Past Guest Speakers 2020
February 5 – Tobe Carey – Screening of "Rails to the Catskills"
RAILS TO THE CATSKILLS, by filmmaker Tobe Carey, is a history of the dynamic railroad industry in the Catskills of New York State. Catskill railroads have roots in the canals of the 1820's and the post-Civil War railroad boom. This film explores railroading in the Northern and Southern Catskill Mountains of New York State, beginning with the era before railroads, when the Delaware & Hudson Canal reigned. Improvements in rail transportation led to the rapid growth of passenger and freight service throughout the Catskills, and introduced no fewer than seven individual railroad companies to the Mountains. Among those lines covered in the film are the Canajoharie & Catskill Railroad, the New York, Ontario & Western Railway, the Ulster & Delaware Railroad, the Catskill Mountain Railway and the Otis Elevating Railway, the Wallkill Valley Railroad, the West Shore Railroad, the Delaware & Ulster Railroad, and the Catskill Mountain Railroad.
For a preview, you can watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/railstothecatskills/199446632
Please note: this Special Event is NOT occurring on the first Wednesday of the Month, but on Thursday, February 27, 2020.
Also, it will be held at the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz's Jewish Community Center, 30 North Chestnut, New Paltz, NY”
This Special Event is Co-Sponsored by the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz and The New Paltz Historical Society.
February 27 – Susan Stessin-Cohn – Hidden Heritage
“Hidden Heritage” is the title of a talk by Susan Stessin-Cohn, in honor of Black History Month. Susan will present the story of the Reverend James Murphy, who was born into slavery as the illegitimate child of Jane, the bi-racial slave of David Johnston. James Murphy was condemned to a life of secrecy during an age when being of African descent meant a life of persecution and discrimination.
Past Guest Speakers 2019
February 6 – Bill Merchant – The History of the DePuy Tavern
In the years before the Delaware and Hudson Canal came to High Falls, NY, Simeon Depuy was operating a tavern in the stone house that has since borne his name. In 1827, with the canal beginning operations, Simeon deeded the property to his son Jacob, who constructed an addition to the building, and opened a store there, to capitalize on the canal traffic. In 1850, the D&H Canal Company acquired the building and maintained its offices there until 1898. The structure is closely linked to the canal era, and was recently purchased by the D&H Canal Historical Society, and will soon become the new home of that Society's museum.
March 6 – Ron Knapp - Forgotten: Covered Bridges of the Mid-Hudson Region
Ronald G. Knapp, co-author of the book "America’s Covered Bridges," will present an illustrated lecture titled, "Forgotten: Covered Bridges of the Mid-Hudson Region." Covered bridges are a fascination for many, and our area had a history of many covered bridges, and Ron Knapp will tell us their stories, featuring photos of still existing, as well as long-gone, covered bridges from our area.
April 3 – Bob Ulrich - The Story of Chief Daniel Nimham
This tale of Chief Daniel Nimham, the Chief of all the Wappingers natives, spans three major periods of American history: the early Dutch days, (before the British took over), the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War. When the Revolutionary War started, he, along with his adult son Abraham, joined the fight on the colonists' side, hoping it would be their way to reclaim their lands if the Americans won. Unfortunately, his dream ended with his death on the battlefield.
May 1 – Gerry Pallor & Steve Bell – Outdoor Art and Athletics
Videographer Gerry Pallor and cameraman / photographer Stephen Bell have been documenting these activities and the people who make them happen since the 1970’s. The evening will include the first local screening of “Stone Wallah” a half-hour documentary about Opus 40. They will also show selected shorts from an extensive menu.
June 5 – Rik Rydant – Father Devine in the Hudson Valley
Father Divine, also known as the Reverend Major Jealous Divine, was an African America spiritual leader. In the early 1930's, he founded the multiracial church, the International Peace Mission Movement. Father Divine established his “Peace Missions” in Ulster County, which he called the “Promised Land,” the first Promised Land property was purchased in New Paltz in 1935. He was remained in the area until the 1940's, when he relocated to the Philadelphia area, where the church is still active.
July 3 – Steve Ladin - Ulster County Railroads
The story of the railroads of Ulster County is multi-faceted. It's about the machinery, the people associated with the railroads, the owners, managers, workers and passengers, the infrastructure, the buildings, bridges and the physical elements essential to the operations. Major players in our county were the Ulster and Delaware Railroad and the New York Central, and will be featured in this talk.
August – No Meeting
For 149 years, from 1823 to 1963, the Catskill Mountain House stood atop the Catskill High Peaks as a symbol of the Gilded Age. The story of the rise and fall of the Catskill Mountain House is a compelling tale of steamboat and railroad empires, bitter rivalries, exclusive private preserves, fabulous art and picturesque landmarks that celebrated the Catskills as part of the American "Grand Tour" and as America's "First Wilderness."
October 2 – Susan Lewis –The Mystery of Emma Waite
The “Emma Waite Diary” is an intriguing document, written by an African-American domestic servant and hotel cook who worked in Saratoga and New York City. Recorded on the pages of a small, leather-bound, printed daybook for 1870, it chronicles a single year in the life of this otherwise unknown individual. Illness, injuries, bitter cold, exhausting work, headaches, unemployment, deadening heat, and racial discrimination plague Waite’s months in Saratoga.
Anthony Musso is a journalist and weekly columnist with Gannett Newspapers Poughkeepsie Journal, and is the author of seven books. Of particular interest to members of local historical societies, his 3 volume set, "Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley," is the basis for this talk. Part One features 55 sites throughout the Hudson Valley region of New York that, while not widely known boast significant ties to, among other things the American Revolution, early American industry and local and national politics. The sites covered in the first volume, and the subjects of this talk, are specifically in the Mid-Hudson region, basically in Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia and Orange counties.
Just in time for the Holiday Season, we welcome Reynolds Scott-Childress for an enlightening presentation on Colonial Christmas celebrations, and how they evolved into the traditions we know now. The title of his talk, “Cross-Dressing, Misrule, and Mayhem: Christmas before Santa in Colonial America," will paint a different picture of how the season was celebrated in those days of yore.