Another installment of our semi-non-regular history lessons for Peekskill.
Found this nice write up on the battle of Fort Hill and the preservation efforts for the historic site on the Peekskill NY in Pictures Facebook page.
Peekskill’s Fort Hill Revolutionary War Battle Site.
‘Cause Peekskill Rocks!
After a 7-year effort to honor and commemorate an event that happened more than 150 years ago, The Lincoln Depot Museum is having its grand opening tomorrow, October 18th. The ribbon-cutting is at 11 a.m. From Patch:
The old train depot in Peekskill is where President-elect Abraham Lincoln addressed a crowd of more than 3,000 citizens on Feb. 19, 1861. It was the only speech that Lincoln ever gave in Westchester County.
Read more, including the full statement from the museum, here.
From Wikipedia, knower of all things known:
The Peekskill meteorite is among the most historic meteorite events on record. Sixteen separate video recordings document the meteorite burning through the Earth’s atmosphere, whereupon it struck a parked car in Peekskill, New York. Peekskill is an H6 monomict breccia; its filigreed texture is the result of the shocking and heating following the impact of two asteroids in outer space. The meteorite is of the stony variety and approximately 20% of its mass is tiny flakes of nickel-iron. When it struck Earth, the meteorite weighed 26 pounds (12 kg) and measured one foot in diameter. The Peekskill meteorite is estimated to be 4.4 billion years old. The meteorite fell on October 9, 1992 – an event witnessed by thousands across the East Coast.
The meteorite fell on October 9, 1992 – an event witnessed by thousands across the East Coast. Numerous residents of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. described the “huge greenish fireball.” The meteorite broke up over Kentucky and passed over West Virginia and Pennsylvania on its north-northeast trajectory before striking a parked 1980 red Chevy Malibu [see photo below] at approximately 7:50 pm EDT. After traveling through space at a cosmic velocity of 8.8 miles per second, the speed of the meteorite at impact had slowed to 164 miles per hour.
Read more. And keep your head up.
Take it away, Wikipedia: “Eighteen-year old Michelle Knapp, the car’s owner, heard the collision from inside her home. She later described the sound as “like a three-car crash”. Hurrying outside to investigate the noise, Knapp found her car smashed and the 26-pound meteorite, still warm and smelling of sulfur, beneath it.” Photo of Knapp and her meteored Chevy Malibu by John Bortle.
Saturday, August 23, 2014 – 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Sunday, August 24, 2014 – 12:00pm – 6:00pm
The Field Library Plaza 4 Nelson Avenue Peekskill NY, 10566
Emerald City is coming to Peekskill! Local vendors and artists will take part in the event which will be geared towards themes related to the story such as “Follow Your Dreams Over the Rainbow” and “Believe in Yourself.” The festivities will be from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. All patrons are welcome to come in costume. The commemoration is in honor of L. Frank Baum who was enrolled at the Peekskill Military Academy and authored the beloved Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum once said “Time is given to us to be happy and for no other reason.” What better way to enjoy your day then with your family and friends?
More information at The Historic Hudson River Towns site or the Peekskill’s Journey to Oz Facebook page.