In Brief

IN BRIEF The 1974 Year Book represents an effort to combat soaring production costs which have created a three-fold increase in publication expense to the Society in as many years. Instead of typesetting by computer (as in. the 1973 effort to reduce cost), the entire book was hand typed by Forbes Services in Poughkeepsie on reproduction paper to a proportion specified by the printer, Central Press in Millbrook, who then photographically reduced the text to offset negatives in our page size. Through this and other means it is possible that costs have been reduced from last year by about 30% which we hope makes up for a reduction in the size of the printed words. Last year we used an eleven point Times Roman type style and this year you are looking at approximately ten point Courier 72 type. If it is not quite as easy for you to read, please remember the savings.

On June 15, 1974, as a prelude to the Annual Pilgrimage, the buses stopped at the Glebe House for flag raising ceremonies led by President Roig. This "Bennington" flag will fly continuously to house Bicentennial activities.

The earliest known flag of 13 stars and 13 stripes is the one which flew over the Battle of Bennington in August of 1777. Fortunately, it is still preserved today in the museum at Bennington, Vermont.

As in many other flags from that era, the Bennington flag has unexpected differences from the flag we love today. The first flag law did not indicate exact details of colors, proportions, star arrangement, etc. Since all flags were made by hand, each flag was more or less different from all others. No one today knows why the figure 76 was added in the canton. While the stars here have 7 points, other Revolutionary flags' stars vary from 4 to 8. points.

We have an unusually interesting article this year titled, "On Finding A Folk Art Treasure." It was written by Susan Whitman and published by The Main Antique Digest, Waldoboro, Maine. The author and Digest were each prompt in giving us permission to reprint the article and we are indebted also to Antonia A. Salvato of Salt Point who brought the article to our attention.

Louise Tompkins, George and Janet Bookman and A. Day Bradley have submitted interesting articles to do with life in the County during the Revolutionary War. That is to be the topic of the 1976 Year Book, as I hope everyone knows, and the book's success depends on contributions. Please send them in!

You will notice two detailed County railroad histories in this edition which represent exhaustive work on the part of their authors. They do not agree on certain dates and perhaps one of the fascinations in historical sleuthing is how to interpret the findings.

It has come to the author's attention that in the article about Century Farms in the 1973 Yearbook, the following corrections should be made: Cornell Farm - In the item which reads, "Isaac died on November 12, 1870, and on March 8, 1971, the farm went to his son," the date should read March 8, 1871; also, on July 8, 1966, one of the three Cornell daughters, Katherine Cornell VanDeWater sold her share to Theodora Cornell Sammis; Sleight Farm - In the account of the Sleight Farm the date for birth of James Sleight was given as April 9, 1773. This should be April 9, 1753.

The article on page 100,"Rhinebeck Area Historic Survey," is by Richard Crowley, B.A., M. Arch., architect and supervisor of the Rhinebeck Area Historic Survey for the Historic Building Survey, National Park Service.

The article by Robert Pierce on page 30, "The Seed is Planted in American Soil," is from chapter 3 of his forthcoming book on the history of the Flagler family. The first two chapters are in the preceding two Year Books.

L. Gordon Hamersley, Jr. Editor