Frank Mylod

Testimonial Frank V. Mylod, who died in his 80th year, January 27, 1978, was an honorary member of the Dutchess County Historical Society, having served as its Secretary and President and having succeeded his father, John J. Mylod, as Poughkeepsie City Historian. Probably few county residents were better informed about the city and county developments of his time than Mr. Mylod. A practicing attorney, like his father, Mylod was well known as tops in his field of real estate law in the county. His real property abstract file, aided by his father's searches, was widely respected. He succeeded his father as attorney and trustee of the local Home Savings and Loan Association, retiring from those offices in 1973. John A. Wolf, his son-in-law, succeeded him as attorney for the Association. A Poughkeepsie native, Mylod was born in the former family homestead on Bain Avenue, First Ward. As a boy he developed a love of the nearby Hudson River, its boating and fishing and the New York Central railroad, not to forget the now crippled Poughkeepsie railroad bridge. He was an ardent follower of the often recalled Poughkeepsie Intercollegiate Regattas near his home. While attending Fordham College, from which he was graduated in 1918, Mylod had cultivated a liking for all things mechanical, and a burning desire to find out what made things tick. He was one of Poughkeepsie's earliest developers of radios. His mechanical ingenuity extended to repairing such wondrous conveyances as the first automobiles. Mylod was a veteran of World War I, serving in the Navy. He was also a member of the Naval Reserve. After graduation from Fordham College, he was employed for some time in the manufacturing of overcoats. However, subsequent clerking for a year in his father's law office, prompted his decision to enroll at Fordham Law School, from which he was graduated in 1927. His brother, Philip, also was a Fordham Law graduate, and developed a successful practice, turning more to court trial work than Frank. Getting back to Frank Mylod's developing interest in local history, he was chauffeur of his father's automobile during the annual Pilgrimages around the county and elsewhere

of the County Historical Society. To those who go back far enough to the good humor of father and son, those leisurely visits to historical landmarks were never forgotten. Frank Mylod was an enthusiastic collector of old historical books and all sorts of memorabilia of bygone days in Dutchess. He loved to go to auctions and add to his store of records and relics. And he built up a sizeable store of valuable maps. The generosity of Frank Mylod concerning records of Historical Society meetings and Pilgrimages was in evidence during many years while he served as secretary, trustee or president of the Society, when the service of his law office was given over to the typing and preservation for printing of the minutes of meetings. Frank Mylod's generosity in developing information from official records was no more noticeable than while he was engrossed in title searches at the Courthouse or the newer County Office building. Other less informed practitioners often worked by his side. There was always good natured banter among the seasoned title searchers and Frank Mylod was always ready to joke with other attorneys as they moved around from one stack of record books to another. But the veteran Mylod also noticed the younger lawyers hard at work over the books. And to his credit was his practice of helping the younger lawyers. I am told he would even go to the rescue of the little informed practitioners, often spending more time helping them than in completing his own searches. Frank Mylod, although a stickler for accuracy, disliked red tape. He would go to the heart of a problem and for thatreason chose to return to the record books if need be. This applied to his historical research during his retirement years. Despite his handicap of serious deafness and later an eyesight problem, he sought to keep up some historical research. The writer of this article during recent years visited frequently with Mylod. We sat down together to catch up on unraveling some historical material. Like Frank Mylod, I had won the County Historical Society's honorable membership and together we have to some extent kept up an active interest in the Society's projects, particularly the annual Year Books. Down through the years, we have sought to encourage others to join the county society and encourage the growing interest in city and town historical organizations.

Joseph W. Emsley