Sand Lake Historical Society

29/07/2026

"It's like déjà vu all over again" is a famous and humorous quote credited to baseball player Yogi Berra, and it applies all too well here. It was only five years ago that a similar storm "washed out" our area, resulting then in a "state of emergency" declaration in the Town of Sand Lake.

https://www.facebook.com/SandLakeHistoricalSociety/posts/pfbid0ecWyoT1pm7ZvPXhdFYw9zbWwoJ6nbMVxccz4mp9VRvY4s8SHgZbgvfaUdgEbK4FKl?__cft__[0]=AZY8eyOl6L_xGqA3OWE1SCE3rUQ_FlYkvIlRRdoSvoKEgOk6J69l3lwzeTsX1ozi5xO39Wmw3qVyItQxfOsjwZu9OjUJc1X1qvb7UYjkblk6bRA71Ip5xzhTU_HpvRV5ttxBXUduQpGcJeUjpbteqgGjUb6SZ1_fl5gpCj464NjSs4gjRPgcy9IdgYpRURY4UNY4P9zrDmgCGNT-_oH7wgC_ELawpzA3mssQNtON37bwuQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Update 3: Reports are saying that Route 43 is open as of 4pm. There is still a lot of rain headed or way so use caution throughout rush hour!

Update 2: As of 12:30, the following routes remain open for travel to and from the Town of Sand Lake:
* State Route 150 North toward North Greenbush
* Best Road to North Greenbush
* State Route 151 to East Greenbush

Update: Sand Lake has declared a 24 hour State of Emergency from 10:00 am today.

A State of Emergency has been declared in Rensselaer County and residents are urged to avoid non-essential travel due to flood conditions throughout the county.

This was Route 43 around 8:30am just before the Parker School as you head out of town. It has since gotten worse and cars are being turned around.  Post your updates and photos in the comments below.

12/07/2026

250 Year Celebration ♥️🇺🇸💙

29/06/2026

Wednesday, July 1, is the launch day for our Hannaford Community Bag Program partnership! Throughout July 2026, when you purchase a reusable Community Bag for $2.50 at the Hannaford located at 3703 NY Highway 43, West Sand Lake, NY, $1 will be donated to The Sand Lake Historical Society.

To make the most of this opportunity, we strongly encourage you to share this news with your friends and family. Make sure everyone knows to look for Community Bags on display racks in our West Sand Lake store this month.

For more information about this program, please visit hannaford.2givelocal.com.

Thank you for your support!

29/04/2026

SAND LAKE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HISTORIC DRIVING TOUR 2026

Sand Lake Day
Saturday, May 2, 2026

Where does it start?
At Sand Lake Center for the Arts

When does it start?
Anytime from 10am to 4pm

Please join us for the Sand Lake Historical Society’s 2026 Historic Driving Tour! Your self-driving tour will feature 25 stops highlighting aspects of town history. This is SLHS’s tenth historic tour and the 50th anniversary of our first, celebrating the bicentennial in 1976. This is a DRIVING tour: houses will not be open and we expect participants to be respectful of homes and properties.

Visit our booth in the parking lot at
Sand Lake Center for the Arts
2880 NY-43
Averill Park, NY
For your tour booklet

What does it cost?
The tour booklet is free for members.
A $5 donation is suggested for folks who are not yet members

20/04/2026

Upcoming presentations of interest to SLHS members

Sunday, April 26, 2026
Sand Lake Center for the Arts/Circle Theatre Players
Join SLCA for their annual art gallery auction and reception.
This year’s theme is birds!
2 to 4 p.m. at Sand Lake Center for the Arts
Place your final bids before the winners are announced!

Saturday, May 2nd is SAND LAKE DAY
The Sand Lake Historical, partnering with Veterans of Sand Lake, will have a booth at Sand Lake Center for the Arts.
We will also be sponsoring a Historic Driving Tour. Stop by our booth for more information and a map!
Map and information at https://discoversandlake.org/sandlakeday/

Tuesday, May 12, 2026
7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom at Sand Lake Town Hall

Digging up old Bottles
Bottle and glass collector Randy Hammond shares with us his enjoyment of collecting. Mr. Hammond, a resident of Greenfield, NY, has been collecting for almost 60 years. He often finds glass treasures in old dumps. Randy has molten glass in his blood, growing up near the Saratoga Glassworks in Mt Pleasant, NY where one of his relatives was employed as a glassblower. The Saratoga Glassworks existed at the same time that our glass factory on Glass Lake existed.

Bring in those old bottles that you found in the attic when you moved into your old house for him to examine. Find out what glass is currently desirable in the collector market. Randy will bring some examples from his collection to share.

Do you have a topic or event that you think might make for a good presentation?
We would be very interested to hear your ideas. Please come to the meeting on May 12th!

11/03/2026

Absolutely wonderful presentation tonight, Scott Connors had some very old typewriters to show. Very interesting talk about all of these typewriters 🧐

24/02/2026

Upcoming Presentation

Tuesday March 10, 2026
7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom at Sand Lake Town Hall
8428 NY 66, Sand Lake, NY

Please note: all presentations are open to the public and free to SLHS members.
A $5 donation is suggested for non-members

“Typewriters are Coming Back”, An informative and historical talk on typewriters featuring Scott Connors of the Stephentown Typewriter Co. See a display of historical machines including one signed by Tom Hanks! Hope to see you there!

Scott Connors of the Stephentown Typewriter Company has been collecting, repairing and selling typewriters for over 15 years. His talk will consist of the history of the typewriter, how it got its name, and its progress over the years. Find out about the rebirth of the typewriter after its decline in recent years.

Besides his interest in typewriters, Scott is a published author, musician, and classic car enthusiast (owner of a 1930 Ford Model A coupe). He will talk about various writers, what machines they use, and will have several machines as samples for folks to examine. Learn about why he likes writing on a typewriter. Discover his typewriter connections with Tom Hanks, President Ulysses S. Grant and singer Zach Lane Bryan.

04/02/2026

February 10, 2026
7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom at Sand Lake Town Hall
Local author and longtime Sand Lake resident, Tedi Toca will discuss her new novel, “Lizzie’s Word Machine”
Join 17-year-old Lizzie as she moves to the area in 1923 with only a suitcase and her family’s prize possession, an early Royal typewriter. Tedi Toca tells the story of a young woman’s coming of age at a time when society insists a woman’s place is in the home.
Learn how the author researched local history as well as the publishing process she went through. As the youngest member to join the Sand Lake Historical Society when it was formed, history is in her blood.
Please note: all presentations are open to the public and free to SLHS members.
A $5 donation is suggested for non-members