You can visit the gravestone of real-life Solomon Northup's father in Hudson Falls, NY - just about an hour from Troy or 40 minutes from Saratoga Springs.

You see, the man who went on to write a book about his time in slavery (which is now an acclaimed piece of literature transformed into an award winning movie) lived for a time in Hebron, NY, not far from the Vermont border and later moved to Saratoga Springs. He was married in Fort Edward and, when he was freed once again from slavery, he lived with family in Glens Falls, according to Wikipedia.

While I was unaware of the local ties  until this weekend, The Saratogian has written a few stories about the Capital District- Saratoga connection. For example, the third Sunday of July has been proclaimed Solomon Northup Day in Saratoga Springs.

You can see a historical marker about Northup in front of the Saratoga Springs Visitors Center on Broadway.

There are also a couple of references to Troy and other local communities in the film which has already won Best Motion Picture for a Drama at the Golden Globes.