Letter to the Editor First published: Monday, April 2, 2001

Albany officials should preserve city's history

As your March 25 editorial, "Albany's Two Faces,'' pointed out, our city is in grave danger of losing its ties to our past. Some 4,000 people visited the site of an 18th-century distillery over a recent weekend. This site was unearthed for archaeological study, only to be reburied. Soon, the site, with its heritage tourism potential and educational opportunities, will be forever out of reach and the city Albany will boast yet another parking garage.

This is just one example of the ideological struggle that the city is facing. Projects that will have a significant impact on the character of our city for decades to come are being rushed through. A strategic plan for stewardship of our historic resources is nowhere in sight. 

Unfortunately, Albany's history -- which belongs to the ages -- is being sacrificed for short-term business needs. It is ironic that the distillery itself is emblematic of an earlier period in our history marked by business needs run amok. The triangle trade route that we all learned about in history books relied on slaves brought westward from Africa, and sugar and molasses from the Caribbean, which was made into rum in the colonies. This resulted in great wealth for a few European traders, and untold misery for many others.

Albany's distillery site, while small in comparison to the great industrial complexes of the 20th century, should serve as a reminder of how even seemingly small choices we make can change the lives of those around us. It is time for Albany's elected officials to begin making the right choices, and to implement a plan to preserve our history before it's too late.

COLLEEN M. RYAN
Albany