthly talks on diverse topics related to local history.

The History Room is open Saturdays, 10am-1pm and  by appointment and online research requests for information on local history are available at https://historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org/. This is a free service to the public. To inquire about an appointment email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792 x106.

The Hudson Area Library is located at 51 North Fifth Street in Hudson, NY. The mission of the library is to enrich the quality of life by providing free and equal access to programs, services and resources, and by creating opportunities for all members of our community to connect, create, learn and grow.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelley Drahushuk speaks to a group at the Civil War veterans’ gravesite.