Historical Society of Rockland County

#HistoryHappens

#FlashbackFriday - News From Yesteryear Week of February 5, 1921 #100YEARS AGO Excerpt from Rockland News RAMAPO FARM BOUGHT FOR HOME FOR BLIND... The property of Charles S. Pace on the Haverstraw road, two miles from Suffern, has been sold to be used as a summer home for inmates of the home for the blind of 514 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn. The property consists of eight acres and a frame house, and was formerly owned by Mrs. Thomas F. Ryan. _____ Image: Mrs. Thomas F. Ryan , born Ida M. Barry in Baltimore, Maryland, December, 21 1854. She met Thomas Fortune Ryan when he came to work for her father's dry goods business. They were married in 1873 and had seven children, two of which died at a young age. Ida Ryan's notable gifts and good deeds earned her the title of Suffern’s First Lady. She died at Montebello on October 17 1917. The Ryans came to Suffern in 1897. Their Montebello estate, eventually comprised more than 1000 acres. Of all their properties, Ryan liked Suffern the best. She soon took a keen interest in the affairs of the village and turned her attention to the needs of her new community. It would all be done without fanfare notoriety or accolades, that was the Ryan's trademark. When the Ryans came to town, Suffern would be on the receiving end of several big gifts for a small village. It is estimated that Ida Barry Ryan gave $20 million to various charities and endowments, across the United States. Most of these were affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, however, there were sizable donations to non-sectarian institutions as well. _____ This Week in Rockland (#FBF Flashback Friday) is prepared by Clare Sheridan on behalf of the Historical Society of Rockland County. To learn about the HSRC’s mission, upcoming events or programs, visit www.RocklandHistory.org or call (845) 634-9629.

Happy 100th Birthday Betty Friedan! #OTD (Feb. 4) in 1921 Betty Friedan was born. She died on this day in 1986. Friedan wrote her important work The Feminine Mystique while living in Grand View-On-Hudson. The book is widely credited with sparking the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States. The book was published in 1963 and in it Friedan ... debunked the myth of the postwar woman - that docile soul who tended home and hearth all happily foregoing her own ambitions and interests. It sold more than 3 million copies. In 1966, Friedan became the founding president of NOW, The National Organization for Women, and a co-founder of the National Women's Political Caucus. Image: Items displayed as part of the HSRC Exhibition: A Half-Century of History | 1965-2015 | Events that Shaped our Community April 19, 2015 November 01, 2015 Read more about Friedan’s legacy here: https://www.nytimes.com//betty-friedan-feminism-legacy.html

Nor'easter 2021 in New City!

Join the Rockland County Legislature tonight as they celebrate Black History Month and honor newly-retired Nyack NAACP President Dr. Frances Pratt during a virtual ceremony at 6:45 p.m. tonight. View the live ceremony here on the Rockland County Legislature’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwVjg9cKxD3DOjhXyLRnorw/ The full board meeting will immediately follow.

ANNOUNCEMENT Thanks to all of our friends for your support over the past few months of COVID-19 closure. The HSRC is now preparing to reopen to the public in a safe and limited way. Over the next two weeks, we will unveil our new gallery exhibitions:... - OPENING AUGUST 19: "Inside Out: Women, Fashion & The Fight for the Vote," which mines our collections to examine the connections among fashion, freedom, and women's struggle for suffrage; and - OPENING AUGUST 26: "Rockland Voices, featuring Mariel Farlow--Being of Light," which explores the serendipity, controversy, and philosophy behind the monumental statue that graces the Rockland County Courthouse lawn. The exhibitions will run through 2021 and will be open to the public as COVID-19 conditions permit. For the months of August and September 2020, the galleries will be accessible to ticket holders on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 1 and 4 pm. Tickets, limited to 5 per day, are $5 per person (children under 7 are free) and must be purchased in advance. Social distancing and the wearing of masks/facial coverings in the galleries will be strictly enforced. More information about the exhibitions and ticket purchasing is here: https://www.rocklandhistory.org/program.cfm?page=774 If pandemic conditions continue to improve in our region, we will be adding visiting hours on select Sundays and looking in to reopening the Jacob Blauvelt House for public tours. Keep an eye here and on our website for updates.

#FBF NEWS FROM YESTERYEAR: A BELL FOR ODENA Excerpt from the Journal News; October 29, 1970 #50Years AGO ONE STORY IN WEST NYACK THIS SUNDAY WILL BE ‘A BELL FOR ODENA’... An old school bell that summoned several generations of students to classes at the West Nyack Elementary School will be dedicated Sunday to Mrs. Odena Kling, former principal of the school. Members of the West Nyack Rotary Club rescued the bell from a basement storeroom, cleaned and polished it, and provided a cradle for it. It will stand in the school's main corridor with a plaque praising Mrs. Kling for her 33 years of service to the Clarkstown school district. Presentation of the bell will highlight the third annual pancake breakfast of the Rotary Club, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the school. Mrs. Kling and superintendent of schools Felix Festa will accept the bell on behalf of the school district. While restoring the bell, the Rotarians tried to trace Its history. Some older residents of West Nyack believe the bell came from one of the steam locomotives that used to run on the West Shore Railroad. Others think it came from the ferry slip at Nyack. Tickets for the breakfast will be available at the door. Funds raised will be used for the West Nyack Rotary Club's community service projects. _____ Flashback Friday appears every Friday. To receive the full Flashback report (formerly seen in the Rockland Review), visit our website at RocklandHistory.org. To receive it in your email inbox, enter your email address at the bottom of the website’s landing page, or call the HSRC office to register your email at 845 634 9629.

Jonathan Kruk, the master storyteller, will be doing a special Hallowe’en broadcast presentation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! Learn more here: https://fb.me/e/3OjznMdwc

A terrific #TBT from our friends at the New City Library.

Starting in just a few minutes. Tune in - should be a fascinating show.

#FBF NEWS FROM YESTERYEAR : A WEDDING IN TAPPAN. Excerpt from the Rockland County Journal, October 22, 1870 #150YEARS AGO Image: Dutch Reformed Church, Tappan, c. 1890. Courtesy of the Nyack Library via NYHeritage... A WEDDING IN TAPPAN To the Editor of the Journal: -- Thinking perhaps that a few lines from Tappan might not be unacceptable to you, we have taken our pen in hand to inform you of the state of affairs in our quiet little village. First, in order, comes the weather. Remarkably warm, is the common expression, and the oldest inhabitant says he never knew or heard of such weather at this time in the year. Tappan has on her gala attire now, and it's brilliantly beautiful in her dress of many colors. The principal topic of conversation just now is the wedding of Albert Duryea of Closter and Miss Eliza Bartow of Andre Hill Tappan, which took place on Wednesday October 12 at the Reformed Church in this place. The heavy rain of Wednesday morning seemed very unpropitious, but about noon the clouds broke away and the sun shone brightly. At the appointed hour, the church was filled with an eager assembly, all animated with the curiosity, which always attends the coming of a bridal party. While waiting, the tedium was relieved by Miss Bella Hammond of Closter, who entertained the company with sweet music. At last, the weddingers, to use the old Dutch word, appeared. The bride was dressed in a pearl colored silk with high corsage and skirt en train, the dress being trimmed with white lace. She wore an elegant veil, gracefully looped up with orange flowers, a wreath of which was around her head. The bridesmaid, Miss Kate Harring, was becomingly dressed in a rich garnet silk and wore tuberoses and geranium leaves for ornaments. The groom was attired in a black cloth suit, as was also the groomsman, Mr. Garrett Blauvelt. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend G. M. S. Blauvelt, and the beautiful and solemn service of the Episcopal Church, and all admired the graceful manner in which everything was done. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the ushers, Mr. Andrew Harring, and Mr. George Bolmer, for the gentlemanly manner in which they performed the duties incumbent upon them. We learn that the bridal party departed the same afternoon, upon their bridal tour, taking with them the kind wishes of a host of relatives and friends for their future happiness and prosperity. If you do not find that we have taken up too much space in your valuable paper, you may hear from Tappan again. _____ Flashback Friday appears every Friday. To receive the full Flashback report (formerly seen in the Rockland Review), visit our website at RocklandHistory.org. To receive it in your email inbox, enter your email address at the bottom of the website’s landing page, or call the HSRC office to register your email at 845 634 9629.

#TBT The Legend of Spook Rock. In 2014, Ghost Hunter and Historian Linda Zimmermann appeard on our radio show/podcast speak about mysterious and haunted history in Rockland County. One of those legends: Spook Rock. As Hallowe'en approaches, it's a perfect time to revisit this piece of haunted history. Learn more at our blog here: https://rocklandhistoryblog.tumblr.com//6555238/spook-rock

On this day in 1981 (October 20), a Brink’s armored truck pulled up to an entrance to the Nanuet Mall in the rear parking lot. And so began an event that changed many aspects of Rockland County. In fact, the impact of this event continues to shape our community. We hope you will join us in taking time today in silence and reflection for the lives that were lost on this tragic day. Peter Paige, Edward O'Grady and Waverly Chipper Brown. Thanks to everyone at the Sheriff’s dep...artment for loaning key artifacts from that impactful day to the HSRC for the 2015 exhibition A HALF-CENTURY OF HISTORY:Events That Shaped our Community. View a photo album here. https://flickr.com/pho/100479933@N04/sets/72157660697317626 We are also pleased to share a recorded interview with Bob Baird. Baird was a young journalist at The Journal News in 1981 and closely covered the event, the trial and the lasting changes. To listen - click here: https://soundcloud.com//crossroads-of-rockland-history-the

#ICYMI The latest episode of Crossroads of Rockland History is now in the archive! Listen here: https://soundcloud.com//hon-nita-lowey-and-historian-isabe _____ Broadcast originally aired on October 19, 2020 at 9:30am (eastern) on WRCR Radio 1700AM and WRCR.com... Crossroads of Rockland History continued our year of Women’s History in celebration of the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment with two guests! First, the Hon. Nita Lowey joined Clare Sheridan to discuss her distinguished career in the U.S. House of Representatives. Lowey shared her reflections on the importance of women’s voices in the political process and memories of her historic career. Congresswoman Lowey has served as a U.S. Representative from New York since 1989. In 2018, she became the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee. She will retire at the end of this term. Then we turned our attention to the preeminent historian Isabelle Savell, whose comprehensive research documented the history of the women from Rockland County who spent seven decades fighting for the vote. Savell wrote Ladies Lib: How Women Got the Vote, the go-to text for those interested in suffrage history in Rockland County. Savell’s granddaughter, Becky Savell, phoned in to discuss all of the important research that her grandmother did as Senior Historian at the Historical Society of Rockland County; she shared fond memories of her grandmother, as well. "Isabelle Savell was a lovely, brilliant, beautiful lady, said Gene Setzer of South Nyack. "She was one of the stalwarts, and one of the finest history researchers we’ve ever had around herea beautiful writer so useful to the community.

Our colleagues at the Orangetown Historial Museum and Archives & The Orangeburg Library will offer a Virtual Presentation "Pickets and Persistence" on October 26 at 2pm! In honor of the 100 years of women's suffrage, The Orangetown Historical Museum and The Orangeburg Library will host a special virtual presentation "Pickets and Persistence: American Women's Fight to Win the Vote" Monday, October 26 at 2 PM. Living History Presenter Carol Simon Levin portrays Jeannette Ran...kin, America's first female member of Congress, and brings to life this historical triumph for women's voting rights in the U.S. Learn about this fascinating movement through the intertwined stories of women's suffrage activism, war service, and the political calculus that finally brought the support of President Wilson, the U.S. Congress, and state legislatures to achieve passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Free event! Register here: http://orangeburglibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails or call 845-359-2244 ext. 10.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY NEWS FROM YESTERYEAR #100Years Ago: TWO ARE KILLED AT TAPPAN CROSSING HUGO H. OHMEIS AND FLORENCE SMITH THE VICTIMS WERE HIT BY WEST SHORE EXPRESS WHILE RIDING IN MR OHMEIS’S CAR LAST SATURDAY NIGHT Excerpt from the Rockland County Journal, October 15, 1920 100 YEARS AGO Rockland News... The so called death crossing of the West Shore railroad at Tappan claimed two more victims at 6:15, o'clock last Saturday night, when an automobile in which Hugo H. Ohmeis, 43 and Miss Florence Smith, aged 18, were riding was struck, and both were killed. Ohmeis is vice president of the P.M. Ohmeis beverage company, which operates a restaurant at number 140 Fulton Street in New York City and Miss Smith is the daughter of Fred C. Smith, who conducts a hardware store in Sparkill, and was employed as a stenographer by the Holmes Company of New York City. Ohmeis has a summer home at Sparkill and his family and the Smith family have been intimate friends. Saturday, he stopped at Smith store to make some purchases and Miss Smith asked him to drive her to Piermont, where she wanted to make a purchase at a drugstore, and he consented. They were returning when the accident happened. There is a bell at the crossing, but it is believed that Ohmeis failed to heed the warning and attempted to cross in front of the train, which was running 60 miles an hour. Both were killed instantly. _____ Flashback Friday appears every Friday. To receive the full Flashback report (formerly seen in the Rockland Review), visit our website at RocklandHistory.org. To receive it in your email inbox, enter your email address at the bottom of the website’s landing page, or call the HSRC office to register your email at 845 634 9629. _____ Image: West Shore Station, Tappan, undated, from the Bob Knight Collection

#HistoryHappens -Oct. 14,2020Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law legislation (S.8598/A.10628) designating Juneteenth as an official public holiday in New York State. The new law celebrates Juneteenth, a day which commemorates the end to slavery and celebrates Black and African American freedom and achievements, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.... Read more here: https://www.governor.ny.gov//governor-cuomo-signs-legislat

Our colleagues at the Smithsonian Museum have put together five ideas for celebrating indigenous peoples day because it is important to help teach a more truthful history of Columbus and the Indigenous peoples. One of their suggestions is to learn more by visiting Native Knowledge 360, and advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Native Knowledge 360, the Smithsonian museum’s National Education Initiative, is working to transform teaching and learning about American Indians. O...ne practice the Smithsonian recommends is to acknowledge the lands we on and name the Indigenous people originally from there. The Smithsonian can help with things to consider when thinking about Land Acknowledgements. See if you’re shown on this map of places that recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. If your town or school district isn’t listed but has adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day, email [email protected] to put your community on the map as part of this growing movement! Visit Knowledge 360 here: https://americanindian.si.edu//inform/land-acknowledgement To view the rest of the suggestions from the Smithsonian, click here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com//indigenous-peoples-day-20/

Thanks for helping us reach 4,500 likes on FACEBOOK! Welcome to our new friends! Our mission is to preserve and share the rich history of Rockland County. We're so glad you like what we do!... Please share our page with friends and help us reach new history enthusiasts! Also, thanks to our friends who have been long-time followers. What’s your favorite part of HSRC’s social media? Archived images, podcasts, Flashback Friday’s? Please let us know in the comments! Thanks to the greatest fans in cyberspace!