The Story of Upstate New York In 100 Landmarks

America turns 250.

Let's go find the candles.

Looking for a history lesson that doesn't feel like homework? You've found it. At 250history.com, the Semiquincentennial Series brings each state's distinctive landmarks to center stage to tell their fast and fun story.

We've wandered through big cities, tiny towns, muddy trails, and neon-lit highways-uncovering 5,000 historic gems along the way.

The Semiquincentennial isn't just a mouthful-it's a reminder that history is alive, sometimes weird, and always waiting to be rediscovered.

Whether you're traveling by road, by printed page, or by imagination; whether you are a lifelong native or visiting for a week, we invite you to explore 100 landmarks that illuminate the one-of-a-kind story of the Upstate New York.

Cobblestone construction... octagon houses... strategic forts... iron horses... Chautauquas... kazoos... trout propagation... Dutch architecture... the CCC... steamboats... apples... kit houses...the golden age of motoring... transportation canals... early aviation... salt... cure cottages... carousels... castles... courthouses... Frank Lloyd Wright... Adirondack camps... trolley parks... the Borscht Belt... Carnegie libraries... round barns... Shakers... dairy cows... This book will have you telling stories like a native in no time.

The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make Upstate New York uniquely Upstate. Where was the birthplace of American viticulture? Solved. Where was the electric chair first deployed? A mystery no more. What New York airfield did flying legend Glenn Curtiss found? Identified. The ballfield where Babe Ruth walloped a home run before Yankee Stadium was ever built? Revealed.

It is a story only Upstate New York can call its own. A story told in 100 landmarks. Almost all the selections within are open to the public, or a t least visible from public spaces. So, fire up the GPS and see the story of the Upstate standing in plain sight on New York streets!