Washington County Political Equality Club Adopts Resolutions

Excerpt from the May 31, 1905 article in the Greenwich Journal...

The Washington County Political Equality Club in its 14^th Annual convention assembled, reaffirms its loyalty to the principles of American Independence, and calls for their application to all American citizens irrespective of sex.   And

                Whereas, The home is the foundation of human society and whatever tends to broaden women’s minds and deepen their sense of responsibility tends directly to promote the happiness and sobriety of the family relation, therefore

                Resolved, That equal suffrage should be granted to the mothers of the Republic, not only for the sake of the State, but also for the sake of the home.

                Resolved, That woman suffrage is no longer an academic question, but an existing faction in Great Britain* and Ireland*, in New Zealand** and Australia*** and throughout more than 300,000 square miles of United States territory^ and nine Representatives elected by both men and women.

                Resolved, That we continue with unabated diligence our policy of education and agitation. That while we in the future as in the past follow with singleness of heart and unity of purpose our one aim, to obtain the ballot for women, we extend the most cordial sympathy to all women’s societies, working for the advancement of civilization.

                Resolved, That we rejoice in the recent granting of full suffrage to women in Kansas, in the striking out by Congress from the state-hood bill of the clause classing women with illiterates, insane persons and felons; in the unanimous endorsement of women suffrage by 1300 physicians at the recent Russian medical congress, and by 4,000 students and professors of the University of St. Petersburg.

                Resolved, That in the death of Mary A. Livermore the cause of woman’s political equality with men has sustained a loss that will be felt throughout U.S.; that we honor her memory, and will do our best to carry on her work.

                                                                MRS. GEORGE WHELDEN,

                                                                MRS. CARROLL HALL,

                                                                MRS. JOHN WILSON, Jr.

                                                                                                Committee.

The Greenwich Journal (Greenwich, NY) May 31, 1905, p.8

View the whole article on the New York Historic Newspapers website: http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031457/1905-05-31/ed-1/seq-8/

*Single women taxpayers could vote in municipal elections in 1869, partial female suffrage granted in 1918. Ireland broke from Great Britain & gave women full suffrage in 1922, while Great Britain granted full female suffrage in 1928.

**New Zealand grants all women the right to vote in 1893.

***Australia grants women the right to vote in 1902, but excludes aboriginal men & women. 

^ By 1905 only four states allowed women the right to vote: Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Idaho.

Timeline of Woman Suffrage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage

Suffrage School in 1917

A bunch of us have been getting together to research the suffrage movement in Washington & Warren Counties in preparation for this year's New York State Suffrage Centennial. We even formed a committee to create events, like last month's Suffrage Rally in City Park. I thought I would share this article from The Post Star, March 22, 1917 which mentions some women from Greenwich & Easton participating in a suffrage school. Suffrage schools were created to educate women about civics, politics, and economics, so that when they finally got the right to vote, they would be knowledgeable voters.

GREAT INTEREST IN SUFFRAGE SCHOOL

Large Attendance is Source of Much Satisfaction to Leaders

At the Hudson Falls Suffrage School yesterday afternoon delegations were present from Greenwich, Easton, Fort Edward and Glens Falls, and the sesion was most interesting. Miss Elinor Byrns, dean of the school, gave a talk on suffrage, history and there was an argument by Mrs. Sophia Sisson of Easton who read a splended paper on pioneers. Remarks were made by Mrs. L.V.H. Gill and Mrs. Herbert Van Kirk of Greenwich. An information discussion closed the meeting.

Practical campaign instructions and drill in answer question occupied the first period of the evening session. These were followed by addresses by Miss Byrns and Mrs. Mitchell.

This afternoon addresses will be given by Miss Byrnes, and by Mrs. Brodie G. Higley, secretary of the Washington County branch of the new York State Suffrage Party, and one of the presidents of the Hudson Falls Political Equality Club, who will speak on Why Women Want to Vote.

The Rev. S. K. Emurian of Fort Edward will deliver an address at 8 o'clock this evening on Consecration to a Cause.

Tomorrow afternoon the Rev. O. D. Kellogg will conduct a class in Parliamentary Law, and on Friday evening Leroy V. Chew, editor of the Salem Press, will speak on Suffrage and the Press.

The large attendance at all sessions of persons who have hitherto given little heed to the equal suffrage cause, is a source of much gratification to the suffrage leaders.

Suffrage School in Wisconsin*

Thanks to the researchers at the Chapman Historical Museum who found this particular article.

Photo source: *http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/WIReader/Images/WER1372.html

VOTE! Election Day is November 4, 2014

& now it's time for my annual election plea- VOTE!

2014 Voting poster from ERA Education Project

The above poster is a great example of election poster art. Designed for the ERA Education Project, it represents strong women, & the need for us to vote. & for true equality, all of us, women & men, need to exercise our right as citizens & vote!

2014 has three statewide propositions on the ballot

For the statewide propositions: click HERE.

2014 Ballot for the Town of Greenwich, NY (Washington County)

For the Town of Greenwich ballot: click HERE.

Washington County sample ballots.

Warren County sample ballots.

Saratoga County sample ballots.

Washington County History Fair 2013

October 26, 2013 marked the third history fair put on by the Washington County Historical Society. I participated in all 3 history fairs.

The 1st was in 2009 at the Historic Salem Courthouse in Salem, NY. I had an idea for a display that was kind of quirky & it didn't really work. I decided to play off the movie Office Space & create a version of local history "fair." I don't think a single person understood the reference, but they liked the buttons. Lesson #1: Know your audience.

The 2nd was held at Greenwich High School in the village of Greenwich, NY in 2011. This time I basically grabbed anything I thought was cool in my office & brought it along. I was able to have a conversation with some local history buffs relating to the glass plate negatives that a random resident donated. Lesson #2: Bring cool stuff.

For the 3rd year, the history fair was at the Granville Elementary School in Granville, NY. I decided on a poster presentation to talk up the ways in which public historians can use social media to reach out to their communities both near & far. Some of you may know that I use Facebook & twitter (@greenwichhist) to keep everyone abreast of what I am up to, as well as interesting things about history in general. Plus, this blog has allowed me to write about local history in an informal way.

Working on my poster presentation

One of the Gill Room displays

Another display about John Brown, his wife Mary Ann & Lucretia Mott

Many of the exhibitors, public historians, re-enactors, & other local history groups had poster presentations. I did chat with quite a few people, including the newly appointed historian for Jackson, NY. It seemed like many of the visitors were families with school age children, or retirees.

Part of my display- poster presentation, brochures, mugs

The rest of my display- artifacts from the Bicentennial of the USA in 1976

I guess I am hoping that someone out there, reading this will have a suggestion or 2 for how we can make this event better & attract more visitors. There are so many events to compete with, how do we stand out? & the larger question, how do we, as historians, get people interested in history?

I tried this year, by using my grandmother's Bicentennial collection. I chose items that related locally, like calendars from local businesses (Muzicar's in Schuylerville, Agway in Greenwich), & programs from local events. The quirky things like the Campbell Soup Kid dolls, the Uncle Sam bank, & the Bicentennial box of tissues were draws, but most people looked at the book of 1st day covers. After all these years, people still love stamps.

Let me know in the comments below, on my Facebook page, or tweet me if you have any suggestions (& if you attended the history fair). Thanks for reading.

1976: Celebrating the Bicentennial (Part 1)

My grandmother, Jaqueline Martin (nee Drew) was a avid collector of stuff. She also, had a love of history & participated in the Bicentennial celebrations in Schuylerville, NY in 1976-77. With the death of my grandfather last year, my mother & I found a bunch of Bicentennial memorabilia which I will share with you over the next few moths. I will be featuring some things at the Washington County History Fair in Granville, NY this Saturday, October 26, 2013 also. (For more information on this- see my Facebook page.)

I hope that through my grandmother's collection & a binder full of clippings I have in the office, I can piece together a localized, personal view of the Bicentennial...

My grandmother loved to color. She would sit & color with us, or by herself, while she listened to "her programs" (game shows, soap operas) on the television. So, I thought I would start this series off with the Bicentennial coloring books in her collection.

Over sized coloring book put out by Colgate Toothpaste

My personal favorite by the Samuel Lowe Co of WI

 This coloring book by the Samuel Lowe Company in Kenosha, WI is thick & well drawn. It covers more events than the others in this collection. I love the suffrage page below. There is also a page on Chester Arthur, as the presidents are represented. Some omissions are the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, & specific suffragists, like Susan B. Anthony. Oh, well.

Radio and 19th Amendment pages in the Lowe coloring book

Slim coloring book covering 200 years of US history

Coloring book specifically on the Revolution

Skidmore's GIS Project Is Coming to Washington County

Sandy McReynolds, Gill Room Historian & I went to a very interesting meeting on  Tuesday. Skidmore Professor Robert Jones & Greenfield Town Historian Ron Feulner gave a presentation on a project they have been working on in Saratoga County. It is a Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping project.

From Skidmore's website:

GIS is a combination of information, techniques, software, and creativity to present, analyze, manipulate, and interact with data that is geographically referenced. The data can be shown in relation to topics such as politics, environmental studies, geography, geology, biology, economics, business, and history.

Basically, a bunch of maps are scanned into the program and a series of layers are added. (In Washington County's case the maps include 1829, 1853, 1866, c. 1900, c. 1950, c. 1970, 2013.) Those layers can be roads, to see how they have changed, and moved over time. The layers can be the location of cemeteries, churches, or schools. Parcel maps can be included to show where people lived & who owned the adjoining property.

The best part about this project is that it is FREE. A student in Professor Jones' class will be assigned a town within Washington County, & using the information on the maps, will create the layers. Then I can have a copy for free. The Greenwich Free Library can have a copy for free.

 The historians, & other interested parties, were invited to the meeting to see the uses of the mapping project, which were illustrated by Mr. Feulner. Plus, we can provide input regarding additional layers that can be included or added at a later time. I'm thinking a layer of historic markers & monuments throughout the Town of Greenwich would be great. Additional information can be linked to the maps, like images, videos, & blog posts.

Washington County has a similar set of interactive maps on their website, including polling districts, types of soil throughout the county, watershed areas, et al. Check that site out here.

The ArcReader program that we will use to utilize these maps is available for free here.

Small Town Saturday Night: Hal Ketchum of Greenwich

Before I went in to the office this afternoon to pack up more of my office, my mom & I were chatting in the kitchen. We were talking about the price on concert tickets, & my sister wanting to go see Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds in New Orleans, but tix are pretty expensive. Not to mention my daughter wants to see Little Mix when they tour with Demi Lovato next year & One Direction should be announcing US Dates for 2014 (cha-ching)! Anyway, we got talking about the Michael Bolton concert she & I & the afore mentioned sister saw at SPAC. To this day it is the only time we have seen Celine Dion in concert (& she was Michael's opening act!).

At the office, I was boxing up the files from my 2 filing cabinets & noticed one on Hal Ketchum. I put it aside thinking "Blog post!" Back at home I flipped through the slim folder of clippings & a photocopied newsletter & noticed an ad for the Hal Ketchum & Emmylou Harris concert at SPAC- August 1, 1994. Another clipping was of the SPAC calender for that same season & Michael Bolton's picture was staring back at me. That concert mom & I were talking about a few hours before was on August 27, 1994.

Reading though the folder & a handful of websites, it is intriguing to me that Hal "made it" at such a mature age. He was playing drums locally by 14 or 15 years old, left for Austin, TX in his late 20s & played that scene a bit while honing his songwriting skills while working as a carpenter. An independent release paved the way for Past the Point of Rescue to be released when he was almost 40!

Hal Ketchum's sophomore and debut releases on cassette

Hal became the 71st member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 22, 1994, a few months short of his 41st birthday, joining the ranks of Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton & Marty Robbins. I was kind of surprised that Alabama & Glen Campbell are not members. To quote the Opry

There's no magic formula, no secret code that grants access to one of the most coveted invitations in all of music... But the Opry doesn’t simply pass out invitations to the biggest stars with the most hits. Opry management looks for a musical and a generational balance. Opry membership requires a passion for country music's fans, a connection to the music’s history. And it requires commitment – even a willingness to make significant sacrifices to uphold that commitment.

 I don't know what the Opry saw, or heard, but for me it is Hal's clear, rich vocals & thoughtful, intelligent lyrics .

What Hal says about those early years, playing the local scene in Washington County (from the bio on his website)

It was a great lesson in sociology because the bars would move the pool table over in the corner and put a three-quarter-inch piece of plywood on top, and that would be my drum riser. At 15 years old I'd get to sit up in the corner of these joints and just watch the evening progress. Friday night everybody would get paid from one of the local pulp mills, and they would wander in and be very generous during the first set. Then by halfway through the second set they're dancing with one of the girls. And by the third set they're fighting. I learned never to stop playing during a fight. That was an important part of my education.

Ketchum stated the 1994 show with Harris at SPAC was

an important show for me. I saw so many shows at SPAC when I lived in Washington County: Santana; Crosby, Stills and Nash; Creedence Clearwater Revival. I saw Sarah Vaughan bring down the house at the Newport Jazz Festival. But never, never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be performing here.*

Washington County residents were even offered discount tickets the day of the show, according to the Post-Star article. Guess that is what the Opry meant about caring about the fans!

I leave you with a live version of "I Know Where Love Lives" from 2007 I found on youtube.




*"A Dream Come True for Hal Ketchum." The Post-Star. Glens Fall, NY. (July 31, 1994) C2.

My visit to Gettysburg

After a lovely 2 days in the nation's Capital, my sister & I drove to Gettysburg National Military Park for a visit. Being a Washington County girl, I had to see the monument to the 123rd New York Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 12th Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The gentleman at the desk at the Visitor Center had a book of all the monuments, but go knowing the regiment you are searching for. I was able to search on my phone & get the location. I am providing it for you below...

123rd NY monument is between stops 13 and 14

Quoting the monument... "The 123rd N.Y. was enlisted in Washington Co. in Aug. 1862 mustered into the U.S. service Sept. Joined the Army of the Potomac and was engaged in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. In Sept. 1863 transferred to the Army of the Cumberland and was engaged in the Campaign of Atlanta the March to the Sea and the Campaign of the Carolinas. Mustered out at Washington at the close of the war June 8, 1865."

My ticket to the museum inside the visitor center

Here are my pictures taken on Thursday afternoon, 8 August 2013.

123rd NY monument on Slocum Ave in Gettysburg NMP

123rd NY left flank marker at Gettysburg NMP

Gettysburg NMP information marker regarding 123rd NY

Service panel on 123rd NY monument

History panel on 123rd NY monument

Battles the 123rd NY were engaged in

Last panel stating location of the line

Back side of the 123rd NY monument 

Front view of the 123rd NY monument

Closeup of top of the 123rd NY monument

Notice the castle-like look of this monument here at the feet of the recorder of events (possibly Clio). A number of the NY monuments throughout Gettysburg look like castles. It did not appear that any other sate used this kind of imagery in their monuments. Something to look into...

If you have never been to Gettysburg NMP, I highly recommend it. & be prepared to spend to whole day.

123rd NY Monument in Greenwich NY

This is our monument to the citizens of Greenwich, NY who fought in the Civil War. Erected in 1916 for the Grand Army of the Republic Post 326. I took this image during the Underground Railroad Tour in June 2013.

Other websites to checkout regarding the 123rd NY monument:
123rd NY history
Huletts Current blog
Stone Sentinels
Historic Marker database

Sesquicentennial in Greenwich: 1959

Sesquicentennial Banner - Greenwich, NY 1959

In 1959 the village of Greenwich, NY hosted an elaborate Sesquicentennial celebration, complete with two parades, & a pageant called "Whipple City Grows."

Front page of Whipple City Grows and ticket stub

The schedule of events is listed in the center of the program above.

Saturday, August 1, 1959 was Sesquicentennial Parade Day which included the parade from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. & the Queen's Ball at the high school from 9:00 to midnight.

Sunday, August 2, 1959 was Religious Dedication Day with all of the local churches hosting special services in the morning & an interfaith service at 8:00 p.m.

Monday, August 3, 1959 was Youth Day- filled with baseball, softball, swimming, & an "Outdoor Street Dance."

Tuesday, August 4, 1959 was Agricultural Day featuring a hay ride, square dance, old-time farm equipment & exhibits by the Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation, the Grange, 4-H, & others.

Wednesday, August 5, 1959 was Ladies' Day (sorry fellas). This included a luncheon, a reception, a dinner for Lt. Governor Malcolm Wilson, a fashion show, & the crowning of the "Sesquicentennial Queen." 

Thursday, August 6, 1959 was Homecoming Day with open houses at the various churches & fraternal organizations like the Independent Order Of Fellows. 

Friday, August 7, 1959 was Industrial Day which included guided tours of local industries. Plus, the final judging of the "Brothers of the Brush" beard growing competition ended with a shaving contest!

Saturday, August 8, 1959 was Fireman's Day. The week of festivities concluded with the Washington County Fireman's Parade at 2:00 p.m. & the final of 4 performances of "Whipple City Grows"!

Sesquicentennial book and Washington County VFA Convention Program

Housing Committee badge

Some Housing Committee documents still survive. Then, as now, there was little accommodation for out-of-town guests. So, the committee members were in charge of finding housing for people coming to town for the week long celebration. Marion Harrington was the Housing Committee Chair.

Wooden nickels- one with the Sesquicentennial logo 1959

When we held the Town of Greenwich Bicentennial in 2003, & the Village of Greenwich Bicentennial in 2009, I looked into having wooden nickels done, but the funds just weren't there. I did have a wooden nickel collector call me though. The gentleman told me that he would buy a bunch of them if we decided to do it so he could trade & sell with other wooden nickel collectors! (Who knew...)

Cleaning out ye olde desk

It appears to be official that I am getting a new office here in the Town Office building. The roof/ceiling situation has been fixed, the hideous wallpaper removed... I have chosen a paint color- Liberty Park. That was fun.

Now on to the un-fun part. Duh, duh,duh, duh... cleaning out my office. More precisely, cleaning out my desk. (& yes, I know un-fun is not a word.)

Some random bits I discovered in the 13 drawers of my desk

Old office supplies and unused paper

I was able to consolidate the 13 drawers down the 4. I have boxed up all of the excess office supplies. But wait... I found something cool!

Books of voters in Greenwich

These "Enrolled Voters" books are very interesting. They list the name, address & political party affiliation (if any) of all registered voters in the town by district. I have books for the following years: 1935-38, 1941-45, 1947-61, 1963, 1965. Also in the drawer : Easton "Enrolled Voters" 1938, Washington County "Enrolled Voters" 1960, 1964.

Of course, I had to check. It was great seeing my grandparents & great-grandparents names in the books. No matter the party, I'm glad to see that they all were registered voters! My mother is not listed because the age limit for voting was not lowered from 21 to 18 until the states ratified the 26th Amendment & President Nixon signed it into law in July 1971.

Don't forget that my office hours are Fridays 10:00-Noon. Stop by & say "Hi."

Lansing Prouty, Age 4

I just read an interesting article in the 2004 edition of the Journal of the Washington County Historical Society. If you have never heard of it visit their booth at the Washington County Fair next week & pick up a copy or two, or order online (http://www.wchs-ny.org/booksncollect.html). There are many fascinating local stories held within the pages, like the one I am going to tell you about.

In 1848, Lansing N. Prouty was a four year old boy living with his brother, George, mother, Sarah (nee Angell), & father, Franklin in Galesville (now Middle Falls), NY.  That summer he came down with diarrhea, fever & cramps. The only doctor in town diagnosed dysentery. By August 26th, Lansing was dead, possibly the victim on E. coli or amebiasis, microorganisms believed to be the common causes of dysentery.

Map of the home of Lansing Prouty & family 1848*

You may be asking why I am mentioning Lansing. Well, history for me is about anything and everything. Yes, I admire people like Susan B. Anthony, or George Washington Carver because of what they accomplished. But, I study history because of all the untold stories; the people & events that have been forgotten. That is what this article represents to me, a reminder of why I am here writing this blog, why I became an historian. Lansing's story was uncovered because of a road. By the discovery of his gravestone during routine, preliminary research before & during road construction, this little boy's story was unearthed & told so that he may live on.

* https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=1054+Route+29,+Greenwich,+NY&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89de290d9d22da43:0xf404501248b542bc,1054+New+York+29,+Greenwich,+NY+12834&gl=us&ei=snctUPDTFYy20AHQ6oGICQ&ved=0CBcQ8gEwAA

I Need Some Finding Aids

By now, I'm sure, that my titles do not shock you. Most of you are scratching your heads wonder what "finding aids" are & why I need them. I will tell you.

According to the Society of American Archivist (SAA), a finding aid is a "tool that facilitates discovery of information within a collection of records" that "includes a wide range of formats, including card indexes, calendars, guides, inventories, shelf and container lists, and registers" or a "description of records that gives the repository physical and intellectual control over the materials and that assists users to gain access to and understand the materials" "that places the materials in context by consolidating information about the collection, such as acquisition and processing; provenance, including administrative history or biographical note; scope of the collection, including size, subjects, media; organization and arrangement; and an inventory of the series and the folders."*

1968 report by Stan Anderson

Now you know why I need some. No? I'll explain.My office is a cluttered concoction of various materials from 5 or 6 past historians. There is little rhyme or reason. The filing system was terrible, & only slightly better now. My predecessor, Cathy Sharp Barber, did create an inventory with accession numbers and everything. (Accessioning has to do with categorizing museum collections, &since there are objects, not just papers, I understand why she chose that route. I probably would have done that as well back in 2003, since my experience was in museums and historic sites.) But it is not enough.

I'll give you an example. I found this very interesting looking report prepared by Stan Anderson of the Soil Conservation Service, USDA in 1968. It is entitled An Appraisal of Outdoor Recreational Potential: Washington County, NY. The report is rather interesting. The opening pages discuss the history of the county & they read well. The rest of the report covers why Washington County would make an ideal place for various recreational enterprises.

places of interest in the southern part of the county

I had no idea that this report was looming on my shelves. & that means I would not be able to access it for my own research or to assist a visitor. Now, I am thinking like an archivist or librarian, not necessarily a historian. However, I feel it is important for me, as a public historian with a collection, to function as an archivist. Therefore... I need finding aids to help me find stuff.

Which means, I think I've found my next project! Wish me luck!

*http://www.archivists.org/glossary/term_details.asp?DefinitionKey=66

Miscellaneous

Isn't "miscellaneous" a great word? Consider definition #2 from Google "(of a collection or group) Composed of members or elements of different kinds"*. This blog post will very much be miscellaneous.

First of all, Happy (belated) Susan B. Anthony Day! Yes, "Aunt" Susan turned 192 years young yesterday. 2020 will be a banner year marking both the Centennial of Woman's Suffrage in the U.S.A. and the Bicentennial of Susan B. Anthony's birth! Oh, & the Greenwich Journal and Salem Press reports that there will be another performance of Bob Warren's song cycle about Susan, Only the Message Mattered, this Sunday, February 19, 2012 @ 3:00 p.m. at the Adams (MA) Free Library^.

Secondly, Happy (be-belated) Valentine's Day!

Mailed to Miss M.A. Moriarty 10 Feb 1907

Finally, I arrived at the office this evening to an old book on my desk. In the book, with it's repaired binding broken, and a few pages loose, were a few scattered bits of paper & index cards. One of these was a rather large index card in the very front which read "Borrowed by Paul Hancock of Vermont- a long time ago-". The book is a first edition copy of The History of Washington County from 1878. So, I say "Thank you" to Mr. Hancock, or who ever it was who returned the book home.

The History of Washington County is back

*https://www.google.com
^http://www.susanbanthonybirthplace.com/

Susan B. will come home to Battenville for one night only...

I was going to write about something completely different tonight, but my love of all things Susan B. Anthony will usurp just about anything. (& I am completely bummed that I can't go!)

Actor, director, writer, and educator Sally Matson, will portray Susan B. Anthony at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at the Stoopes Hotel. The Stoopes Hotel is the old red building to the east of Susan B. Anthony's Childhood Home on Route 29 in Battenville. It is a great old building, recently restored. (Parking can be a problem so you may want to carpool & get there early.) The program is sponsored by the Washington County Historical Society and the NorthStar Historical Project.

I hope Claudia Blackler doesn't mind, but I am going to quote a bit from her article in The Greenwich Journal and Salem Press this week...

[Susan B. Anthony] used innovative methods to promote her message: the new platen jobber printer, the telegram, the typewriter, and her own newspaper. She and her colleagues worked to advance women. She put up the last necessary $2,000 from her own life insurance policy to be sure that women were admitted into the University of Rochester; she imagined what women could be. In 1905 she said, "I firmly believe that some day a woman will be elected President of the United States."^

Not in 2012 Susan. Sarah Palin just announced she will not run for president in 2012, and Michele Bachmann is currently tied for 5th place with Newt Gingrich.* Now back to Claudia...

Miss Anthony was an agent for the New York State Anti-Slavery Society and she worked in Kansas during the fight for abolition. As the foremost leader of the women's rights movement in the late 19th Century, she canvassed New York state petitioning for women's property rights and wage reform.

On behalf of woman suffrage, she spoke in one hundred cities a year, year after year, arranging all details by letter and telegram.^

I wanna go! Can someone record the performance for me? (I guess I'll stop whining now.)


^  Blackler, Claudia. "Susan B. Anthony- the Invincible: Famous Activist Will 'Come to Life' October 19." Greenwich Journal and Salem Press [Greenwich, NY] 6 October 2011, 1st edition: 1.

* http://www.mnstatenews.com/capitol-headlines/1-capitol/246-romney-leads-latest-poll-bachmann-falls-to-fifth.html



It's Fair Time!

You may not know that, arguably the best county fair in the Empire State, is the Washington County Fair. It was first held in Salem in 1841 & eventually moved to Sandy Hill/ Hudson Falls. It remained there until 1934. The Great Depression took it's toll on many things, and the fair was one. Four years later, in 1938, the fairgrounds and 30 structures were sold to make way for the County Highway Department.

junior fair participant shows off her calf 2008 (Basile)

The Cambridge Valley Agricultural Society, which had been hosting fairs in Cambridge since 1900, revived the Washington County Fair in late August 1947 at the McMullen farm in the Town of Greenwich. Where was that, you might ask? Well, it's about where Hannaford sits now- near Routes 29 & 40 & the roundabout.

During the 1930s & 40s another local fair was floundering, the Washington County Junior Fair. Then in 1949 the Junior Fair had to be cancelled because of an outbreak of polio. By November 125 young people had contracted the debilitating disease, four died.

Five years later, in 1954, Philip Houlton of Hoosick Falls (see even folks from Rensselaer County know it's the best fair) sold his share in our county fair for $6,000 to a group calling themselves the Washington County Junior Fair. From that moment on, the two fairs would be forever linked.

When did the fair move to it's current location in Greenwich? Well, it's not in Greenwich. The current fairgrounds along Route 29 may have a mailing address of Greenwich & a zip code of 12834 (zip codes were instituted in 1963), but the location is the Town of Easton. Anyway, the Washington County Fair moved to it's current location, then called Brisbane Flats, in 1961.

rides on the midway 2006 (Basile)

Other notable moments in Washington County Fair history are...

1983- Fair attendance exceeds 100,000 for the first time
1999- E. coli outbreak kills two. The village of Greenwich begins chlorinating its water.
2000- After spending $100,000 to ensure safe water, attendance is down 10%
2011- The fair opens for it's best season yet

http://www.washingtoncountyfair.com/

P.S. If you have any photographs or ephemera of the Washington County Fair, I would love to start a collection. If you don't want to donate the  items, I can scan them & give them back to you. Please!

Washington County was once Charlotte County

Charlotte, Princess Royal- 1769

Some of you out there may know that Washington County used to be part of a larger area called Charlotte County, which grew out of Albany County in 1772 while we were still under British rule. I've always heard that the "Charlotte" was Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III who ruled the British Empire while we struggled to gain independence. However, recently I have read that the "Charlotte" is in fact the daughter of the afore mentioned king & queen. Two books about Rensselaer County, which was also once part of Charlotte County, state that eldest daughter Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal was the inspiration for the county name.

This got me thinking about whether there were ever, or still are, any other Charlotte counties in the US. According to Wikipedia there are no other defunct Charlotte counties, but there are two current ones. Charlotte County, Virginia is aparently named after Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. So is Charlotte County, Florida... but in a round-about way. Carlos Bay was renamed Charlotte Harbor by the British. The county was named after the harbor, which was named after the queen... Confused yet?

So... How many counties are named after George Washington you might ask?

Washington is the most popular county name in the country. Thirty-one states have a county named after our first president. (Louisianna has one though it is called a "parish". Alaska does not, but it would be called a borough.) The next closest is Jefferson County with 26. All of them appear to be named after our third president. Then it gets complicated...

There are 25 counties named Franklin, 24 named Jackson & 24 more named Lincoln. They are obviously named after Benjaimn Franklin, Andrew Jackson & Abraham Lincoln. Right? Not exactly. Franklin County, Idaho is named after Mormon apostle Franklin D. Richards. Franklin County, Texas is named after Judge Benjamin Cromwell Franklin. (Doesn't it sound like he was at least named after the founding father?) Jackson County, Georgia was named after Revolutionary War veteran & govenor James Jackson. So, it looks like Ben & Andy are tied for third.

What about Abe? Out of twenty-four Lincoln counties only 17 are named for our 16th president. Five Lincoln counties in Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee are named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln who accepted the surrender of Cornwallis after the Battle of Yorktown. Lincoln County, South Dakota is named after Lincoln County, Maine which is named after a city in England.

Who, if anyone, beat out Honest Abe for fourth place...
(James) Madison County- 20
(Henry) Clay County- 18
(Richard) Montgomery County- 18
(James) Monroe County- 17
(Francis) Marion County- 17

I'll let you know when I figure it out.