The Schenectady County Historical Society has announced the lineup for their 2026 Winter Speaker Series. Featuring writers and historians from across the United States, the series will highlight recent research about Schenectady, the Mohawk Valley, and Upstate New York.
“Our lineup is incredible this year.” said Mary Zawacki Graves, the historical society’s executive director. “We have historians discussing new research, writers of just-published books, and even a screenwriter joining us. Doing this virtually allows more people to join us, and provides a space of engagement on cold winter nights.”
All programs are free for SCHS members, and take place on Zoom at 7 pm unless otherwise noted. Non-members may purchase tickets for $10. * Denotes an in-person program. Learn more here.
Winter Speaker Series
January 14: “Many Voices: Erie, the Canal that Changed America” with Laurie Lawlor
January 21: “First Draft of History: NY State Historic Newspapers” with Chuck Henry
January 28: “Laboring Mothers: Reproducing Women and Work in the 18th Century” with Prof. Ellen Ledoux
February 4: “Apples in America: A History” with Sarah Wassberg Johnson
*February 6: “Threads of Liberty” with James Taub, Associate Curator, Museum of the American Revolution
February 11: “The Underground Railroad” with Mary Liz Stewart
February 18: “The Dutch World of Washington Irving” with Dr. Elisabeth Paling Funk
*February 21: “The Daring Life of Arent Van Curler” with Chris Conto
February 25: “Songs and Sounds of the Anti-Rent Movement in Upstate New York” with Nancy Newman
March 4: “Albany During The American Revolution: Victory In Upstate New York” with Prof. Kevin Bronner
March 11: “The African Americans’ Revolution” with Prof. LaGarrett King
*March 14: “Trade, Theft, and Excessive Expenses: A Year in New Netherland” with Prof. Jaap Jacobs
March 18: “The Early 20th Century Experience of Polish Immigrants in Schenectady” with Craig Siulinski
*March 21: “Ten Things You Didn’t Know About the American Revolution” with Multiple Speakers
March 25: “Dutch and English Vernacular Architecture in Schenectady County” with Wally Wheeler
The Schenectady County Historical Society is a private, nonprofit institution that was founded in 1905 to share and preserve Schenectady County’s history. In 2025, SCHS hosted 116 public programs, welcomed tens of thousands of visitors, and served over 3,800 school children.
That’s in addition to over 80 outreach and community events, which reached additional hundreds of people. They also started stabilization and preservation work on the 1705 Stone House, which will continue into next year.
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