Alfred Z. Solomon Cultural Heritage Trail
"Nothing should be hidden." The formula that Alfred Z. Solomon used so successfully for selling women's hats takes on new meaning when applied to the trail named in his honor. The route celebrates the communities, the river, and the natural features of the upper Hudson River landscape that surrounded his Madcaps Farm just east of Gansevoort.
The Alfred Z. Solomon Cultural Heritage Trail follows the route of the Champlain Canal from Whitehall, at the head of Lake Champlain, south to Waterford, then on to Schaghticoke and Hoosick Falls, returning through the rich farmlands of Easton, Cambridge and Salem, to the northern edge of the Slate Valley at Granville, New York.
This stretch of eastern New York State has served travelers since the glaciers melted. Wildlife and waterfowl migrated along the Hudson River and Lake Champlain in spring and fall. Indian hunting and trade routes followed the connecting waterway, bypassing waterfalls and heights of land with portage paths. European Armies penetrated the heart of the wilderness, dragging cannon and supplies in their quest for control of North America. When peace finally paved the way for settlement, the canal by-passed barriers to navigation so manufactured goods and farmers' produce could travel cheaply by water all the way from New York City to Canada, and beyond. With the advent of the railroad, markets opened for the slate and agricultural products of the working landscape. And now, diverse recreational opportunities are abundant throughout the region.
The Alfred Z. Solomon Cultural Heritage Trail provides information and access to the sites and communities associated with the rich history of the region. Look for kiosks, maps and guides in the Lakes to Locks Passage Waypoint Communities that tell the story of the natural features, battlefields and monuments, historic villages, picturesque landscapes, and recreational opportunities.
"The Duke of Gansevoort"
Alfred Zins Solomon earned his local nickname after presiding for decades over Madcaps Farm on the west bank of the Hudson River. He and his wife, Nancy, purchased the 283 acre farm in 1942 so they could enjoy some time in the country, away form the hustle an bustle of New York City and to be near the Saratoga Race Course. She raised chickens (thousands of them!), shipping eggs to New York and Boston on the milk trains. He came up for racing season and weekends, boarding the night train for New York in Fort Edward on Sunday evenings.
Alfred Solomon put fashionable hats on the heads of thousands of American women. From modest beginnings as an importer of hat trims, he built a successful millinery business he named "Madcaps." In addition to the Madcaps label, Mr. Solomon arranged with famous European designers to manufacture and market their couture designs in America. Hats are an integral part of the fashion scene at the Saratoga Race Course. The tradition lives on, in part thanks to Alfred Solomon, who occupied Clubhouse Box E 33 near the finish line where he kept track of the most popular hat styles for more than sixty years.
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