menu_open Columnists
Don Rittner

Don Rittner

The Saratogian

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

RITTNER: Norman Rockwell and Troy

RITTNER: Norman Rockwell and Troy
previous day 4

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Battle of the Normanskill

RITTNER: Battle of the Normanskill
27.09.2025 6

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Guilderland: Beauty and history rolled into one

RITTNER: Guilderland: Beauty and history rolled into one
20.09.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: A ‘Sense of Place’ in the Capital District, Part 2

RITTNER: A ‘Sense of Place’ in the Capital District, Part 2
13.09.2025 10

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: A ‘Sense of Place’ in the Capital District, Part 1

06.09.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Families divided? Been there!

30.08.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Happy 192 years, Vanderheyden, Part 1

23.08.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Proctor’s City Hall? Still Yes

16.08.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Proctor’s? Yes!

09.08.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Uncle Tom and Troy

02.08.2025 6

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Men named Marcus

26.07.2025 7

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Dancing in the Church

19.07.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Proctor’s City Hall, Good? Bad? Part 4

12.07.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Proctor’s City Hall, Good? Bad? Part 2

28.06.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Proctor’s City Hall. Good? Bad?

21.06.2025 10

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Madness games

14.06.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s wilderness connection

07.06.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Toga rules

31.05.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: The dead

24.05.2025 8

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: More Apartments?

17.05.2025 4

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Barns, Barns, Barns

10.05.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Justice for Samuel?

03.05.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Defending Fort Stanwix

26.04.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s entertainment glory days, Part 4

19.04.2025 10

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s entertainment glory days, Part 3

12.04.2025 6

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s entertainment glory days, Part 2

05.04.2025 10

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Happy Birthday, Emma Willard, Part 4

22.03.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Happy Birthday, Emma Willard, Part 3

16.03.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Happy Birthday, Emma Willard, Part 2

08.03.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Happy Birthday Emma, Part 1

Last Sunday, Feb 23, was Emma Willard’s 238th birthday. I had the privilege of giving a little talk about her and Troy at the Emma Willard School...

01.03.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Friday Night

23.02.2025 4

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s Railroad Days, Part 4

15.02.2025 10

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s Railroad Days, Part 3

09.02.2025 4

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s railroad days, Part 2

02.02.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s railroad days, Part 1

25.01.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Erastus Corning and Troy?

18.01.2025 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Seymour Tacos?

11.01.2025 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Welcome to The Strip

If you were a teenager in Troy during the 1960s and 1970s, River Street was a happening place. Between Fulton, Third and River (Market Block) and...

04.01.2025 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: What if?

For those new to Troy. Your view of Troy is different from those of us who grew up here. You will hear the old timers lament on missing the “old”...

28.12.2024 10

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Twas The Night Before Blogging …

“Twas the night before Christmas and all through my house Not a computer was stirring, nor wireless mouse? My WIFI was hung up; it gave quite a...

21.12.2024 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Take me to Albany Street

Many Troy streets have had name changes over the years and some have changed for better or worse. Fulton Street for example was originally named...

14.12.2024 6

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy and the Telegraph — Part Two

Last week you learned about Troy telegrapher Silas Watson Ford, who discovered the first Devonian era fossils in Troy’s Beman Park. A second...

07.12.2024 6

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy and the Telegraph — Part One

While we all brag about how fast social media travels, it wasn’t long ago when the fastest communication were wires strewn across the county. There...

30.11.2024 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Helen of Troy NY redux

Years ago I found a theatrical script in the back of a cabinet at the Troy Public Library. It was written by the young upstart playwrights George...

23.11.2024 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: The 250th is coming, the 250th is coming!

Next year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Many communities, towns, villages, and cities are putting together a committee or...

16.11.2024 4

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy and the WPA

During the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt created his New Deal Program. It comprised a number of works projects to get people...

09.11.2024 5

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s iron age

Troy excelled in the production of cast iron stoves, bells, ironware, valves, iron & steel products, wire, nails, spikes, horseshoes, bloom & bar,...

26.10.2024 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s iron age

Troy excelled in the production of cast iron stoves, bells, ironware, valves, iron & steel products, wire, nails, spikes, horseshoes, bloom & bar,...

26.10.2024 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s stove industry

During the period between 1790-1850, Troy grew in size from a mere few hundred (c. 400) to almost 30,000 people (28,785 in 1850). Over 400 patents...

19.10.2024 2

The Saratogian

Don Rittner

RITTNER: Troy’s bell industry

Some of the finest sounding bells were cast in Troy and across the river at West Troy (Watervliet) during the 19th and 20th centuries. Thousands of...

12.10.2024 3

The Saratogian

Don Rittner