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Black Legacy of Columbia County

The Ukrainian Community in Hudson

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See What’s New at the History Room!

Black Legacy Association of Columbia County logo developed in the 1980s as part of the BLACC project.

 

The Library’s Current Exhibition, A Dialogue Across Generations: Making Connections through the BLACC Collection, is now on view through June 2024!

The library is pleased to be extending our BLACC exhibition through June. This exhibition highlights the BLACC collection from the 1980s that was donated to us by Columbia Opportunities, and which we have had archived and digitized. The collection was created to reveal the hidden legacy of Black history in Columbia County. It includes oral histories, images, articles related to the Black community from local newspapers over the past 150 years, and other research into the rich history of Black people in the county.

We are holding an Educator Event on Saturday, March 23, 11am-1pm at the library during which we will be sharing the resources from this rich important collection, including the online resources teachers can access from their classroom. All participants will receive the original BLACC syllabus. Email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org to register.

 

From Hudson High to the Major Leagues: Bob Trowbridge in the 1957 World Series

On Oct. 5, 1957, the only Hudsonian ever to play in the World Series took the mound against the New York Yankees. Bob Trowbridge pitched for the Milwaukee Braves in the third game of the World Series against the Yankees. Trowbridge didn't do well that day against the powerhouse Yankees but he was a big reason the Braves made it to the World Series, where they eventually overcame the Yankees. That year, Trowbridge had seven wins and five losses with a respectable earned run average of 3.64. He pitched particularly well in the last month of the season, including a three-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs.

Thanks to Rare Sportsflims, Inc., the History Room has obtained video of the inning that Trowbridge pitched in the '57 World Series. You can watch it here.

Trowbridge was a star on the diamond at Hudson High School in the late 1940s and signed with the then Boston Braves in 1950. He served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War, and then returned to baseball, playing parts of five seasons in the major leagues. A summary of his career can be found on the Society for American Baseball Research’s website.

His contemporaries from Hudson frequently said he was the finest athlete they had ever seen, and was particularly skilled off the field in bowling and darts.

Trowbridge returned to Hudson after his baseball career ended, working at the Hudson Correctional Facility. He passed away in 1980 and is buried in Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.

 

History Room on Zoom: Hometown Heroes

Thanks to the Hometown Heroes project, a walk along Hudson's main streets provides a pictorial history of the city's service to the nation. Hudson American Legion Post 184 proposed and managed Hometown Heroes, which features photos on light poles of dozens of Hudsonians who served in the U.S. military from World War I to today. This episode of the History Room on Zoom features an interview with Post 184 Commander Eric De Kraai about how the project came together.