Dutchess County Historical Society Yearbook Vol. 082 1999 2000

DUTCHESS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY YEARBOOK Volume 82 1999-2000

The Dutchess County Historical Society Year Book (ISSN 0739-8565) has been published annually since 1915 by the Dutchess County Historical Society, PO Box 88, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602. c., copyright 2002 by the Dutchess County Historical Society Individual copies may be purchased through the Society. Selected earlier Year Books are also available.

CALLFORPAPERS The Publications Committee is now soliciting articles for future Year Books. Articles should be no longer than 7500 words, double-spaced typescript or on disc, Word Perfect 5.1. Inclusion of photographs or other illustrative material is encouraged. Manuscripts, books for review, and other correspondence relevant to this publication should be addressed to:

DUTCHESSCOUNTYHISTORICALSOCIETY Publications Committee PO Box 88 Poughkeepsie, NY 12602 The Society encourages accuracy but does not assume responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by contributors.

The Dutchess County Historical Society was formed in 1914 to preserve and share the county's rich history and traditions. The only county-wide agency of its kind, the Society is an active leader and promoter of local history in Dutchess County. Principal endeavors include the publishing of historical works and the collection and safe-keeping of artifacts, manuscripts and other priceless treasures of the past. The Society has been instrumental in the preservation of two pre-Revolutionary landmarks, the Clinton House and Glebe House, both in Poughkeepsie. In addition the Society has educational outreach programs for the schools of Dutchess County.

The Society offers a variety of activities and special events throughout the year. Contact the Society for further information: 845-471-1630, or address above.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Annual Meeting 2000

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Introduction 2 Mrs. Slater's World AnnonAdams

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Mrs. Bessie Harden Payne Lawrence Mamiya

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"Feeding Young Ladies' Minds from Living Springs," Maria Mitchell and Vassar College 29 ElizabethA. Daniels How the D.A.R. Ladies "Saved" the Clinton House--Twice!

Marian Liggera

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Walking with Grace 40 Nancy Taubman A Woman Who Made a Difference, Mary Lucy Ham Alley RuthHogan Dutchess County Women in the Military Nan Fogel

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Once Upon a Time, The Little Red School House Dorothea Taylor Across the Spectrum Nancy Alden

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Designing Women: Embroidery in Dutchess County 89 Nan Fogel

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Do It Yourself Women's History Tour of Dutchess County and Map 93 Joyce C. Ghee and StephanieMauri Memorial for Mary Lou Jeanneney RobinWalsh

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D.C.H.S. Statement of Revenue and Expenses D.C.H.S. Officers and Trustees

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Municipal Historians of Dutchess County Historical Societies of Dutchess County Index

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112 113

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ANNUAL MEETING Grace Church, Millbrook, NY December 9, 2000 The meeting was called to order by President Joyce Ghee. The president thanked staff members, consultants, board members and volunteers for their efforts. She gave an overview of the Society's 86th year reporting on programs, events and accomplishments. The Glebe House interior has been cleaned and repainted. Peter Rose, food historian and writer, was the guest speaker at the Glebe' s open house. Physical conditions at Clinton House are also being addressed. New agreements with the City of Poughkeepsie and the State of New York are being pursued as well.

Increased fund raising activity and programming as well as grants from Senator Saland and Assemblyman Miller also helped. Executive Director Eileen Hayden followed with her report.

The main item on the agenda was the presentation of the revised Constitution and By-Laws. The President, Vice-President Rocco Staino and Lorraine Roberts read each section of the document to the assembled members. Following the reading, a motion was made to accept the Constitution. Discussion following produced several clarifying adjustments to the wording. A vote on the Constitution was taken and the motion to accept the new document passed. A subsequent motion was made to accept the By-Laws as presented and that motion was passed as well.

Because the newly voted Constitution called for a change in election procedures, the Nominating Committee had to produce a complete slate of officers and trustees. Following the election of the Board, an election of the 2001 Nominating Committee was held. Richard Reitano, Chair; James Smith, Sharon Kroeger, Donna Levinson and Rocco Staino were chosen.

The meeting was adjourned.

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Introduction Few womenhavebeen the subjectof articlesin the annualDCHS YearBooks sincethe Society'sbeginningin 1914and,with somenotable exceptions,few of the hundredsof articleshave been writtenby women.

This issue, the combined 1999-2000Year Book, attemptsto correctthat imbalance.The partiallistof womenin GheeandMauri's self-guidedtour showsan impressivenumberof accomplishedwomenwhohavelivedin the county from the 17thto the 20th century. The articlesthat follow offer a small sample of women who have lived in Dutchess. Here they raised childrenand cared for their families,establishedlibraries,workedfor the rightsof women and minorities,volunteeredin myriadways. Someused their wealth to make the county more livable, others preserved the environment,providedhealthcare,ran foroffice.Theyinspireus to follow in their footsteps according to our talents and abilities. We are all their beneficiaries.

In a chapterfrom her autobiography,DorotheaTaylortracedthe beginnings of the movement to educate retarded children in Dutchess County and the origins of the Little Red School House. Taylor believed eachchildhas potentialfor growthand that "the educationof childrenand theirteachersis society's greatesttool for improvingitself."

RuthHogan's tributeto hermother,MaryLucyHamAlley,shows a life devotedto familyand communitythat lasteduntilher deathin 1988 at the age of 95. Of her mother, Hogan writes, "She did not concede adversity. Rather, she ... found a way to overcome or circumvent obstacles."

MariaMitchellwas largelyself-taughtandknewfromexperience that women were the intellectualequals of men. She proved it in her 23year career as professor of astronomy and director of the observatoryat VassarCollege. ElizabethDanielshas writtenof a lesser-knownaspectof Mitchell's life, her effortsto developand advancewomen in general.

LawrenceMamiya's articleaboutBessieHardenPaynepresents a woman who used her many talents to create a life of service. As a wife, mother,missionaryin SouthAfrica,teacherandprincipalof theLittleRed SchoolHouse,andlateras a civilrightsworker,activememberof Ebenezer Baptist Church and Board of Directors of Catherine Street Community 2

Center, Payne worked to improve opportunities for Dutchess County's African-American community.

In the photo essay about Pauline Reichert Slater we glimpse a way oflife that would have been the experience of many second generation families in Poughkeepsie in the 19th century. Their whole lives were lived in the Union and South Perry Street neighborhood of Poughkeepsie. Her parents and her husband's family had immigrated from Germany at midcentury and German continued to be spoken at home and in the German Catholic Church of the Nativity where they were members.

Marian Liggera tells the story ofD.A.R. women saving Clinton House twice: once in the 1890s from deterioration, and again in 1951 when the State questioned its importance as an historic site worthy of state support.

Margaret Thome Parshall' s love of embroidery illustrates how sharing her interest led to the founding of a national organization and the training of dozens of Dutchess County women whose work continues to benefit the community.

Reprints of Nancy Alden's newspaper column, "Across the Spectrum," concern three county women. In the article on Eleanor Roosevelt, perhaps Dutchess' most famous woman, she presents an interview with Roosevelt biographer Blanche Weissen Cook, which brings to light aspects of Roosevelt's humanitarian spirit that are less well known.

A second column pays tribute to Grace Murray Hopper, a professor of mathematics at Vassar College, Navy Admiral, and author of the programming language, COBOL. In the last excerpt Alden addresses her own successful careers as Navy officer, wife, mother, teacher, town supervisor and journalist.

Often it is the suffering of others that motivates a woman's choice of vocation. This was the case in the life of Grace Kimball, a missionary to Turkey in the 1880s, medical doctor in Poughkeepsie before 1900 and president of the YWCA from 1899to 1940. Nancy Taubman relates the difficulties Kimball overcame to become a doctor at the tum of the century and how her medical knowledge served the community.

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The women crune from the south and midwest as well as the northeast;somewere nativePoughkeepsians.What they had in common was militaryserviceandlivingin DutchessCounty. In interviews,twentytwo women discussedtheir time in the armed forces,from World War II to the 1990s, injobs that ranged from intelligence work and nursing to checksof airplaneelectronicsystemsandcryptographicequipmentrepair.

Sometimestheirmotivationforjoiningwasa responseto a lovedone in the war effort or an opportunity for job training when college was not a possibilityor because of racial discrimination.They are an adventurous groupandeachwomanspokewellofherexperience.Theymakeus proud.

NanFogel Editor

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MRS. SLATER'S WORLD

by Annon Adams Annon Adams is a local history researcher who has focused her interests on the Bardavon Opera House and the architect, J.A. Wood. She is a Poughkeepsie resident and is currently researching her family history.

Introduction In the fall of 1998, James Storrow and I created "William Slater's World," an exhibit sponsored by the Dutchess County Historical Society at the Cunneen-Hackett Cultural Center in Poughkeepsie. The exhibit brought together photographs printed from glass plate negatives which William Slater took of his family, himself and his community. The photographs came from two private collections that were reunited by historical serendipity.

Figure 1: Pauline Reichert Slater Collection of Dan and Lucia Edgcomb

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For thisissueof the YearBook on women,Mrs.Slaterand her life in Poughkeepsie will be told through these photographs. In addition, research in City Directories, census information, and Poughkeepsie newspapersprovide the bare facts of Mrs. Slater's life. She would have undoubtedlycalledherselfan ordinarywomanwholivedmostof herlifein homeswithina two-blockradiusin whatis todaytheUnionStreetHistoric District of Poughkeepsie.

EarlyYears Mrs. Slater (see Figure 1)wasborn PaulineReicherton July 26, 1862in Poughkeepsie.

Her parents were Joseph and Martha Lauderman Reichert.

Theyhadbothimmigratedto the United States from Germany.

Pauline was their second child.

Her older sister, Sophia, was born in 1859, and her younger sister, Mary, in 1865. She had two brothers: Frank was born July 30, 1867andJohnin 1870.1 Pauline's father,Joseph Reichert, was born in Germany on September 30, 1836. He came to the U. S. in 1856 at the age of 19, and became a U.S. Figure 2: William E. Slater Collection of Cathy Bala citizen in 1861. He held a number of jobs as a laborer, a peddler and, finally, a carman in a coal yard. He owned his home at 48 South Bridge St. with a mortgage.2 Pauline' s mother was also from Germanywhere she was born about 1829. She came to the United States by 1849. She had married Joseph by 1860,and had seven children, five of whom were living in 1910. At her death in 1914,she had been living in Poughkeepsiefor 65 years.3 Before her marriage, Pauline worked in a factory as did her younger sister, Mary. Her older sister, Sophia, was a servant,who lived withher parents. Nothingis known aboutPauline's school;however,she

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and her sisters could all could read and write English.4 On November 17, 1885, Pauline Reichert married William E. Slater (see Figure 2), son of the late John and Mary Slater. Their marriage is recordedin German in the records of the German CatholicChurch of the Nativity, located on Union Street at South Perry Street. William Slater's parents were also from Germany. He was a carpenter. Poughkeepsie's

Figure 3: From left to rightFrank Joseph, Pauline and young William Slater.

Collection of Dan and Lucia Edgcomb

weekly newspaper, The Sunday Courier, also reported their marriage, which was performed by Rev. Gallus Bruder.5 At or soon aftertheir marriage,Paulineand William Slaterwent to live with her parents at 48 South Bridge Street. They had three children.

FrankJosephSlaterwas born in July, 1888.A daughter,Pauline,was born January 30, 1896 and died a year later on February 18, 1897. Their

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youngerson,WilliamJ. Slater,wasbornApril26, 1898.Beginningabout 1891andformanyyearsthereafter, Williamworkedfor Mr.WilliamW. Smithof SmithBrothersCoughDrops. A 1908newspaperarticlesaidhe was a "total abstainer."6 Two photographs show Mary with her children. The first (see Figure 3) is an informalphotographof Maryand her two sons. They are dressedup,theboysin suitsandMacywitha lace-frontblouse. The second photograph(seeFigure4) is probablya studiophotographwhichWilliam copied,as indeedhe did withthe formalphotographsof himself.The table on whichthe workwas doneis visiblein a coupleof thephotographs.Macy wears a dark formal dress. They all look like they are trying to keep still and are staring at somethingin the distance. The warmthof the informal photographsis missing.

Fireman'sWife In 1888Pauline' s husbandbecame a member of a volunteerfire company,theLadyWashingtonHoseCompany.Twoofhis brotherswere

Figure 4: From left to right- William, Pauline, Frank Joseph and young William Slater Collection of Dan and Lucia Edgcomb

already members, as well as his brother-in-law, John Bright, who was married to Pauline' s sister, Sophia. Bright was also a carpenter and had superintendedthe constructionof the PoughkeepsieArmoryat the comer 8

of Market and Church Streets. He served as Foreman of Lady Washington Hose Company, and in 1888, 1889, 1892 and 1893 was Chief Engineer of the Fire Department. A recollection by Sophia 50 years later, tells us about an incident that must have shaken the members of the Slater and Reichert families - the sinking of the Emeline. 1 John and Sophia Bright had gone on a fire company outing to Catskill. "Young America Hose Company, sponsors of the outing to Catskill that day, had chartered the Emeline and aboard the ship were scores of Poughkeepsie residents. The day was stormy part of the time, but towards evening it cleared.

Figure 5: William E. Slater, Second Assistant Engineer, Fire Department, City of Poughkeepsie.

Collection of Cathy Bala.

'The Emeline,' Mrs. Bright says, 'was coming downstream, all aboard were sitting down to eat when there was an awful shock, and awful noise, and everybody began to shout. We had struck a rock.'

Events transpired fast, she'll tell you today. She can still picture 9

John,standingin the deep wateralongsidethe shipwhichsankto the level of itsmaindeck--onemorestepwouldhavetakenhimoverhis depthin the channel--handingout to other rescuers to be passed up to the banks, the panickypicnickersaboard the craft.

Figure 6: William E. Slater,First Assistant Engineer, Fire Department, City of Poughkeepsie Collection of Dan and Lucia Edgcomb.

'I was the last woman off the boat,' she says proudly.... No transportationwas availablebackto Poughkeepsiethatnight,shesaid. 'All sortsof newswentback aheadof us,' sherecalls. 'They thoughtdownhere we were all drown.'

Sherecallsthenightspentat Catskill,arounda fireas thepicnickers awaited the arrival of another boat the next day to bring them back to Poughkeepsie."8 No doubt everyone at 48 South Bridge Street was relievedwhen Chief Bright and Sophiareturnedthe next day!

Paulinewasto sharewithhersisterthelifeofa wifewhosehusband 10

was an officer in Poughkeepsie's volunteerfire department. William was quickly promoted to positions of trust within Lady Washington Hose Company and then the PoughkeepsieFire Department. In 1892and 1893 he was Assistant Foreman of Lady Washington. In 1896 he became Second Assistant Engineer of the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department

Figure 7: Young William Slater in his carriage/stroller.

Collection of Cathy Bala.

for four yearsuntil 1900,and is picturedin his uniformas SecondAssistant EngineerinFigure5. From 1902through 1905,WilliamSlaterwasFirst Assistant Engineer and then again served in 1908and 1909. Though the uniformlookslessimpressive,the insigniaon WilliamSlater's hat in Figure 6, indicateshis higher rank. In December 1905,the Knightsof Columbus

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FraternalNews reportedthat Slater"...has not failedto respondto a single alarmof fire."9

Figure 8: Young William with Frank Joseph (?) in front of the Christmas tree. Collection of Cathy Bala.

SophiaBrighttalkedaboutthe lifeof the wifeof a firefighterin the days of horse drawn fire apparatus. Of her husband,John, she said, "His comingsand goings,day and night,winterand summer,to answerthe call of the firealarmwas an annoyanceto her,to be sure...." 10 When Slaterwas appointed Assistant Fire Chief again in 1908, a local paper said, "He residesat 216UnionStreet,'rightunderthebell,' withhiswifeandchildren anda happierhomecannotbe foundin thecity ." 11 Andnot onlywerethere firesto fight,but alsoparadesto marchin, decorationsto make for special 12

occasions like the 1907 Convention of the Hudson Valley Volunteer Fireman's Association and the 1909 Convention of the State Fireman's Association held in Poughkeepsie, and other social activities of the individual fire companies.

Life at Horne For the first 18 years of their marriage, Pauline and Williamlived with her parents at 48 South Bridge Street.

For much of that time her sister, Mary, married to John Spiegel, a butcher, lived next door at 46 South Bridge Street.

Later, Pauline' s sister, Sophia, and her husband, John Bright, also lived with the Spiegel family. JohnandMary Spiegel had two children, Katherine, born about 1889, approximately the same age as Figure 9: Young William and a friend Pauline' solder son, and with a board game.

John, born in 1892.

Collection of Cathy Bala.

Nearby lived their brother, Frank, who was a barber, and his wife, Josephine. They also had two children, Charles, born in 1898, the same age as young William Slater, and Frank, born in 1901 12• When the Slaters moved from 48 South Bridge in 1907 to 216 Union,theyonlymovedacoupleofblocksandwerestillintheUnionStreet area where a large number of families of German descent resided. The Slaters and the Reicherts attended the German Catholic Church of the Nativity. Young William attended the Church of the Nativity School and his brother probably did as well.

The photographs portray the Slater's family life. The photographs of young William are especially evocative. Young William in his carriage/

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stroller(seeFigure7), sittingundertheChristmastree,maybewithhisolder brother (see Figure 8), playing a board game with a friend (see Figure 9), and standingbeside a friend,perhaps his cousin, Charles(see Figure 10)

Figure 10: Young William and a friend, perhaps his cousin Charles, getting their picture taken.

Collection of Cathy Bala.

Two fascinatingpicturesshowthebackyardsat 48 (seeFigure 11) and 46 South Bridge (see Figure 12). That a carpenter was in residence at 48 is visiblein theboardwalk,fencingand shelterin thebackyard. Next door the yard is more functional. Both photos,but particularlythe one at 46, show a warm familysetting,with the women (Couldit be, from left to right, Pauline, Mary and Sofia?) and the children in everyday clothes.

YoungWilliam is hangingover the fencethat separatesthe two yards.

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Another photograph (see Figure 13) is taken at 46 South Bridge Street during a large gathering. A gentleman at the left has placed a plate on his head, which most of the others are looking at. Mary can be seen in the firstrow in a lightdress,sittingin themiddleof theyoungchildren.Many of the participantsare laughing.

Figure 11: A carpenters back yard at 48 South Bridge Street.

Frank Joseph standing behind a woman and two girls.

Collection of Cathy Bala.

A later photograph (see Figure 14) is taken at 216 Union Street.

William Slater is in the lower left of the photo. A number of photographs includeWilliam. They were taken using a handheldremotecontroldevice which allowedhim to photographat a distanceof about five feet. A couple of the young men, including Frank Joseph are enjoying cigars. Mary and perhaps her sister, are playfully tasting a dish cooked for the occasion.

There is ajovial, warm feeling to the photograph.

There are also photographs (see Figures 15 and 16) taken at unknown locationswhich show the Slatersgatheredwith friendsor family on the porch. In both pictures Mary has a smile on her face. Is it a smile 15

Figure 12: A butcher's back yard at 46 South Bridge Street. Young William at left is hanging over the fence that divides the yards of 48 and 46 South Bridge Street. The three women could be the sisters, from left to right, Pauline Slater, Mary Spiegel and Sophia Bright. Frank Joseph is the

for the camera or is she ready to crack ajoke? We '11never know, but the photographs continue to paint a picture of a life filled with warm relationshipswithfamilyandfriends.

Maryand Her Church The onlyotherclue now availableaboutPaulineSlater's life is that she was an active member of the Church of the Nativity. In 1902 the Churchcelebratedthe GoldenJubilee(50thyear)forthe Congregationand the SilverJubilee(25thyear) ofits pastor,the Rev. GallusBruder. A book waspublishedto markthe occasion,in German,and it givessomeevidence of Pauline's involvementwiththe church. She was the Treasurerof the St. Elizabeth's Society, and her sister Mary was the Vice-President. At the timeoftheJubileetherewere 140members. Thebookrelatesthat the St. Elizabeth Society's purpose was educational. The women who joined committedto guiding their children into the teachingsand dogma of their religion,whichwas particularlyimportant,in the opinionof the priestwho

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wrote the book, as too many families were neglecting the religious education of their children. In addition, from dues and donations, the Society provided funds for special projects.

At the end of the Golden Jubilee Book is an Appendix (Anhang), and in that is a section of Rules of Conduct. It lays out what was expected of church members. These rules no doubt helpedto shape PaulineSlater's conduct as well as that of her sisters. It stated that all Germans should belong to the German Catholicchurch. They shouldsend theirchildrento its school" ... to plant and cultivatethe religionand good morals....Parents who send their children to public school commit a grave sin...."

Dangerousthings to be avoided included: 1. Keeping company with godless and immoral people.

2. Bad books and above all like minded newspapers ...

3. Mixed marriages...

4. Work and service by man on Sunday ..."

Figure 13: Group photo in the back yard of 46 South Bridge Street The center of attention is the man on the left with a plate on his head.

Pauline Slater is in a light dress seated among the children in the first row. Collection of Dan and Lucia Edgcomb.

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Figure 14: Clowning around in the back yard of 216 Union Street.

Young William in front, his father on the left with a large pipe in his mouth, Pauline in the center with perhaps a sister, and Frank Joseph, right, on the fence with a cigar. Collection of Cathy Bala.

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Figure 15: On the porch with family or friends. Somone other than William must have taken the picture because he is standing in the rear, Pauline is seated in the center, and their children in the front, young William on the left, and Frank Joseph on the right.

Collection of Dan and Lucia Edgcomb

Figure 16: William is in the right front taking the photograph.

The squeeze bulb of the remote device is in his left hand.

Young William is in the center front and Pauline sits in the rear.

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"Hold your German Mother tongue dear and worthwhile....ln Englishyou calculateyour dollars,but you conversein Germanwithyour children,to yourconfessorandto God.....In your familyyou willconverse in German....

A Christianhouseshouldcontain: 1. A crucifix 2. A picture of the Mother of God 3. Holy water 4. A Sick Call set 5. A prayer book 6. A good Catholic newspaper 7. A good Catholic calendar 8. A bible" Each day was to begin and end with prayer. Mass was to be attendedwheneverpossible. On Sundaysand Holy Days it was a mortal sin not to go to Mass. Fast and abstinencedays were explainedas well as otherholydays,baptism,confession,communion,marriage,sicknessand the funeral. The Churchof the Nativityundoubtedlyplayeda centralrole inPauline'slife.13

Afterthe Photographs The photographs which exist probably span a period of approximately25years,fromabout1890untilabout1915.Thiswaswhen PaulineSlater's childrenwereyoung,goingto schooland thenbeginning theirlife's work. Bothchildrenbecameelectricians.Bothwouldmarry and have two children. Pauline' s Mother died in 1914 at 85 years. Her husband probably died in the 1920' s, though no death or burial records have been located for him. Her father,Joseph, lived to be 94 and died in 1931at the home of Mary and John Spiegel. Perhaps the most difficult death for Pauline to accept was that of her son, Frank Joseph, who died in 1940at the age of 53 of a heartailment. Her sonWilliamand his family madetheirhome with her on Grand Street,wherethey wouldhave shared the loss together. Later in 1940,her brother Frank died. In 1941,John Spiegeldiedandin 1942,MarySpiegel. UponPauline'sdeathin 1943, onlySophiawas stillalive. She diedin 1950at the age of 91. She hadbeen a widow for 40 years.

PaulineSlaterdied at her home, 10Grand Street,on Wednesday, February23, 1944.The funeralwas held at the Churchof the Nativityand 20

Pauline was buried at Calvary Cemetery as had been her parents and most of her brothers and sisters. She had three grandsons, two of whom were serving in World War 11.14 Pauline had lived her entire life in Poughkeepsie, most of it in the Union Street area, near her church, and near many other German families.

She probably spoke German at home, and could do most of her shopping at family-operated stores within walking distance of her home. She lived surrounded not only by her immediate family, but also her parents, and her brother and sisters. From the photographs it appears that she was a self confident and contented person --perhaps with a sense of humor! Hers was an ordinary life at the tum of the nineteenth century. To us today, its seems extraordinary.

Endnotes

l Poughkeepsie New Yorker, Wednesday, February 23, 1944, page 13.

Obituary: "Mrs. Pauline Slater Dies at Her Home." Poughkeepsie New Yorker, January 24, 1950, page 23. Obituary: "Mrs. John Bright, In Her 91st Year." 1880 U.S. Census, Dutchess County, New York, City of Poughkeepsie, 2nd Ward. page 7, line 21.

2 Poughkeepsie Eagle-News, Thursday,February 12, 1931. Obituary: "Joseph M. Reickert Dies at the Age of94 Years." 1910 U.S. Census, New York, Dutchess County, City of Poughkeepsie, 4th Ward, E.D. 5, District67,Sheet4A.; 1920U. S. Census,New York Dutchess County, City of Poughkeepsie, 4th Ward, E.D. 48, Sheet 6 B; Poughkeepsie City Directory, 1864/1865 - 1901/ 1902.

3 Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, April 3, 1914, "Mrs. Reickert' s Funeral".

1860 U. S. Census, New York, Dutchess County, City of Poughkeepsie, First Ward. 1910 U.S. Census, New York Dutchess County, City of Poughkeepsie, District 5, E. D. 67, Sheet4A. 4 1880 U. S. Census, New York, Dutchess County, City of Poughkeepsie, E.D. 58, Page 2, Lines 28 - 32. 1910 U.S. Census, New York State, Dutchess County, City of Poughkeepsie, 4th Ward, E. D. 67, Sheet 12 A.

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S Recordsof the Churchof the Nativitynow kept by Mt. CarmelChurch, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Poughkeepsie City Directories. The (Poughkeepsie) Sunday Courier, November 22, 1885.

6 Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, Saturday, February 20, 1897, "Died: Slater,Pauline"; 1900U. S. Census,New York State,DutchessCounty, City of Poughkeepsie, 4th Ward, E. D. 25, Sheet 8, Line 24; The Poughkeepsie Eagle-News, Friday, April 19, 1940,Obituary: "Illness Fatal - Frank J. Slater"; Poughkeepsie Journal, Friday, May 17, 1963, Obituary: "William Slater, 65, Dies; Retired Electrical Contractor."

Poughkeepsie Eagle, Thursday, January 2, 1908, page 5, "Popular AppointmentWilliamSlater,FirstAssistantEngineerof FireDepartment, an ExpertFire Fighter."

1 Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, Friday, March 11, 1910,Obituary: "The Death of John Bright"; Annual Report of the Chief Engineer of the Fire Departmentof the City of Poughkeepsiefor the year 1888,LocalHistory Collection,AdrianceMemorialLibrary,Poughkeepsie.

8 Poughkeepsie Star-Enterprise, Monday, April 24, 1939, "Mrs. Bright Lives Here at 80- Recalls Rescue Work at Catskill."

9 Knights of Columbus Fraternal News, December, 1908and Annual Reports of the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department of the City of Poughkeepsie,both in the Local HistoryCollection,AdrianceMemorial Library,Poughkeepsie.

10 Poughkeepsie Star-Enterprise, Monday April 24, 1939, "Mrs. Bright Lives Here at 80- Recalls Rescue Work at Catskill."

11 Poughkeepsie Eagle, January 2, 1908, page 5, "Popular AppointmentWilliamSlater,FirstAssistantEngineerof FireDepartment, an ExpertFire Fighter."

12 PoughkeepsieCityDirectories.1910U.S. Census,DutchessCounty, City of Poughkeepsie: Slater - 4th Ward, E.D. 67, page 12; Frank Reichert- 4th Ward,E.D. 68, page 4B; Speigel-4th Ward,E.D. 67, Page 4B. 13 Andenkenan das "GoldeneJubilaum"oder FunfzigjahrigeBestehen der Geburt Christi Kirche zu Poughkeepsie und zur Erinnerung an das SilbemeJubilaumdes Hochw.GallusBruderals Pfarrerin derGemeinde.

Local HistoryCollection,AdrianceMemorialLibrary. Thanks to Anna BuchholzandEllenUrbinfortranslatingpartsof thebook fromGermanto English.

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14 Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, April 3, 1914, "Mrs. Reickert's Funeral." Poughkeepsie Evening Star and Enterprise, Thursday, February 12, 1931, "Joseph M. Reickert Dies at Daughter's."

Poughkeepsie Eagle News, Thursday, February 12, 1931, "JosephM. ReickertDiesattheAgeof94 Years,"March3, 1941,Fri.April 19, 1940, "Illness Fatal Frankl Slater," August 26, 1940,"John A. Spiegel, Sr. Dies at His Home," August 26, 1940, "F. B. Reickert, Barber, Dies," and Saturday, October 10, 1942, "Mrs. Mary Spiegel Dies at 77 ."

Poughkeepsie New Yorker, Wednesday, February 23, 1944, "Mrs. Pauline Slater Dies at Her Home" and January 24, 1950, "Mrs. John Bright, in Her 91 st Year," Records of Calvary Cemetery, St. Martin De Porres Church, Poughkeepsie.

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BESSIEHARDENPAYNE (1895 -1991)

By Lawrence H. Mamiya Lawrence Mamiya is the Paschall-Davis Professor of Africana Studies and Religion at Vassar College. He is the co-editor with Patricia A. Kaurouma of "For Their Courage and For Their Struggles: The Black Oral History Project of Poughkeepsie, NY," and co-author with Lorraine Roberts of "Invisible People, Untold Stories: A Historical Overview of the Black Community in Poughkeepsie. "

Bessie Harden Payne and Rev. Herbert A. Payne

Mrs. Bessie Harden Payne, a native Poughkeepsian, was a prominent, distinguished and articulate leader in the African American community in the city of Poughkeepsie. She was a "driving force behind many of the city's black civic organizations." 1 Born in Poughkeepsie on January 16, 1895, she was the daughter of John and Mary M. Woods Harden. Her paternal grandfather, Mr. James Harden, came from Highland, New York and worked as a waiter on the Hudson River boats in the late nineteenth century. Mr. Harden had also fought in the Civil War. Bessie's mother, Mrs. Mary M. Woods Harden, came to Poughkeepsie in 1892 from Stonington, Connecticut, where her maternal grandfather was a freedman in the early nineteenth century and her father, Henry Woods, worked as a constable in Stonington.

Educated in Poughkeepsie schools, Bessie Harden became one of the first black graduates of Poughkeepsie High School, matriculating in the

24

class of 1913. Recalling her education, Mrs. Payne said, "I was the first colored to graduate in a number of years. I don't think there were but about 500 Negroes all together in Poughkeepsie at that time. And of course, there weren't that many young people to go to school." 2 As one of the few African-American students in Poughkeepsie's public schools, she did encounter a few incidents of racial discrimination.

In the sixth grade, a Miss Tuttle invited her class to her home for a social gathering and Bessie informed her mother that she was going to be late that day. When the group reached the comer of the street where the Hardens lived, Miss Tuttle said, "Bessie, you can go home, you don't have to go with us." After arriving home early, she told her mother what had happened. The next day Mrs. Harden accompanied her daughter to school and spoke with Miss Tuttle. "I don't know what she said to Miss Tuttle but she was always very kind to me after that."

During her childhood years, Bessie Harden pointed out that there was a level of"de facto" racial discrimination in some of the local hotels and restaurants. The Nelson House, for example, did not hire Negroes to work there for a long period of time. After some pressure by local leaders in the late twenties, Negroes worked there as porters and waiters, but they could not stay overnight in the Nelson House. Bessie's father John Harden worked at the Nelson House as a waiter for thirty years. She recalled that when the famous singer Marian Anderson performed at the Bardavon Opera House, the audience was still applauding while Ms. Anderson was being driven back to the train station by Rev. Payne because she could not stay overnight in a hotel in the Queen City of the Mid-Hudson. Other famous black performers like Roland Hayes and Langston Hughes encountered similar kinds of discrimination, returning to New York City after their performances in Poughkeepsie. The Smith Brothers Cough Drop Company also had a restaurant that did not hire black people or let them eat there.

The Ebenezer Baptist Church, which laid the cornerstone of its building in 1905 and was led by the Rev. Charles Ferris, was very important in the formation of Bessie's life. Her mother, Mrs. Mary Harden, was the superintendent of the Sunday School and also played the piano for worship services. Ebenezer became the center of Bessie's social life and activities. Most of her close friends were members of the Baptist Young People's Union which met every Wednesday night. The family also spent all day Sunday at the church with worship service at 11 a.m., dinner at the church, Sunday School at 3 p.m., followed by an 25

eveningservice.

In 1913,Mrs. Mary Harden and her daughter Bessie gathered a group of 10 women to start the Poughkeepsie Neighborhood Club.

Mrs. Harden also served as the president of the club until her death in 1948. The purpose of the club was to help women do civic work and to help uplift womanhood in general. It brought outstanding Negro speakersto Poughkeepsiefor lectures. It also encouraged churches and community groups to observe Emancipation Day and Negro History Sunday. In 1917 the club sponsored its first Lincoln-Douglass dinner.

During the first week of every April, the club supported Negro Health Week. The Poughkeepsie Neighborhood Club became a member of the United Federation of Negro Women, which was organized by the famous educator and college president, Dr. Mary McCleod Bethune.

The club also played an informal role in social change by encouraging black professionals like Dr. Garrett Price to relocate to Poughkeepsie.

The Catherine Street Community Center, which was established in 1922,was an outgrowth of the PoughkeepsieNeighborhoodClub. The club experiencebecame significantfor Bessie Harden when in later life she was elected as the president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, Inc.3 These women's clubs were the forerunner of the women's movement in black communities.

After graduating from Poughkeepsie High School, Bessie attended Virginia Seminary College in Lynchburg, Virginia where she married her husband, the Rev. Herbert A. Payne, who was then training for the ministry. Married on November13, 1915, they had two sons: Herbert Harden who was born in South Africa and John who was born in Poughkeepsie.Two daughters, Rosemary and Nada, died as infants.

Although she desired to do missionary work in India after hearing a speaker in high school, Bessie agreed to follow her husband to do mission work for the Baptists in South Africa in 1916 during World War I. Their boat took a longer route along the South American coast to South Africa due to the fear of German submarines. While her husband was busy with missionary work, she taught the sixth grade in a Baptist-run school. Mrs. Payne was also puzzled by the apartheid system in South Africa, especially in regard to the fine racial gradations found there. "Well, to see an advertisement in the paper for a nurse is really amusing. Some want a native, some want a three-fourthcolored, some a four-fifthcolored---! don't know how they figure it." While she claimed that neither she nor her husband had encountered problems 26

with racial discrimination in South Africa because they worked largely in the rural areas with the native Amafango and Kawagi people, she did notice that black Africans were not allowed to walk on the sidewalks, particularly when whites were present.

After spending six years ( 1916 to 1922) in South Africa as missionaries of the Baptist Church, the Paynes returned to the U.S. and lived in New York City and Albany where the Rev. Payne had churches. During the Depression years, he became one of the directors of the Work Projects Administration in New York State during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency, while Mrs. Payne was active with the American Baptist Home Mission Society. She also made friends with Dr. Mary McCleod Bethune, the founder and president of Bethune-Cookman College and friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, who became the highest ranking African American administrator in the federal government under FDR. When Rev. Payne worked in Albany with the WPA, the family lived in Chatham, Columbia County.

During the 1930s in Poughkeepsie, there were no African Americans working in the factories or the local hospitals: Hudson River State, St. Francis and Vassar Brothers. Bessie's mother, Mrs. Mary Harden, Gaius Bolin, Sr. (the first black attorney and first black to graduate from Williams College), and Dr. Robert Wesley Morgan (the first black physician) were among the local black leaders who persuaded these employers to begin hiring black people. They were successful. Prior to the protests and demonstrations of the civil rights movement, these leaders believed in a "quiet way of working," using moral suasion behind the scenes.

After her husband died in 1952, Bessie Payne returned to Poughkeepsie from Chatham and became a teacher of retarded boys.

She worked at and later became the principal of the city's Little Red School House for the education of retarded children from 1959 to 1966.

Her eldest son, Herbert, died in 1954. To deal with the pain of two major losses in a short period, she immersed herself in community and church affairs in Poughkeepsie. She renewed her membership at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and became an active member and missionary. Along with President and Mrs. Henry Noble MacCracken of Vassar College, and the local NAACP, Mrs. Payne helped to desegregate some of the large stores in Poughkeepsie, such as Luckey Platt, by encouraging them to hire black clerks. She also served on the Board of Directors of the

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Catherine Street Community Center.

Mrs. Bessie Payne won numerous awards for her activities including the following: Distinguished Achievement Award; Woman of the Year in 1964 by the Poughkeepsie Business and Professional Women's Clubs; New York State Legislature Achievement Award in 1974 for her work on behalf of senior citizens; the Mary C. Christian Award in 1976 by the Hudson Valley Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. For volunteerism; American Legion Merit Medal and Citation; Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs; president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, Inc. After a long period of illness, Mrs. Bessie Harden Payne died on July 31, 1991 at the age of 96. Besides her achievements, Bessie is remembered for her distinguished bearing, poise and leadership skills.

"When she was in her prime, she did her share of volunteering for the people of the Mid-Hudson Valley," said Mrs. Earlene Patrice, a friend and fellow activist for 30 years. "Her living was not in vain because she gave of herself to everyone. " 4

Endnotes 1

Obituary, "Civic Leader Bessie H. Payne, 96, helped found black organizations, "Poughkeepsie Journal, Thursday, August 1, 1991, p. 2B. 2 See the edited transcript of the oral history interview with Mrs. Bessie Harden Payne in Lawrence H. Mamiya and Patricia A. Kaurouma, editors, For Their Courage and For Their Struggles: The Black Oral History Project of Poughkeepsie, New York.

Poughkeepsie, New York: Center for Africana Studies, 1978, pp. 18 to 33. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and biographical materials are taken from this interview.

3 See Lawrence H. Mamiya and Lorraine Roberts, "Invisible People, Untold Stories: A Historical Overview of the Black Community in Poughkeepsie," in New Perspectives on Poughkeepsie's Past: Essays to Honor Edmund Platt, edited by Clyde Griffen. Dutchess County Historical Society, Volume 72, 1987: 76-104, pp. 88-89.

4 Poughkeepsie Journal Obituary, op.cit., p. 2B

28

"FEEDINGYOUNG LADIES' MINDS FROM LIVING SPRINGS" MARIAMITCHELLAND VASSAR COLLEGE

By Elizabeth A. Daniels Elizabeth Daniels is Professor Emerita of English at Vassar College and currently is the college historian. She is the author of several books, most recently with Maryann Bruno, of Vassar College, in the College History Series of Arcadia Publishing, Inc.

Maria Mitchell Special Collections, Vassar College Libraries In keeping with his desire to make Vassar Female College a firstrate institution oflearning, Matthew Vassar, founder, decided to try to attract Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), America's celebrated woman astronomer, to the college as the professor of astronomy and director of the

29

observatory. To that end, he asked Rufus Babcock, one of the college's firsttrustees,to visither in Lynn,Massachusettsin the summerof 1862and soundher out. Babcockdid so, and followedup his visit in Octoberwith a letterexpressinghopethat she wouldacceptthe offertenderedon behalf of Matthew Vassar to teach in the newly-endowed college for women, whichwasto openin 1865.The referencesfromimportantscientistswere so enthusiasticabouther abilitiesthat the collegemusthave her,Babcock said:"For certainlywe cannotbut desireour youngladies' mindsto be fed from livingsprings--ratherthan from a reservoir."1 Maria Mitchell accepted the invitation and she was indeed a "living spring," with innovative ideas about teaching and about how women could reshape their lives intellectually. For twenty-threeyears she was a faculty leader at the endowed woman's college. In a culture that put a premium on men's self-relianceand women's dependenceon men, she was a source of inspiration and creative ideas and an advocate of self-relianceand independence,not only for her astronomy students but for all women. An activist, she played a leading role in establishing at Vassar a mode of teaching that required individual research into the sources (in her case, requiring students to do self-reliant, systematic observation of the stars and planets), and she encouraged women to refute over-dependence on the largely male-created "reservoir" and think for themselves.

Sixty-nineyear old PoughkeepsianMatthew Vassar, a wealthy brewer, had declared in 1859 that he wanted to start and endow an institution that would be of value to mankind (womankind, as it turned out) and at the same time would honor the heritage of his family, which had emigrated from England to Americain 1796. Returningto England in 1845 to make the grand tour and to find his roots, he visited Guy's Hospital in London where he decided on the spot to devote a portion of his estate to a charitable purpose, as had his early ancestor, Sir Thomas Guy. Thereafter, responding to the often expressed desires of his deceased schoolmistressniece, Lydia Booth, who had urged him to take up the cause of women's education, and also the persuasive advice of Milo P. Jewett, who became the first presidentof the college,he made up his mind to start a women's college that would do for young women what a Yale or a Harvard had been doing for men during the years of young America. In his first official communication to the Trustees at their meeting (February 26, 1861) he said: "It occurred to me that woman,havingreceivedfromherCreatorthesameintellectualconstitution 30

as man, has the same right as man to intellectual culture and development."

Maria Mitchell was just the person to help in conceiving such a college, Vassar thought, and he determined to ask her to hold the chair of astronomy.

Like so many of the early young women who were to study under her at Vassar, Maria Mitchell lacked a high school education. Yet she was very well educated and naturally very bright. From the time she was a child, she took astronomy seriously and helped her father, a selftaught astronomer, with one of his Nantucket undertakings of "rating" the chronometers for ship captains, a procedure which depended on knowledge and use of the telescope. When she was seventeen she took a position which she held for many years, as a librarian at the Nantucket Athenaeum, where her father was on the board. Many well-known persons came to Nantucket from the mainland and abroad to lecture at the Athenaeum, and she met many of America's distinguished citizens, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom she welcomed again when he lectured at Vassar. At the Athenaeum also, she occupied herself with study during her spare time, reading the classics of mathematics, science and literature. On October 1, 1847, while "sweeping the sky," she discovered a comet, "as a result of her own mathematical calculations" later wrote Martha MacLeish, her Vassar student in the class of 1878). 2 The comet was named for her, and she won a prize of a gold medal from the King of Denmark for the discovery. Thus catapulted into sudden fame, the next year she was elected into membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the only woman so honored until 1943. (The membership was designated as "honorary" and not as "fellow" because she was a woman.)

In 1857 Mitchell began what were to turn out to be liberating and instructive travels. She first made a trip across the United States and to the South as companion to the daughter of a banker. Then, with letters of introduction from Professor Benjamin Silliman, distinguished scientist at Yale University, and Professor George Bond of Harvard, she traveled to England a year later to meet the Astronomer Royal, Dr. G.B. Airy, at Greenwich Observatory, and in England she also visited Sir John and Caroline Herschel, astronomers, and Mary Somerville, the 75-year old mathematician. Subsequently visiting France, she called on Urbain Leverrier, distinguished mathematician and physicist at his astronomical observatory and then traveled with Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family to Italy, where she was admitted to the Vatican 31

Observatory, the first woman to be officially received. In Italy, she stayed with Harriet Hosmer, an American sculptor.

Forty-one years old when Darwin's Origin of Species was published in 1859, she was forty-seven when she started teaching astronomy at Vassar where she was probably the best known professor for the next twenty-three years, from 1865 to 1888. She helped establish the quality of the Vassar education in its formative period. The first students to come to the college were often ill prepared to meet collegiate standards, but she did not let that stop her. Insisting on the intellectual equality of women and men, she developed in them that self-reliance that many of them initially lacked in the acquisition and development of mathematical and observational skills.

Her methodology consisted of a foundation of mathematics on which to pursue calculation, observation and recording of individual results. She believed in the independence and initiative of the individual student and refused to guide students' thinking too closely: she wanted them to learn for themselves. She made use of new technologies which emerged during her lifetime, such as photography and telegraphy. (Samuel F .B. Morse was a member of the college's first board of trustees.) Her students photographed the sun every day and made running observations about sunspots, just as she had recorded the weather daily in Nantucket at the Athenaeum Library.

Twice she took her students or ex-students on field trips halfway across the country to observe total eclipses, once to Burlington, Iowa (1869) and one to Denver, Colorado (1878). In her observatory, she conducted night classes both out-of-door and indoors, at night and during the day. She met students at all levels, social and academic. The observatory dome, where she guided students in the use of the telescope, was also the locale where she conducted her famous "dome parties" on special occaisons.

The first years of the college were not easy: it was very hard to set standards and build a curriculum from scratch, especially since the college was without precedent. Mitchell's role in the struggle was seminal. Her student, Mary Whitney, who became her assistant after she graduated and her successor after Mitchell's retirement, summed up her contributions to the college in an unpublished manuscript.

"In this struggle to hold up the college standard against the heavy odds of its initial days, Miss Mitchell took a prominent and influential part. She had not herself enjoyed the privilege of collegiate

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training, but she knew what exact, thorough, and advanced study meant, and she would accept no other in her department. To many, even educated people, astronomy implies half-poetic and half sentimental gazing at the stars, a tracing out of the constellations, a watching of the evening star and its setting or the morning star and its rising ... but the working astronomer gains nothing thereby." 3 Mitchell, instead of catering to the public notion, delineated routines and set problems which required systematic observation of the skies and recording of the results. She called the students from their rooms in Main Building to the roof of the observatory and, dividing them into groups, made them responsible for using their eyes to become acquainted with the individual stars and planets and their shifts and changes, before using instruments. The projects she set for them were ones that only their own observations could satisfy. They could not find their answers except through their own line of investigation.

Over the years, much has been written about Mitchell, but less has been said about her interest in the advancement of women than about her Vassar professorship. The two interests fed each other. She was president for two years of the Congress for the American Association for the Advancement of Women, and she convened the third congress to Syracuse in 1875 and the fourth in Philadelphia in 1876. In 1877 she invited the association to Vassar, where a mid-year meeting was held in the observatory. It was unusual to have a congress of women meet on a political subject at that time. (When the Boston Branch of the Vassar Alumnae Association was formed in 1878, it was not considered suitable for a company of adult women to meet in a hotel without a chaperone, and James Monroe Taylor, president of the college, offered himself for that purpose.) The opportunity to observe or just hear about articulate women discussing and reading papers related to issues in women's lives drew Mitchell's students into a world of ideas larger than the Vassar classroom.

In this fashion Mitchell enlarged the sphere of her influence as she headed the congress's committee on science education. In a paper, subsequently published, which she delivered at the Philadelphia meeting, she offered the view that women were needed in scientific work because they could create and offer scientific methods that were different from those of men. She wrote: "When I see a woman put an exquisitely fine needle at exactly the same distance from the last stitch at which that last stitch was from 33

its predecessor, I think what a capacity she has for astronomical observations. Unknowingly, she is using a micrometer, unconsciously, she is graduating circles. And the eye which has been trained in the matching of worsteds is especially fitted for the prism and spectroscope ...." " ... But for the young women who have a love of nature and a longing to study her laws--how shall the taste be developed? We must have a different kind of teaching. It must not be text-book teaching.

There is a touch of the absurd in a teacher's asking any but a very young person a question, the answer to which he already knows. In old fashioned books the dialogue method is better used: The pupil asks and the teacher answers. Eudora asks how far the earth is from the sun, and Tutor answers ... . The spirit of science ... is the love of investigation ... I should have more hope of a girl who questioned if three angles of a triangle equalled two right angles, than of one who learned the demonstration and accepted it in a few minutes." 4 Mitchell retired from Vassar in 1888 and returned to her home in Lynn, Massachusetts. In 1991 her Vassar Observatory was listed as a National Historic Landmark, celebrating her unique contributions to American education, women's progress, and science.

Endnotes 1

Rufus Babcock to Maria Mitchell, October 15, 1862, Maria Mitchell Library, Nantucket.

2 "Maria Mitchell's Dome Parties," Maria Mitchell Collection, Vassar College Libraries.

3 Maria Mitchell Papers, Vassar College Libraries.

4 Papers Read at the Fourth Congress of Women Held at St. George's Hall, Philadelphia, October 4, 5, 6, 1876. Washington, 1877, Todd Brothers.

34

HOW THE DAR LADIES "SAVED"THE CLINTON HOUSE TWICE!

By Marian Liggera Marian Edmonds Liggera, Historian of Mahwenawasigh Chapter, NSDAR, was Regent of the Chapter one hundred years after the founding Regent, Mrs. Caroline Atwater.

She lives in Poughkeepsie and is the mother of four children.

The Clinton House in Poughkeepsie and the Mahwenawasigh Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution share a curiously intertwined history. The Clinton House was built in 1765 and named for a famous Revolutionary Patriot, Governor George Clinton.

The Mahwenawasigh Chapter of the DAR was founded in Poughkeepsie and its members, like all DAR members, trace their ancestry to one of the Revolutionary War Patriots. Both the DAR and the Clinton House have persevered through the changes of the Twentieth Century to give testimony to forebears whose indomitable spirit would not give up or give in.

In 1894 an active, community-minded woman named Mrs. Edward Storrs (Caroline Swift) Atwater organized a local DAR chapter.

There were thirteen charter members: Mrs. Atwater, Mrs. Frank Hasbrouck, Mrs. Horace D. Hafcut, Mrs. D. Crosby Foster, Mrs. Martin Heermance, Miss Myra H. A very, Miss Helen W. Reynolds, Mrs. Robert Sanford, Mrs. Spencer VanCleff, Miss Mary Varick, Miss Katherine W ode 11,Mrs. Milton A. Fowler and Mrs. William A. Miles.

Mrs. Atwater was deeply involved with many community organizations and had a family tradition of service to others. Shortly after becoming Regent (president) of the chapter, she was dismayed to see an old stone house, the Clinton House, in disuse. Mrs. Atwater began reading through old records and became convinced of its historic value. She decided that the building must be saved and turned into a museum of Colonial and Revolutionary "relics." Mrs. Atwater rallied chapter members to join her in raising money for its purchase and for two years the ladies sold subscriptions and held fundraisers such as a loan exhibition of antiques.

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The Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, Friday, January 21, 1898reported:

OLD STONE HOUSE PURCHASED

By Syndicatefor Daughtersof the Revolution(sic) "It has been rumored several times that the local chapter of the DaughtersoftheRevolutionhadcarriedouttheirplanofpurchasingtheonly building in Poughkeepsie of real historic associations and now the announcementis definitelymade that a syndicatehas purchasedit in the interestof thechapter.Thebuildingstandsat thecornerof MainandWhite Streets,not a very promisinglocation for a historicalmuseum. It should have been built on some one of the bluffs in the lower part of town that commandeda fine view of the river,but as GovernorGeorgeClintonhad thebadtasteto liveway out therewhentherewas so muchgoodlandalong the river,there is nothingmore to be said. It will be a considerablegain to redeemthebuildingfromthedisreputableusesto whichit has so longbeen put."

The Chapterwas able to purchasethe propertyfrom Mr. Charles Kirchner for $7,000, a sizable portion of which was "forgiven" by Mr. Kirchner, as he was convinced that their purchase of the House would enhance the value of his neighboring properties. Members dedicated themselvesto lovinglyrefurbishingandfurnishingthe "ClintonMuseum."

Donationsof furnishingswererequested,and withintwo days 800pieces of furnitureand antiqueswere received. A formalopeningwas held May 25, 1898,but it was a simple affair due to the Spanish-AmericanWar. In 1899,however, the Chapter was having financial difficulty managing the upkeep of the property. It was decided that a committee shouldbe formedto incorporateand holdtitle to the propertyon behalfof the Chapter. This was accomplishedin April when Mrs. Atwater,Frank Van Kleeck and Tristram Coffin obtained the title to the property with a $5,000 mortgage at 4% from the former owner, Mr. Kirchner. Judge Hasbrouck,with the consent of the Court, incorporatedthe "syndicate," withtheirstatedobjectbeing"Patriotic,EducationalandHistorical"--also the object of the DAR. In July 1900, New York State purchased the mortgagewith a $5,000 appropriation.The bill was signedby Governor Theodore Roosevelt, with a verbal agreement that the building would continue to be used as a "Museum of Relics." The State Taconic Park Commissionhadjurisdictionovertheproperty,whichwasmaintainedwith a stipend from the State and operated by the DAR.

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Mahwenawasigh Chapter members continued their restoration work, with a 1902 motion that "the conservatory be removed and a new kitchen be built" at a cost of$500. In 1914 the 75-year old mansard roof was replaced with a Revolutionary-stylegable roof. Members spent three months with Mr. Vought of the New York State Architects office, poring over records and studying other stone houses with the goal of returning the building to its Revolutionaryform. During these investigationseight open fireplaceswere uncovered and two originalmantles were discoveredin the attic.

While the restoration continued, members were also busy with work for the War Effort. Every Wednesday, five sewing machines were operated with the result of hundreds upon hundreds of pajamas, robes, comfort bags, splint pillows and piles of knitted garments. Mrs. Atwater' s daughter, Evelyn Atwater Cummins, was now a chapter member and she was busy organizingmany of the activitiesas well as drivingan ambulance.

In January of 1921 work was complete enough that a formal opening of the "Clinton Mansion" was held. Despite inclement weather, Main Streetwas lined with waitingmotorcars drawn up to the curb on Main Street. Guests were treated to welcoming fires in the great open fireplaces and were serenaded by the Gibson Mandolin Club.

The next thirty years proved fruitful for both the DAR and the Clinton House. Thousands of visitors came to the House, and Mahwenawasigh Chapter now had hundreds of members. One member, Mrs. W. Arthur (Belle) Saltford began an Occupational Therapy program at Ellis Island for ill immigrants. Her program achieved national acclaim, with model programs under her direction in Staten Island and California.

World War II saw increased activity as members engaged directly in war activities, with a total of 36,000 hours and $125,000 in war bonds and stamps the output.

On September 21, 1951, there came surprising news: the New York State's Joint Legislative Committee on Historic Sites listed Clinton House as one of ten holdings which should be "disposed of." It had been first reported by Helen Wilkinson Reynolds in the 1925 Year Book of the Dutchess County Historical Society that Clinton House had been built in 1765 by Hugh Van Kleeck, who lived there until selling it in 1780, thus disproving the popular theory that Governor Clinton had lived there. Dr. Henry Noble MacCracken, President Emeritus of Vassar College, also made the assertion in the spring of 1951 that Governor Clinton had never lived in Clinton House.

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At this time, Mahwenawasigh Chapter was being led by a new regent,Mrs. DouglasC. (Barbara)Buys. Mrs. Buys,at the age of twentysix, was the youngest regent that the chapter ever had. Mrs. Buys made a fortuitouschoicein appointingformerregentandcommunityleaderMrs. Saltfordof Ellis Island fame to lead a specialClinton House committee.

Thiscommitteewas chargedwiththe taskof provingthe House's worthto the New York State Historian, Albert B. Corey.

Mrs.Saltford's committeedeclaredthattheywouldshowthe state and nationalimportanceof ClintonHouse. The committeealso set out to provethatNew YorkStatehadamoral obligationto continueits agreement to maintain Clinton House as a state historical site. The DAR committee's first course of action was to sponsor a public meeting at ClintonHouse. They invitedthe StateHistorian,Mr. Corey,as well as all of the membersof the JointLegislativeCommitteeon HistoricSites. The October 3, 1951 issue of the Poughkeepsie New Yorker featured Mr. Corey examining a spinning wheel, while Mrs. Saltford and Mrs. Buys lookedon: "Stirringappealsfor stateretentionof thehouseweremadeat the hearing.

Leadersof the DAR Chapterwerejoined by city and countyofficialsand othercivicleadersin presentingthe casefor continuedstaterecognitionof the Revolutionaryperiod house as having state and nationalimportance.

The DAR chapterhas helpedmaintainthe houseduringall of the periodof 50 years it has been under state control. Mrs. W. Arthur Saltford, past regent of the DAR chapter, presided at the hearing, attended by an audiencewhich filled the west room of the Clinton House main floor....

State Historian Corey and his associates of the State Education Department contended in a formal report the Clinton House had no significance from a state standpoint. Mr. Corey held out no immediate promisethe statedepartmentwouldchangeitsplanto disposeof the house and nine other historicalsites in the state. Mrs. Saltfordwho summedup the position of the DAR chapter, declared she resented state officials handlingof the entirematter."

From the State's point of view, the matter was at a standstilluntil a reviewby the Boardof Regentsof the EducationDepartment.Dr. Louis Wilson, State Commissioner of Education, was slated to present the questionto the Board in December. Not being ones to wait idly by, Mrs. Saltford,Mrs.Buysanda few othersprepareda pamphletstatingtheircase in defenseof ClintonHouse. They then securedan appointmentwith Dr.

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Wilson and drove to Albany to discuss it with him. They also sent copies of the pamphlet to each of the members of the Board. On December 7, 1951 word came that the Board of Regents and the State Education Department voted to maintain Clinton House unless directly instructed not to by the State Legislature.

January 29, 1953, Poughkeepsie New Yorker: STATE KEEPS CLINTON HOUSE, DAR

JUBILANT

AT

'VICTORY' The members of the Joint Legislative Committee voted to retain the house permanently as an historic site. Mrs. Saltford was quoted as saying: "We had faith that the right would win ..."

The Council on Historic Sites made another bid to dispose of Clinton House, this time in November of 1956. This bid was short-lived as the whole community defended the worth of the House and joined the DAR' s once again vocal protest. The matter was quickly at an end, due to, as State Senator Hatfield put it in the January 23, 1957 issue of the Poughkeepsie New Yorker: "The evidence that the Daughters of the American Revolution have accumulated regarding the historical value of Clinton House has convinced me that I can rally enough votes in the Senate to defeat any bill the Board of Regents may introduce to abandon it."

The ladies of the DAR had won yet another battle for historic preservation. Like Mrs. Atwater before them, Mrs. Saltford and Mrs. Buys saw a challenge and took it in stride. Their example inspires new generations of women in Dutchess County to be involved in their communities. It shows that women, whether working alone or together, can make a difference in their neighborhood, town, county and nation -- not only for today, but for years to come.

39

WalkingWithGrace

By Nancy Taubman Nancy Taubman is a midwesterner who moved to Dutchess County in 1984. For the past seventeen years, until her retirement in 2001, she worked as public relations coordinator at the YWCA in Poughkeepsie. She.first became interested in Dr. Grace Kimball while working on a calendar for the 110th anniversary of the YWCA in 1991.

Dr. Grace N.Kimball

On the southsideof Poughkeepsiethereis a clusterof streetswith pleasant homes and trees, tall and straight as soldiers. They mind their sentrydutieswell for they are keepersof the nearlyforgottenstoriesof the womenfor whomthese streetswere named:Bancroft,Seaman,St. Anne, Yates,Gaskin,and Kimball.At the tum of the lastcenturywomenworked in factories,officesandstoresand,mostimportantly,at home. Theytended 40

the sick, gave birth to, educated, and raised the children. They were not allowed to hold office or vote; nevertheless they left a strong imprint on the map and heart of the city of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, and the world.

If the streets could talk, they would tell of Mrs. William Bancroft Hill, Annie Yates Seaman and her daughter, Josephine Gaskin Seaman, founders and dedicated workers of the Young Women's Christian Association of Poughkeepsie. The goal of the organization, which began in 1881, was dedicated to "the improvement of the religious, intellectual, social and, as far as possible, the temporal welfare of young women, especially those depending on their own exertions for support, and strangers to Poughkeepsie."

Perhaps the most interesting story is the one about a determined young woman and the Sultan of Turkey. This is the life of Grace Niebuhr Kimball. Born in Dover, New Hampshire in 1855, young Grace would not have imagined how far her adventurous spirit and desire to help others would take her. The daughter of Richard Kimball and Elizabeth White Hale Kimball, Grace left home at the age of 18 to complete her early education in Bangor, Maine. Deeply touched by the need for missionaries in Turkey, she enlisted for service and in 1882 the American Board of Foreign Missions assigned her to Van, "a city of Armenia in Turkey in Asia. " 1 Recalling those early days, Grace declared it was "less the spirit of the evangelist that led her, than a desire to minister to their needs and comforts and to teach them the simple rules ofhygenic housing." She soon felt the futility of trying to help the people without some scientific knowledge of medicine. At the expiration of her six-year contract, Grace returned to the United States determined to study medicine.

There is no record of the obstacles Grace encountered and overcame in order to pursue her medical studies or how alone she felt, but it can be said women were not always welcome in the all-male bastion of higher education, especially medical education. Women could be nurses, of course, but doctors were men. Of the 105 medical colleges in the United States in 1900, only 37 accepted women. Even so, Grace Kimball managed to attend and graduate from New York Infirmary for Women and Children. This institution later merged with Cornell University.

Upon becoming a Doctor of Medicine, Grace returned to Van in 1892, just as a cholera epidemic was devastating the area. Dr. Grace, 41

as she was called, began at once to organize relief stations for cholera victims and refugees who came to Van for protection. Under her direction, the Industrial Relief Organization, which she initiated and developed, distributed food and clothing throughout the province of Van. Funds arrived from England and America as informationbecame known about the terrible living conditions in the area.

It wasn't long before the Sultan of Turkey became aware of the work of the bold Dr. Grace and her associates. The Sultan invited her to come to Constantinople to receive an award in honor of her "great service to his beloved people."2 Dr. Grace, suspicious of the Sultan's real intentions, declined the "honor" and hurriedly left for the United States. It was a wise decision as the Sultan had put a price on Grace's head which, if she had gone to Constantinople, she would have surely lost.

The Sultan's loss was Poughkeepsie's gain, however, because when her steamer docked, Dr. Grace came directly to this city to begin work as assistant physician to her friend, Dr. Elizabeth B. Thelberg, at Vassar College. Two years later Dr. Grace established her own office and divided her time between the college and her practice. It grew to such an extent that in 1900 she left the college to devote full time to her patients. According to the Poughkeepsie New Yorker, "her magnetic personality,combined with a sincere sympathy for the sick, inspired as much confidence as her medical knowledge."3 Duringthe administrationof PoughkeepsieMayorJohnC. Sague, Dr. Kimball was appointed to serve on the Board of Health. While occupying this official position, she became interested in the AntiTuberculosisproject,whichhadbeeninauguratedby the StateDepartment of Health. The City Health Board cooperated in this campaign and Dr. Kimballworkedto providehospitalcare for the ill and alsoestablishedan educationalcampaignfor the preventionof the devastatingdisease. From thisearlyattemptto stampoutthe "whiteplague,"therewasestablishedthe spacious and beautifully-equipped Samuel W. Bowne Memorial and SamuelandNettieBowneHospitals.Fromtheirbeginning,untilher health prevented it, Dr. Grace served as President of the hospitals' Boards of Trustees. In addition to her work with these hospitals, Dr. Grace also servedon the staffof St. FrancisHospital. A 1914photographof the staff of the hospitalatteststo the factthatshewasthe onlyfemaleon the all-male staff of physicians. She may have measured a full head shorter than the

42

other doctors, but neither her height nor her gender kept Dr. Grace from additional service, which extended beyond the medical world to the community.

In the early years of her residence in Poughkeepsie Dr. Grace was asked to serve on the board of the Young Women's Christian Association of Poughkeepsie. She was elected President in 1899, a position she held for 41 years. During her tenure, Dr. Grace was responsible for a great expansion of services and a broadening of the vision of the organization. The Poughkeepsie association became the first YWCA in the country to employ a secretary to direct "girls' work" -- programs developed for young girls and teens. Through this program, young women were taught not only to embroider and sew, but to participate in archery, tennis, bow ling, roller skating, hiking and Bible Studies. Prompted by the needs of the first World War, girls and women were encouraged to become proficient in First Aid. Those who passed a test received a certificate signed by Woodrow Wilson. When Dr. Grace retired in 1940, YWCA activities were held in two buildings, the original three-story building on Cannon Street, and the "pool" building on Bancroft Road. With many additions and renovations, the Bancroft Road building continues to operate as the YWCA's main facility in Dutchess County.

Recognized for her boundless energy and great ability, Dr. Grace was also appointed head of the Census. It was noted at her retirement party that, "this is the first time a woman has been recognized as competent to manage such important work." Another arena that received her attention was Woman's Suffrage. Dr. Grace became President of the National League of Women's Service in 1917. A favorite saying was "An ounce of 'start' is worth 2 pounds of 'think it over." Dr. Grace practiced what she preached.

Blessed with a long life and professional success, Dr. Grace never forgot the suffering she had seen in Turkey. The first World War brought hardships to the doorsteps of Poughkeepsie. Dr. Grace also lived to see the approach of World War II. In her President's letter for the YWCA Annual Report, 1917-18, Dr. Grace wrote: "Let us each one be faithful wherever we are called to work, realizing that upon womanhood depends much of the success of the Nation ...." YWCA member Frances T. Rawson recalled in a talk she presented in 1981 that "before and during the war years the YWCA gym was filled with women practically every day rolling bandages for the Red Cross. Also

43

during the war, a large plot of ground at Cedarcliff was plowed up for Victory Gardens." In the YWCA Annual Report, 1916-17, Dr. Grace wrote: " ... our work stretches out to the suffering world."

Despite her protests to the contrary, Dr. Grace had a deeply religious spirit. When she died on November 18, 1942, at the age of 87, her obituary stated: "Her creed was simple and her sympathies were broad. She expressed them both in love and service and for these outward tokens of her inward nature, she will long be remembered with affection and gratitude. " 4

Endnotes 1

Poughkeepsie New Yorker, November 19, 1942, Obituary of Dr. Grace N.Kimball 2 Obituary of Dr. Grace N .Kimball 3 Obituary of Dr. Grace N.Kimball 4 Obituary of Dr. Grace N .Kimball

44

A WOMANWHOMADEADIFFERENCE

By Ruth Hogan Ruth Hogan presented this paper in October 1997 at the Wednesday Club, a literary group celebrating its 100th year. A graduate of Arlington High School and Vassar Brothers Hospital School of Nursing, Mrs. Hogan was a school nurse in the Arlington School District for 26 years. She and her husband, Robert, married fifty-five years, live in Poughquag. They have one son and three grandchildren.

Mary Lucy Ham Alley

Without a doubt there have been countless women through the ages who have had extensive influence both on their contemporaries and on subsequent generations. They made a difference.

A numberof womenhavehad an influenceon my life. Certainlymy grade schoolteacher,DorothyHowell,laterDorothyHitsman,had a major

45

impact. She taught grades 1to 8 in a one-room school in Fishkill Plains.

She was a highly intelligentwoman with the patienceof Job, a dedicated teacher who truly inspired her students. Other influential women were those nursing teacher/supervisorsat Vassar Brothers Hospital. Student nursesate, slept,studied,and workedunderthe watchfuleyes of Rachael Mccrimmon, Sara Sweet, and Edith Lindberg. They surely made a difference in my life. Great as these women were, however, they were secondto oneother,for it was Marywho was my primarymentor,advisor, and my encouragementthroughoutmy life.

Mary was born in the fall of 1893,the oldestof six livingchildren.

Her father at one time had been a schoolteacherbut at the time of Mary's birthhe was a farmer,by circumstanceandnotby choice.Histwinbrothers had migrated to South Dakota leaving him on the family farm, which supportedhim, his wife and children,as well as his agingparents. Mary's mother, typical of her day, had not worked outside the home since completingher studiesat LindenHallFinishingSchoolin Poughkeepsie.

She was a wife and mother, a homemaker.

Mary loved the farm. She enjoyed the animals and the fields where she could walk to see flowers, plants, and birds. She was very fond of her siblings and often found herself their sitter. Mary loved her grandparents, both those who lived under the same roof and those who lived on Parkins Lane, a short distance from the farm. She attended Sunday School and church but she liked school best and was eager to learn. Her spare time was spent learning to sew and cook; most of all she loved to read and spent many hours lost in storiesfound in the books which filled her home.

Mary's school was near her home, just down the road a few hundredfeet. It was a one-roomschoolhousinga coupleof dozenstudents in grades 1through8. They were neighborsand all walkedto schooleach day; most also walked home for lunch. Mary's very good friend, Rebe Vincent, lived nearby so they often walked together as well as played together at recess.

The road over which they traveled to school, to church, or wherevertheywent,was a dirtroad. Dirtwas an idealisticterm,according to Mary, since "it was more often mud, liberally laced with horse droppings."Walkingin longdressesandleatherslippersamidsucha mess renderedthe clothingmessyand fragrant Of course,no one noticedsince all had a similarodor.

Mary's home, built by her paternal grandfather, was a spacious 46

two-story farm house situated on an intersection in the road at North Clove. A brook ran through the dooryard and there was a spring house on the brook. It was used primarily to cool cans of milk awaiting market. Often, however, cured hams hung in the cool spring house or a watermelon floated in the water. A root cellar behind the house kept the potatoes, cabbages, carrots, apples and beets from freezing during the cold weather.

Upon completion of her elementary schooling Mary wanted to attend high school. The nearest high school, however, was in Millbrook, too far for daily travel. Mary, therefore, rode the milk train to Millbrook each Monday morning, boarded in the village during the week and returned home to the Clove on Friday afternoons. She helped with the cooking and serving meals to help pay her board. All of this was worth the effort, for she was able to attend school and enjoy her studies and peers. She excelled in her classes and finished with one of the highest grade averages in her graduating class.

Following graduation in 1912, Mary returned to the Clove where she was hired as the local school teacher. She taught for two years but soon concluded that was plenty. Certainly contributing to her decision were the facts that she was teaching her siblings, living at home where she was expected to help with household chores, and help care for her aging grandparents as well as prepare lessons and correct papers. The role of the one-room school teacher of that day included various janitorial duties before and after school hours as well as building a fire to heat the room, emptying ashes and sweeping the school room. It was not the life on which Mary was ready to settle. She was young and eager to explore new horizons.

In Poughkeepsie, Eastman Gaines College offered courses for young ladies. There was a great demand for those proficient in typing, shorthand, bookkeeping, and filing skills. Mary enrolled and while there was encouraged by one of her instructors to take the Ci vii Service test for government employment. Her success gained her an appointment in Washington, D.C. during World War I, working in the Executive General's Office of the Department of War. She was far from home but not alone, for she found many other young women in like circumstances. Again Mary used her experience to get work serving meals in her Washington boarding house to defray some of her board. Despite a great outbreak of flu, Mary thoroughly enjoyed her experiences in Washington.

Following the Armistice, Mary's position was eliminated. She

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returned once again to the Clove but not to stay, for she had met a young man from Fishkill Plains and they planned to be married. Bert was a dairy farmer, the youngest of six children, who, with the exception of himself, had left home. As a single man, he was operating the family farm and living at home with his parents. In the spring of 1920,Bert and Mary were married at her home in the Clove, and they set up housekeeping in one half of the farmhouse on Hillside Lake Road.

Mary was very close to her mother-in-law whom she both loved and respected.

In July 1921 Mary gave birth to a boy. She had been under the professional care of an obstetrician in Poughkeepsie and had spent her "confinement"in a maternityhospitalthere. The baby was seenat regular intervals by a pediatrician in Poughkeepsie too, yet he failed to thrive.

On a cold January day when traveling to Poughkeepsie was an impossibility, the baby became gravely ill. Bert hastened to Hopewell to get Dr. Coburn, the local doctor. When he entered the home, he recognized the distinctive symptoms of the baby and instructed Bert and Mary to get ready to go to New York City with the baby. Although this pathetic group made it to the city, the baby died before surgery. He had succumbed to pyloric stenosis, correctly diagnosed by Dr. Coburn but completely missed by the specialists in Poughkeepsie. From that day on, there was no physician to care for Mary or her family but Dr. Coburn. This was true until his death.

Duringthe same winter of 1922,for the first time, all dairycattle wererequiredto undergotestsfor tuberculosis.Bert's entireherdreacted and were destinedfor slaughter,leaving Bert and Mary with no income.

Maryonceremarked,"the chickensandthe foodfromthe rootcellarsaved us from starving that winter." They survived and Bert rebuilt his herd; however,his mother's healthwas failingand Mary was pregnantagain.

A baby girlwas bornin January 1923and anotherdaughterin July 1924.By thattimeBert's backpainsmadeit impossibleforhimto continue the hard laborof farming. Followingthe death of his motherin the spring of 1925,Mary and Bert movedto the villageof FishkillPlainswherethey boughta smallbungalowwhichhadbeenbuiltby ErnestHorton.Theyalso operated a general store just two doors down from their home. It was possible for Mary to take her two girls to the store with her. She would placethe baby in the sugarbin where she would sleep,but the toddlerwas much more challenging. Bert was rarely at the store,for he had launched a new vocationin cattledealing. He traveledfar and widebuying,trading, 48

and selling cows and horses. By the time Mary's third daughter was born in 1926, the store was proving too much for her to handle, so they sold the business and Bert became the sole provider for his growing family.

Bert was the breadwinner but it was Mary who held it all together. Mary often remarked that at the time of their marriage Bert was 34 and she was 27. They wanted several children, so there was no time to waste. After three girls, two boys were born just two years apart.

By 1930 Mary had delivered six children in just ten years, busy years indeed.

Soon after her son Jack's birth, the banks failed and America was plunged into the Great Depression. The country was devastated as factories went out of business and able-bodied men were without work. Although many were hungry, there was never a hungry day in Mary's family, nor was anyone, friend or stranger, ever turned away hungry. The many hobos who disembarked from the train near Mary's home were always fed. After eating they were often allowed to bed down in the warm barn during the night.

There was always plenty of food in the house, but it did not come without hours of hard work. Each year Bert planted a large vegetable garden, raised hogs for butchering, had a chicken coop filled with Rhode Island Reds, good layers and good for the pot. He also raised Muscovy ducks, also good to eat. Mary preserved food for the winter by canning tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans, beets, strawberries, pears, peaches, jams and jellies, as well as several kinds of pickles. My mouth waters yet when I recall those delicious pickled pears and the watermelon pickles. All of this was done with the aid of the kerosene-burning oil stove.

Since the vegetable garden produced more than even this large family could consume, Mary maintained a vegetable stand in front of her house. She sold fresh produce to neighbors and friends, or to anyone desiring freshly-picked produce. Monies from these sales provided Mary with funds for school clothes, as well as for birthday gifts and Christmas presents. She pored over the Montgomery Ward and Sears & Roebuck catalogs.

Mary's days were long and busy, leaving little time to herself, certainly little time to read. Yet her love of books and her love of reading never waned. Whenever she went into Poughkeepsie, ~he frequented the lending library at Luckey Platt & Co. They would loan books to people living outside of the city. In the mid-1930s, Augustus Bush donated several boxes of books. Mr. Bush, a resident of Fishkill Plains, was the warden 49

at Sing Sing Prison. His sister, Irene, had died and left the contents of her personal library. There were about l 00 volumes, consisting primarily of essays and poetry,but Mary could see these books as the seed for her longdreamed-oflibrary. Soon word got around that books were a welcome gift. Mary, with several of her neighbors, organized and opened the Community Library at Fishkill Plains. All of the work was done by volunteers,and moneywas raisedthroughdonationsand from card parties held in homes around the community. It was not until the 1970sthat the Town of East Fishkill budgeted $400 to be used by the library.

Originally, the library was housed in the Wesleyan Methodist ChurchChapel in FishkillPlainsand was open on Saturdayafternoonsand Wednesdayafternoonsand evenings. Some of the earliestroll-awaybook shelves were made by Nelson Sitzer. They were on rollers and could be pushedout of the way when thechapelwas usedforeitherreligiousservices or other community gatherings. Mary ordered all of the books for the library, both new books and books on loan from the New York State Libraryin Albany. All were deliveredto her home. She scannedeachbook beforepreparingit for the shelves. Her largefamilywas a great help as she was forced to take books back and forth to the chapel. The mere fact that Mary was not a trained librarian never phased her. She was relentless in her pursuit of help and advice. Ruth Clow, librarian at Arlington High School, and the librarian at Adriance Memorial Library in Poughkeepsie were constant sources on which she relied.

Early in the life of the library, Mary initiatedthe Children's Story Hour and the Summer Reading Program for Children. She encouraged young children to take books home so that parents or older siblings could read to them. Young students in high school and college often came to Mary with the subject of their research. She would select several books, flag them for reading, and reserve them for the student. This saved many hours and enabled the student to devote more time to reading and writing.

Mary often served as ombudsman for the rank and file in her community.Therewas an AfricanAmericanman who had reachedthe age to collect his Social Security. He was required to produce a copy of his birth certificate, which he did not have. He could neither read nor write sufficientlyto untangletheweb of red tapein orderto gethisbirthcertificate.

Mary wrote endless lettersto authoritiesin the southemcommunity of his birth and finally obtained the required document. I recall too an old Italian immigrant who was barely able to speak English, let alone read or

50

write. He had servedin the Italianarmy and was eligiblefor a smallpension but did not know how to get it. Mary spent two years unraveling the red tape until he was awarded his pension. She thoroughly enjoyed the challengepresentedby such a task and derived great satisfactionin seeing peoplereap the benefitsof her laboron theirbehalf. When April 15throlled aroundeach year, Mary stayedup late at night to fill out income tax returns for those neighborswho could not affordthe servicesof an accountant.She also took the necessary test and became a Notary Public so that she could certify documents for her neighbors.

In the early 1960sMary was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The subsequentsurgeryand treatmentkept her confinedonlybriefly,but it gave her sometime to read. Bert's strokeand illnessdeterredher for a while too.

It was his death in 1964that left a huge void in her life. Her responsibilities at the library took her attention away from her personal loss.

As Mary's health began to fail, she found that she was unable to negotiate the steep stairs at the new library site in Gayhead. She sorely missed working in the library, but those volunteers with whom she had worked for so many years made certain she had a constant supply of reading materials. Each week someone brought a large shopping bag of books for her to read. When her vision began to fail she was supplied with large print books. Her desire to read was insatiable. Mary was thrilled when plans were made to construct a new building for the library. It was to be built on land alongside the Town Office building on Rte. 376, land which had long before been designated for the library. One spring day Mary was on hand to help break ground for the new building. For months she watched as the building took shape, but she did not live to see the dedication. On July 3, 1988, in her ninety-fifth year, Mary died.

I am sure the reader has come to the conclusionthat Mary was my mother. Mary Lucy Ham Alley,who never failedto encouragemy efforts, left her legacy. Her encouragementwas verbal as well as by example, for she did not concede adversity. Rather, she worked, consulted, and found a way eitherto overcomeorto circumventobstacles. She neverfound hard work a deterrent nor did it discourage her. I am certain that there were many times when she was exhausted, yet found time and energy to help make hot chocolate and cookies for a group of hungry teenagers. I never knew Mom and Dad to take a vacation until long after all of their children had left home. They enjoyed their family, their friends, and their community.

It is a distinctpleasureto visitthe East FishkillCommunityLibrary 51

knowing that Mary's dream and her work toward that dream was a constant source of pride and pleasure to the people in her community.

Her legacy lives for all to enjoy. She made a difference, not just in my life, but in the lives of many.

52

Dutchess County Women in the Military

By Nan Fogel Nan Fogel' s interests in history and the arts have led to articles in past Year Books. She serves on the Publications Committee of the Historical Society and currently edits the Newsletter. She works at Vassar College.

Janet Effron Katzin

The following twenty-two Dutchess County women served in the United States military during years from World War II to the present. Some of them are your neighbors and possibly friends. Six are native to Dutchess County;theothershavelivedherefromfivetofifty-fiveyears: Eva Rugar Abbott (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Marines, 1980-86 Nancy Chapman Alden (Staatsburg), U.S. Navy (Waves), 1951-53 Barbara Greener Brinckerhoff (Millbrook), U.S. Army, 1975-76 53

Patty Brunk (Dover Plains), U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1978-84and Air Force National Guard, 1997-present Karen Joyce Buckley (Hyde Park), U.S. Navy, 1978-82 and Naval Reserves, 1991-present Dorothy HammerleButrica(Fishkill), U.S. Marines, 1953-54 Lorraine Mondrick Campilli (Poughkeepsie),U.S. Army Medical Specialists Corps, 1954-56 Mary Darrow Ciolko (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Navy (Waves), 1944-46 Helen Salsick Curran (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1942-46 and U.S. Army Reserves, 1946-52 Patricia Deufemia (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Air Force, 1980-95 Elva Riker Girton (Wappingers Falls), U.S. Army, 1964-66 Goldie Weiss Greene (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1943-46 Evelia Gary Harrell (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Army, 1956-58 Mary Alice Hunter(Poughkeepsie), U.S. Navy (Waves), 1943-46 Judy Utecht Husted (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Navy, 1979-82 Janet Effron Katzin(Litchfield, CT), U.S. Navy (Waves), 1943-45 Alice Roy LaDue (Fishkill), U.S. Army Medical Unit, 1945-46 Sarah Poppinhouse (Poughkeepsie), U.S. Army, 1975-78 Sally Goldberg Reifler (Wappingers Falls), U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1944-46 Martha Umphenour Rooney (Columbia, SC), U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1960-63 Margaret Stickler Schultz (Poughkeepsie),U.S. Navy (Waves), 1943-45 Marjorie Weatherwax Woodside (Poughkeepsie),U.S. Navy (Waves), 1943-45 Collectively,the women served in every decade from the 1940's to the 1990' s, years that cover World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. All branches of service are represented with the exception of the Coast Guard. Unfortunately it was not possible to find a woman veteran from Vietnam who was willing to be interviewed.

Letters were sent to approximately 150 women whose names were gathered from bus lists of those who had gone to Washington, DC to take part in the dedication of a memorial to women who have served in the military,referralsfromwomenin the AmericanLegionand CastlePoint Veterans Hospital, and word of mouth. An article in the Poughkeepsie

54

Joumal about the project brought additional volunteers. The end result was the participation of the women listed above.

Between June and November 1998, twenty-one women were interviewedabout theirmilitaryexperiences. The interviewswere usually held in the women's homes and took approximately two hours. Janet Effron Katzin, who was born and brought up in Poughkeepsie and now lives in Connecticut,heard about the project and sent a letter telling of her experience in the Navy and a photograph of herself in a World War II Waves' uniform. Audiotapesof the interviewsand a summaryof each are housed at the Dutchess County Historical Society in Poughkeepsie.

The reasons given by these women forjoining the military are as numerousand varied as they are themselves. Generallytheir explanations fall into four categories:patriotism,opportunity,adventure,and financial incentive;usuallya combinationof motiveswas involved.

The prime motivationof women who servedduringWorld War II was patriotism. Margaret Schultz spoke of "an ever-present concern about the war that pervaded daily life." Women were recruited for the armed forces directly or encouraged to take a man's job in industries at home so that he might be sent overseasto fight. Asked why theyjoined the military, Goldie Greene and Mary Alice Hunter gave the same simple answer, "We were at war." No further explanation seemed necessary.

When her brotherwas injuredin an accidentand couldnot go into the Army Air Force as planned, Alice LaDue enlisted in the Army. Janet Effron Katzinhad two brothersin the Army Air Force and wanted to help with the war effort. She joined the Waves because, unlike the age-21 minimum required to be a WAC, they would accept a 20-year old.

For others,the catalystforenlistingwas opportunity.EveliaHarrell found fewjob opportunities in 1956,but knew she could receive training in one of the military services. She chose the Army and trained as a medic at Valley Forge (PA) Medical Center. Unable to go to college after high school,Elva Girton looked for alternatives. She thought the Army had the best program at the time and trained as a Medical Laboratory Specialist.

Eva Abbott faced the same situation after graduating from Poughkeepsie High Schoolin 1980at the age of seventeen. The Marines offeredtraining and a career that weren't available to her in civilian life at the time. As BarbaraBrinkerhoffput it, "The Army was my ticket,my shipto get where I wantedto go." When the Army offeredLorraineCampillia one-yearpaid internshipat Walter Reed Army Hospitalwith a rank of 2nd Lieutenantin return for a second year as a dietitian, she jumped at the chance to add a 55

fifthyear to her B.S. degreefromPenn StateUniversityandbe relievedof another year without an income. For Judy Husted, the Navy offered education, travel, and the chance to meet new people. Her training in electronicstook almosthalf her time in service.

The call to adventure spurred some to enlist. Nancy Alden wanted "to do something new and adventurous." As a journalism student and editor of her paper at Winthrop State College for Women in South Carolina, she thought she could always go back home and be a journalist one day. For Sarah Poppinhouse it was a desire to see the world.

Financial considerations were never entirely absent from the decisionto enlist, althoughthey were only part of the reason the women joinedthe military.Withthe financialassistanceshereceivedas a member of the Marine Corps Reservesfrom 1978-1984,Patty Brunk was able to finishcollege. She graduatedfromMaristCollegewitha Master's degree in psychology; with further study she earned an advanced certificate in schoolpsychology. Martha Rooney and her twin sisterjoined the Army Reserveswhiletheywerein a three-yearnursingschoolprogramin Kansas because they liked the idea of being paid and wantedto buy a car. It may have been a lightdecisionbut it was one she neverregretted. In the Army Nurse Corps she was given more responsibility and a greater variety of nursing experience than she would have received as a civilian. That, togetherwith meeting her husband and wonderfulfriends,has made her wonder what her life would have been like if she and her sister had not wanted that car so badly.

BasicTraininglastedfromfourto twelveweeks,dependingon the branch of service and the needs of the country at the time. Some women took it in stride, but for others it was a harrowing experience. Margaret Schultzsaidthedisciplinedidn'tbotherher. "I hadmadeup my mindbefore enlisting that I would be given orders and I would follow them." Karen Buckleycalledher experienceof basictraining"deliberatelyhard" at the Navy base in Orlando,Florida. "All along we were tested as to whether we couldtakeauthoritywithoutquestion.I didn't rebelagainstit but some couldn't do that. We lost a lot of girls that way."

ProbablyMary Ciolkohad the easiesttime. On her way to Hunter Collegein New YorkCity,wheretrainingwasto be held,shelearnedabout the Waves Chorus. She was accepted after auditioning and sang in the chorusat Navy hospitalsand at officialpublicfunctions.Althoughit only lastedduringthe trainingperiod,Ciolkosaid it relievedher of someof the 56

more unpleasant duties. Patty Brunk spoke of the pride she felt when she finished basic training at Parris Island and brought her 84-year old grandmotherto South Carolina for her graduation. "I felt better than I had ever felt,both physicallyand mentally."

"I went in as a child," Barbara Brinckerhoff said, relating a punishmentshereceivedon her firstday ofbasic trainingin theArmy at Fort McClellan, Alabama. "It was a valuable lesson. I learned to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open." For Eva Abbott,the twelve-week Marine training program at Parris Island was "emotionally tough." She spoke of a processof breakingdown individualwill in orderto fosterbeing part of a team in which each person helped others toward a common goal.

"We learned to depend on each other and the discipline was very strict."

For her theexperiencewas transforming."I went intothe Marineswith little confidence," she said. "After boot camp I knew I could do anything."

The work the women did was interesting and often vital.

Assignments depended on preferences, as well as the results of aptitude tests, education, previous work experience, and current military needs.

Women who served as nurses entered service already trained. Helen Curranjoined the Army Nurse Corps in March 1942and was sent to Iran as part of the Persian Gulf Company. Units stationedthere were involved in the effort to supplyRussia with planes, fuel and food. She servedin four differenthospitalsalongthe supplyroute,often in desertconditions,where temperatures were between 120 and 150 degrees F. As an Army nurse, Goldie Greene worked in a large general hospital near Oxford, England whichhad been setup to receiveinjuredAmericansoldiersfrombattlefields in Belgium and France. She was there during the D-Day invasion. A year later, in June 1945,she was sent to Frankfort,Germany to nurse American soldiers needing long recoveries before being sent home.

When SallyReiflergraduatedfrom a five-yearnursingprogramat SimmonsCollegein 1944,she enlistedin the Army Nurse Corps. She was part of the 221st General Hospital Unit stationed in Challons-sur-Marne, France,where wounded soldierswere sent afterthe Battleof the Bulge and other fightingduring the last months ofW orld War II. In the early 1960's, Martha Rooney was assigned to two 75-bed medical wards in Fort Bragg's new 800-bed hospital. During the Cuban Missile Emergency in October 1962 her unit was put on red alert and told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Fortunatelythe crisispassed and she remainedat the North Carolina base.

Otherwomen involvedin medicalworkreceivedtheirtrainingafter 57

enlisting.Evella Harrell and Barbara Brinckerhoff were Army medics.

DuringWorld War II, AliceLaDue studiedto be a physicaltherapistand served at hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio and Battle Creek, Michigan, where most of her patients were men who had been injured on the front lines.

Severalwomenhadcollegedegreeswhen theyenlistedwhichled to work assignments that took advantage of their previous training and interests. Mary Ciolko' s experienceas a teacherled to supervisorywork at a residencefor 700 Wavesin Washington,D.C. VassarGraduateMary Alice Hunter, a Waves officer, was assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligencein NewYorkCity. Shehelpedorganizea smallresearchlibrary and studiedareasof the world where the Navy might need to land troops, looking specificallyat the geographicfeaturesof Pacific islands and the coast of Japan.

MarjorieWoodside,recentlygraduatedfromCarnegieInstituteof Technologyas an art major,had one of the most unusualjobs. Partof her traininginvolvedusing steroscopicequipmentand aerialphotographsof Pacific islands to identify enemy gun emplacements and topographic features.Artificialrubbermoldsof the islands,madeto scalefromprecise sculptures, were carried by pilots on bombing missions to identify the targetedislands. Woodside'sjob, and thatof the dozenwomenshe taught and supervised,was to paint the topographicalfeatures of each mold so realisticallythat one islandcould not be mistakenfor another.

A Naval recruiter came to Nancy Alden's college in the early 1950's. Afterinterviewsandtesting,shewas one of thirtywomenchosen from 1500applicants in a national recruitment of women officers. She entered the Waves as an ensign and was assigned to the Naval CommunicationsCenter in Manhattan. Alden worked in the code room decodingmessagesthat camein on machinesfrom aroundthe world. She wasone of twopeoplewitha "Q" clearance,whichmeantshecouldhandle coded messages having to do with the Atomic Energy Commission.

LorraineCampilliservedherinternshipin dieteticsatWalterReedHospital and a secondyear as a registereddietitianin the base hospitalat Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Previouswork experienceoftenled to a similarassignmentin the military.DorothyButrica'sjob in an officebeforejoiningthe Marinesled to an assignmentin administrativework. MargaretSchultzhad workedat the PoughkeepsiePost Officefor morethan threeyearsbeforejoining the Waves. She reported to Miami, Florida, to do postal work and was 58

promoted rapidly. In September 1944, she was sent to Officers' Candidate School. After completing the program she took a new assignment in Washington, D.C., also in postal work, as a supervisor reporting to a Lieutenant Commander.

Sometimes it was high marks on tests that determined what a woman would do in the military. Elva Girton did so well she was able to train as a medical laboratory specialist. At the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology she did blood work, renal analyses, and prepared slides of human tissue specimens sent to the Institute from around the world. High scores qualified Sarah Poppinhouse for intelligence work. After six months of training she was sent to Okinawa where she intercepted and decoded messages in Morse code. Judy Husted' s test scores allowed her to enter the non-traditional (for women) field of radar and electronics. She was the first woman to work as an electronics technician on cryptographic equipment. With top security clearance, she diagnosed, repaired and maintained the machines in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. More fields opened to women across the service branches in the late 1970' sand early '80' s. Patricia Deufemia, an officer in the Air Force, volunteered for the job of Section Commander, a new job category open to women officers. For the next two years she was in charge of the military behavior and discipline of 550 men who repaired and maintained C 130 planes. In her first year on the job she discharged 110 men for behavioral or drug problems. "It wasn't hard," she said, "because lives were on the line. The men who flew the planes had to know they were trustworthy."

She went on to do a "remote tour" in Korea in 1986, acting as protocol officer at Ossan Air Base, outside of Seoul. In order to move ahead, Deufemia changed jobs every two or three years during her fifteen years in the Air Force.

Patty Brunk chose avionics, a technical job involving repair and maintenance of a plane's electrical and electronic systems when she joined the Air Force National Guard in 1997. It is definitely a non-traditional job for women but Brunk says she enjoys being in a male-dominated field. She knows she is doing important work in meeting the high standards that are required for a craft's safety. When Eva Abbott chose a job in the aircraft maintenance field she was the only woman in the shop. She felt she had to work harder than anyone else to prove herself. Her work involved packing emergency materials: parachutes, life rafts, oxygen regulators and seat pads. She advanced to become an inspector and trained others.

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Most of the women felt they were treatedfairly in the militaryand there were few reports of discrimination. During World War II many women entered as officers in the Army Nurse Corps or the Waves.

They were doing vital work and were well respected. Marjorie Woodside thought that was generally true of women officers. As Goldie Greene put it, "Being an officer excused the fact that I was female."

Mary AliceHunter,a Wave officer,did the sameintelligencework as the men in her department. Mary Ciolkothoughtshe rememberedsome opposition to bringing women into the Navy before the Waves program began during World War Il, and supposed "it was because it was a men's club." She stressed the fact that Waves were volunteers (the name stands for Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) and that their involvementin the war effort was consideredcommendable.

Looking back at her experience in the military,Margaret Schultz said she didn't remember any discrimination and it would seem her promotionsand appointmentto Officers' CandidateSchoolwere proof of it. She thought the war years brought the beginnings of feminism. "A lot of women liked working and not having to depend on their husbands for everything,"she recalled.

Severalwomenwho did notexperiencediscriminationthemselves said they saw instances of racial prejudice. During the 1950' s Evella Harrellsaid she did not feeldiscriminatedagainstas a woman,but the town near her training base in Alabama was segregated. When she and others in her company went to town they had to go in separate groups of blacks and whites. Janet Katzin said the Navy was segregatedduringWorld War II, as were the other branches of service; she recalled separate units of black men at the Great Lakes Training Center.

When Elva Girtonjoined the Army in the mid-1960' s she felt the low enlistmentof women was due to theirbeing steeredinto clericalwork.

High test scores gave her a choice of occupation. She credits the lack of discrimination to the intelligence of people she worked with in medical technology. Working as an aircraftspecialistin the Navy, KarenBuckley was twice denied training for a higher level technicaljob on grounds that "there were alreadytoo many women in that field." At the time she served ( 1978-82),women were not allowedon aircraftcarriers;on the other hand she was the first woman to qualify for plane captain in her squadron.

Buckleythinksthingsbeganto change in the 1970sand '80s as the military establishmentbecame more sensitive to the women in its ranks.

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A year after Sarah Poppinhouse enlisted in the Army in 1975, the process of integrating men and women began. She went through basic trainingin an all-femaleunit; a year later men and women trainedtogether.

"In trying to make it equal," she said, "things were sometimescarrriedtoo far. Common sensewas missing."Throughouther time in the Navy, when she was the first or only woman in ajob category, Judy Hustedfelt she was treated fairly. Her teachers, peers and the men she worked with were alwayshelpfuland respectful. She atttributesit to the intelligenceof people required to meet the high standards of work in her field of electronics.

Two women reported an incident of sexual harassment. A third felt she had to take care of herselfa lot and wasn't always sure of her rights.

"Nowadays," she said, "women don't have to worry about protecting themselves as much or knowing their rights. It's built into the military structure."

Without exception these women had positive things to say about their time in the military. The desire to serve their country as well as their dreams of travel and adventure seem to have been realized.

It's hard to convey in print the emotion in Mary Alice Hunter's voice when asked if she was glad to have had her experience in the Waves during World War II. "Oh, yes," she said. "OH, YES! Very, very glad."

Other voices echo her response: "It was the greatestthing,I wouldn't have traded it for the world." (Goldie Greene) "I enjoyed it all, the training, the work, the people, even the discipline."

(AliceLaDue) "The military gave me a foundation for believing in myself." (Karen Buckley) "It taught me I could take care of myself." (Lorraine Campilli) "Going into the Marines was one of the best decisionsI ever made." (Eva Abbott) "I liked coming into my own. People took me as I was; anything I accomplished was my own." (Judy Husted) Over and over again, the women named increased pride, confidence and independence as the fruits of their military experience.

Other benefits were the occupationalopportunitiesand excellent training that saw many of them into careers when they left service. One of the most valuable lessons the women named was learning to get along with a wide variety of people. Others mentioned learning more about the world. Not surprisingly, they named friendships as a positive outcome of service.

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Many are still in touch with one or more people they met in service, even those who served more than fifty years ago.

All agreed things have changed for women entering military service now. Most often mentioned were rules about pregnancy and new opportunities for women. When Nancy Alden was in the Navy in 1951-53, the highest ranked woman was a captain. At the dedication of the Women's Memorial she saw women majors, colonels and lieutenant colonels, several pushing baby carriages. "That's very different from my time," she said. "Then, even highly-trained women had to leave service if they were pregnant. Now a woman can build a career in the military." The rule was still in effect in 1963 when Martha Rooney chose to leave the Army, though she would have preferred to stay, because she and her husband wanted to have children. By the 1980s things had changed. Eva Abbott had her two children while she was still active in the Marines. When she left service in 1986 women no longer had a choice about staying in when they were pregnant. Now they have to remain for the length of their commitment.

Pat Deufemia said a lot more job categories were opened to women when she joined the Air Force in 1980 and there are even more now. "In the 1980's a male chauvinist attitude prevailed. Women had to provethemselves. Now they are on the front lines and flying." Eva Abbott agreed there are many more jobs open to women now, even some that could put them in combat zones. Among our interviewees, Eva Abbott (aircrew survival equipment), Patty Brunk (avionics), Judy Husted (electronics),and Pat Deufemia(as a sectioncommander),were all injobs newly opened to women at the time they served.

After militaryservice,the women in our group who servedduring World War II and the Korean War period, tended to marry and have large families. Many continued to work. Helen Curran, Goldie Greene and Martha Rooney all have long histories in nursing. Lorraine Campilli and Evella Harrell stayed in health fields for many years as well. Nancy Alden became an elementary school teacher, a town supervisor and a journalist, the career she originally prepared for in college. Long before the women's movement took hold in the 1960' s, many of these women combined raising families and working outside the home. Those who served after 1965continued to work after being discharged, but families were smaller, one or two children generally, and divorce was more common. Often they sought more education, as Sarah Poppinhouse

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did, using the G .I. Bill to go back to college and get a degree in computer science.

Althoughthe women who servedin the 1980'sand '90' shad more career opportunities open to them while in service, it didn't always have positive results when they returned to civilian life. Eva Abbott was surprised to find employers here did not consider her time in the Marines as work experience. Thejob she had done in the militarywas not the work she applied for but she had developed attitudes and skills that are critical for the workplace:discipline,responsibility,meticulousattentionto detail.

She was the motherof two daughters,had lived for extendedperiodsin two foreign countries, and her leadership abilities were evident from support group activities at the air base in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Judy Hustedsaidit was in civilianlifethat she founddiscrimination against her. Trained to diagnose, repair and maintain sophisticated electronic equipment, Husted said she was laughed at when she returned to DutchessCounty and appliedforjobs in her field. ''They said no woman had ever appliedfor ajob takingcare of electronicequipment. I didn't hear back from them." Husted went to school at night and now works as a computerprogrammer.

The Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated in October 1997. It is locatedat the entranceto ArlingtonNationalCemetery and honorsthe nearly two millionwomen who have servedtheircountryin the past two hundred years. The museum holds a computerizedregisterof women who served in the military and documents their experience and stories. Four of our interviewees went to the dedication. From their descriptions,images emerge of severalthousandwomen from all over the countrymeetingin thenation'scapitalto celebratewomen's militaryservice to the country.

The ceremonies included speeches by Vice President Gore, GeneralWilma Voight,whose idea it had been to build the Memorial, and a 100-year old woman who had served two years as a Navy yeoman before World War II. There was a large parade, many speeches, and receptions and reunions all over the city. The most impressive part of the weekend to Martha Rooney, who attended with her twin sister, was the mile-long line of women, each carrying a small battery-operated candle, marchingby branch of servicefrom LincolnMemorialacrossthe bridgeto the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. Sally Reifler, the local representative of Women In Military Service for America (WIMSA), called it "a wonderful experience." She went with her daughter and saw 63

severalwomenshe'd knownin the Anny NurseCorpsduringWorldWar II. Nancy Alden also went with one of her daughters, who is in the Reserves. Elva Girton called the dedication "an emotional time."

Althoughher foot was in a cast and she had to be pushed in a wheelchair by a friend, Girton said it didn't dampen her spirits. Whether they had gone to the dedication or not, all the women who were interviewed spoke of the pride they felt in women's contributionsbeing recognized.

As one woman said, "It was a long time coming."

It was a pleasure to talk with these women and to live vicariously through them over six decades in the military. Those who served in World War II recalled forgotten memories: blackout shades and rationing, men and women spotting planes for Civil Defense, crowded railroad stations and trains, and servicemen everywhere.

Women who spoke of "going to places they never expected to see," i.e.

Chicago and Washington, D.C., recalled how little the average person traveled outside home areas in those days. Goldie Greene, who served in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II, spoke of medical advances at that time: skin grafts on bum patients, new methods of giving blood transfusions on the battlefields, and the "big panacea," penicillin. Greene describedthe method: "We filled a large syringe and gave shot after shot from it, discarding needles and inserting new ones for each patient. No one now would think of giving it to anyone the way we did then."

Somemethodsof gatheringintelligencethenseemnaivecompared to today.In the smallresearchlibraryattheOfficeofNavalIntelligencethat Mary Alice Hunter helped organize to gather informationabout the Far East, someof the materialthat flowedinto it were photoalbumsof people who had traveledthere.MargaretSchultzemphasizedthe importanceof mail to servicemenandrecalledit hadthe samepriorityas food. 'There was a lotof secrecysurroundingthe mailsthenbecauseit couldgivetheenemy advanceinformationabout wheretroops were being sent."

In the decadesthat followed,womenmadeinroadsin allbranches of the military.The divisionbetween"men's work"and "women's work" brokedownandwomenroseto opportunitiesto enternew fieldsandprove themselvesworthy.

Whocangaugetheimpacton womenofleavingthe familiarityand safetyofhometotravelto distantbasesandcitiesforexhaustingtrainingand work? Or imaginetheeffectsof thousandsof interactionswithpeoplefrom all parts of the country and world, or know the pride they felt in their new 64

independence and accomplishments? It may well have been, as Margaret Shultz said, "the beginning of feminism." Adventurous, patriotic, resourceful, bright -- all of these qualities and more describe the women in this article. They deserve a salute.

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ONCEUPONA TIME,THELITTLEREDSCHOOLHOUSE

By Dorothea Taylor Edited by Greta Davey Dorothea Taylor was born in Poughkeepsie in 1913 and lived there all her life. She taught in public and private schools for over sixty years, including her innovative work with mentally-retarded and handicapped children. She studied at Vassar College, Columbia and New York Universities and the State University of New York at New Paltz. Her work was recognized by Eleanor Roosevelt and some of her written material was used by President Kennedy's Panel on Mental Retardation. She is listed in Who's Who in Community Leaders ( 1972) and the Dictionary oflnternational Biography (1974 ).

Mrs. Taylor was the mother of two daughters, as well as a grandmother and great grandmother. She died in March 2001.This Article of reminiscences is a chapter from her autobiography.

It was edited by Greta Davey, herself a mother of seven grown children, and a writer with an interest in history. She recently retired from the Acquisitions Department at Vassar College Library.

Introduction In April 1940 the Welfare Leaguefor RetardedChildren,Inc.was charteredunderthe corporationlawsof New York State. As a non-sectarian, non-profitgroup,it was dedicatedto the welfare advancement for mentally retardedchildren.The WelfareLeague embarked upon a program of Recreational Rehabilitation at Letchworth Village. In 1947, in cooperation with the Administration, a program for medical research was institutedwith a double objective. First, and most importantto humanity,wasprevention; second,to promotethe vitalneedforthe improvementoftheafflictedchildren.A Dorothea Taylor

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well-equipped laboratory was established and 500 mothers, who were members of the Welfare League, gave samples of their blood to evaluate its possible contribution toward retardation. The results were published in the American Journal of Diseases of Children. In 1951 Governor Thomas Dewey recommended an initial appropriation for medical research and designated Letchworth Village the research center for the Department of Mental Hygiene.

In the late 1940' sin the mid-Hudson Valley there was a group of parents seeking help for their "special children." They had been told by physicians and others that their only hope was to institutionalize their children. Allan and Harriet Raymond, who were the parents of a "special child," firmly believed that programs could be developed that would tap the potential of each child. They were committed to the learning process and individual attention that would enable these children to live in society and not apart from it. Something better than an institution was possible.

The efforts of the Raymonds included hours of research and contacting people from other states and organizations to find out what was being done elsewhere and what prospects were available in their area. A letter of the North Carolina Junior Chamber of Commerce told of a local schooling program for the retarded that was started by the Jaycees in Raleigh, NC. Illustrating the prevalent view at the time, an article received from the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa, Oklahoma stated: "The normal child receives his schooling and the 'idiot' is institutionalized, but the child in between remains at home, unless the family can afford the expense of a special private school." The Raymonds and other local parents of special children, however, believed that ALL children were entitled to an education and that state and local governments should support the endeavor.

After more contacts and meetings with other educational personnel, the Raymonds were inspired by an article in The Readers Digest, written in 1947 by Bernadine Schmidt, who confirmed many of their own (Raymonds) beliefs. Ms. Schmidt was an advocate, activist and thinker dedicated to educating the learning-disabled and to creating schools that would provide the right environment for special learning. Her methods had spread. There were 73 schools in the U.S., one in Toronto, Canada and one in Bombay, India. The Raymonds met with Ms. Schmidt, who assured them that worthwhile programs could be developed that would aid the children to lead lives of greater self-fulfillment and independence.

They also learned that Ms. Schmidt had definite

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requirementsforinitiatinga specialschool:"It mustbe sponsoredby a civic groupso that it willhave continuity.Theremustbe no lessthan fifteennor morethantwentychildrenenrolled.No childshouldbe excludedbecause of too low an IQ." She believedthat "the future of some of these children staggers the imagination." The Raymonds were so encouraged by this meetingthat they returnedhome to preparethe groundworkfor a school.

They joined forces with other Dutchess County parents. Love, compassion and a tremendous will to help handicapped children was the root of the parents' movement to establish "The Little Red School House."

The next step was to find all the informationneeded to establish a school. From the Special Education Clinic and Teachers College of Columbus,Mississippitheyreceivedthe informationthey needed. It was extremelyinvolvedand includedagreementby the sponsorsto acceptthe financialandbusinessdetails.Thatgroupwouldtaketheresponsibiliityfor obtainingall financesnecessaryto pay the operatingcost,teachersalaries, and cost of rentinga buildingto hold the school. They also were required to set up a steering committee and choose members who would be responsiblefor selectingteachersand employmentissues,and would act as theBoardof Directorsforanybusinessproblemsthatmightarise. Thus, theDutchessCountyAssociationfor MentallyHandicappedChildrenwas formed. TheirCharterread as follows:''To voluntarilyassistthe slowand mentallyretardedchild and to ascertain,through study and research,the problems and causes of mental retardationand means for improvingthe conditionof thechild."

The Constitution and By-Laws of the Association for the Mentally Retarded were approved and adopted at a meeting of the Association on February 25, 1952. The basic philosophy of education for all childrenrecognizesthe need for discoveringthe potentialof each child. Their aim was to foster wholesome growth in full measure for each child, with regard to the child's abilities, his limitations and his possible contribution to society. They recognized that the retarded child is different from the normal one only in the degree of his learning processes and that the need for love, security, recognition and success is the same,except that they need more individualattention so they may be helped to adjust to life's situation.

The screening committee, under Dr. Sara Hirsdansky, retired psychiatrist of the New York City School System, prepared case histories of twenty-fourchildren, and from these children they selected 68

their first class. On October 6, 1952, the Little Red School House opened on Mill Street with five children, one teacher and volunteers from Bennett and Vassar Colleges. The following year the enrollment grew to nineteen children and they considered taking rooms at the Congregational Church. This resulted in setting up an additional teacher at the church for the younger children. In 1954 the program was so large they moved to Bowne Hospital which was located at the site of the present Dutchess Community College. This later became the site of the Cerebral Palsy Clinic. Speech therapy and some educational classes were available at the same location. The Association also changed its name to the Dutchess County Association for Retarded Children (ARC) There was a constant influx of new methods in teaching. It was a testing time, a time that involved location of the school, selection of teachers, and learning their abilities and placement. After many meetings and discussions, Katherine Lynch, who was director of several hundred classes for children of retarded mental development in the New York City school system, was contacted. She knew the whole range of teaching and training retarded children from beginners through obtaining jobs for the graduates. She inspired the Association with the thought that their children could become citizens, whether in the world, the community or the home.

She was joined by Miss Mae Carden, whose method of teaching had proved successful in over 100 schools, including W assaic School, Buckley Schools for Boys in New York City, and at the Emma Willard Day School.

She visited on several occasions to share her methods and spend time helping the teachers improve their techniques.

This was a period of growth by the children and staff. It was a time when parents asked for a stronger academic program and a good physical program. The teachers had been handicapped with clerical work. Others disagreed with the programs that were used. Some of the problems were solved, some were waiting to see the results of the methods used. It was apparent that the staff needed more contacts with other schools and more direction from those who were invovlved with the teaching of mentally retarded children. Arrangements were made for teachers to take a course of instruction in the Carden Method, and plans were made for them to visit W assaic to observe the success of the methods used there.

A recommendation by the Board of Directors resulted in the hiring of an executive secretary to take over duties so the teachers could concentrate on training and education. A schedule of volunteer

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workers at school was started under the supervision of Mrs. Vivian Erdrich. Mr. Stephen Puff, Director of Vocational Rehabilitation in five counties, including Dutchess, then Senior Counselor in the New York State Education Department, was chosen to work on the Curriculum Committee. He obtained state aid for some vocational training for the older children. Permission was obtained from the Poughkeepsie School Superintendent for his Art Supervisor to guide the teachers in suitable art work for the children. The school continued to grow in size and knowledge. The program and methods of teaching were not the total answer for learning, but this was the beginning of progress.

EveryoneCan Learn: My First Class "We must have a place where children can have a whole group of adults they can trust."

-Margaret Meade

In 1952I was stillinvolvedwiththe nurseryschoolprogramin my home. It was a very successful endeavor and I was looking forward to securingan assistantand enlargingmy group. I was approachedby Mrs. Raymondin regardtojoiningthe staffof theLittleRed SchoolHouse.Mrs. RaymondandI hadknowneachothersinceourchildhoodandDonald,my husband,was a boyhoodfriendof her husband.Shewas awareof my work over the past decade. However, I had little training in the field of "retardation"and felt I was not qualified. She assuredme that my efforts at The Children's Home, courses at Vassar Collegeand my successwith the nurseryschoolwerethe necessarybackgroundforteachingat theLittle Red School House.

She asked me to come to the school for a week and then give her my answer. I agreed, and in one week my whole life changed. That was what I wantedto do and the help neededfor these childrenwas so vital,so necessary.I disbandedmy nurseryschoolandjoined the staffof the Little Red School House. I also made ru;rangementsto turn my educational pursuits in the directionof this specialfield. I was able to take courses at Columbia and New York Universities by going to Newburgh, NY and OrangeCommunityCollegeafterschoolandevenings.

My teachinginvolvedchildrenwithbraindamageandotherswho were deaf, autistic or had Down Syndrome. It was a challenge,difficult at timesbut extremelyrewarding.Thiswasthebeginningof manychanges in the systemandit was the firsttimein our historythatthesechildrenwere recognized as having a potential for learning. I was the aide to the 70

teacher in charge, a lovely, compassionate lady, Mrs. Bessie Payne, whom I learned to care for and understand. However, we did differ in our approaches to the children, their needs and ability to comprehend and follow through with daily tasks.

Each child was different and therefore a differentapproachhad to be used to obtain results in all areas of his or her development. At the time it was assumed that these children were incapable oflearning any subject matter. Society only wanted them to learn to sit still and listen,to learn the right way to reply to an adult's inquiry, the right way to do problems and the right way to keep in line during a fire drill. My thoughtswere different.

I felt, first,that childrenof all ages need an atmosphereof warmth in which to thrive. They need the warmth of close, honest human contacts, and the feeling that adults, teachers and parents, like them and are interested and enjoy them. The handicapped child needs all of this even more than the normal child. I believe each child has potential for growth in all areas and that the educationof childrenand theirteachersis society's greatesttool for improvingitself.

My first class was composed of six children,chronologicalage of 4-1/2 to 8 years, with mental ages of 3 to 5. Two children were braindamaged at birth, one was autistic, one deaf, and two were Down Syndrome children. Two of the group were extremely hyperactive, and two had little or no speech. Nonetheless,the basic needs of all children are the same. We know that handicapped children may differ in the intensity of theirneedsbut experiencehas shownus that many of thesechildrenhave been over-protected or neglected. Therefore, it was our role to help them develop self-control so they could grow into socially accepted, happy children. They have shortattentionspansand have lesscreativeabilitythan other children of similar chronological age. Their degree of reasoning, problem solving, following directions and communication are their problems. In languagethe variationsof theirabilitiesrangefromthosewho use sounds and gestures to those who speak in complete, clear sentences.

Observation of emotional development shows that a few children have acceptablecontrolin somegroupactivities,whilea largernumberare either hyperactive and/or aggressive,withdrawn or passive.

We do not know what role colorplays in the livesof these children, but we do know that they learn colorsvery slowly. It was importantto find the proper equipment through which they could experience success.

Becauseof this it was advisedthat all equipmentbe of sturdyconstruction.

These children remain in the manipulative stage longer and become 71

frustrated more easily. It was important that first we teach functional activities that would develop self-help;therefore, equipment should be realistic.

Our daily schedule was very similar to most nursery schools: openingconversation,salutingthe flag,day andmonthof the year,season, weather, special days, handiwork,art and music. I disagreedwith some of the procedures. I felt we needed more play and music. Much play therapyhasbeendeniedhandicappedchildrensincethefirsttimetheywere diagnosed as children with problems. In place of play, they were taught how to dress properly, eat properly and speak only when spoken to. All of this was done so that the child would appearto be normal and look like other children. They were seldom, if ever, given the opportunity to experiencethejoy oflearningthroughplay. Play is experiencein life for a child. They learn through all their senses and all their muscles. Small childrenwillsmelltheworldwiththeirnosesandtakein theworldwiththeir fingers, touching their body, even their tongues. Watch a child at play.

Doesn'the rememberanenginethroughsoundandmusicimages?Doesn't he ring his bell, blow off steamand go puffingaroundthe room? Doesn't thismeanthathetookhisenginethroughhissensesandmuscles?Inhisplay he recalls his experiences. Without it an important part of learning is stopped. Playis morethan exercise;it becomeseducationaland is another time of growth to observe.

Drawingsare a kind of play with crayons and paints. We should letthechildseeandhearthroughhis/herown eyesandearswithoutalways interpreting,explainingandpointingout our observations.Providethem witha suitablesettingforlearningandletthemlearn. It wasnot an easyrole tryingto teachchildrenthat are not supposedto be ableto learnbut neither was it an impossiblerole. Children in general are not easy; they require patience, love and forethought. I enjoyed the role because I enjoyed workingwiththese"specialchildren."

I did express my feelings regarding the learning methods and structure of the day, and had some cooperation from the Director, Mrs. HelenWolpert,who was a most sympatheticperson. She agreedwith my theoriesof moreplay and music for the children. She providedbooks for the teachers to read about child development. An art instructorfrom the publicschoolwas very interestedin helpingthe teacherswiththe art work.

He would come and see the children, meet with the teachers and give them instruction.

Miss Lynch, who continued to play an active role, along with 72

Miss Carden, suggested that in teaching math we use peg boards and crayons to help them gain concepts of numbers. She said they should do something different every day but learn the same lesson. She spoke about teaching material and suggested more "hands on" experience.

Concerning the method used in "telling time," she recommended the children prepare clocks of construction paper so each child had his/her own and could move the hands. She suggested the teachers use all possible senses of the child. In this case it would be touch as well as sight.

She told the teachers to review, review and review. She observed when a teacher had a beautiful lesson but was not teaching the children. This was one of the theories that I had been working on. I was pleased by the approval of Miss Lynch, who was a well-known educator. There was a question concerning outdoor play for the children. Miss Lynch felt it was very necessary. Although some teachers and parents could not see the reason for this, I felt it should be included in the entire program. At that time we had to follow their wishes but I continued to hope they could be educated in the importance of outdoor exercise and the benefit of social contacts with other children in the school. Eventually they were allowed to go outdoors for play. A joyous day! They took walks, played in the sand box, on swings and slides. We introduced three-wheel bicycles and carts.

In this entirely new way oflearning that we were creating, time flew by and the children showed progress very slowly but positively. They played with blocks, small cars and engines, and they drew--some drew just lines and occasional circles; others who were more advanced created pictures of people and houses.

Transportation was an important issue that both parents and teachers had discussed. Because the school-age child had been refused admission to public school, transportation had also been denied. In June 1954 a group of teachers and parents decided to go to the state capitol in Albany to present their problems and request aid in transportation.

Arrangements were made and the trip took place. It was a short session.

The members of the State Legislature that were involved in transportation gave us little satisfaction, saying, and I quote one leader, "We are sorry, but this is impossible and I question if there ever will be public transportation for the retarded child." A group of unhappy parents and teachers left the session with heavy hearts and feelings of rejection. I questioned the entire procedure and felt although this was one step backward we were

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going ahead in so many other ways.

A new class was created in March 1955. Mrs. Mimi Stambrook and I were the teachers. It was a wonderful class, composed of ten children, a trainable group. Mimi was very musical and played the piano at differenttimes for the children. Our openingexerciseswere happyones, filledwith songand sometimesdance. Therewas a child,David,age 7, who had been with us for a short time. He had a vision problem and paralysis on his right side. His work proved to be acceptable for his age but there was something that I sensed was missing. He usually arrived later in the morning after we had finished our opening exercises. On a particular morning he arrived earlier. I sat down with the other children and waited forMimi to startplayingthe piano. A few minuteslaterhe stoodup andthen he laid down, put his ear on the wooden floor and started to tap time with the music. I reached for two blocks that were on a rack behind me and stood behind him and clapped the wooden blocks hard. He didn't move a muscle--the boy was deaf! For some reasonthis childwas not diagnosed as deaf but further examinations showed that there was very little hearing in one ear and none in the other. When this was confirmed a different approach was used and David progressed in all areas. Soon he was promoted to the next educable class. Jill, age 8, was diagnosed as braindamaged at birth. A pretty child, who talked to herself much of the time, Jill held her head up in the air, seldom answered your questions but did follow directions such as "stand,"" sit" and "eat." She enjoyed music sessionsand at timeswould singher own songspertainingto somethingwe were doing. One day she came to the piano, sat down and proceeded to play the aria, "Every Valley Shall Be Exalted" from TheMessiah. She did not look at the keys,her head was lookingat the ceiling. When she finished, she sat down and was very quiet for a period of time. I waited for her mother to arrive and explained what had happened. She said that the previous night they had gone to hear parts of TheMessiah sung at a local churchand Jill came home singingsomeof it, using her own words,but the tone was the same. What could the futurebe for this child? She only sang andplayedthe pianowhen shefeltmotivated.She had manycharacteristics of an autistic child but at that time our knowledge concerning the handicapped was not like it is today. There was a sadness in my heart for this child. She was in a different world that I could not reach.

Louis, age 10, had no speech,just grunts and hand signals. His parents said he spoke a few words at age two, but stopped abruptly shortly afterward. There was a question of a traumatic experience, but 74

it could not be confirmed. He was not autistic as he was quite aware of all his surroundings and participated in all activities. We had just set up a sandbox on legs and filled it with water. The children had their cans and pans -- it was fun. Louis came over to the water box, stood and looked at it for a while. Suddenly he picked up two pans, dipped one in water and filled the other one. He held the pan above and let the water fall down, saying, "water, water, water." This was the beginning of speech for Louis. For a while he only talked when playing in the water, but as time passed he related to other things, to children and their names.

These were the years when "cowboys and Indians" were topics of most children, so we decided to use this as a counting promotion for learning. We had a large sandbox and we built an "Out West" village. We had Indians,cowboys,all thingsthat were countable. It was successfuland the childrenlearnedcounting: 5 horses,ten houses, 1church,8 Indians,and they inventedstoriessurroundingthe village. Some of this was transferred on paper and they learned by playing.

Workshop at Syracuse for Teaching Severely Retarded In June 1955the Director, Mrs. Helen Wolpert, and I attended a workshop on educating the severely retarded given by the School of Education-ExceptionalChildrenat SyracuseUniversity. The need for this course became evident when "an act to mend the educationlaw in relation to training of certainchildren with severelyretarded mental development, and the appointment of state aid therefore," became a law on April 28, 1955 with the approval of the Governor (Chapter 795). There were childrenwho were not coveredby the specialclasses alreadyin operation, i.e., childrenwith IQs under 50 but with mental ages of at leastthree years.

In other words,this providedschoolopportunityfor childrenwho were not educable but who were trainable to social acceptance.

At this workshop,a demonstrationclass with a teacherof severely handicapped children was shown. It was interesting to note that the new law specifiedten childrento one teacherbut in actualpractice it was found that two of these children had to be excluded because one was seriously disturbed emotionally and the other was a behavioral problem. One teacher could not do justice to teaching the eight children when the other two children were present. The class concluded that the low IQ children would have to be carefully screened if one teacher had to be alone with them. It also became evident that 2-1/2 to 3 hours of school was all these children could take.

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It wasanexcellentopportunityforteachersfromallovertheUnited Statesto compareschoolsandproblemsas well as shareideas. A research study of severelyretardedchildrenwas givenby Dr. G. OrvilleJohnson, of the New York State Departmentof Mental Hygiene,who stated:"No one knows all the answers for this is a new field. From research and observationit is clear,however,that the retardedhavethe sameemotional needs as other children, so the school environment must be a calm, consistentonewherethe individualandhisgrowthis of primeimportance."

The course gave 3 graduatehours for two weeks work. It was hard work but wellworthit forthe understandingandideaswhichwouldhelpus train the severelyretardedto becomepleasant,helpful,happychildren.

Help from All Corners: Senators, Eleanor and pennies down the chimney The history of the Little Red School House is not only about the children,though they are the ones we were putting our efforts toward to help. It is also a history of the people and the community who rallied togetherto make a new vision oflearning and the future possible. There were many fundraisers,specialpublicitydrives, meetings, letters,radio addresses and just person-to-person chats to keep us going, moving forward and getting support from wider and wider circles. Any parent mighthavea "special"childandthisbroughttogetherpeoplefromallwalks of life,religionsandprofessions.

In 1952a dinnerwas givenby NickBeni,chairmanof the school's SpecialEventsCommitteeat his AnchorInn. It was attendedby morethan 100people and the proceeds,at $10. per plate, were givento the school's treasurer.The ReverendSpencer,RabbiZimet andFatherCaldwellwere the speakers. That week, sermonsin the churches and in the Temples of Dutchess County told of cases of mental retardation and the need for educationfor the mentallyhandicapped. The followingweek a running trailerappearedon the screensof moviehousesanddrive-intheaterswhere "little red schoolhouses" were placed in lobbiesand coins were dropped down chimneys. Our own Eleanor Roosevelt spoke concerning the children and their needs on local radio station WEOK. Angelo Patri, a well-knowncolumnistandeducator,spokeat a rallyat theFriendsMeeting House when we introducedour first teacher, Mrs. Mary Desole. Mayor Stevens published a proclamation setting aside a day for mentallyhandicappedchildren,where high schoolgirls tagged shopperson Main Street and collected $650 in coin boxes and little red school houses. A 76

group of 7 to 11-year olds caught the spirit, and with no help from adults staged a variety show in Corlies Manor for the benefit of the drive for their handicapped friends. All of this was good publicity and attracted people to us. The radio stations, newspapers and printers backed the programs enthusiastically and without cost to us.

A few years later in April 1956, Senator Estes Kefauver visisted the Little Red School House. A gifted man of stature and much understanding of the problems of the handicapped, he was the United States Senator from Tennessee who sought the Democratic nomination for President that year. His investigation into organized crime in 1950-51 was nationally televised and created great public interest. He was a lawyer who sat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949. In 1948, despite his support for civil rights for blacks, an unusual position for a southern politician in that era, he was elected to the Senate where he remained until his death in 1963. Senator Kefauver spoke before more than 500 people at the I.B.M.Country Club, I.B.M.being one of the most important growing businesses in the area, on behalf of the parents, children and teachers of the retarded and handicapped. It was a wonderful presentation by this truly remarkable man that many have remembered.

Later he spoke individually to parents, teachers and children with sincerity and compassion. His encouragement for all who lived, worked and were friends of the handicapped was inspiring. It was also a sign that our work and that of others like us around the country were being recognized in political circles. There was a growing hope of wider political and public acceptance for our mission.

In 1958 circumstances forced the Little Red School House to leave our school at the former Bowne Hospital. It was to become the new home of Dutchess Coumunity College. Mrs. Wolpert, our Director, left to become associated with the public school system and Mrs. Bessie Payne became our new Principal. Our official move was to a temporary residence in the Jewish Center for which we were grateful to all involved. However, it was not an ideal situation. Classes for the older children and the Principal' s office were on the third floor, and the nursery and trainable children were in the basement. It was cold, damp, and without proper lighting and windows. The people in the rest of the building were gracious and tried to be of assistance but we knew we had to make other arrangements for the future.

Eventually we were rewarded for our work and patience. Mrs. Charles Michel, of the Rubican Foundation in New York City, purchased 77

a building for us at 26 Forbus Street in Poughkeepsie. It was a former privateresidence,inexcellentcondition,a wonderfulnewhomewithplenty of rooms for all and a yard large enough for outdoor equipment. The youngergroup had two rooms on the first floor, with the upper grades on the second floor. A large entrance hall and another large front room provided space for our Principal and for conferences.

The schoolcontinuedto expandits serviceswiththe resultthat we had 45 children, 5 full-time and 3 part-time teachers and volunteers.

Classes consisted of a day-care group, a play group, as well as a young trainable,two intermediatetrainablegroupsand an oldertrainablegroup.

There were future plans for a shelteredworkshop. A special committee was formedthatwouldvisitvariousworkshopsto obtaininformationwith the possibilityof having a program. A "get together" group of teenagers was formed, much to the delight of the older children. They would meet once a week and plan for futureprograms and recreationalactivities.

Therewasprogressshownin our new schoolhouseandtherewere disappointments.We had two autisticchildrenthat were difficult. At the timelittlewasknownconcerningautismbut researchwasbeingdoneinthe field. Therefore,we workedwith eachchild to the best of our knowledge.

The childrenin thisclassneededto be motivatedandI startedworkingwith theminthatdirectionusinga verysimplemethod.I createdlargecardswith words of various objectsin the classroomprintedon them (such as chair, table,floor,door,pencil,etc.),and placedthesecardson the objectto help make connectionsbetween words and what the eyes see. The next step was to have the studentprint the name of the object. Some even learned to spell the object used. It was successful and fun. Much learning was takingplace. However,aftera few weeksit was disapprovedby the school Director and School Board and I was asked to discontinue using the methods.Theysaidit was not orthodox(wasnotbeingusedby others)and the child would soon forget what I was trying to teach. I was extremely unhappyaboutthis,mainlybecauseit hadproducedgoodresultsthateven parentshad recognized.The materialwas put in the back of the closetbut not forgotten;even the children asked for the cards. A few weeks later I took the material out of the closet and used it at times when we were not beingobserved.I realizedthatI wasgoingagainstordersbut it washelping the children,and that was alwaysmy firstconsideration.

The two rooms provided for classes gave us an opportunity to separate the children at different times and, of course, the bathroom facilitieswereveryhelpful.Thiswas a periodof growthandunderstanding 78

of manyproblemsinvolvingthe children.As I writetcxlay,I realizenow that some of these children were wrongly diagnosed. Today, after much research, we would find learning disabled, attention deficit disorders and dyslexia.

Michael, age 6 on his acceptance to our school, had multiple disabilities since birth which affected his speech, vision and hearing. In some areas he appeared to be advanced in comparison to the other children. He had good social contact, attention span, memory, and he followed directions. He related well to his parents. His father was a very dedicated man to our cause and was one of our most consicentious workers. Michael was respondingto our methodsand appearedto be very happy in the classroom.

At thattimetherewas littlematerialthathad been writtenespecially for the learning disabled. We were inspired to create our own. And because much of what we were attemptingwas new, there was a great deal of experimentation in trying to understand the problems these children faced, to understand how their brains worked and how their senses took in information.Some of the thingsI havedone havebeen acceptedby some people and others have looked at me as though I have two heads. Other thingsI discoveredby accidentand neverfound a satisfyingexplanationfor but used because they worked. For instance, when I went to have new glassesmade a few years ago I told the optometristI had foundthat children with learningdisabilities,and dyslexiain particular,often read much better up and down than side to side. I suggested to him that when they do the eye charts he should have them read from top to bottom. Insteadof writing "HAPPY" horizontally,it could be writtenvertically.

I would often take a story, usually some classic, reduce it to what they would understand and produce a simple booklet. "Farmer Jones had a farm and on the farm there'd be a cow, a pig, etc." And we'd go through making the sounds. There was nothing like that. Or, at least, at the time I felt safeto assumeit didn't exist and decidedto make it myselfspecifically for the students I had. I felt so strongly that these children could succeed even with academicschoolwork if constantrepetitionwas made and if my methodswere concreteand direct. Before I startedteachingthese children there was a tendency to eliminate academic instruction. Now I was sure that they could achievethe abilityto read childrens' storiesat first, second, third and even fourth and fifth grade level; I also knew that simple fundamentaloperationsof arithmetic,history and geography,rewrittenin simple story form, could be taught. Therefore I decided to write this

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materialfordifferentagesandperformances.Withthehelpof thechildren I produced the stories in simple form and covered many areas that they could relate to.

The followingyearI hadthe opportunityto meeta gentlemenfrom Hyde Park, who ran a smallpress companycalled CrossRoad Press, and he offeredto printsomeof the materialfor a verysmallfee. Illustrationsin the materialwerecreatedby Mrs. ShirleyMatthews,who was the mother of a younghandicappedboy who attendedclassesat the LittleRed School House. The art work was excellentandits beautyand simplicityappealed to the young child. The work,Merry GoRound,was completedthat year and copies sent to variousgroups and schoolsin the United States. It was accepted and some requested more material.

CrossRoadPresswas unableto providethe necessarypresswork and the man in charge left to take anotherpositionin California. This left me with littlehelp for futureprintingsand no moneyto continue. I talked withMrs.Roosevelt,who immediatelysuggestedI contactPresidentJohn F. Kennedy. She was awareof all the workI had accomplishedin the field of Mental Retardationand said she would speakto him herself. She had some of my materialthat she had used successfullyand found to be most helpful.I sentthematerialto the President,whoreferredme to Dr.Leonard U. Mayo, who was the Chairman of the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. Dr. Mayo wrote to me saying the President asked him to thank me for the material I so graciouslysent him: "We will utilize your material and booklet to demonstrate what tools are available for educationalpurposes." The Paneldistributedmy materialand it was used in variousstates.

Educatorsfrom IRAN One veryrainymorning,a groupof five gentlemen,alleducators, arrived from Iran. This friendly group wanted to observe our work in the classroom situation, the methods used and diagnoses given. They sat quietly, took notes and did not ask questions or interfere with our teaching. They spentover an hour with my class and left to observeother classes. An afternoon meeting was scheduled following dismisssal of schoolto discussthe day's activitiesand to give the groupand teachersan opportunity to answer questions and exchange ideas. The big question from the men was, "What yardstickdo you measurethe true potentialof each child by? In our country some of the children that you classify as retardedwouldbe slowerto learnbut be ableto accomplishmanythings."

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They felt we expected too much of each child and blamed many of our problems on the parents and the home situation. I did learn from this experienceas I have learnedfrom many others. I also knew that they would return to their country with some knowledge that we had given and shared withthem.

What Have I Learned from My Experiences at the Little Red School House?

I do not know the total answer and in many instances it has taken many years to obtain some of the answers. And yet the stories concerning the teaching of these children and the compassion needed have never changed. In many casesthey were not given the opportunityto learn to read and write. They were taught to be courteous, to learn the proper greeting when meeting others, to be orderly, to dress properly and to use the proper tools for eating. All of this is necessary but this is a small part of learning.

These children benefitted so much from experiencing more freedom than society had allowed them in the past. Free to interact with each other and closely with teachers, they discovered things about themselves, other people and the world. What about those littleblack marks known as letters arrangedin endlesscombinations,known as words? The littleblack marks can make a child laugh or cry, be angry or love. Reading is notjust a skill or a habit. It is a truly wonderful experience. It has been said, "the spoken word rushes by and is gone, but the written word remains forever." Most importantly, I learned -- we proved!-- that every child can learn even if it takes years to see clear progress. That means that the teachers of these children must have a different set of expectations and a patience that is aware of the importance of the smallest things.

1960 Closure on Forbus Street In 1960the Little Red School House closed on Forbus Street and some of the children, those deemed "educable" (e.g. able to advance in academic subjects) were absorbed into the public school system.

However, the children that were diagnosed as "trainable" were not accepted. A task force was organized by the Association for Retarded Children that would provide a program for the multi-handicapped individual,and also the DutchessCounty CerebralPalsy Association.This would include a comprehensiveprogram includinga work trainingcourse for these children. In April 1962 Rehabilitation Programs, Inc. was established as the organization which would operate services for the

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trainableand the multi-handicapped.

The school had been a success for all concerned: students, teachersandparents. The growingacceptanceof specialstudentsinto the school system was for the parents a landmarksuccessthat warrantedthe closingof the privateLittleRed SchoolHousethatthey hadbeen working to fund though it was alwaysa challengeto meet expenses. I felt that this was an accomplishment as well, but many of the teachers had hoped to continue our learning and teaching in that special enviroment. Public schools at the time were simply not adequately equipped nor did most teachersin the systemhave the proper trainingand coursebackgroundto addressthe child in need of speciallearningmethods and environments.

The schoolshave mad~great stridesin the last forty years, catchingup to wherewe were and,in manycases,surpassingour abilityto diagnoseand matchmethodswithindividualstudents,but it hasnotbeena fastorefficient process.

I leftthe schoola fewweeksbeforetheactualclosingandwasgiven a wonderfulfarewellpartyby the parents,board membersand children. I will always rememberthe kindnessthat was given to me and the tears of sadness by so many. I remembered the past eight years teaching the children,thejoy received,and the love given that was returnedover and over again.

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ACROSS THE SPECTRUM

by Nancy Alden Nancy Alden is a Staatsburg, N. Y. resident whose weekly column, "ACROSS THE SPECTRUM," appears in the Taconic Press.

These three excerpts from her columns shed light on some outstanding women in Dutchess County. Alden is an accomplished journalist and photographer who served from 1992 to 1993 as supervisor of Hyde Park, N.Y. "Eleanor Roosevelt fought Hitler behind the scenes" (11/18/99)

In a long interview with Blanche Weissen Cook, whose second volume of her biography of Eleanor Roosevelt had just come out, Cook states that her research in ER's files at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park reveal ... "that there was one issue that Mrs. Roosevelt failed to publicly speak out about for ,several years and that was Hitler's horrendous abuse of the Jews in Germany .... But the good news is that in 1938, after Kristillnacht, she really began to Eleanor Roosevelt speak out." Cook discovered in Franklin D. Roosevelt reading Varian Fry's memoir, LibraryCollection Surrender on Demand, that "he reported saving about 2000 of the best and the brightest Jews, such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Casals, Wanda Landowska, Hannah Arendt," and "he writes that nothing could have been done without the help of Eleanor Roosevelt, and then I realized that I was probably looking in all the wrong places. So I started to look in State Department files and refugee files and found an incredible correspondence, 83

and it is very clear that she did all she couldto find sanctuaryfor refugees, to get visas extendedand other such actions.I found 198boxes of files of her humanrights activitiesthat had neverbeen opened!"

"It was at another important event after Kristillnacht that Mrs. Rooseveltdemonstratedher concernfor humanrights.On Nov. 22, 1938 she attendedthe SouthernConferenceon HumanWelfarein Birmingham, Alabamawith her great friendMary McLeodBethune,the famousblack educator.Here, in the keynote speech,she made the connectionbetween segregation,lynching,andraceviolencehere,andfascism,discrimination, and race hatred there. At this conference she had an encounter with Birmingham'sChiefofPolice,Eugene'Bull' Connor,who wouldbecome infamous for unleashing dogs and using fire hoses on black and white activistsduringthe civilrightsmarchesin the 1960s."

BlancheCook says,"...at the firstopeningeventthe audiencewas totally integrated and people sat wherever they wanted. This was a total violation of 'Southern race etiquette' and the next day Bull Connor surroundstheplacewithpolicevansandblackMariasand sendsthepolice in to orderthe participantsto segregatewithwhiteson one sideandblacks on the other.

Mrs.Roosveltarriveslate,looksaroundat the seatingarrangement and goes to sit in the black section with Mary McLeod Bethune. A policemancomes along and hits her on the shoulderwith a billy club and ordersher to moveover to the otherside.So she takesher chairand moves it intothe middleof the aislebetweenthe two sides.This was a verypublic anddramaticdemonstrationof her contemptfor 'Southernraceetiquette.'

She then gets up and makes a very dramatic speech calling for an end to racehatredandanti-Semitism.Interestinglyenough,thismadeno national pressalthoughit got intotheblackpress.It must havebeen reportedon the radio because FDR called a friend down there and said that he hoped she wouldn'tbe lynched!"

The next day, on Nov. 23, since no one had protested Kristallnacht,Hitlerfor the firsttime announced"the final solutionof the Jewishproblem"and we allknowwhatthatturnedout to be. Althoughshe had long spokenout againstanti-Semitismin America,on Nov. 25, 1938 EleanorRooseveltthrewoff the shacklesof isolationismand appeasement and wrote her first of many columns and speeches about the Jew-hatred and horrorsin Hitler's Germany.

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"The grand lady of software" (12/30/99) Admiral Grace Hopper, who led the Navy into the age of computers, was born in New York City on Dec. 9, 1906. Like Maria Mitchell, she had a father who encouraged her to study whatever she wanted. So she majored in math at Vassar, went to Yale and got a Masters and a Ph.D. and returned to Vassar as an associate professor in mathematics. In 1943 she went into the Navy and was assigned to the ordnance computation project at Harvard, where she worked on the first computer in the United States, the Mark I. She later noted that, "This miracle of modern science could store 72 words and perform three additions every second." She later worked on the Univac 1--about half the size and operating a thousand times faster! And she then went on to faster and more sophisticated computers until she died in 1992.

Grace Hopper ... came to be called the "Grand Lady of Software," "Amazing Grace," and "Grandma COBOL." After World War II she left active duty and worked for Sperry Rand on the Univac I, but she stayed in the naval reserves and retired in 1966 at the age of 60. She didn't stay retired very long, because in 1967 she was recalled to active duty and promoted to captain by President Lyndon Johnson. In 1983 she was given flag rank as a commodore and in 1985 she was promoted to Rear Admiral,

Grace Hopper Special Collections, Vassar College Libraries

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makingheroneof thefewwomenadmiralsin thehistoryof theUnitedStates Navy. She retired for a second time in August 1986at the age of 80, in a ceremonyaboardthe U.S.S.Constitutionin Boston.She then workedfor DigitalEquipmentuntil a few monthsbefore her death at age 85.

GraceHopper's contributionsto the nationwerenot forgotten,and on Sept. 6, 1997 the U.S.S. Hopper (DOG 70), a highly computerized Aegisclass destroyer,was commissionedin San Francisco.This marked the first time since WW II, and the second time in naval history, that a warship was named for a woman from the Navy's own ranks.

GraceHopperis famousin the computerworldfor severalreasons.

One day when she was workingon the Mark Il she foundthat an error was caused by a moth trapped in a relay. She removed it very carefully and tapedit intothe logbook.Sincethen,computerproblemsarecalled"bugs," and the processby which they are fixedis called "de-bugging." Her most importantcontributionto the computerindustrywas her developmentof a programming language called COBOL--Common Business Oriented Language. Before COBOL, computer programming was a laborious process.

During her lifetime, Admiral Hopper was given an incredible numberof awardsandhonors,including25 honorarydegrees.Shedevoted much of her time to speakingto young people, and repeatedly said, "the mostdamagingphrasein the Englishlanguageis: But we've alwaysdone it that way." To make her point about this, she always had a clock in her officethat ran counterclockwise!

When she lecturedshe frequentlybroughta long piece of wire or rope by which she visually explained such things as microseconds (a millionthof a second)and nanoseconds(a billionthof a second).She used the wire to show her students that an impulse traveled a foot in a nanosecond. When she died, and was buried in Arlington National Cemeterywithfull honors,one of her friendssaid,"Well,Graceis now six nanosecondsunder."

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"The five 'W's" (12/16/99)

Nancy Alden

Not manypeoplehavethe privilegeof writinga columneveryweek that appears in seven papers in my county, especially a column as wideranging as one that goes acrossthe spectrum.I reallydo enjoy doing it, and am very pleased when a stranger, or a friend, tells me that they read it regularly,or at all!

Years ago, when I was ajournalism major, I was the editor of the college paper, and remember spending a part of each week at the printer's shop proofreading text that had been set on a linotype machine. I was alwaysintriguedby how those machinesworked.The operatorwould type on one for a while and then, after much clinking and clanging,a line of hot type would come sliding down a slot and eventually there would be your story. It was very easy to get burned by hot lead. I got to be pretty good at readingtype upside down and from right to left.I learnedaboutfont sizes and picas and writing headlines that fit into columns. We were taught that a news storyhad to have "the five w' s --who, what, why, when and where, and sometimes how." We also learned that you should not interject any personal opinions into a story and that there were such things as "the laws oflibel."

In those days television was brand new and largely unavailable.

People depended on the newspapers and the radio for information about what was going on in the world. I took photographsand used a World War I surplus 4x5 Speed Graphic camera and did my own black-and-white processing. Several times I burned my fingers on hot flash bulbs. Word 87

processorsandfax machinesweren't partof the scene,andeverythingwas verymanual.

Therewereseveralperkstobeingtheeditor,andtheonethatlenjoyed themostwaswritingtheeditorials.I stillhavesomeofthem,andamstillvery proudofmyyouthfulopinions.IdenouncedtheKuKluxKlan(this wasinSouth Carolina)andreceivedabookfromalocalJewishmerchantaboutthenewstate ofIsraelwrittenbyRalphMcGill,theeditoroftheAtlantaJournal anda great Southernliberal.I stillhavethebook.I alsolitintoSenatorJosephMcCarthy anddenouncedhimas a demagogue,whichis whathe turnedoutto be. And I wasoneof thefewSouthernerswhoapprovedof PresidentTruman'sfiring ofGeneralDouglasMacArthur.HearingthenewsontheradiothatHSThad in factdefeatedMr.DeweyforPresidentremainsoneof thememorabledays ofmylife.

AnotheradvantagetobeingtheeditorwasthatI assignedmyselfthe job ofinterviewingsomeinterestingpeoplewhovisitedourcampus.I played bridgewithElyCulbertsonandstillhaveanaceof spadesthatheautographed.

WhenAliceMarblecametolectureI hada goodtalkwithher,andthenwehad a "hit"on thetenniscourt.Sheshowedus howyoucouldgeta servein while downonyourknees!I interviewednumerousfamousmusiciansanddancers, lecturersandpoliticians.StromThurmondwasthegovemorofSouthCarolina atthattime,andhealwayscrunetothecampuson thedaythatwehadouroffice coffeehourbecausehe likedto talkto the "guhls."He stilldoes.

One of the lecturers that I remember most vividly was a man named Hodding Carter, who was the editor of an unusual newspaper in Greenville, in the Mississippi Delta. He had a liberal attitude about racial matters which, of course, was then and still is a hot-button issue down there. There weren't many Southern newspaper editors of his kind in those days, or probably today, and he was a real inspiration to me.

I applied for and got a commission in the United States Navy, where I met a man named John Alden, who spoke for himself. My career as a pioneering newspaper correspondent was postponed for several decades, and that it why it is so much fun for me today!

As we get into the new millennium, let's hope that newspapers are not consumed by virtual electronics and that the "five w' sand the occasional how" will still be taught.

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DESIGNINGWOMEN: EMBROIDERYIN DUTCHESS COUNTY

By Nan Fogel This article is based on conversations with Ima Dean Matthews and Ann Collins

Flowersbloom in the pews of tiny St. Peter's EpiscopalChurch in Lithgow, a hamlet of Millbrook. Lilacs, anemones, even night-blooming cereus,and dozensof othercolorfulflowersand fruitsgreetthe visitorin the form of embroidered kneelers, the small cushioned stools used to kneel during prayers. There are more than one hundred of them, done by the women of the church, a projectjust completed this year. Twenty-sevenof them were designed and stitched by Sally Gifford O'Brien, an artist and memberofSt. Peter's congregation. Mrs. O'Brienhasleftalegacytoher native Millbrook, as well, in the embroidered wall panels that hang in the local libraryshowingtopographicfeaturesand historicscenesof the town, and the embroideredkneelersfor altarrailingsat Grace EpiscopalChurch.

It is no coincidence that there are many accomplished embroiderers in Dutchess County. In the past fifty years two embroidery guildswere foundedand flourishedhere;one is stillactive.The firstwas the MillbrookNeedleworkGuild,foundedby MargaretThome Parshallin the early 1950s.The daughter of Oakleigh Thome, Mrs. Parshall grew up in Millbrook on her father's estate. After marrying, she divided her time betweenhomes in Amenia and New York City. She loved embroideryand met with several of her Millbrook friends once a week at her home to practice this art. In New York City she was a member of a group that affiliated with the English Embroiderers' Guild; there was no American guildat the time.The art of embroiderywas takenmore seriouslyin England and in some of the European countries, where national guilds thrived and academiestrained new generationsin the embroideryarts.Mrs. Parshall's enthusiasmfor needlework and her desire to see it grow in this country led her to bring a series of young women who had studiedat the Royal School of Needlework in England to this country to teach.

The first teacher to be hired was Erica Wilson, who later became well-knownfor her beautifulembroidery,designsand teachingability.She taught silk embroidery, crewel and some canvas work. After leaving Millbrook she authoredseveralbooks on embroideryand opened her own shops.She was followedby GillianCox, and,later,by SheelaghSmall,who 89

each stayeda few years before leavingto marry.The last teacherbrought to the "school"was a womanfromDenmark,OlgaHansen.Sheexpanded instructionto includeblackwork(blackthreadon whiteeven-weavelinen), white work (whitethread on white linen),metal thread, silk embroidery, crewel with wool threads, Danish cross-stitch, lace and ecclesiastical embroidery,using manyof thesetechniquesfor kneelersand altarcloths.

Mrs.Parshallboughta largetwo-storyhouseon FranklinStreetin Millbrook for her school in 1954.Classes met downstairsand there was an apartmentupstairsfortheteacher.SallyGiffordO'Brien alsolivedthere and did designsfor the women who wantedthem. The group called itself the Millbrook Needlework Guild and its invited members were mostly women from Millbrook and Poughkeepsie. The teacher ordered all materialsandgaveinstruction.Classeswereheldthreeor fourdaysa week, with a different group meeting each day. Ima Dean Matthews was a member of the Monday group, and remarked that Mrs. Parshall always encouragedthe studentsand upheld high standardsof needlework.

In 1958,Mrs. Parshall, Mrs. Dorothy Doubleday Babcock and SallyBehr (laterMrs. SamuelL. Pettit)foundedthe Americanbranch of Embroiderers' Guild (United Kingdom). Their aim was to make embroideryavailableto anyoneinterestedin learningits manytechniques.

Small exhibits were held and membership soon increased. Their first seminar, in 1963,was held in Salisbury, Connecticut with Gillian Cox McKenzieand EricaWilsonas two of the teachers.In 1970,the American branchwithdrewfromEmbroiderers'Guild(U.K.) and took a new name, Embroiderers'Guildof America,Inc. Itwastherighttimeforinterestin needleworkto growandchapters began to open across the country. A chapter could form in a town or city wheretwentywomengottogetherto createa nucleus.Manyaccomplished needleworkers who had practiced their art at home eagerly joined chapters. By 2000, the Embroiderers' Guild of America had grown to approximately300 chapters in all states,with a membershipof 21,000.

Mrs. Parshall was known as a very generous and supportive member.She servedas the firstpresidentof the AmericanBranchafterits founding,and in 1991her contributionswere commemoratedin a gallery namedin her honor at the Embroiderers' Guild of Americaheadquarters in Louisville,Kentucky.TheMillbrookNeedleworkGuildcontinuedafter Mrs. Parshall' s death in 1976, under the care of Olga Hansen, until the transfer of her husband's job brought an end to the school in the early 1980's.

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Needlework is an ancient art, going so far back in history its beginnings cannot be determined. It is known that silk embroidery work was being done in China 3,000 years ago. Ima Dean Matthews spins one imaginary scenario: a woman sits by a fire in prehistoric times, making clothes for her family. As her needle moves in and out of the cloth, she has an impulse to embellish, to add beauty to usefulness, and the first embroidery is created.

In 1974, Florence Fried, of Staatsburg, Dutchess County, and several friends held a meeting to form a local chapter. They named it the SkyllkillNeedleworkChapterof the Embroiderers'Guildof America,Inc. Many whojoined were also membersof the MillbrookNeedleworkGuild.

Their aim has always been to promote needlework as an art form. Within three months there were sixty members. In 1999,on the 25th anniversary of its founding, the number had grown to 135 members.

Meetingsare held on the firstWednesdayof the monthat St.James Church in Hyde Park. Early on the day of the meeting there are informal workshopsfor learningnew stitchesand receivinghelp withprojects.After a formal business meeting, people stay for a planned program or lecture.

Those with special interests and talents share their knowledge with each otherand occasionallytheyinviteoutsidespeakersto teach new techniques and designs. There are also independent and group correspondence courses and special interest groups. The Chapter is open to anyone who is interested in needlework, including men, and there is a special interest group which meets in the evening at a member's home.

Perhaps because Skyllkill has a large membership of skilled needleworkers drawn from several small towns and hamlets of Dutchess County,there is an activeinterestin communityoutreach.A few years ago, Anne Friedland,a Skyllkillmember,was approachedby the directorat the Ogden and Ruth LivingstonMills StateHistoricSite in Staatsburgto see if there was interest in reproducing a 17th century Italian tapestry. The original had been damaged by years of dust from coal used to heat the mansion.Today,a numberof women are doingjust that, workingin teams, to replicate the scene. The tapestry is being worked in panels of canvas, usinga bargellopattern,whichwillcompletelycoverthe background.In the centerthereis a large silkmedallionwith a sceneof Mary,the angelGabriel and a dove, worked in flat silk.When completed,the panels will be joined to form a completed tapestry.

Throughout the year members make tree ornaments to give to all those who come to The Lunch Box for Christmas dinner. Several women 91

havemadequiltedwallhangingswithchildren'sthemesforthepediatricunit at Vassar Brothers Hospital; others have worked on bell pulls to be auctionedto benefitthe SPCA.Therearealsomemberswhoteachchildren through Girl Scout and Brownie programs, thereby passing on the needleworkskillsto anothergeneration.

In additionto monthlymeetingstherearefieldtripsandregionaland nationalseminars.The SkyllkillNeedleworkChapteris in theMetropolitan Region,whichincludesparts of New York,Connecticut,New Jerseyand Pennsylvania. At these seminars there are opportunities to learn from teacherswho arenationallyandinternationallyknownin theirfields.Since 1992,there has been a sister chapter in New Zealand with whom they exchangenewsletters,giftsand generalnews.

Needleworkthat can be done with a needlewith an eye describes themanytypesof needleworkwhichmaybe enteredin Skyllkillshows.The Chapter hosts an exhibition every two years. "The Art of the Needle, 2000,"theirfourteenthexhibit, was heldin September2000at Mt. Gulian Historic Site in Beacon. More than 300 entries highlighted the work of approximately one hundred women who carry the knowledge of needleworkin theirfingers.It is a creditto DutchessCountythat a founder of the Embroiderers' Guild of America is one of its own.

Skyllkill Logo

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DO-IT YOURSELF WOMEN'S HISTORY TOUR OF DUTCHESSCOUNTY

by Joyce C. Ghee and Stephanie Mauri Joyce C. Ghee, the current president of DCHS, is the former Dutchess County Historian who developed six driving tours of the county. Stephanie Mauri, former Chairman of Dutchess County Landmarks Assoc. and current Research Coordinator for DCHS is a preservationist with special expertise in mapping and interpretation of historic maps.

In a county named for a woman--Maria Beatrice D'Este, the Dutchess of York--women have been both makers and keepers of its history since the very beginning of its existence as a municipality.The tour described by the authors is by no means a complete examination of the historical accomplishments of Dutchess' s women. Our only intent in the tour is to touch upon the variety of historical contributions women have made in fields as varying and encyclopedic as one can imagine.

We have been assisted in our choices with suggestions and help from local historians:J. Winthrop Aldrich, Ann Linden, Olive Doty, Willa Skinner, Joan Van Voorhis, Nick McCausland, Joan Miracco, Bernice Thomas, Barbara Bielenberg, Judy Carlson, John Quinn, Margaret Quinn and Patrick Higgins. We thank them for adding to the long list and to Nan Fogel for her editing.

Historicalsignificance,like leaveningin bread, theoreticallyneeds time to rise. If the authors' decision to choose our tour heroines from those who are no longer with us appears arbitrary to some, we accept the blame.

Some later tour will no doubt identify sites related to the accomplishments of representativesof current generations; among others: environmentalist Frances Reese, arts activist Julia Dunwell, religious leader Ruth Peale, political trailblazers like Lucille P. Pattison, Jean Murphy and Clara Lou Gould,jurists such as Jane Bolin and Judith Hilary,and women who served in the military of 20th c. Wars. Dutchess County women in public life, the arts, commerce, science, education, today are legion but the way was paved by their forebearers who balanced homemaking and child raising with community building and adventures into new fields of endeavor.

Our list of both public and private acheivers is presented in the text in alphabetical order by last name. Citations are limited to basics: the municipality, era and one or two important facts.

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Supplementaryinformationfoundin DCHSlibraryor yearbooksis in parenthesesfoilowingeach entry.

Selectyourown routeon the basisof your interests.If you want to know more abouta site or historicalfigurewe welcomeresearchersat the OCHS libraryin ClintonHouse.

TOUR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY SITES IN DUTCHESS COUNTY

Margaret Livingston Chanler Aldrich. Red Hook /Ban:ytown/ Rokeby. Heiress, Spanish AmericanWar Nurse, feminist,activist.Late 19th-mid-20th c. One of the "Astor Orphans," she received a Congressionalmedal for her servicescaring for SpanishAmericanWar woundedand wroteher memoirs,FamilyVista,in 1958.(LatelyThomas.

The Astor Orphans-a Pride of Lions).

WidowElimbethAllen.PleasantValley/BeekmanPatent.Patentsettler, businesswoman. 18thc. Her connectionsby marriagesto the Allen and Flagler families made early land deals the basis of family fortunes.

(1979,'S0YB).

Mary Lucy Ham Alley. Beekman. Homemaker, educator, librarian. (b.1893-d.1988). Women like Mary Alley have been the glue binding communitiestogetherbybuildingusefulpublicinstitutionswithandfortheir neighbors.( 1999/'00 YB) Alida LivingstonArmstrong.Red Hook/ Rokeby. Heiress, Country Seat founder (b.1761-d.1822).Her marriageto RevolutionaryWar hero GeneralJohnArmstrongjoinedLivingstonHudsonRiverlandholdingsto nationalpower.Togetherthe ArmstrongsmadeRokebyestatea homeand countryseat.

JennyBarlow.Union Vale. Teacher, public servant. (b.1864-d.1948).

Her life of communityservicebegan as a teacherin one-roomWaterbury School.As the firstwomanin UnionVale to be appointedto publicoffice she served as Town Clerk from 1923 to 1947.

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Anne Beadle. Pleasant Valley/ Clinton. Homemaker. (b 1792-d. ?). Her 1806 embroidered map of the world sampler done in a Pleasant Valley Quaker School at age 14 is the clue unlocking early 19th century women's education. (1994 YB).

Virginia Berry. Pleasant Valley. Historian, artist. 20th c. She and her husband served as the town's first official municipal historians, appointed in 1966. Her oils and watercolors in the Pleasant Valley Library record area historic structures and places.

Sarah Gibson Blanding. PoughkeepsieN assar. College administrator, educator. 20th c. At Dr. Mac Cracken' s retirement Miss Blanding was named Vassar's first woman President. Her administration ( 1946-1964 ), while Vassar was still a women's college, saw the beginning of campus architectural changes introducing contemporary architecture into a traditional landscape.

Lydia Booth. Poughkeepsie, City. Women's education leader. 19th c.

Her methods and scholarship as head of Cottage Hill Seminary for Girls were models for step-uncle, Matthew Vassar, as he established Vassar Female College. (Edmund Platt. History of Poughkeepsie).

Irene Bower. Pleasant Valley. Historian, writer. (1910-1965). As a member of the family that developed the town's early mill industry, her access to records and information and the scrap books that she kept have become a rare source of local history.

Catharyna Rombout Brett. Beacon. Businesswoman, patent settler. (b.1687-d.1764). Brett began constructing the county's oldest frame house ca. 1709 when she and husband Roger left New York City to claim her inheritance, a third of 85,000 acres in her father's 1685 Patent. Early widowhood and challenges raising sons in a wilderness urged diplomacy with local Indians, sub-dividing land-holdings to multiply neighbors and retaining the Brett mill/landing as cash/ supply line. Her strategy became a county development paradigm. (Henry Cassidy. Catharyna Brett, Portrait of a Colonial Business Woman. 1992 YB).

Margaret DeMott Brown. Poughkeepsie/ Adriance/ Vassar. Photographer, artist. 20th c. Her work for Vassar College and Helen Wilkinson 95

Reynoldscapturingthe landscape,architectureand history-makersof the era in DutchessCountyillustratedmany of the society's earlypublications.

(HW Reynolds. Poughkeepsie,the Originsand Meaning of the Name.)

MaryFlaglerCary.Millbrook.Benefactor. 20th c. Her gifts ofland and funding made at mid-20th century enriched and multiplied Dutchess County's landscape and educational resources. The Institute of EcoSystemsand GiffordHouse gardens are among visibleclues to generosity spurred by a love of nature, gardening and concern for the environment.

LettieCarson.Harlem Valley. Public transportation advocate/ activist.

20th c. As leader of the Harlem Valley TransportaionAssociationshe led a 12-yeareffort to save public access to rail transport for Harlem Valley citizens. Her efforts impacted federal legislation re abandonment of rail lines.

NancyCook.Hyde Park/Val-Kill.Craftswoman,politicalactivist.20thc.

Her friendship with Marion Dickerman and Eleanor Roosevelt launched Mrs. Roosevelt's political education and provided a knowledge of crafts leading to establishment of Val-Kill Industries in the 1920s. This social experiment was conceived as off-season work for farm youth. (Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia).

DorothyDay. Red Hook/fivoli/ Rose Hill. Liberal writer, Socialist suffragette. (b.1897-d.1980). She brought her faith as a converted Catholic,her ardent Socialist/liberalleaningsand a reporter's literalview to the establishment of the Catholic Worker publication ( 1933) and numerous socialprojects (such as the CatholicWorker Farm experiment) designed to make society attentive to the needs of others.

JuliaDean.Pleasant Valley. Theatre actress. 19thc. One of two popular thespianswith the same name,this Julia was the daughterof parentswhose Pleasant Valley business was managing national theater groups and company tours. Folklore purports that on a tour of the west ca. 1830, she captured the heart of Brigham Young and turned down his proposal of marriage. (1974 YB).

Elsie DeReimer. Poughkeepsie City/Glebe House/Sleight House.

LaGrange. Daughter of Peter De Reimer, Glebe House occupant after

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1796. 18th-19th c. The sober portrait of De Reimer' s willful daughter, Elsie, in the house belies the character of a woman who at twenty-two is said to have defied tradition and her family by climbing out a window to elope with 46-year old Jacobus Sleight. (The Glebe House booklet OCHS).

Maria Beatrice D'Este. City of Poughkeepsie/ Courthouse/ Clinton House. Dutchess of York, Queen Mary of England. (b. 1658-d. l 718).

Marriage to James Stuart, Duke ofY ork in 1673 during Charles II' s reign, made an Italian Catholic Duchess of Modena the Dutchess of York. In 1683, when her husband and brother-in-law divided Stuart northeastern lands among friends and family into municipalities, she was given "the Dutchess' s Countie" - now Dutchess and Putnam. With Charles' death she reigned briefly ( 1685-1688) as queen before Protestant forces regained power sending her into French exile. The courthouse symbolizes the center of municipal power since the 17th c .. Clinton House collections hold images of the beautiful Dutchess who never saw "her" county.

Marion

Dickerman.Hyde Park/Val-Kill.

Educator, political activist.(b.1890-d.1983.) 1920s political work with Nancy Cook and Eleanor Roosevelt sealed friendships and business partnership in Val-Kill Industries. She was principal of the Todhunter School in New York City where Mrs. Roosevelt taught. FDR-built Stone Cottage was given to the three with life tenancy, as Cook/Dickerman' s residence and ER' s vacation home. They turned it to their own political and social agendas.(Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia).

Dr. Phebe Doughty. Beacon Physician. 20th c. In 1904, she became the city's first woman doctor, following her father into his practice. She served the community for over 60 years.

Deborah Dows. Rhinebeck/Southlands Farms. Horsewoman, business woman, benefactor. 20th c. WPA artist Olin Dows' sister devoted her life to maintaining the characteristics of rural life that she valued. She turned a portion of the Dows family estate,"Foxhollow ," into a successful, respected riding academy and horse farm. Her foundation now protects the rural nature of the area.

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Betty Blair Eggert. Poughkeepsie/Glebe House/Red Hook/ "Maizefield"Preservationist.20th c. As founding Director of Dutchess CountyLandmarksAssociation,sheledthe first 1970seffortsin Dutchess Countyto surveyandprotectimportanthistoricarchitecturefromher office in Glebe House. She coped with preservation issues daily on a very personallevelas ownerof "Maizefield,"a significant18thc. Georgianstyle home.

MarjorieFinger.Northeast/originalKildonanSchool.Educator.20thc ..

As a teacher at Viewpoint School (now Kildonan) she saw a need for a curriculumandlearningcenterfor specialneedschildren.Withtwo friends she founded Maplebrook School devoted to these interests.

Hallie Flanagan.PoughkeepsieN assar. Theatrical producer, drama teacher.( 1890-1969). As Vassar faculty, she founded and directed Vassar's ExperimentalTheatre Project ( 1925-55).During a leave from 1935-39, she served as Director of the WPA Federal Theatre Project, bringingtheatricalproductionsto audiencesnation-wide.

GertrudeFord.Poughkeepsie/Route44. Businesswoman.19th-20thc.

For 56 years she served as head of the successfulG. F. Tea Co. business she foundedin 1907.At a time when women did not enter commerceshe made a place and a name for her product that has seldom been equaled.

(1991 YB).

CharlotteCuneenHackett.Hyde Park/"HackettHill"/ Poughkeepsie City/ Cunneen Hackett Cultural Center. Lawyer, benefactor. (b.1888d. l 971). Trainedas a teacher,she then studiedlaw.With admissionto the bar at age 30, her legal skills were put to civic benefit: creation of the Cunneen-HackettCharitableTrustin 1968andthe giftof "HackettHill" in 1969 to the Boy Scouts. Cunneen Hackett Cultural Center honors her.

(1979YB).

ElseaThome Haight.Millbrook/ HartsVillage.Journalkeeper.(b.1775 d.1844). Her meticulous record of family births, deaths, and marriages providesan invaluableoriginalsourcefor historians. ( 1958YB).

Elisa WoolseyHowland.Beacon. Community activist, nurse. 19thc.

DuringtheCivilWarshe andall the womenin herfamilybecamepartof the 98

Sanitary Commission, serving as nurses for the wounded. A military camp in Washington D .C. was named to honor their efforts.

Mary Lou Jeanneney.Poughkeepsie/ Vassar. Librarian, writer, historian, craftswoman. (b.1928-d.2000). Best known as Vassar's Special Collections Librarian and as editor ofDCHS Yearbooks, she also designed jewelry and was co-author of Dutchess County: a Pictorial History in 1983. (1999/'00YB).

Dr. Grace Kimball. Poughkeepsie/ YWCA. Physician, missionary, medical administrator, women's health advocate, community leader. (b.1855-d. l 942). A long career in medicine and public health brought under its umbrella social and cultural issues concerning women's lives. She served as president of the YWCA for over 40 years.( 1999/' 00 YB).

Gertrude Knievel. Beacon/Knievel St.Writer. 20thc. Born in Beacon in 1891, she became a writer of popular mysteries; The Diamond Rose and six others. Kneivel A venue, near her home, was named for her.

Elise Kincaid. Poughkeepsie/ "Maple Grove". Estate owner, benefactor.

20th c. She owned the farm straddling the Poughkeepsie City/fown line where cows grazed on the front lawn of "Maple Grove," a National Register l 9thc. home overlooking Poughkeespie rural cemetery and the waterfall ("U-pu-ki-ipi-sing") naming the city.

Helen LaPorte. Rhinebeck/Chancellor Livingston DAR. Organization founder. 20th c. The founder of the Rhinebeck DAR chapter purchased the original modest frame home of General Montgomery and his wife Janet Livingston and gave it to the DAR as their headquarters.

Mary Lasker. Amenia. "Smithfield". Benefactor. 20thc. While she and her husband were best known as 20th c. benefactors supporting medical research, beautification efforts were an extension of her concern for a healthier world. They moved easily from her estate gardens at "Smithfield" to the surrounding community where dwarf fruit trees along Amenia' s Route 22 and the village still testify to her beliefs. With Lady Bird Johnson she took the message across America.

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CatherineFlint Leigh.Amenia. Smithfield Cemeter_y.Historian and genealogist.(b1913-d1990).Town historian from 1965-1990,she used localhistorycelebrationsas a way to reinforcecommunityinstitutions.

MargaretBeekmanLivingston.Tivoli.North of Countyline. Heiress, major landholder.(b.1724-d.1800)Chatelaineof Clermont,daughterof Col.HenryBeekman,this "GrandeDame" of the Livingstonclanraiseda familyof nationalleaderswhilemanaginga vastlandholdings,workersand leaseholdersduringthe era of the AmericanRevolution.

SybilLudington.Putnam Co. evolutionaryWar hero. (b.1761d.1839).

Col. HenryLudington's young daughtermade him proud on the night of April 26, 1777with her courageous40 mile nightride to warn the people and rally his troops after the British attack on Danbury.(1945,'83 YB).

JeanFlaglerMatthews.Beekman/FlaglerCemetery.Frog HollowRd..

Family historian, benefactor. 20th c. The youngest daughter of Harry HarknessFlaglerand granddaughterof millionaireindustrialistHenryH. Flaglermadeit her taskto identifyand gathertogetherall familyancestors in Dutchess County. The Family Cemetery was dedicated in October 1976. (1979 YB).

MaryStarrMiller.Rhinebeck/Starr Institute Building. Country Seat owner, benefactor. 19th c. This 19th century great-granddaughter of MajorGeneralPhilipSchuylerrenovatedandmadeher homeon hisestate, the Grove.She was a dedicatedcommunitybenefactress,givingthe Starr Institutebuildingto the town for its firstlibrary.

MariaMitchell.Poughkeepsie/VassarCollege.Astronomer,educator (b.18l 8-d.1889).The brilliantself-taughtdaughterof a seafaringfamily was honored for her discovery of the comet bearing her name. She was recruited by Vassar to teach Astronomy and direct the Observatory in 1865. (1999/'00 YB).

SusanMoore.MooresMills/Lagrange.Quakerbusinesswoman.l 9thc.

This quiet QuakerladyturnedMooresMillsinto a touristdestination.For over 50 years her home, Floral Home, was a popular vacation boarding house. (Joan Spence/Joyce Ghee.Taconic Pathways).

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Janet Livingston Montgomery. Rhinebeck/ "Grasmere" /Red Hook/ "Montgomery Place". (b.1743-d. 1828) Country Seat founder. As the wife of America's first fallen hero, General Richard Montgomery, she was a public figure during the early years of the nation. Her greatest achievement was development of"Montgomery Place," her home in Red Hook. ( 1930 YB).

SophiaWittenbergMumford.Amenia Leedsville. Artist,writer. 20thc. As the wife of noted art historian Lewis Mumford the talents of artist and author Sophia Wittenberg have been obscured. She was a writeron the staff of"Dial" when they met and he wisely chose her to be his only proof-reader.

Widow Catherine Beekman Rutsen Pawling. Pawling/Rhinebeck. (b.1683-c. l 753) As one of Henry Beekman's daughters, she inherited "Back Lots" in the Beekman Patent. She oversaw the development of thousands of acres now encompassing four towns and personally rode into the wilderness to check out properties and collect rents. Pawling was named for her. (Dr.MacCracken. Old Dutchess Forever).

BessieHardenPayne.City of Poughkeepsie. Educator, community and religious leader, missionary. 20th c. She combined work as a teachermissionary in South Africa with the duties of a clergyman's wife. Later she matched NAACP, Ebeneezer Baptist Church and Catharine Street Community Centervolunteerism with service as Principal of the Little Red School House, teaching special needs children. ( 1999/' 00 YB).

Mehitabel Wing Prendergast. Pawling/Quaker Hill/Poughkeepsie/ Courthouse. Pre-Revolutionary rent wars heroine. 18th c. When husband William found himself imprisoned and sentenced to be hung for treason for leading Dutchess's 1766 leaseholders "Rent Wars" revolt, his gentle Quaker wife rode to New York in quest of a Governor's pardon. It succeeded, just in the nick of time. M. Kammen paper Transformations of an American County. (1944,'71 YBS)

Sr. Helen Marie Proper (formerly Sister M. Scholastica). Amenia/ Immaculate Conception School. ( 1921-1996). Religious educator Sister Helen was born in Amenia and devoted 54 years of her life to the work of the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt. She served as principal of Immaculate Conception School for 15 years.

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Helen Wilkinson Reynolds. Poughkeepsie. City/ Adriance/ Glebe House. Historian, writer, researcher, genealogist, editor, civic leader, preservationist (b.1875-d.1943). A charter member of OCHS, who forgedits methodologies,Miss Reynoldseditedthe Yearbookfor over 20 years. Her work as municipalhistorian,preservationistand civic leader, contributed more to Dutchess County's history reserves than any other scholar.(1968,'79,'83, '93) SarahDelanoRoosevelt.Hyde Park/ Library/ "Springwood". Mother of a President, community benefactor. (b.1854 d.1941). As a Victorian woman of privilege she was well trained to assume the duties of a president's mother;a hostesswho opened her home to royalty and heads of state.She alsotook localdutiesseriously,givingthe hamletits libraryin 1927as a memorial to her husband.

Ellen C. Roosevelt. Hyde Park/ "Rosedale" Roosevelt heiress, sportswoman.(b.1868-d.1964). This first cousin of F.D.R., a proper Victorianladyin manyrespects,wasa seriouschallengeronthetenniscourt who won the U.S.Women'sDoubleschampionshipin 1890. (1958YB).

Eleanor Roosevelt.Hyde Park/ "Val-Kill"/ "Springwood"/ FDR Library.FirstLady, a US delegateto the UnitedNations,worldleader.(b.

1884-d.1962).When she marrieda distantRooseveltcousinin 1905,she began an ascent in history that brought fame, opportunity, tragedy, and finallyworld-widepolitical,socialandculturalinfluence.Shetaught,wrote, spoke as a civic/national leader, Governor's and President's wife, businesswoman,joumalistandat lengtha UnitedStatesUN Delegate.Her storyis told in hundredsof books but also is found at her wing of the FDR Library,the familyhome "Springwood"and her own home,now the first NationalHistoricSite for a First Lady in U.S. History--"Val-Kill."

MargueriteBaileyRosenson.Amenia. Publisher. ( 1900-1997).Fate took a hand in her careerwhen her husbandwas injuredduringWWI and she was forced to take on the task of editing and publishing the Harlem Valley Times, the newspaper founded by Joel Benton in 1852 as the Amenia Times. As the first woman in that position she proved to be a completesuccess.

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Mrs. Mary Crooke Broome Livingston Ruggles. Poughkeepsie.

Wife of civic leaders/ governmentofficials.( 19thc.). Her "fairytale" rags to richesstoryof socialsuccessthroughmarriageepitomizesthe dependent status of 19thc. Victorian women. (1924 YB).

Mary Landon Sague. Poughkeepsie City/Barnard Ave./ Vassar.

Educator, scientist,civic leader, collector.( b.1885-d. 1971). A year after graduation from Vassar in 1907she became part of the faculty where she served ( 1908-1952) as chemistry professor and department chairman.

She was a civic leader in CommunityChest, Vassar Hospital,and AAUW and began gathering a unique women's period costume collection for her 50th class reunion. Exhibited locally, the clothing attracted scholarly attention and raised funds for charity before being given to Vassar.

Lucy Maynard Salmon. (PoughkeepsieN assar). Educator, historian. ( 19th- 20th c.) Vassar's respected History Department began with the recruitment of Professor Salmon in 1887. Her research methodologies based upon original sources: documents, diaries, artifacts and material culture of the past as proof of historical theses became and remained a Vassar hallmark. As an early member of OCHS she impressed upon her colleagues the necessity of doing one's own careful homework and not dependingupon "authorities."

Belle Saltford. Poughkeepsie.PhysicalEducationTeacher, Civic Leader ( 1878-1969)She was activein many civicefforts:a founderof PTA in New York, Regent of MahweniwahsighChapter DAR during its second effort to save Clinton House, worked with Eleanor Roosevelt to form a local League of Women Voters and ran for state office.

Margaret Sanger (Slee). Fishkill/ Willow Lake on VanWyck Rd./ FishkillRural Cemetery.Institutionfounder.( 1883-1966)20th c. Founder of the Birth Control movement in the U.S. Her work made her a global women's leader. She became President of the International Planned Parenthood Federation in 1952.

Amy Rotch Sargeant. Beacon. Educator. ( 19th-20thc). She founded the respectedSargeantSchoolfor Girls ( 1893-1918),known for its innovative methods.

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HannahSchenck.Beacon/ Mme. Brett House. Historic house owner.

(18th c.). The granddaughter of Mme. Brett, wife and hostess for her husband, a Revolutionary War quartermaster, she entertained George Washingtonat Brett Homestead.

PaulineReichertSlater.Poughkeepsie/Union St.INativity Church. A fireman's wife. (b.1862-d.1943).Like her husband, she was the child of Germanimmigrantsbuildinga new life,centeredon family and a church communityin a new country.Researchand photographsshowher mettle in making a home faced with endless hard work, modest means and her husband's dangerousprofession. (99/'0l YB).

Amy Spingarn. Amenia/froutbeck. Artist, writer, civil rights activist.(1883-1980).Shewas a leadingfigurein the fightforcivilrightsfor women and African Americans, working with her husband, Columbia professor and literary critic, Joel Spingarn. As a painter, poet and photographershe made her own mark. Together they made Troutbecka center for socialand culturalthought and action.

Lucy Staley.Rhinebeck/Fair Grounds. Businesswoman, community activist.20th c. Staleywas a businesswoman and boardinghouse owner whosesalesmanshipandmanagementskillsaddressedcommunityservice: coordinatingcivildefense,recruitmentfortheWACSandAir Forceduring WW II and afterthe war turned to the PTA and runningCountyFair Arts and Crafts and Flower Shows.

DaisySuckley.Rhinebeck/"Wilderstein"/ Hyde Park/ "Top Cottage".

Country Seat owner. 19th-20thc. Her home, "Wilderstein," is National RegisterQueenAnneVictorian.A RooseveltcousinandFDR's friendand confident,shegavehim"Fala",hisfamousScotty,andassistedhisplanning of "Top Cottage". (Geoffry Ward. Closest Companion).

CarolynAtwater Swift. Poughkeepsie/ Clinton House. Historian, genealogist, civic leader.(1857-1929.) She was the founder of the Mahweniwahsighchapterof the DAR and the tum-of-the centuryleader who energizedthe communityto save ClintonHouse in 1900.( 1999/'00 YB).

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Elizabeth Crannell Tappen. Poughkeepsie, City/Glebe House.

Housewife. Daughter of Tory lawyer Bartholomew Crannel. 18thc. An outspokenproponentof rebellionat a time when women had no rights,her publicly-aired Whig views clashed with those of family members; (The Glebe House, booklet DCHS).

Dorthea Taylor. (Poughkeepsie/Fairview/Children's Home/ 26 Forbus St.- Original Little Red School House). Teacher. 20th c. Her love of childrencarriedher from raisingher own familyto caringfor them in many settings: nursery school, the Children's Home and the original Little Red School House where she learned and taught herself how to deal with the obstaclesto learningof deafness,mentalretardationand autism.( 1999-'00 YB.)

Sarah Taylor. Fishkill Village/I 00 Main St. Community leader, public servant.(1897-1983).Sarah"Sally" Taylorcame to live in Fishkillin 1922, preparedto give it her "all" as a volunteercommunityleaderin Girl Scouts, Mental Health Assoc., the library, as the first special education teacher in the Wappingers District, as a businesswoman, and in 1965 as the first woman mayor and only woman mayor in New York State. She came to be associated with the annual 4th of July reading of the Declaration of Independence in Fishkill. Her name was given to Sarah Taylor Park and Taylor Lane.

Susannah Leister Vaughton. Staatsburgh. ( 17th-18th c.) Michael Vaughton's widow might have been one of our county's early patent holders, but for a 1695colonial court decision overturning her husband's claim.It was nullifiedand her land subsumedintothat of HenryBeekman's daughter. (1981 YB) Amy Pearce Ver Nooy. Poughkeepsie/ Adriance/ Clinton House.

Historianresearcher,writer.(20thc.) Amy VerNooyfollowedin HelenW. Reynolds' footstepsas the Editor of the Yearbook and as a prolificwriter/ researcher of articles from the 1940s to the 1960s. She also served as DCHS' s unsalaried Secretary, a euphemism for staff.

Katherine Wolcott VerPlanck. Beacon. Organizationalleader.She was the owner of Rose neath, one of Beacon's most famous estates and the founder of the Melzingah Chapter of the DAR.

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Jean Webster.Union Vale. Skidmore House. Writer. 20th c. (18761916)The nieceof MarkTwainhad writingin her blood.Aftergraduating from Vassarin 1901shesettledin UnionValetowriteDaddyLongLegs, Dear Enemy and the Patty books.

Irene Wilcox. Milan/ Town Hall/ Wilcox Park. Benefactor. (18941977).Mrs. Wilcoxturned grief over the loss of her husbandin 1942and onlysonin 1950intogoodworks.HergenerosityprovidedruralMilanwith a Town Hall and communitycenter and the County a park.

Deborah Rogers Willets. Millbrook Quaker Educator. (b.1789 d.

1880).Educationalinnovationsin teachingboth boys and girls (teaching methods,textbookdevelopment,andeffectiveadministration,sharedwith her husband, Jacob), made Nine Partners School one of the most prestigiousschoolsin the country. (1935,'76 YBs).

AnnetteInnisYoung.Poughkeepsie/"LocustGrove" Benefactor.20th c. (b.1885-d.1975) The ownerof historic"LocustGrove,"understoodits significanceas Livingston and S.F.B.Morseproperty. She provided an endowmentthat assistedits developmentas a publicnationalhistoricsite and park.

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INORTHIAST'

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MEMORIALFOR MARYLOUJEANNENEY

By Robin Walsh On February 10, 2000, Mary Louise Jeanneney died at the Northeast Center for Special Care, Lake Katrine, New York. Although she had been in the hospital for a long time, her death was sudden and unexpected. In addition to her activities with the Dutchess County Historical Society, Mary Lou was a member of the Clinton Historical Society and a delegate to the Southeastern NY Documentary Heritage Program. She also leaves a lasting legacy as co-author of the book

Dutchess County, a Pictorial History.

Mary Lou Jeanneney

Mary Lou was born January 13, 1928, to the Reverend Michael and Lucille Kronemeier Baas, in Louisville, Kentucky, and later graduated from Atherton High School there. Many miles and many years later she

108

could still resurrecta Kentucky accent when a particular story or situation would benefit from that rendition. And she always had a story to tell.

With a master's degreein librarysciencefrom RutgersUniversity, Mary Lou spent time during the Korean Conflict working as a librarian at the United States Army Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. She carried her love of Japaneseart with her ever after,never failingto impressher friendswith the breadth and depth of her know ledge of things Japanese from pottery to bonsai.

People who knew Mary Lou from only one of her activities were not alwaysaware,at first,of the varietyof her interests.She had a collection of opera recordings includingher favorite,Placido Domingo,but she also knew the lyricsto songsofBeatrice Lillieand Tessie O'Shea. At one point, she was showing friendsa photographthat appearedto be of her daughter, Emilie, singing at a microphone. But, in fact, the photo was of Mary Lou, taken when she was an undergraduate at Elmhurst College and would sneak away to sing with a Chicago jazz band.

After moving to New York State, Mary Lou worked at the Leavittown Public Library, the New York Public Library, Marist College Libraryand finally,VassarCollegeLibrary.It was at VassarCollegewhere Mary Lou not only endured the computer revolution but conquered it in orderto grapplewith graphicsfilessentby her sonPaulto illustratehis latest adventureswith a seriesof orphanedanimals.Mary Lou also sharedher life with a number of pets, a cat in Japan and a number of dogs, but the last and dearestwas Nora, her wire-haireddachshundwho misses her, as we all do.

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DUTCHESSCOUNTYIDSTORICALSOCIETY STATEMENTOF REVENUE& EXPENSES DECEMBER 31, 2000 Revenues: Investment Income Membership & Other Support/Gifts/Grants/Donations Fund Raising/silRib/Dutchess Award Historic Publications Genealogy/Sales & Service/ Auction Transfer

$ 1,848.00 13,912.00 15,614.00 21,547.00 5,515.00 5,390.00 13,600.00

Total Revenue

$77,426.00

Expenses Payroll/Benefits Insurance Utlities/Maintenence Office & Security Micellaneous Expenses Historic Publications Affiliations/Professional Consultants Genealogy /Sales and Service Museum & Library Fund Raising Capital Improvement

Total Expense

$34,233.00 4,187.00 5,452.00 4,536.00 1,742.00 2,399.00 2,290.00 867.00 146.00 14,559.00 4,455.00

$74,866.00

Net

$2,560

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Dutchess County Historical Society Officers and Trustees Joyce C. Ghee, President Hyde Park, New York Rocco Staino, Vice President for Program Poughkeepsie, New York James Spratt, Vice President for Development Hyde Park, New York David Dengel, Secretary Poughkeepsie, New York Mary Ann Lohrey, Treasurer Poughkeepsie, New York

2001 Hopewell Junction, NY Poughkeepsie, NY Poughkeepsie, NY Poughkeepsie, NY

Marguerite Berger Joyce Bickerstaff Edward Cattuzzo Clairmont M. Spooner

2002 Poughkeepsie, NY Poughkeepsie, NY Hyde Park, NY Hyde Park, NY Poughkeepsie, NY

Rosemarie A. Calista Richard Reitano Joan Smith RichardJ. Stearns Barbara Van ltallie 2003

Staatsburg, NY Amenia,NY Poughkeepsie, NY

Nancy Alden Donna Kinnear Fred Schaeffer

STAFF Eileen M. Hayden, Director Maryann Thompsett, Bookkeeper Stephanie Mauri, Research Coordinator

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DutchessCounty COUNTYIHSTORIAN

vacant CITYIHSTORIANS

Beacon,Joan Van Voorhis, 1MunicipalPlaza, Beacon,NY 12508 Poughkeepsie,Myra Morales,Box 300, Poughkeepsie,NY 12602 TOWNIIlSTORIANS

Amenia,KennethHoadley,Town Hall, Amenia,NY 12501 Beekman,VincentVail, Town Hall, 4 Main, Poughquag,NY 12570 Clinton,WilliamMcDermott,Town Hall, 1375CentreRoad,Rhinebeck,NY 12572 Dover,Donna Hearn, Town Hall, 126East DuncanHill Rd., Dover Plains, NY 12522 East Fishkill,EverettLee, Town Hall, 370 Route 376, HopewellJunction,NY 12533 Fishkill,WillaSkinner,TownHall,401 Route52,Fishkill,NY 12524 Fishkill(Village),Karen Hitt, 91 Main Street,Fishkill,NY 12524 Hyde Park,Margaret Marquez,Town Hall, 627 Albany Post Rd., Hyde Park, NY 12538 LaGrange,EmilyJohnson,Town Hall, 120StringhamRoad,LaGrangeville,NY 12540 Milan,PatrickHiggins,Town Hall, Route 199,Red Hook,NY 12571 Millbrook,DavidGreenwood,Town Hall,MerrittAve., Millbrook,NY 12545 Millerton,DianeThompson,ActingHistorian,518-789-4346 Northeast,DianeThompson,ActingHistorian,518-789-4346 Pawling,RobertReilly,TownHall, 160CharlesColmanBlvd.,Pawling,NY 12564 Pine Plains,ElizabethPotter, Acting Historian,Town Hall, Pine Plains, NY 12567 PleasantValley,Olive Doty, Town Hall, Route44, PleasantValley,NY 12569 Poughkeepsie(Town), Jean Murphy, Town Hall, Overocker Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY12603 RedHook,J. WinthropAldrich,Town Hall, 1095Broadway,Red Hook,NY 12571 Rhinebeck(Town),Nancy Kelly,Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck,NY 12572 Rhinebeck(Village),Nancy Kelly,76 East Market St., Rhinebeck,NY 12572 Stanford,DorothyBurdick,Town Hall, Route 82, Stanfordville,NY 12581 Tivoli,BemieTieger, TownHall, 96Broadway,Tivoli,NY 12583 UnionVale,Joann Miracco,2 Duncan Road,LaGrangeville,NY 12540 Wappinger(Town),BrendaVon Berg,Town Hall, 20 MiddlebushRd., WappingersFalls,NY 12590 WappingersFalls (Village),Brenda Von Berg, Town Hall, 2 South Avenue, WappingersFalls,NY 12590 Washington,DavidGreenwood,RR 1,Box 227,Millbrook,NY 12545

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HISTORICALSOCIETIES OF DUTCHESSCOUNTY Amenia Historical Society P.O. Box 22 Amenia, NY 12501

North East Historical Society Millerton, NY 12546 Historical Society of Quaker Hill and Pawling, Inc. P.O. Box 99, Pawling, NY 12564

Beacon Historical Society P.O. Box 89 Beacon, NY 12608

Pleasant Valley Historical Society P. 0. Box 309 Pleasant Valley, NY 12569

Bowdoin Park Historical and Archeological Society 85 Shaefe Road Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Egbert Benson Historical Society of Red Hook, P. 0. Box 1813 Red Hook, NY 12571

Clinton Historical Society Clinton Comers, NY 12514

Rhinebeck Historical Society P. 0. Box 191 Rhinebeck, NY 12572

The Town of Dover Historical Society Dover Plains, NY 12522

Roosevelt/Vanderbilt Historical Association P.O. Box 235 Hyde Park, NY 12538

East Fishkill Historical Society P.O. Box 245 Hopewell Junction, NY 12533 Fishkill Historical Society P.O. Box 133 Fishkill, NY 12524

Stanford Historical Society Stanfordville, NY 12581 Union Vale Historical Society P.O. Box 100 Verbank, NY 12585

Hyde Park Historical Society P.O. Box 182 Hyde Park, NY 12538

Wappingers Historical Society P.O. Box 974 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

LaGrange Historical Society P.O. Box 112 LaGrangeville, NY 12540

Town of Washington Historical Society 551 Route 343 Millbrook, NY 12545

Little Nine Partners Historical Society P.O. Box 243 Pine Plains, NY 12567

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Index Caldwell, Rev. 76 Calvary Cemetery 21 Campilli, Lorraine Mondrick 54 Carden, Mae 69 Carden Method 69 Carnegie Institute of Technology 58 Carson, Lettie 96 Carter, Hodding 88 Cary, Mary Aagler 96 Casals, Pablo 83 Castle Point Veterans Hospital 54 Catherine Street Community Center 26 Census 43 Chagall, Marc 83 Cherry Point, North Carolina Air Base 63 Church of the Nativity 7 Ciolko, Mary Darrow 54 City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department 11 Clinton, Governor George 35 Clinton House 35 Clow, Ruth 50 COBOL computer programming language 85 Coburn, M.D. 48 Coffin, Tristram 36 Collins, Ann 89 Computers, Mark I and II, Univac I 85, 86 Connor, "Bull" 84 Constantinople, Turkey 42 Cook, Blanche Weissen 83 Cook, Nancy 96 Corey, Albert B. 38 Cross Road Press 80 Culbertson, Ely 88 Cummins, Evelyn Atwater 37 Curran, Helen Salsick 54

Abbott, Eva Rugar 53 African American Community, Poughkeepsie 24 Air Force National Guard 54 Airy, Dr. G.B., Greenwich (England) Observatory 31 Alden, Nancy Chapman 53, 83, 87 Aldrich, Margaret Livingston Chanler 94 Allen, Elizabeth 94 Alley, Mary Lucy Ham 45 American Association for the Advancement of Women Congress 33 American Board of Foreign Missions 41 American Academy of Arts and Sciences 31 American Baptist Home Mission Society 27 Anderson, Marian 25 Anti-Semitism 84 Anti-tuberculosis Project 42 Arendt, Hannah 83 Armed Forces Institute of Pathology 59 Armstrong, Alida Livingston 94 Art of the Needle 92 Association for Mental Retardation 68 Atwater, Caroline Swift 35 A very, Myra H. 35 Babcock, Mrs. Dorothy Doubleday 90 Babcock, Rufus 30 Bardavon Opera House 25 Barlow, Jenny 94 Beadle, Anne 95 Beni, Nick 76 Berry, Virginia 95 Bethune, Mary McLeod 26, 84 Blanding, Sarah Gibson 95 Bolin, Gaius, Sr. 27 Booth, Lydia 30, 95 Bower, Irene 95 Bowne, Samuel W. and Nettie 42 Brett, Catharyna Rombout 95 Bright, John and Sophia Reichert 8 Brinckerhoff, Barbara Greener 53 Bush, Augustus 49 Butrica, Dorothy Hammerle 54 Buys, Barbara 38

Daughters of the American Revolution(D.A.R.) 35 Day, Dorothy 96 Dean, Julia 96 DeReimer, Elsie 96 DeSole, Mary 76 Deufemia, Patricia 54 Dewey, Governor Thomas 88 Dickerman, Marion 97 Digital Equipment 86

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Doughty, Dr. Phebe 97 Dows, Deborah 97 Dutchess County Association for Retarded Children (ARC) 69 Dutchess County Cerebral Palsy Clinic 69 Dutchess Community Co11ege69 Dutchess County Association for Mentally Handicapped Children 68 D'Este, Maria Beatrice, Dutchess of York 97

Harren, Eve11aGary 54 Hasbrouck, Mrs. Frank 35 Hatfield,E., New York State Senator 39 Hawthorne, Nathaniel 31 Hayes, Roland 25 Heermance, Mrs. Martin 35 Herschel, Sir John and Caroline 31 HiH, Mrs. Wi11iamBancroft 41 Hirsdansky, Dr. Sara 68 Hitler's Germany 84 Hitsman, Dorothy Howell 45 Hopper, Admiral Grace 85 Horton, Ernest 48 Hosmer, Harriet, sculptor 32 Howland, Elisa Woolsey 98 Hudson Valley Volunteer Fireman's Association 13 Hughes, Langston 25 Human rights 83 Hunter, Mary Alice 54 Husted, Judy Utecht 54

East FishkiU Community Library 52 Eastman Gaines Co11ege47 Ebenezer Baptist Church 25 Eclipses: Denver, 1878; Iowa 1869, 1878 32 Eggert, Betty Blair 98 Embroiders' Guild of America 90 Emerson, Ralph Waldo 31 English Embroiderers' Guild 89 Erdrich, Vivian 70 Ferris, Reverend Charles 25 Finger, Marjorie 98 Fishkill Plains 48 Fishki11Plains Community Library 50 Flanagan, Hallie 98 Ford, Gertrude 98 Fort McCle11an,Alabama 57 Fort Si11,Oklahoma 58 Fort Bragg, North Carolina 57 Foster, Mrs. D. Crosby 35 Fowler, Mrs. Milton A. 35 Fried, Florence 91 Friedland, Anne 91 Fry, Varian 83

Industrial Relief Organization 42 InternationalBusinessMachinesCorporation 77 Iran, visitors from 80 Jeanneney, Mary Lou 99, 108 Jewett, Milo P. 30 Johnson, Dr. G. Orvi11e76 Johnson, President Lyndon 85 Junior Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa, Oklahoma67 Katzin, Janet Effron 54 Kefauver, Senator Estes 77 Kennedy, President John F. 80 KimbaH, Dr. Grace Niebuhr 40 Kincaid, Elise 99 Kirchner, Charles 36

Gayhead 51 Gibson Mandolin Club 37 Girton, Elva Riker 54 Golden Jubilee, 1902 16 Gore, Albert 63 Grace Episcopal Church 89 Great Lakes Training Center 60 Greene, Goldie Weiss 54 Guy, Sir Thomas 30

Ku Klux Klan88 LaDue, Alice Roy 54 Lady Washington Hose Company 11 Landowska, Wanda 83 LaPorte, Helen 99 Lasker, Mary 99 Leigh, Catherine Flint 100 Letchworth Village 66 Leverrier, Urbain 31 Lindberg, Edith 46 Linden Hall Finishing School 46

Hackett, Charlotte Cuneen 98 Hafcut, Mrs. Horace D. 35 Haight, Elsea Thome 98 Hansen, Olga 90 Harden, John and Mary M. 24

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New York State Office of Architects 37 New York State Taconic Park Commission 36 New York State Welfare League for Retarded Children 66 North Clove 47 North Carolina Junior Chamber of Commerce67

Little Red School House 66 Livingston, Margaret Beekman 100 Luckey, Platt & Co. 27,49 Ludington, Sybil 100 Lynch, Katherine 69 MacArthur, General Douglas 88 MacCracken, Dr. Henry N. 27,37 Mahwenawasigh Chapter, DAR 35 Marble, Alice 88 Matthews, Mrs. Shirley 80 Matthews, Jean Hagler 100 Matthews, Ima Dean 89 Mayo, Dr. Leonard U. 80 McCarthy, Senator Joseph 88 Mccrimmon, Rachael 46 McGill, Ralph 88 McKenzie, Gillian Cox 89

Office of Department of War 47 Office of Chief of Naval Operations 59 Office of Naval Intelligence 58 Ogden and Ruth Livingston Mills State Historic Site 91 Ossan Air Base, Seoul, South Korea 59 O'Brien, Sally Gifford 89 Parris Island, South Carolina 57 Parshall, Margaret Thome 89 Patri, Angelo 76 Pawling, Catherine Beekman Rutsen 101 Payne, Bessie Harden 24, 70 Payne, Reverend Herbert 24 Pettit, Mrs. Sally Behr 90 Poppinhouse, Sarah 54 Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle 36 Poughkeepsie High School 26 Poughkeepsie Journal 55 Poughkeepsie Neighborhood Club 26 Poughkeepsie New Yorker 38 Poughkeepsie School Superintendent 70 Prendergast, Mehitabel Wing 101 President's Panel on Mental Retardation 80 Price, Dr. Garrett 26 Proper, Sister Helen Marie 101 Puff, Stephen 70

Merry Go Round 80

Michel, Mrs. Charles 77 Miles, Mrs. William A. 35 Millbrook, NY 89 Millbrook Needlework Guild 89 Miller, Mary Starr 100 Mitchell, Maria (1818-1889) 29 Montgomery, Janet Livingston 101 Moore, Susan 100 Morgan, Dr. Robert Wesley 27 Morse, Samuel F.B. 32 Mount Gulian Historic Site 92 Mumford, Sophia Wittenberg 101 NAACP local chapter 27 Nantucket Athenaeum 31 National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, Inc. 26 National League of Women's Service43 Naval Communications Center, Manhattan 58 Nelson House 25 New York Infirmary for Women and Children41 New York State Departmentof Health 42 New York State Department of Mental Hygiene76 New York State EducationDepartment70 New York State Education Department Board of Regents 38 New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Historic Sites 38 New York State Legislature 73 New York State Library 50

Rawson, Frances T. 43 Raymond, Allan and Harriet 67 Readers Digest (The) 67 Rehabilitation Programs, Inc. 81 Reichert, Joseph and Martha L. 6 Reifler, Sally Goldberg 54 Reynolds, Helen Wilkinson 102 Rooney, Martha Umphenour 54 Roosevelt, Eleanor 76, 83, 102 Roosevelt, Ellen C. 102 Roosevelt, Franklin D. 84 Roosevelt, Governor Theodore 36 Roosevelt Library 83 Roosevelt, Sarah Delano 102

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Rosenson, Marguerite Bailey 102 Royal School of Needlework 89 Rubican Foundation 77 Ruggles, Mary Crooke Broome Livingston 103

Thelberg, Dr. Elizabeth B. 42 Thurmond, Governor Strom 88 Truman, President Harry 88 U.S. Air Force 54 U.S. Army Nurse Corps 54 U.S. Marine Corps Reserves 54 U.S. Military 53 U.S. Navy 53, 85 U.S.S. Hopper 86 Union Street Historic District 6 United Federation of Negro Women 26

Sague, Mary Landon 103 Sague, Mayor John C. 42 Salisbury, CT 90 Salmon, Lucy Maynard 103 Saltford, Belle 37 Sanford, Mrs. Robert 35 Sanger, Margaret 103 Sargeant, Amy Rotch 103 Schenck, Hannah l 04 Schmidt, Bernadine 67 Schultz, Margaret Stickler 54 Seaman, Annie Yates 41 Seaman, Josephine Gaskin 41 Sitzer, Nelson 50 Skyllkill Needlework Chapter 91 Slater, Pauline Reichert and William E. 7 Small, Sheelagh 89 Smith Bros. Cough Drop Co. 25 Somerville, Mary 31 South Africa 26 SouthernConference on Human Welfare 84 Spencer, Rev. Earl 76 Sperry Rand 85 Spiegel, John and Mary Reichert 13 Spingarn, Amy 104 St. Peter's Episcopal Church 89 St. Elizabeth's Society 16 St. James Church, Hyde Park, NY 91 St. Francis Hospital 42 Staley, Lucy 104 Stambrook, Mimi 74 State Fireman's AssociationConvention 13 Stevens, Mayor 76 Suckley, Daisy 104 Sultan of Turkey 41 Sweet, Sara46 Swift, Carolyn Atwater 35, 104 Syracuse University 75

Valley Forge (PA) Medical Center 55 Van, Turkey 41 Van Cleff, Mrs. Spencer 35 Van Kleek, Frank 36 Varick, Mary 35 Vassar, Matthew 29 Vassar College 29 Vassar Brothers Hospital 27 Vassar College Observatory 33 Vatican Observatory 31 Vaughton, Susannah Leisler 105 Ver Nooy, Amy Pearce 105 VerPlanck, Katherine Wolcott 105 Vincent, Rebe46 Virginia Seminary College, Lynchburg, Virginia 26 Voight, General Wilma 63 Walter Reed Army Hospital 55 Wassaic School 69 WAVES54 Webster, Jean 106 Wesleyan Methodist Church Chapel 50 Whitney, Mary 32 Wilcox, Irene 106 Willets, Deborah Rogers 106 Wilson, Woodrow 43 Wilson, Erica 89 Wilson, Dr. Louis 38 WIMSA 63 Wodell, Katherine 35 Wolpert, Helen 72 Women's Memorial, Washington, DC 63 Woodside, Marjorie Weatherwax 54 Work Projects Administration 27 World War I 47 World Warll 53

Taconic Press 83 Tappen, Elizabeth Crannell 105 Taylor, James Monroe 33 Taylor, Sarah 105 Taylor, Dorothea 66, 105 Teachers College, Columbus, Mississippi 68

Yale University 31

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Young, Annette Innis 106 Young Women's Christian Association 43 Young America Hose Company 9 Zimet, Rabbi 76

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ERRATA Dutchess County Historical Society Year Book--Volume 82

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82 103 104 116

lines 5, 6, 7 and 10, Mary to .read Pauline last line under photo missing, read: Frank Joseph is the young man in the cap on the right. Collection of Cathy Bala Mary and Her Church to read Pauline and Her Church line 16 Linden Hall to read Lyndon Hall line 8, enviroment to read environment under Belle Saltford, Mahweniwahsigh to read Mahwenawasigh line 3 from bottom, Index entry for Payne, Bessie, page 70 to read 71 11

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