The Troy Ingersoll Society, later renamed the Troy Secular Society, had at least one member from Lansingburgh: taxidermist William Gibson. It was named for Robert Green Ingersoll, who was a famous agnostic lecturer in his day and popular even with those who did not share his beliefs. The Robert Ingersoll Birthplace Museum calls him "the most famous person you've never heard of."
—William Robinson [sic] of Lansingburgh will lecture at Keenan hall to-morrow afternoon before the Ingersoll secular society, on "Natural history.""City Notes."
Troy Daily Times. June 13, 1885: 3 col 2.—Wm. Gibson, the 'burgh taxidermist, probably knows as much about birds, insects and reptiles, as many men of larger scientific pretensions. He lectured on the subject before the Ingersoll Secular Society of Troy Sunday, and has been invited to repeat the address at their hall to-morrow afternoon."Amusements."
Lansingburgh Courier. June 13, 1885: 3 col 4.The Albany and Troy liberal associations will hold a picnic near West Albany next Sunday.
Albany Times. June 19, 1885: 3 col 3.
FOURTH OF JULY WITH THE TROJANS.The beautiful holiday came with its thousand flags, its innumerable crackers, and all that noise which goes to show that Young America is still alive and has great faith in sound and explosion as a conclusiv proof that we are a free people. However, Fourth of July comes but once a year, and let us make the most of it and get all the glory we can. We hav a good deal to boast of, although liberty is not yet fully enthroned in the laws of the land. Hope is still bright, and we can keep step to the music of the Union.I spent this holiday with our Liberal friends at Troy, and I must confess that it was a glorious Fourth indeed—enriched by companionship with those who hav the "divine discontent," and from the present look forth to a nobler future. [...]Morning and afternoon we had delightful drives about Troy and the vicinity with Mr. Wade, Mr. Nelson Gardner, a solid worker in our own ranks, and Mr. Goodfellow, and a good fellow he is, too, full of scientific information, a born skeptic, and an inventiv Liberal. He recently gav a lecture before the Secular Union on "A Journey to the Moon," which was illustrated by drawings, and was quite entertaining. With these choice spirits, the glorious sunshine, the music, and the noise of ten thousand crackers, and a spanking team, of course, we had a memorable Fourth of July.We first went to Lansingburg, a nice, quiet, old-fashioned town, scarcely disturbed by the busy railroad or canal. Here we called upon Mr. Armstrong, of the Park House; Mr. Edward Matthews, and William Gibson. The latter is a taxidermist, and his wonderful collection of birds and all sorts of animals is a delight to the eye and is like having a glimpse of nature's own wealth, so life-like are the preservations.From Lansingburg we went to Cohoes, the Lowell of New York state, looked at the Falls, the big mills, the dams and the bright and winding Mohawk, glancing to the broad Hudson. Here, we called upon Mr. Sessions, Mr. T. P. Hildreth, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Samuel Page, all brave soldiers of humanity, and last, but not least, Peter Grand-Jean, whose hearty grasp of the hand and Atlantean shoulders made us feel that he would bear with us the brunt of many a battle. We met, also, Mrs. Campbell Wilson, the widow of Mr. Campbell Wilson, of Paterson, N. J., who, in his lifetime, was such a strenuous upholder of Liberalism.Returning in the afternoon, we visited Oakwood Cemetery, a lovely city of the dead, on high hills overlooking the Hudson. Far off could be seen the noble Catskills melting into the lazy distance. We could see Albany with its immense capitol building—Troy, Green Island, Lansingburg, Waterford, Cohoes, embracing a population of three or four hundred thousand, and destined to become one of the greatest industrial centers in the whole country, and affording a magnificent field for the progress of Freethought.Our day's outside pleasure of traveling through this varied country was wound up with a little sociable home gathering at evening, with music, etc. Mr. Warren Gardner gave us
"The Ingersoll March," and that afforded a pleasant and inspiring close to our patriotic celebration, and we slept soundly until the Sunday morning bells began to peal.In the afternoon there was a good gathering of Troy friends, and I gave a lecture, or a talk, rather, on the "New Heaven and Earth." Mr. McDonough, of Albany, followed with a brilliant address in the same line of thought, and Mr. Howard Williams gave us some genial and interesting criticisms.I cannot forget our amiable friend M. A. Morrissey, who feeds both the inner and the outer man, a scholar and a gentleman, knightly and gracious, who can wield a keen sword when the combat deepens in behalf of human liberty.S. D. Jeffers, president of the Troy Secular Union, takes hold of his work with the enthusiasm of youth, and his contributions to our Liberal papers shows that, with study, he will use an available pen for our cause.Mr. Charles McNaughton, Mr. William Wittenberg, and others, are earnest members of the society, and I was pleased to shake hands with them in this noble fellowship. I was glad, also, to meet our good friend Hiram Wilber, of Green Island, and his wife, who are enthusiastic radicals; who like to see the world move on and are ever ready to join the ranks of war.In the evening I went down to Albany. They are having some rousing meeting there and hav entered upon a wide field of practical discussion, as will be seen by the following: [...]The entire discussion was valuable and instructiv, and shows that Liberalism is ready to deal squarely with these great issues of the day.Again we greeted our friends McCabe, Luck, Strevor, Waldfillig, and others, and after an hour or two of social festivity we returned to our couch, and by the magic of the nineteenth century awoke in New York, fresh as a lark, with happy memories and bright hopes, and the music of human progress ringing in our soul. SAMUEL P. PUTNAM.
The Truth Seeker. July 11, 1885. 444. [Idiosyncratic spelling style of the periodical ("hav") replicated here.]