Dutchess County Historical Society

Dutchess County Historical Society, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, was formed in Pleasant Valley, New York May 26, 1914 and received its Charter from the Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1918.[1][2][lower-alpha 1] Its mission is to discover, preserve and share the local area's history and artifacts from the time of its earliest people to the present.[5]

Dutchess County Historical Society
Clinton House built c. 1765.
Established1914 (1914)
LocationClinton House, 549 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, New York
Coordinates41°42′01″N 73°54′58″W
AccreditationRegents of the University of the State of New York
WebsiteOfficial website

The Society's collection of documents and objects are maintained largely at Clinton House in Poughkeepsie where it has offices and a non-circulating library. It publishes an annual Yearbook, and occasionally publishes other books and pamphlets. The organization grants awards of merit and distinction each year. It conducts outreach programs that range from talks to demonstrations to workshops, and it collaborates with educational institutions and many other historic organizations and individuals in Dutchess County.

The Historical Society is funded through membership dues, the sales of its Yearbook and publications, solicitation of grants, and through philanthropic gifts and is a US tax exempt Charitable Organization.[6]

History

Among those eager to found such an organization at the time was Dutchess County resident Franklin D. Roosevelt. He laid out his vision for the Society in a letter dated December 10, 1914, mentioning a number of elements which came to fruition including an annual yearbook, occasional publications, and transcriptions of cemetery headstones.[7] And while other notables like the President's mother Sarah Delano Roosevelt and Vincent Astor remained involved in the Society,[8][9] its membership grew into the hundreds and involved a broad range of county residents. By early 1924, membership had grown to about 500.[10]

John Mylod and Helen Wilkinson Reynolds were early organizers and active in collecting information for the society.[11] Reynolds, a researcher and author, served as Yearbook editor from 1921 until her death in 1943.[12] She worked with author J Wilson Poucher and photographer Margaret De M Brown on the 1924 publication of Old Gravestones of Dutchess County, New York, which catalogued 19,000 inscriptions.[13]

Collections

The Collections include archival items, photographs, postcards, textiles,[14] diaries, will, deeds, needlework, clothing, genealogical information, and correspondence within its house museum.[15]

Items include a portrait by Ammi Phillips of Helen Cornell Manney, whose birth family, the Cornells, were early settlers of the town of LaGrange. There is a collection of books, articles and private letters of historian and illustrator Benson Lossing, who was born in the town of Beekman, lived for some time in Poughkeepsie, and eventually built a home and library in Dover. The Hart-Hubbard Farm Records reflect two families' agricultural wholesale business across four generations from 1838 to 1967.[16]

  • Portrait of Helen Cornell Manney by Ammi Phillips, c.1833.
  • Sr. Deacon Masonic Jewel dated July 1823, Hart Hubbard Collection.
  • Red Hook, NY doctor's ledger with artemisia leaves used to aid digestion 1860.
  • Double door Dutch "Kas" early 18th century. DAR Collection.
  • Dutchess County Civil War Draft Wheel.
  • Sep 1919 Poughkeepsie parade, "Welcome Home." Fred Close Collection.

Programs

The Dutchess County Historical Society has a research library and exhibits. It holds events, such as lectures, guided tours, and community outreach.[14] They occur across Dutchess County often in partnership with the Dutchess County Historian[17] and local historical organizations.

Publications
1918 Dutchess County Yearbook.

Each year it produces a yearbook and it occasionally publishes the Dutchess County Historical Society Collections and the Dutchess Historian.[18]

The yearbook is the state's oldest continuing historical publication.[19] The inaugural issue, dated 1914-1915, included a copy of the Hudson Valley portion of the 1779 map, an article about the Society's first meeting was held, the initial reporting of local cemeteries, an article about Brick House Farm, early divisions of the county, and a membership list.[20]

Awards

Up to four awards are given by the Historical Society each year. They are the Dutchess Award, the Helen Wilkinson Reynolds Award, the Franklin D Roosevelt Award, the Business of Historic Distinction Award.[21]

Notes
  1. There was also an organization named Dutchess County Historical Society that operated by 1845 out of Newburgh, New York[3] and as of 1886.[4]

References
  1. "Historical Society Meets". Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, New york. June 29, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved June 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  2. U S Congress (October 2009). Congressional Record, V. 150, PT. 18, November 18, 2004, to November 19, 2004. Government Printing Office. p. 24078. GGKEY:5ZA9PCYJN5T.
  3. Proceedings of the New York Historical Society. Press of the Historical Society. 1846. p. 88.
  4. Don Foster (4 February 2014). Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous. Henry Holt and Company. p. PT290. ISBN 978-1-4668-6425-2.
  5. "Dutchess County Historical Society". Guidestar. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  6. "Dutchess County Historical Society". IRS Exempt. March 8, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  7. "FDR". Dutchess County Historical Society. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  8. Jan Pottker (18 April 2004). Sara and Eleanor: The Story of Sara Delano Roosevelt and Her Daughter-in-Law, Eleanor Roosevelt. St. Martin's Press. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-312-30340-2.
  9. "Astor Helped His Country in Wartime". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, New York. October 15, 1977. p. 6. Retrieved June 9, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Society Admits Many Members". Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. February 12, 1924. p. 5. Retrieved June 9, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  11. Joyce C. Ghee; Joan Spence (1999). Poughkeepsie 1898-1998: A Century of Change. Arcadia Publishing. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-7385-0236-6.
  12. "Helen W. Reynolds, Writer of History; Authority on Dutchess County Collaborated With Roosevelt Dies in Poughkeepsie". New York Times. January 5, 1943. p. 20. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  13. "Old gravestones of Dutchess County, New York : nineteen thousand inscriptions / collected and edited by J. Wilson Poucher and Helen Wilkinson Reynolds". Hathi Trust Digital Library. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  14. American Association for State and Local History (2002). Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada. Rowman Altamira. p. 585. ISBN 978-0-7591-0002-2.
  15. "Dutchess County Historical Society". Huron River Valley Heritage. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  16. "Collections of the Dutchess County Historical Society" (PDF). Dutchess County Historical Society. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  17. "Mission Statement Dutchess County Department of History". Dutchess County Government. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  18. Elizabeth Petty Bentley (2009). The Genealogist's Address Book: State and Local Resources : with Special Resources Including Ethnic and Religious Organizations. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-8063-1796-0.
  19. "Historic Display Spans 100 Years". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, New York. August 31, 1988. p. 1B. Retrieved June 9, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  20. "A Subject List for Articles from the Dutchess County Historical Society, 1914-2012" (PDF). Dutchess County Historical Society. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  21. "Dutchess County Historical Society will bestow awards". Daily Freeman. Kingston, New York. October 20, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2017.

Further reading
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