He predicted the world would end by fire on June 8, 1816. It snowed.
Join Duncan Crary on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in the River Bar at Ryan’s Wake Public House for a lively evening celebrating one of Troy’s most well dressed and peculiar founding characters — his great-great-great-great grandfather, Benjamin Gorton.
Duncan Crary, left, with Times Union Columnist Paul Grondahl, right.
“Two hundred and ten years ago, my great-great-great-great grandfather Benjamin Gorton told everyone in Troy (and Thomas Jefferson) that the world was going to end by fire on precisely on June 8, 1816…
The world did not end on that day and in fact it snowed. My ancestor was epically, hilariously wrong in his forecast.
There’s a lot more to the story of Benjamin Gorton. So I am inviting everyone to join me at Ryan’s Wake Public House in the River Bar on Tuesday June, 9 2026, the day after the world did not end, for an exhibit about and a toast to Benjamin Gorton.”
— Duncan Crary
