Official Annual Report of the Town of Milan Historian 2006

660 Turkey Hill Road Milan, NY 12571 December 29, 2006 Van Talmage, Town Supervisor Town of Milan Wilcox Memorial Hall 20 Wilcox Circle Milan, NY 12571 Supervisor Talmage, 2006 Milan Town Historian Report Article 57, section 57.09 of the New York State Arts and Cultural Affairs Law provides, in part, that each duly appointed local historian “shall make an annual report, in the month of January, to the local appointing officer or officers and to the state historian of the work which has been accomplished during the preceding year.” (Full legal duties in appendix).

This report has been prepared to comply with the above-quoted statute. It summarizes work and accomplishments achieved by the office of Milan Town Historian during the period January 1, 2006 to December 29, 2006.

New discoveries or contributions The following new contributions of historical interest were investigated and donated to the town (see appendix) by the town historian: -

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Historic American Buildings Survey photographs (1940) of 1766 Mark Rowe and 1818 Mark Rowe Houses from the Library of Congress. Copies sent to Dutchess County Historical Society and Egbert Benson Historical Society of Red Hook. These now hang in the town hall with digital copies on the town website.

New York State Legislative Record of 1818: Law detailing the incorporation of the Town of Milan Testimony of Jacob Lyle, “colored” Revolutionary War veteran and Milan resident to Judge Steven Thorne seeking pension benefits Copy of 1870’s “Milan” postmarked letter Documentation of two small family cemeteries (Platner and Shear) now in overgrown, wooded lots researched by me with the help of Jim Norton

The following new contributions of historical interest were investigated and donated to the town (see appendix) as follows: -

1945 Photo of first Fire Truck in Milan (Frank Christensen) Fulton family and Cokertown school photographs (Jim Norton)

Current state of inventory Like many towns, much work needs to be done to improve storage and recording of historical items. This attempts to give a very broad outline of volume and type of items.

Former Town Historian Barbara Thompson has kindly agreed to help review the state of our archives. One file cabinet remains locked without a key. Another cabinet without a key was recently opened.

Two shelving units were put up in a new storage area in climate-controlled computer room. Three maps and tax records books (approx 1870’s to 1920’s) were moved from older storage room where they were haphazardly kept.

The Town Clerk kindly reviewed full contents of a four-file cabinet in the Town Clerk’s records room. These files include old family bibles, Wilcox family photographs and a box of rolled maps (more recent) among other things.

In the Historian/Recreation Committee room there are three file cabinets. There are three cardboard boxes. And there are historic items in glass gallery, and items hanging in town hall.

It is important to start to catalog these items. I have requested of Linda Bull, the Region 9 administrator of the State Archives Records Administration, an inventory sheet for the MU-1 Records Retention Schedule which is ideally what we should use. The town should also have a basic “Deed of Gift” when accepting donations.

Some of the key documents that are important: -

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1858 Gillette County map in poor condition. Probably worth about $500 it should be evaluated for restoration. A restored map is worth about $1,500 and you’ll find the exact map hanging in the Elmendorph Inn in Red Hook and County offices in Poughkeepsie. It shows each home in Milan and each homeowners name.

1870’s / 1880’s Dr. Herrick account book donated some time ago by Peg Hunt, it is in very delicate condition and we will seek advice on proper storage. It contains perhaps more than 50 pages of local names.

Supervisor’s record book 1870’s and later, includes important local signatures like John Fulton Wilcox family photo albums (in various places and various conditions).

Special storage of these needs to be considered.

Other items of interest and work on the horizon

The Egbert Benson Historical Society of Red Hook has several glass negatives of Milan of great interest including the Cokertown School and Johannes Rowe House. I am in touch with them on getting prints.

Non-Governmental records Rowe Church has expressed an interest in showing the town historian their records and discussing proper storage and sharing Public access and interest I have developed a draft list of existing written histories of Milan (see appendix) which also on the town website to help researchers. This list needs to be continually added to in order make it more complete. Where copyright issues allow I have posted the actual text on the town website. Mrs. Roy Ahlquist kindly gave permission to post her latehusband’s very detailed and highly regarded work on Town of Milan Postal History.

We received very good coverage from the Register Herald (front page) and Gazette for Barbara Thompson’s “Out to Milan” book which she signed at Community Day and the Library of Congress photos There is now a Wikipedia entry on the history of Milan on www.wikipedia.com – the online encyclopedia. Wikipedia is designed to invite others to participate so hopefully it will encourage others to write.

There were two enquiries from the public Art Kelly – the highly-regarded researcher is doing a book on the Union Cemetery and asked for any records related to the cemetery we had. I provided copies of what I had access to.

The owner of some of the landlocked land near Lafayetteville asked if I had any information on the history of that development. I looked in the files that were available to me and did not find any.

Black & “colored” history in Milan The recent New York Historical Society exhibitions on slavery in New York, the recent Armistad visit to Kingston, and recent articles in About Town and the Egbert Benson Historical Society Barbara Thompson about both free and slave black history are bringing more awareness to this history.

Barbara Thompson had done research that suggested that the 1935 State Education Department marker on Turkey Hill Road saying “Chief Crow and other Mohican Shacomecos” are buried here may be something else. Her research showed the small piece of land was owned by Jacob Lyle, a person of “color” (early census is not more specific than this) and an adjoining piece of land was bought by Nancy Bradford, another person of color.

I discovered a six-page 1833 federal pension application of Jacob Lyle (see appendix) which shows that he served in the New Jersey militia during the Revolutionary war. He moved to Milan in 1813.

So it is possible that this site is actually the burial site of a “colored” Revolutionary War veteran. His testimony was given to Judge Steven Thorne who had a house in Milan. It is posted on the town website and gives an first-hand account of life in the Revolutionary War. The non-white history of Milan is a rich source for research including Native Americans who lived here thousands of years ago, free blacks like the large Jackson family of Rowe Road in the 19th century (several living residents fondly recall Ferris Jackson) and also the Frazier family, which included a “colored” Revolutionary War veteran Andrew Frazier who Judge Stephen Thorne also helped apply for a pension.

A word about two Stephen Thorne’s I advised the Little Nine Partners Historical Society that their website published incorrect information. They said that Judge Stephen Thorne was the first Supervisor in Milan.

These are actually two different people. The first Supervisor (1782 to 1849) is buried in the Quaker Ground on Morehouse Lane according to Barbara Thompson. More research on how or if the two Stephen Thorne’s were related would be of interest.

Going forward We will put a priority on records management and archiving and encourage others to donate or loan for copying historic items and encourage those with history in the town to record their recollections.

Thank you,

Bill Jeffway Town of Milan, Town Historian Stanley H. Mersand Dutchess County Historian dchistory@co.dutchess.ny.u Clifford A. Sigfried New York State Education Department csiegfri@mail.nysed.gov

Barbara Thompson c/o Egbert Benson Historical Society of Red Hook PO Box 397 Red Hook, NY 12571 Patrick Higgins 325 Milan Hollow Rd Rhinebeck, NY 12572

New York State Law regarding duties of the town historian

ยง 57.09. Duties of local historian.

It shall be the duty of each local historian, appointed as provided in the last section, in cooperation with the state historian, to collect and preserve material relating to the history of the political subdivision for which he or she is appointed, and to file such material in fireproof safes or vaults in the county, city, town or village offices. Such historian shall examine into the condition, classification and safety from fire of the public records of the public offices of such county, city, town or village, and shall call to the attention of the local authorities and the state historian any material of local historic value which should be acquired for preservation. He or she shall make an annual report, in the month of January, to the local appointing officer or officers and to the state historian of the work which has been accomplished during the preceding year. He or she shall, upon retirement or removal from office, turn over to the local county, city, town or village authorities, or to his or her successor in office, if one has been then appointed, all materials gathered during his or her incumbency and all correspondence relating thereto. It shall be the duty of the county historian to supervise the activities of the local historians in towns and villages within the county in performing the historical work recommended by the state historian, and also to prepare and to present to the board of supervisors a report of the important occurrences within the county for each calendar year. The state historian, at regular intervals, not less than once a year, shall indicate to the local historians the general lines along which local history material is to be collected.

Draft list of selected histories & excerpts relating to Milan compiled by Bill Jeffway General History of Duchess County 1609 – 1876 Philip H. Smith, 1877: author and publisher. (Milan excerpt).

History of Duchess County New York James H. Smith, 1882, D. Mason & Co. publisher. (Milan excerpt).

History of Little Nine Partners Issac Huntting, 1897. (Milan excerpt).

Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Dutchess and Putnam County J. H. Beers & Co, 1897 Chicago Milan resident profiles: Edward Smith, James, William & Ephraim Herrick, Julius Rowe, John Link, Uriah Teator, Alva Shelley, John Boice, Edward Couse, Virtus Cornelius, William Phillips, Phebe Thorne Williamson (Judge Stephen Thorne reference).

The History of Dutchess County New York Frank Hasbrouk, 1909, S. A. Matthieu publisher. (Milan excerpt).

Old Gravestones of Dutchess County, New York J. W. Poucher, 1924 Red Hook Central School Dedication Exercises, Sept. 6, 1939 Summary of former outlying schools being closed (excerpts of Milan Schools).

Writings of Burton Coon Egbert Benson Historical Society of Red Hook Milan’s immigrations, old and new Dutchess County Historical Society Year Book 1973 Barbara Thompson.

Milan pathmasters and other things Dutchess County Historical Society Year Book 1973 Barbara Thompson.

The Town of Milan Comprehensive Plan, 1986 Historic Resources Section.

The Union Church of Shookville The cemetery and recollections of Shookville Hamlet Transcribed and printed by Margaret E. Herrick 1990.

A Postal History of the Town of Milan Roy Ahlquist, 1992, author and publisher.

Early Settlements in Dutchess County New York Originally published by the Poughkeepsie Journal, Helen Myers. Compiled by Margaret E. Herrick, 1994, Kinship Publishing. Illustrations by Ossie Stippa. (Milan excerpt).

Out to Milan Milan Community Association Newsletters 1969 to 1975.

Barbara Thompson, c 2006. Illustrations by Ossie Stippa

1870’s Milan postmark donated by Bill Jeffway

The area that is now Milan was first settled around 1760 when Johannes Rowe, the son of a Palatine immigrant, bought 911 acres from Robert Livingston and built this house shortly after. Rowe Estate, 1766 House. Historic American Buildings Survey ( HABS No. NY 6280). Stanley P. Nixon, photographer. Photos taken July 27, 1940. General view. Detail of typical windows. Also note wood beam ends. Duplicate photographs from the Library of Congress. Washington, D.C., 2006

Mark Rowe, son of early founder Johannes Rowe, built this house in 1818 on land that was left to him by his father.

Rowe Estate, 1818 House. Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS No. NY-6280 A). Stanley P. Nixon, photographer.

Photos taken July 27, 1940. General view. Detail in gable. Stairway and wallpaper detail. Living room with fireplace and cupboard. Detail of door, living room. Detail of window, living room. Duplicate photographs from the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 2006

Early photographs of Fulton Farmhouse and Cokertown School. Donated by Jim Norton.

Documentation of Shear Private Family Cemetery Becker Hill Road, Milan, Dutchess County, New York Winter 2005/2006 Number of stones: four visible (2 in good condition) George Shear died November 7, 1856 aged 76 yrs. 6 mo. & 18 days Jacob Shear died 1835 aged 90yrs. 11 mo. 11 days

Researcher: Bill Jeffway

Documentation of Platner Private Family Cemetery Turkey Hill Road, Milan, Dutchess County, New York Spring 2006 Number of stones: two in good condition in a wooded area, no fence or wall Jacob Platner appears in the 1830 Red Hook Census.

The plot is almost on the Red Hook/Milan border, but is in Milan.

In memory of Jacob Platner who died October 12, 1833 in the 71 year of his age.

Catharine Wife of Jacob Platner died October 26, 1852 Age (90?)