THE BIRTHDAY OF THE STATE JULY 9, 1776
On July 9, 1776, a convention of the Province of New York, held at White Plains, ratified for New York the Declaration of Independence adopted at Philadelphia on July fourth. On July 9, 1926, a pageant was enacted at White Plains, reproducing the scene in the convention of one hundred and fifty years before. In the original convention there were present forty-two delegates from ten collnties. Citizens of White Plains of to-day impersonated the delegates and re-enacted the proceedings of the convention. By special invitation the ten counties -represented in 1776 were represented in 1926' by "Honor Guests". Dutchess County was officially present in the persons of Mr. William Platt
Adams, Mr. Joseph H. Van Wyck, Mr. John M Ham, and Mr. John Sackett as honor guests and other members of the Historical Society attended as individuals. Through the courtesy of the President, Mr. Adams, the Year Book contains a photograph of the cast of the pageant, taken on the steps of the armory at White Plains at the close of the presentation, and attention is called to the fact that the actors, numbered n the photograph as one, four, six and nine, impersonated the delegates sent by Dutchess to the convention of 1776. The original delegates were Zephaniah Platt, Henry Schenck, Nathaniel Sacket and Dr. Joseph Crane.
SESQUI-CENTENNIAL, FISHKILL SEPTEMBER 5, 1926
On September 5, 1776, the Convention of the State of New York, convened in Fishkill, Dutchess County, having been obliged to leave Westchester County (where the delegates to the Provincial Convention had previously sat) because of the near approach of the British forces. The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary was celebrated at Fishkill on September 5, 1926, and under a committee of which Mr. William E Verplanck was chairman the whole community was represented in an interesting program. Services were held in the morning in Trinity church, Fishkill (where the convention of
1776 began its sessions) and in the afternoon in the Dutch church (to which the delegates later adjourned.) Also in the afternoon memorial services for the soldier dead, buried at Fishkill were held and Mount Gulian, the home of Mr. Verplanck at Beacon (where the Society of the Cincinnati was organized), was thrown open for the reception of many guests. Included among those who spoke at the church services were the Rev. H. L. Thomas and the Rev. Dr. Herge, Mrs. Samuel Verplanck and Mr. John Jay Chapman (whose ancestor, John Jay, was the leader in the convention of 17
