This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Baker of Fort Orange Finds Holiday Luck in Giving
In 1655 at Fort Orange in the Rensselaerwyck colony, baker Volckert Jan Peterson Van Amsterdam faces a failed oven and fickle customers until Saint Nicolas appears in a dream visit. The saint advises sharing extras with every dozen, transforming misfortune into prosperity as the shop fills with warmth and generosity. The tale cements the idea that twelve plus one brings luck.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rensselaerwyck
Niew Nederlandt
West Bank
The
Hudson
Fort Orange
Volckert Jan Peterson van Amsterdam
Nicolaus
Baas
Jan van Amsterdam