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This photo is of a "Liberty Loan" parade in May of 1917, according the label on the folder it was in. Liberty Loans were bonds sold to finance the war effort.
This scene, and the next one, are from a series about wartime Troy in 1918. Troy's Union Station is no longer there -- it was on Sixth Ave between Fulton and Broadway (there's an office building there now). It was torn down in the 1950s.
Inside the Rensselaer County Courthouse.
From what we can tell, this is from a welcome home parade for soldiers.
We think this is another one from a welcome home parade, looking south on Broadway. (You can partially see the Quackenbush sign -- "The Old Store" -- on the left.)
That's the Frear Building on the left, and what's now the Market Block building on the right. Both of which still stand, of course.
The Quackenbush Building at night. The building served many years as a department store. It's now the home of the Tech Valley Center of Gravity. Love that big light-up Q.
We're not sure when this photo was taken. The stamp on the back is "Mrs. M.T. Ryan / City Historian / Troy, N.Y."
Check out the photo above -- it's from a parade in downtown Troy in 1917. That intersection is River Street and 4th Street. It looks rather different today.
The photo is from a collection of materials in the NYS Archives about Troy during WWI. We were tipped off to the collection by Christopher, who noticed an interesting photo of the Quackenbush Building at night and sent it along to us. (Thanks, Christopher!) The collection provides a few glimpses of downtown Troy as it was roughly a century ago.
Here are few more photos that caught our eye...
The photos are above in large format -- click or scroll all the way up.
The Scoop
For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.
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Comments
Comparing that 4th and River St photo to the "today" shot hurts my eyes. I've always felt that Troy is so cool because so much of it has remained intact from so long ago. But the stuff that did change significantly (the intersection mentioned above, the Atrium, the recently razed City Hall) is quite painful and sticks out like the sorest of thumbs.
... said grandmastergus on Nov 17, 2015 at 9:04 PM | link
Agree that the physical differences are tear breaking, but worse is the human difference....that picture was probably an ordinary Monday!!! Back then we would be in a pub having a smoke and a beer discussing this, not typing faceless in some virtual "cyber" world....so sad.....
... said BS on Nov 17, 2015 at 10:22 PM | link
Everytime I see pictures like this, it just makes me think of how much America has declined. We went from these amazing buildings and vibrant city neighborhoods to parking lots, big box stores, and plastic vinyl covered box houses in the cheesy suburbs.
... said Paul on Nov 18, 2015 at 7:50 AM | link
Very cool-thanks for sharing!
... said Ashley on Nov 18, 2015 at 8:43 AM | link
+1:Paul
Cities and parking lots are incompatible. The Capital Region does not seem to understand this.
... said George on Nov 18, 2015 at 9:11 AM | link
Very awesome! I LOVE seeing photographs of Troy!
... said Jona on Nov 18, 2015 at 1:07 PM | link
Hundreds of more photos like these at the Rensselaer County Historical Society archives room.
... said Annmarie Lanesey on Nov 21, 2015 at 8:25 AM | link