The State Historic Marker Program closed in 1939 and with it its funding. Despite the advice to adopt a new marker shape, proportion, and color scheme, following the close of the State program in 1939, local individuals and local historical and governmental organizations continued to erect at their own initiative and expense "state" historic markers very similar to the originals. None of these similar looking markers - erected after 1939 and NOT by the State Education Department [1929-1939] - appear on the website.
- George R. Hamell
- Ethnology Collections Manager
- Research & Collections Division New York State Museum
The “History in the Marking Part 1” cache has 22 components. To get credit for this cache, you will need to complete 14 (part a) caches, which will lead you to an additional 7 (part b) caches, which will then lead you to what I have dubbed, the “Final Final”.
Here’s what you will be doing:
Part a
Follow a trail of waypoints that mark a single (or a few) historical signs. Retrieve the information necessary from said signs to come up with a waypoint that has a micro with coordinates for a final or multi-final location. Each of the caches will have the required logbook as well as one set of coordinates for that county’s “final”.
What you are looking for-->
<--The blue sign, not the building!
This is a picture of what you would be basically looking for! Not the building, but the blue sign in front of it! Not all signs are blue with yellow trim and lettering. Some may be brown, green, and even white.
Part b
If you find the two finals for each county, then you will have the complete set of coordinates for that county’s final which will then have a piece of a coordinate for the “Final Final”. All 21 parts will have to be completed in order to find the “Final Final”. Failure to do all parts may lead you to an incorrect spot!!
What the above means is that there is no way to cheat the system on this one! You will have to plot your points, and take the drive! The I.P. is the suggested beginning, generally for a good reason. Some trails end where others begin, so you may find yourself driving a bit more than you might have thought!!
For various locations, you will be asked to retrieve information from the “Title”, “Body”, or “Reference” portions. See the sign segments below to see what I am talking about.
For this sign, this is the title. Some titles may say, “Site of…” or have a long arrow pointing in one direction with a distance on the next line.
The body portion describes the event or dwelling that was near here.
The “reference” is a name I have given this portion. It usually states who put the sign up and sometimes when the sign was erected. This portion is often excluded from information gathering.
The other caches are listed below.
Part a:
- History in the Marking Part 1: Albany County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Albany County 1.1
- History in the Marking Part 1: Columbia County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Columbia County 1.1
- History in the Marking Part 1: Montgomery County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Montgomery County 1.1
- History in the Marking Part 1: Rensselaer County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Rensselaer County 1.1
- History in the Marking Part 1: Saratoga County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Saratoga County 1.1
- History in the Marking Part 1: Schenectady County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Schenectady County 1.1
- History in the Marking Part 1: Schoharie County 1.0
- History in the Marking Part 1: Schoharie County 1.1
Part b:
- History in the Marking Part 1: Albany Final
- History in the Marking Part 1: Columbia Final
- History in the Marking Part 1: Montgomery Final
- History in the Marking Part 1: Rensselaer Final
- History in the Marking Part 1: Saratoga Final
- History in the Marking Part 1: Schenectady Final
Final Final
- History in the Marking: Final Final
Please do not be intimidated by seeing this as a “22 part monster cache” as not all parts have to be done. Do one, three, seven, 14, 21, or all 22. The choice is yours!
Disclaimer: You, and all members of your party must read and agree to the www.geocaching.com disclaimer. In addition, you all must agree to hold the cache owner, www.geocaching.com, and the landowners harmless from any and all causes for action. You and all other members of your party must individually and collectively determine your/their physical fitness and outdoors/hiking skill levels, decide whether or not to visit the various cache locations, and whether or not it is safe and prudent to do so under the conditions that will be encountered. Cache seekers assume all risks involved in seeking these cache locations.
People that do not wish to do a cache because of any danger they might perceive to be present is certainly within their right to not proceed. However you do not have the right to try to ruin the enjoyment of others in attempting a find that is beyond your capabilities, but not beyond theirs. This goes for almost every caching event there is. After all one might run into spiders, snakes, poisonous plants, trips and falls and the list goes on.
Safety First! .......Take a friend, Look out for others, take a cell phone if possible, watch where you're stepping, NEVER UNCOVER ANY CACHE WITH YOUR HANDS OR FEET, USE A STICK! If you feel uncomfortable in doing a cache, for any reason, just walk away!!!