Fall 2011_Messg_2.2 Final copy - Greene County Historical Society

The Messenger
Spring 2014
MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTER
OF THE
G R E E N E C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y, I N C .
Charles E. Dornbusch, first
librarian of the Vedder
Research Library in the
original library.
Vedder Research Library Celebrates 50 Years
Also in this edition: A Schedule of
Story on page 9.
Events for the Bronck Museum’s 2014 Season.
Letter from the President
Greene County Historical Society
Board of Trustees
Dear Members & Friends:
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS of being President is presenting the
“thank you” gifts to the volunteers at the volunteer recognition day
event, which was held this year at the Annual Meeting on May 3.
Volunteers make up the lifeblood of the Society. Volunteers include
the Trustees and Officers of the Society, members of the various
committees and those that give countless hours to the Vedder
Research Library and Bronck Museum. We could not function without our volunteers.
The Society also has paid staff who perform well: A full time
Curator for the Bronck Museum; a part-time Museum Assistant; a
part-time Librarian and Archivist for the Vedder Research Library; a
part time Operations Manager for the Society; and two part-time
caretakers responsible for the care of the grounds and buildings.
However, the Society has a limited ability to hire additional staff and
as well as the paid staff perform, they cannot do all the work that
needs to be done.
Volunteers perform functions so that the Society can operate as a
first class historical society. Among the things volunteers do are:
• Investigate, read and study primary source materials on local history for the Library and possibly write an article for the Society’s
Historical Journal.
• Bake new and different items for the events at the Bronck
Museum using historic recipes and cooking techniques.
• Monitor and assist children at special tours and activities for children at the Bronck Museum.
• Work with the Historic Register Committee to gather information
about historic houses and sites in the County.
• Work at the Bronck Museum events selling tickets, serving
refreshments, directing visitors and describing the site to visitors.
• Enter data from primary historical documents into the Vedder
Research Library’s computer files.
• Greet visitors and sell items at the Bronck Museum Gift Shop or
Trading Post.
As you can see volunteers have an important part to play in the
Society. Please consider volunteering in some capacity at GCHS and
maybe next year we can recognize you as a volunteer at our Annual
Recognition Day event.
Sincerely,
Bob Hallock, President,
Greene County Historical Society, Inc.
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
Joseph Warren, Chairman
Robert Hallock, President
Jim Planck, Vice President
David Dorpfeld, Treasurer
Thomas Satterlee, Financial Secretary
Ann Hallock, Recording Secretary
Christine Byas
Robert D’Agostino
Karen Deeter
Wanda Dorpfeld
Harvey Durham
W. Bradford Ellis
Karla Flegel
Rick Hanse
Stefania Jozic
Emily Dorpfeld Kunchala
John Dickinson May
Regina McGrath
Richard Muggeo
Dennis O’Grady
John Quinn
Barbara Spataro
Denise Warren
Staff
Shelby Mattice, Bronck Museum Curator
Jennifer Barnhart, Operations Manager
Linda Hunt, VRL Librarian
Jason & Amanda O’Donnell, Caretakers
The Messenger
Published Semi-annually by
The Greene County Historical Society, Inc.
PO Box 44, Coxsackie, NY 12051
The Bronck Museum: 518.731.6490
Vedder Research Library: 518.731.1033
http://www.gchistory.org/
Jennifer Barnhart, Editor
David &Wanda Dorpfeld, Copy Editors
Contributors
Jean Bush, David Dorpfeld, Karla Flegel,
Robert Hallock, Linda Hunt, Shelby Mattice,
Jim Planck, Barbara Spataro, Tom Satterlee
Regina Daly from the DAR presents
Bob Hallock with a check for $350.
PAG E 2
38th Annual Tour of Homes
2015 GCHS Calendar
THE GREENE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY will
hold its 38th Annual Tour of Homes in the Town of
Catskill on Saturday, June 7th from 10am to 4pm.
Each year, this popular tour highlights the
architectural and historical aspects of a different
town or area in Greene county. Last year’s tour
focused on the Towns of Lexington and Hunter for
the bicentennial years of both towns. This year, we
move to the High Falls/Kiskatom area.
You won’t have to stop for cows in the road as part of the
Greene County Historical Society’s 38th Annual Tour of
Homes on June 7th, but you will see beautiful scenery
and visit homes of distinction and history.
Tour sites will be located along the winding scenic courses of the Katterskill Kiskatom creeks, and
provide an opportunity to enjoy the historic architecture and hidden beauty of a little traveled portion of Greene County.
The tour will be held rain or shine. Tickets can
be purchased the day of the tour for $25 and are
also available for $20 in advance. To reserve advance
sale tickets, send a check payable to GCHS to:
Greene County Historical Society, P.O. Box 44,
Coxsackie, NY 12051. Advance sale tickets will be
distributed the day of the tour. Reservations must
be received by June 4th.
Proceeds from the sale of the tour tickets support the Greene County Historical Society, Bronck
Museum and Vedder Research Library.
Surprise General Store, town of Greenville.
Note the SOCONY gas pump on the left.
MOST OF US REMEMBER the first vehicle we
drove. Whether it belonged to our parents or was
our own purchase, it needed fuel and repairs.
Many of us reminisce about those vehicles but not
often about where they were serviced.
The local family-operated general store was a
place where belts, batteries, etc. could be purchased, as well as gas from the one pump or two
pumps that stood outside. The store frequently
contained the post office and served as a place for
catching up on the local news. It was also often a
place where card and checker games were enjoyed.
These nostalgic places progressed into the family run garages certified to handle inspections.
Motorized racks could hoist up the vehicle for
examination, oil change, or lubrication, and various machines helped diagnose glitches in our
motors. Most had a few pumps to sell gasoline but,
in later years, many of them stopped selling fuel.
Both new and used vehicles were sometimes sold at
these establishments.
Eventually many evolved into specialized corporate chains or massive dealerships where we now
purchase our automobiles. In the dealerships,
service for your vehicle and conversation in the
waiting room are still carried on but the gas pumps
have disappeared.
The Greene County Historical Society hopes
you will enjoy this evolution in Greene County
when you reminisce turning the pages of our 2015
calendar.
The color calendar is $19.95. It will be available for sale after Sept 1st at the Museum and
Library.
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
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A Celebration of Community Spirit
Association Day at
Bronck Museum
Remember what you know about the Boston Tea
Party? Men dressed as Indians heaving crates, are
you sure they used crates, of tea bags into the harbor. No, wait, that’s silly there weren’t tea bags back
in the day. Correct, but those “crates” didn’t contain
loose tea either. So in what form did tea arrive in
America in the 1770s? If you visit Bronck Museum
on the afternoon of Sunday, May 18th we’ll be
happy to serve you some suitably patriotic tea and
answer that question for you.
Each May the Bronck Museum hosts Association
Day to celebrate the signing of the famous Coxsackie
Plan of Association. Two hundred and thirty-nine
years ago in the spring of 1775, two hundred twenty
members of the Coxsackie and Catskill communities
were about to make a risky move. They had been
motivated in part by the patriotic zeal of Reverend
Johannes Schuneman to publicly associate themselves by their signatures to a statement of grievances against the British government and vowing
their opposition to “. . . the Execution of several
arbitrary and oppressive Acts of the British parliament”. This year’s community celebration of the
courage and Revolutionary spirit of the signers will
be bigger and better. We’ve added period games and
activities for the youngest patriots, a tea tasting, an
intimate glimpse into lady’s fashion of the 1770s,
and black powder demonstrations. Of course the
Reverend Schuneman will be on hand to persuade
you to take up the quill and sign the Coxsackie Plan
of Association. A contingent of the Continental
Marines will set up camp, and there will be live
Revolutionary War Music. The festivities take place
between 12:30 and 4pm on Sunday May 18th. All
museum buildings and exhibit areas will be open,
and admission is free. Please join us for a lively celebration of community and liberty.
Local girl earns Girl Scout Silver Award
at the Bronck Museum
As a Cadette Girl Scout working toward her Silver Award,
Brianna Melick of New Baltimore
chose as her project to document
the Bronck Museum’s 350th
birthday celebration from a young
person’s perspective. The celebration was held at the beginning of
the 2013 season to commemorate
the 350th anniversary of the 1663
stone house. Attended by over 500
people the event involved a daylong celebration including the
opening of the new ice harvesting
exhibit, 350 cupcakes, a guest
appearance by our own resident
beaver, fife and drum music, and
many activities for children. It
was also attended by dignitaries
including Assemblyman Peter
Lopez, Wayne Speenburgh –
Chairman of the Greene County
Legislature and a representative
from State Senator Cecelia
Tkaczyk's office. Brianna put
together a video and a library of
photos for the Bronck Museum’s
records so that future generations
can view the celebration from the
perspective of a young person.
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
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Some of
Brianna’s
pictures
taken at the
350th
Birthday
Celebration
2014 GCHS Schedule of Events
May 18 Association Day, You’re invited to
join a spirited celebration of the American
Revolution. Live music, costumed interpreters,
military demonstrations, reenactment of the
signing of the Coxsackie Plan of Association, tea
tasting, early games and hands on activities for
children, secrets from a lady’s closet, 50th
anniversary celebration at the Vedder Research
Library and much more. 12:30-4pm, Free
May 24
Bronck Museum Opens Museum
Hours: Wed-Fri 12-4, Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4. Last tour
leaves at 3:30pm daily. Closed Monday and
Tuesday except holiday Mondays which include
Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.
GCHS Members free
Ask Shelby
Q. Did Pieter Bronck speak
Dutch?
A. We hope so since his wife was
a Dutch speaker. Pieter’s native
language was Swedish, but as a
sailor he may have had a passing
acquaintance with a variety of
languages encountered on shipboard. Given the maritime dominance of the Netherlands in the
Atlantic world of the 1600s some
understanding of the Dutch language would likely have been
necessary for a sailor to make his
way. Once established in New
Netherland where Dutch was the
official language of government,
the church and paramount in
commerce Pieter certainly needed to have a functional mastery
of the Dutch language.
In 1664 when the Dutch ceded
control of their colonies in North
America to England the official
language
became
English.
Wealthy urban Dutch families
transitioned to English first. In
outlying rural communities populated by Dutch speaking families like the Broncks it would be
well over a century before the
daily use of spoken Dutch would
be totally abandoned. The eighth
President Martin Van Buren
born in 1782 to a venerable
Dutch speaking family from
Kinderhook in upstate New York
was the first American President
whose native language was not
English. A Dutch translation of
the proposed U.S. Constitution
was circulated in Albany in the
late 1780s. As time passed the
“Dutch” spoken in America
diverged from the standard
Dutch
spoken
in
the
Netherlands. The patois Dutch
spoken in the upper Hudson
Valley included along with
German influences a significant
number of elements taken from
the
surrounding
Native
American languages. Linguists
categorize this patois as Mohawk
Dutch. Many Dutch descended
families who proudly perpetuated the use of what they understood as their ancestral language
would have had a hard time
being understood in Holland.
Newly arrived ministers from
Holland posted to Reformed
Dutch churches on this side of
the Atlantic often couldn’t
understand their “Dutch” speaking parishioners. Linguists
believe that the daily use of
Dutch in America disappeared
by the 1830s, that said there was
an extinct dialect of Dutch still
in use in the early 1900s in portions of Bergen and Passaic
counties in New Jersey.
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
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June 7
38th Annual Tour of Homes to be
held in Kiskatom & High Falls. 10am-4pm,
Tickets $25, advanced sale tickets $20.
June 12 John Ham Book Signing 7pm,
Vedder Research Library, Admission Free
June 22 Bronck Family at Home in the
English Colony of New York, Join a costumed
guide to explore the impact of English rule on
traditional Dutch family life. Tours begin at 1pm,
2pm & 3pm, Adults $7, Members/Children $3.50
July 13 Bronck Family at Home in the
English Colony of New York, Join a costumed
guide to explore the impact of English rule on
traditional Dutch family life. Tours begin at 1pm,
2pm & 3pm, Adults $7, Members/Children $3.50
Aug 2
By the Light of the Silvery Moon,
the pleasures & perils of the night life in times
past, period refreshments & entertainment.
7:30pm, Adults $8, Members & Children $4
Aug 17
Bronck Family at Home in the
English Colony of New York, Join a costumed
guide to explore the impact of English rule on
traditional Dutch family life. Tours begin at 1pm,
2pm & 3pm, Adults $7, Members/Children $3.50
Sept 14 Bronck Family at Home in the
English Colony of New York, Join a costumed
guide to explore the impact of English rule on
traditional Dutch family life. Tours begin at 1pm,
2pm & 3pm, Adults $7, Members/Children $3.50
Oct 5
Heritage Craft Fair, exhibit & sale of
traditional American crafts, live music, food,
silent auction, wagon rides. 12–5pm, Admission
Free
Oct 15
Bronck Museum closes for regular
season tours0
Oct 25
A Great Sorrow, An early American
funeral. Tours begin at 4pm, 4:45pm & 5:30pm,
Adults $7, Members $3.50.
Nov 15 & 16 Chilly Willy Winter’s Eve Tours,
cold season tour with costumed guide. 11am, 1pm
& 3pm each day, Adults $8, Members $4
Penny Candy and Pickled Eggs
If you were
born before 1950 and lived in the
country perhaps you can remember when both
penny candy and pickled eggs were for sale from
huge glass jars given pride of place on the worn
wooden counter of a country store. Over, under,
along, and behind the counter were barrels, crates,
boxes, crocks, burlap bags, and shelves bulging and
bowing under the weight of the bewildering variety
of needful goods being offered for sale. These small
retail outposts once served rural communities everywhere. Around 1860 Elisha Austin opened a “general merchandise” store in the hamlet of Grapeville
located in the township of New Baltimore in northeastern Greene County. The Grapeville Store had
several proprietors over the next century or so. From
time to time there was even competition when other
stores opened in Grapeville. The hey day of the store
came during the 1930s and 1940s when it was owned
by Ezra and Harold Winn. The Grapeville Store
proved to be one of the longest surviving general
merchandise stores in eastern Greene County. Alas,
not even the most prosperous country stores could
survive the arrival of grocery store chains and automobiles. In 1966 Harold and Goldie Winn donated
much of the store’s remaining equipment and furnishings to the Greene County Historical Society.
The building which houses the Grapeville Store
exhibit is being refurbished. In time we are hoping to
develop an interactive program in conjunction with
this exhibit. We could use some help in expanding
the scope of the exhibit. If you have photos of the
interior or exterior of any Greene County country
store we would like to get in contact with you. If you
have any kind of merchandise container you would
like to donate that has a legible label which specifically identifies the contents as having been manufactured in Greene County or sold under the label of a
country store that operated in the county please give
the Bronck Museum a call at 518-731-6490.
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
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Education
Programs
Summer is Special
at the Bronck Museum
IF SPRING IS HERE can summer be far behind? The arrival of
summer marks the beginning of a
season spanning calendar of special events at Bronck Museum.
Perhaps the most unique of
this season’s events will be the
popular Bronck Family at Home
series which begins on Sunday,
June 22nd. This season’s tours
will take place in the 1685 wing of
the Bronck house. The whole
1685 wing has been undergoing
much needed restoration and stabilization and has not been open
for public viewing for some time.
The attic of the 1685 wing has
not been open for decades. As the
restoration winds down we will
begin the installation of a new
furnishing plan which, when
complete, will involve the first
floor rooms of both the 1663
stone house and its 1685 wing
with the goal of creating more
appropriate interiors for these
rooms. On one Sunday afternoon
each month from June to
September the public is invited to
join a costumed guide on a journey through both time and space.
Discover how Dutch family life
accommodated cultural change
over time. Take advantage of a
rare opportunity to watch work
in progress as the rooms are
transformed into the sort of living space that would have been
appropriate during the life time
of Pieter Bronck’s son and
grandson in the English Colony
of New York. The Bronck Family
at Home programs will be offered
at 1, 2 and 3pm on Sunday, June
22nd, July 13th, August 17th,
and September 14th.
Of course there are other special events scheduled for 2014 at
Bronck Museum. Make plans to
join us for an enchanted evening
under the “silvery” August
moon. Come again in the fall
when the Bronck houses surrounded by the rich colors of the
fall foliage provide a particularly
striking setting for early
October’s Heritage Craft Fair, a
Dutch funeral follows in late
October, and the “Chilly Willy
Winter’s Eve” festivities in midNovember.
Visit www.gchistory.org, like
us on Facebook or phone the
museum at 518-731-6490 for a
full calendar of special events.
Members receive discounted
admission to all special events at
Bronck Museum.
Entrance to 1685 addition
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
PAG E 7
Juanita Leisch Jensen presented a
program in March which focused on
the critical role of New York State
women during the Civil War.
THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
at GCHS has been busy planning
a full schedule of programs for
2014. In March, they recognized
National Women’s History
Month by honoring the late Dr.
Olga Santora PhD, a lifelong
advocate for reading and education and a former GCHS
President. In April, historical reenactor Clifford Oliver Mealy
portrayed “12 Years A Slave”
Solomon Northup, a man who
was kidnapped and sold into
slavery in 1841.
On June 12th at 7pm at the
Vedder
Research
Library,
Author John Ham will discuss
and sign his books relating to the
historical landscapes in the
Catskills which include; Those
Good Old Days in the Land of Rip
Van Winkle, One Hundred Years
on “Resort Ridge- The Legendary
Mountain Hotels of Northern
Catskills and Diesels To The High
Country New York Central's
Catskill Mountain Branch 19481976.
Fall programs will be
announced on the GCHS website
at www.gchistory.org.
New Librarian at the VRL
GCHS WELCOMES Linda Hunt
as librarian of the Vedder
Research Library. Linda brings
experience as a librarian,
archivist, and historical society/museum administrator, as well
as strong education credentials, to
her position as Vedder librarian.
Linda possesses a MLS degree
from the Palmer School of C.W.
Post College on Long Island and
holds an Archival Certificate and
Records Management Certificate
from there as well. In the past,
she has provided archival services
for private and corporate clients.
As director of the Cow Neck
Historical Society in Port
Washington, she was responsible
for both the historic house museum and library, overseeing collections, developing programming,
and supervising volunteers. Most
recently Linda held a librarian
position at Island Trees Public
Library in Levittown, NY.
She and her husband,
Harrison Hunt, who portrayed a
Civil War surgeon last year in a
New Acquisitions Cataloged at
The Vedder Research Library in 2013
program held at the Vedder
Research Library, moved to
Catskill in 2013. Linda came on
board last Fall and has been
familiarizing herself with the
library collection, learning more
about Greene County’s history,
and assisting researchers in their
quest for information. One of her
early efforts was gathering holiday ephemera from the library’s
collection for a special exhibit in
December, with assistance from
Harrison who has become a
library volunteer. She has been
finding treasures in the collection
to update the display cases each
month.
Please stop in to meet Linda.
when you have a moment. The
Library hours are 10am to 4pm.
on Tuesday and Wednesday and
9am to noon on Saturday, and the
phone number is (518)731-1033.
To sum up, Mrs. Hunt says “It
is a wonderful opportunity to be
able to work with this collection.”
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
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•
Genealogy and history books
(from Carol Lamb)
•
Greenville Central School District
Yearbooks from 1960, 1961 & 1963 (from Gayle
Palmer)
•
Photographs of John Wood and several
dictionaries (from Eberhard H. Volmar)
•
Voting records (from Hal Beaumont)
•
Powerpoint presentation on the
construction of Empire Merchants North
•
1892 Greene County Directory, Diaries,
1911 Ledger, Photo albums, Saxe Family Bible
(from the collections of William Van Vechten Jr.)
•
Rip Van Winkle, 1848 American Art Union
for 1848 subscribers (from David M. Thompson)
•
Renssalaerville Baptist Association Minutes
(from Robert & Marie Shaw)
•
DVD Seaman/Youmans pictures
(from Russell Youmans)
•
The Catskill Mountain House by Roland
VanZandt (from Rosemary E. Lambert)
•
Medway Christian Cemetery Association
Minutes 1946-1989, Medway Congregational
Christian Church Friday Night Club Minutes
1948-1949 (from Robert Hallock)
History of Greene County, New York 1788•
1884 (from Mary Beth Renard)
•
Reports to the Homefront Nov 1860-Dec
1861, Jan 1862-Dec 1862 & Jan 1863-Dec 1863
by Regina Daly
•
Miscellaneous ephemera from his mother’s
estate (from Anthony M. Appa)
•
Historical photographic materal including
work of photographer Lydia Faulkner of Cairo
NY, several panoramic photos, including one in
front of Catskill Armory (from William and Ruth
Day)
•
Menu from Skyline Restaurant and Terrace
Lodge in Catskill NY (from Plainfield/Guilford
Public Library in Indiana)
•
What’s Cookin in Catskill, NY, by Hose Co.
No. 1 Ladies Auxiliary c. 1971 (from Ann
Hallock)
•
Material from the Hickey family in Athens
NY (from Linda Hunt)
•
1927 Ledger (from Marie Kadlich)
•
Material from Catskill HS Chorus program
“Elijah” (from Harrison Hunt)
•
May God in his Mercy Spare Our Lives by
Sylvia Hasenkopf (from Cairo Historical Society)
•
Files on river men, resorts, real estate and
houses, 1774-1820 surveyor notes - Athens &
Madison mink patent papers, including photographs for early hairdressing appliances (from
Barbara Rivette)
•
An Orange was for Christmas by Anita
Lucretia West Thompson and Keep Smiling Business is Bood by Barbara Thompson (from
Barbara Tolley)
•
46 color photographs - two row wampum,
renewal campaign Flotilla from Albany to New
York City (from Richard Martin)
•
6 Christmas cards donated by the artist
from Greene County Scenes (from Marilyn Carl)
•
Charles Dornbusch family photographs
•
Catskill Mountain Railroad Survey
•
3 scrapbooks on Harvey/Ford family in
Athens
•
One bill from E&R Briggs in Coxsackie
c. 1870
•
Photograph of Charter Members & Officers
of Eastern Star 1903 1904 Catskill NO. 293
The Vedder Research Library
Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
MAY 2014 MARKS THE FIFTIETH anniversary of the
official opening of the Vedder Research Library of
the Greene County Historical Society. During this
commemorative year I invite the members of the
Society and the general public to visit the Library
and to take advantage of its extensive opportunities
for research in genealogy and local history. A librarian and specially trained volunteers will be on hand to
assist you.
An exhibit mounted in the Library’s display cases
will honor those dedicated individuals who shepherded the Library from a small presence in the Bronck
Museum to the full-fledged modern facility that is the
Vedder Research Library of today.
Linda Hunt, VRL Librarian
The first Vedder Research Librarian Charles E.
Dornbusch began his duties in September 1963 using
the loft of the 1663 stone house. In the spring of 1966,
the library was moved to a small renovated two-story
farm building (pictured above), now home to the
Bronck Museum’s Visitor Center Gallery.
In 1968 Raymond Beecher assumed the duties of
librarian. During the following years, the collection
grew and expanded to the second floor of the small
library and eventually into a second renovated farm
building on the property. As time passed it became
obvious that a larger library was needed. In March
1991, fundraising plans began and by May 1994 construction began on the new Vedder Research Library
and on May 7, 1995 the doors opened to the general
public.
October 1993 ground breaking ceremony for the new
Vedder Research Library.
The library was named for
the first Greene County
Historian Jessie Van Vechten
Vedder. She was also a founding member of the GCHS,
and is probably best known
for stopping the NYS
Department of
Transportation in the 1930s
from destroying the 18th century stone
bridge in Leeds.
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Greene History Notes
The Bronx Commemorates 375 Years
By David Dorpfeld, Greene
County Historian
Reprinted from newspapers in Greene County the
week of March 31, 2014
OVER THE YEARS I’ve writtenseveral columns about Pieter and
Jonas Bronck. Pieter is responsible for the erection of the Bronck
House 351 years ago. Jonas is
considered the founder of the
New York City borough called
the Bronx. There has been much
confusion about the relationship
of these two individuals – father
and son, brothers or cousins.
Both were Swedish and there is
strong evidence that they were
related.
I prefer to accept
research done by Shelby Mattice,
Curator of the Bronck Museum.
Ms. Mattice has concluded that
the two men were first cousins
and shared the same grandfather.
In this article I would like to
focus a bit on Jonas Bronck
because this year the Bronx is
commemorating
the
375th
anniversary of the year Jonas
first settled there.
Most sources are in agreement
that the newly married Jonas
Bronck and his wife arrived in
New Amsterdam (now New York
City) in June, 1639. He purchased about 500 acres from the
Native Americans on the southern tip of what is now the borough of the Bronx – hence the
derivation of the name. Here he
built a stone house and began to
clear the land for farming.
Unfortunately Jonas died in his
mid-40s around May of 1643, less
than four years after acquiring
the property. An inventory of
his processions at the time of
death has survived which tells
something about the man.
Buildings on the property were a
stone house with a tile roof, a
barn, two barracks for farm
employees, and a tobacco house.
The tally of Bronck’s livestock
was 25 animals of various kinds,
plus an uncounted number of
hogs, said to be running in near-
Jonas Bronck Center in Sweden
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
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by woods.
Jonas and his wife Teuntie
Jeuriaens had no children.
Shortly after Jonas died, she
married Arent Van Corlaer,
Commissioner of Rensselaerwyck
and moved with him to what is
now the Albany area.
The area of the borough of
the Bronx in New York City comprises over 50 square miles. How
the borough got its spelling is
somewhat of a mystery. One
explanation is contained in the
September 18, 1897 issue of the
“New York Daily News” which
reads as follows: “The termination of ‘x’ merely indicates the
possessive case. Instead of writing Bronck’s River, or Bronck’s
farm, the Dutch took the phonetic short-cut and made ‘X’ do the
duty for the fusion of ‘k’ and ‘s’;
extremely simple and a spacesaver too.” Of course they also
dropped the ‘c.’
Last week I was reading a history blog by Peter Feinman,
founder and President of the
Institute
of
History,
Archaeology, and Education, and
learned something new about
Jonas Bronck. It seems that
Jonas is not only revered in the
United States, but Sweden as
well. In Sävsjö, Sweden there is
an organization and center dedicated to the memory of Jonas
Bronck. Their website says:
“…we keep the memory of Jonas
Bronck alive in Sweden. Jonas
Bronck Center is a non-profit
organization.
We promote
tourism and create new jobs in
this part of Sweden, called
Småland. We aid and we foster
the historical research about the
region. Americans looking for
their Swedish roots can contact
us and we will assist them when it
comes to research, travel, guidance and sleepovers. The organization is housed in a massive
three story building with the Association” and the signers were
words “Jonas Bronck Center” not declaring independence – only
that they would support decisions
across the front.
made by the resistance moveJonas Bronck is not only
ment. That aside, the site presrevered in the Unites States, ents the full document along with
all the signers’ names which
but Sweden as well.
includes five members of the
The website points out that Bronck family. Other than the
this year “The Bronx will be 375 one page, there is no mention of
years old – an anniversary that Pieter Bronck or the rest of the
will be celebrated in New York as family that ended up in
well as in Sävsjö! The celebration Coxsackie.
While the website mentions a
in Sävsjö takes place August 29 31, 2014, with a delegation from delegation from New York City
New York City -- and the Jonas visiting Sweden this summer, it
Bronck Center will be officially does not say if Sweden will send
inaugurated. Please, keep an eye dignitaries to join planned festivion our News Page for the latest ties in the Bronx. If there are visitors, it might be nice if they
information.”
Another interesting thing stopped by the Bronck House as
about the website is a full page well. I may check into that.
devoted to what they call the
“Coxsackie
Declaration
of David Dorpfeld’s column, Greene History
Independence.” Actually it is Notes, appears weekly in the “Daily
correctly known as the “Plan of Mail,” “Windham Journal” and “Greene
County News.”
Travelers and Snowbirds
The Bank of Greene County
Box 470.
Catskill, NY 12414
Black Horse Farms
155 Fountain Flats Rd.
Coxsackie, NY 12051
C.A. Albright & Sons LLC
13640 Rt 9W
Hannacroix, NY 12087
Chalet Services, Inc.
3206 Route 81
Surprise, NY 12176
Christman’s Windham House Inc.
5742 Route 23
Windham, NY 12496
Coxsackie Antique Center
12400 Rt 9W
West Coxsackie, NY 12192
Coxsackie Transport
250 Mansion Street
Coxsackie, NY 12051
Dimensions North Ltd
112 William St.
Catskill, NY 12414
Greene County Septic Cleaners, Inc.
PO Box 29
Climax NY 12042
Hilscher & Hilscher,
Attorneys at Law
2 Franklin St.
Catskill NY 12414
Robert Ihlenburgh, PLS
451 E. Allen St.
Hudson, NY 12534
THE SOCIETY USES A NON-PROFIT mail permit to mail the
“Messenger” and “The Journal”. This saves a considerable amount on
postage — 18 cents versus 49 cents (1 oz) or 70 cents (over 1 oz).
The Post Office cannot forward the “Messenger” or “The Journal”
or hold it for more than 30 days. As a result, the items are returned to
us with postage due and marked “unable to forward’ or “temporarily
away”. When we remail the item, an additional 49 cents or 70 cents
must be paid, costing the Society a maximum of $1.58 for each of the
many returned mailings.
In the future, if you are planning on being away for more than 30
days, please let us know what your address will be so that address
adjustments can be made. This will eliminate unnecessary expense,
work, and ensure that you will receive material in a more timely manner. Thanks to those who have provided seasonal addresses and dates.
Temporary address information and the dates applicable can be
emailed to [email protected] or mailed to 164 High Hill Road,
Catskill, NY 12414.
Another option is to sign up for email delivery of the “Messenger”
and/or “The Journal”. This ensures instant access wherever you are.
Email [email protected] to sign up for this option.
S P R I N G 2 0 14 M E S S E N G E R
Business Friends & Supporters
PAG E 11
Hinterland Design
1 Mansion St.
Coxsackie, NY 12051
Millspaugh Camerto Funeral Home
139 Jefferson Hgts..
Catskill, NY 12414
National Bank of Coxsackie
3-7 Reed Street
Coxsackie, NY 12051
North River Research
155 Edison Timmerman Rd.
Cairo, NY 12413
Rising Tide Communications, LLC
PO Box 178
Red Hook, NY 12571
State Telephone Co.
46 Reed Street
Coxsackie, NY 12051
Other Businesses
Bavarian Manor Country Inn & Restuarant
Deer Watch Inn Bed & Breakfast
Geroge's Electric
Greene Business Alliance
Kosco
Tip Top Furniture
Washington Irving Inn
Willow Mixed Media
Bronck Museum Opens May 24
Photo by Susanne Morlang
Civil War
Sesquicentennial
STARTING IN 2011, the Greene
County
Civil
War
Sesquicentennial
Committee
began conducting remembrance
services on each Saturday before
Memorial Day from 2011
through 2015. The first service
was held on the Court House
steps and the Thompson Street
Cemetery in Catskill followed by
Prattsville in 2012 and Greenville
in 2013. This year’s service will
be held on May 24th in
Lexington. Over 100 men from
the town answered Lincoln’s call
to arms. Details about the event
will follow in the local newspapers.
In addition, each year since
2011, the society has had one
educational lecture on some
aspect of the Civil War. The
Committee and the Society will
also co-sponsor the fourth annual
Civil War Battlefield bus tour on
October 17-19. This year’s tour
will feature first and second
Manassas or as known in the
south, first and second Bull Run,
and the Battlefield at Monocacy.
The three day two night trip is
$350. More information can be
obtained by calling (518) 8178771.
Spring 2014
Greene County Historical Society, Inc.
c/o T. Satterlee
164 High Hill Road
Catskill, NY 12414-6411
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage Paid
Newburgh, NY 12550
Permit No. 1491
Return Service Requested
The fog rolls over Henry Hill at Manassas National Battlefield Park where
this year’s Civil War Trip will be held on October 17-19. Photo by photographer Buddy Secor.