In Brief

IN BRIEF

The year's events are amply reported in various sections of this Year Book. However, we would like to report some matters of particular consequence. Mrs. Albert E. Powers was Curator of the Society from 1966 until this past Fall when she retired from her positions at Adriance Memorial Library, from being Dutchess County Historian, and from her association with us. The Society always benefited from her cheerful enthusiasm, from her organization and maintenance of the collection in the history rooms, and from her helpfulness to geneology and history researchers who approached her in person, by telephone or by mail from all over the United States as well as from many other parts of the world. Mrs. Powers will be missed by all of us, and New Mexico will surely be a bit sunnier thanks to its new resident. However, the Society is not lacking in curatorial strength. We are pleased by Eunice Hatfield Smith's acceptance of the role of Curator. She has long been a member of the Society as well as a trustee, a member of the Research Library Committee and a contributor of a number of interesting articles in the Year Book. President Butts has made a good appointment and we welcome Mrs. Smith to her new and we hope satisfying responsibility. The Society has been honored by the appointment of our member Radford Curdy as Dutchess County Historian. This was done by Lucille Pattison the newly-elected, first woman to become County Executive. Mr. Curdy is well known for his activity with rare books and documents, and his historic research, and writing -- he has several excellent articles in this Year Book. We offer him congratulations and good wishes as he assumes this position for the county. To continue on a congratulatory note, we are pleased to report that Clifford Buck, Salt Point, a past trustee, and Elizabeth I. Carter, Historian for the City of Poughkeepsie, have been made Honorary Members of the Society in recognition of their many contributions to research and historical affairs in and about the county and Poughkeepsie. You will recall that Louise Tompkins, Historian for the Town of Washington, and prolific writer of historic articles, became an Honorary Member in 1977. We owe much to such people for their efforts in bringing to us all a broadened sense of historic perspective and heritage. In 1978 and the first weeks of 1979 we were saddened to lose three long-time friends and valued associates. We regret to inform you of the deaths of Frank Mylod, Helena Van Vliet and Ralph Van Kleeck. Each had done much of signifi^ cance for the Society and you will read more about them on following pages. We extend to their families our sympathy and respect.

Colin M. Strang, who has collaborated with Eunice Smith on several Year Book articles, mailed us a letter which may be helpful to researchers. "We have one Fishkill collection in our holdings: five volumes of accounts (1799-1845) and two diaries (1857-61) of Dr. Bartow White. And we have the following materials relating to Dutchess County: accounts of the overseer of the poor, northeast precinct, 1769-1832; general store day book, Stanford, N.Y., 1843-45; general store ledgers, Mechanic, N.Y., 1766-1793; general store ledgers, Johnsville, N.Y., 1859-60; twenty-seven deeds and legal papers of Eli DeWitt and others; papers of Milo Winchester, 1860-1900, South Amenia, N.Y. We will be very pleased to make them available to you or other Dutchess County researchers who are interested in using them here (at the library)."

Wendell Tripp Chief of Library Services New York State Historical

Association Cooperstown, New York 13326 Phone (607) 547-2533 Library 547-2509

In the 1976-1977 Year Book, Dr. William P. McDermott presented a fine article on early postal service in Dutchess County. Since that publication, Dr. McDermott has developed further information and clarification on that subject which can be read in one of his two articles in this book. He includes in his other articles interesting illustrations of title pages of proceedings of the New York State Assembly and of the Senate. He points out that these were printed by two local printers: Samuel Louden publisher of the New York Packet which he removed from New York City when the British arrived. For awhile he was also the State Printer, printing among other notable items the New York State Constitution in 1777 and the state's paper money. John Holt was publisher of the New York Journal which he took to Kingston and then to Poughkeepsie in 1778, also to avoid the British, and he too was State Printer. We are pleased to announce the next volume in the series, Collections of The Dutchess County Historical Society. The book which is entitled Eighteenth Century Records of the Nine Partners Patent is the work of Clifford Buck and William P. Mc Dermott - both members of the Dutchess County Historical Society. The book includes: a) a complete transcription of the Nine Partners Proceedings 1730 - 1749-- this is an account of land transactions, legal disputes and other business conducted by the Nine Partners Company during the period the Patent was being divided; b) abstracts of all the important information found in 2500 documents (deeds, mortgages and wills) relevant to the area which now encompasses the towns of Amenia, Clinton, Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley, Stanford, Washington and the greater portion of Northeast; c) records of the Crum Elbow, Charlotte, and Clinton precincts unavailable to Franklin D. Roosevelt when his work was published by this Society in 1940. A full index by surname and first name completes this 700 page work. Publication date is expected to be August 15, 1979. 22