rocklandhistoryblog - Tumblr blog

rocklandhistoryblog · 9 days

Text

The new episode of Crossroads of Rockland History is streaming now. It originally aired on Monday, April 15, 2024 at 9:30 am, on WRCR 1700 AM Radio

Listen to it here: https://on.soundcloud.com/KC4LinxBQupUztk99

We learned all about two new history exhibitions opening later this month.

First, we explored “When This You See, Remember Me: Inscribed Quilts from Rockland County” at the Historical Society of Rockland County. The exhibition's guest curator, Peggy Norris, a member of the American Quilt Study Group, Ridgewood (NJ) Historical Society, and Genealogical Society of Bergen County, discussed how, through the quilts, we can learn about local women, the times in which they lived, and their textile artistry. Peggy will also give a presentation on the quilts on Sunday, May 5, at the HSRC.

“When This You See, Remember Me” runs from April 21 to October 27, 2024, and is open to the public on Wednesdays–Fridays and Sundays, 1–4 pm, and by appointment. Admission is $5 per person and benefits the Society’s education and preservation missions.

For information, visit https://www.rocklandhistory.org/program.cfm?page=1114

Then we focused on “Creating Community 1950,” the new exhibition at the The Orangetown Historical Museum & Archives. Museum Director Mary Cardenas and Curator Elizabeth Skrabonja shared how a building, baby, and business boom exploded in Orangetown in the 1950s.

“Creating Community 1950” can be seen at the historic DePew House, 196 Chief Bill Harris Way, Orangeburg. It opens on April 21 and extends through November 2024. Exhibition hours are Tuesdays & Fridays 10 am–2 pm, and Sundays, 1–4 pm. Admission is free.

For information, visit https://www.orangetownmuseum.com

***

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #orangetown #nyack #historic preservation #hudson river valley #quilts #1950s

0 notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 11 days

Text

FBF News from Yesteryear

April 12, 1974 - 50 YEARS AGO excerpt from The Journal News

CLARKSTOWN MAY BUILD SITE - BURGER STAND ROLLS OUT MOTORCYCLES

Riding instructor-mechanic Miles Devlin of Spring Valley at trail area

📷 Journal News Staff photo - Ted Neuhoff

One of the few places in eastern Rockland where motorcycle riders can ride on a challenging course off the road is being leveled, and a hamburger stand will soon rise on the site.

An undeveloped, hilly area on the corner of Central Avenue and Route 59 in Central Nyack has been used for years by novice riders and dirt track enthusiasts to test their noisy machines.

A McDonald's restaurant is presently being built on the property. As a result, young riders will probably have to use their trail bikes along area railroad rights of way unless a new dirt site is developed, according to spokesmen at a Central Nyack motorcycle shop, The House of Power.

“Now, a lot of these kids will go riding along the railroad tracks in the county," said Miles Devlin, a mechanic at the shop."They can't be supervised as they should."

But, the future may hold relief for neighbors, customers, and shop officials, owner Sal Mangiameli explained, in the form of a riding area at the Clarkstown town dump.

The shop owner has been negotiating with the town for the right to build up the area for supervised trail riding and training.

The "mini-bike park" would be operated as a profit to the town recreation department and there would be a nominal feefor a day's worth of riding, he explained.

Leveling the hills has forced Mangiameli, 34, of Orange County, to invest $10,000 in a dynomometer, a device which simulates road conditions and allows both the shop's personnel and customers to test the motorcycles indoors.

Other bikes licensed and registered road cycles will still be tested on the streets at the rear of the shop unwelcome news to at least one couple which has been "miserable for six years" in the face of daily noise from the large street bikes.

"Seven other families were driven out of the neighborhood because of the noise," said George Wamsley, 69, of 4 Central Ave. "The neighborhood has gone to hell and we're strapped in."

He and his wife say the value of their home has plummeted and that they would be unable to purchase another home for the amount of money they've been offered for their present one, located next door The House of Power.

The owner of the motorcycle shop said, "We try to get our business done without offending other people but some people just don't like motorcycles."

_____

Flashback Friday appears every Friday. To receive it in your email inbox, enter your email address at the bottom of the HSRC’s website landing page, or call the HSRC office to register your email at 845-634-9629.

#RocklandCountyNY #RocklandCounty #RocklandHistory #LocalHistory #NYSHistory #HudsonRiverValley #HudsonValley #LowerHudsonValley #HSRC #HistoricalSocietyofRocklandCounty #HistoricalSociety #HistoryMuseum #HistoryMatters #HistoryHappens #motorcycles

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #hudson river valley #spring valley #motorcycle #motorsports #motorbike

5 notes · View notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 16 days

Text

Excerpt from the Rockland County Journal Jan. 24, 1925

THOUSANDS HERE VIEW WONDER SPECTACLE OF MOON'S STRAY COURSE

The above picture is an exact reproduction of the sight which drew thousands of residents in this vicinity out into the streets this morning. With the weather in perfect condition to provide a clear view of the miracle occuring in the skies, all were privileged to see and wonder.

There were seven thousand spectators gathered at Bear Mountain, considered one of the best spots from which to observe the phenomenon.

Hook Mountain, Upper Nyack, the top and sides were black with hundreds of spectators.

The banks along the Hudson River were thronged, and storekeepers on Main street and Broadway left their dutles to see the show.

Forty members of the Clarkstown Country Club had journeyed here from all parts of the country, and complete paraphernalia was available at the spacious South Nyack club house.

Two telescopes had been erected, and these, in addition to sets of smoked glass in different colors, provided them with excellent means of taking notes.

Seventy five photographs were taken by Club members during the entire period of the eclipse. All of the members had remained awake thru the night preparing for the tests and making preliminary photographs of the movements of the stars.

The eclipse first became noticeable shortly after eight o'clock, and from then until 9:11, the exact time forecast, shadows deepened, coming from the east instead of the west. Daylight merged into a grotesquely silvery shade of twilight, and stars appeared faintly, brightening as the light grew fainter.

During the brief period of the total eclipse, the sight was exactly as reproduced above. After a few seconds, the sun shot from behind the moon and the miracle had been performed.

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #orangetown #nyack #hudson river valley #eclipse

0 notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 1 month

Text

New South of the Mountains is Available Now

2024 Jan-Mar | Vol. 68, No. 1

IN THIS ISSUE

🔹New City in the Early 20th Century

In this article, Raymond A. Eberling addresses the question of what New City was like in the first three decades of the twentieth century, when his grandfather Frank Eberling was serving as the hamlet’s RFD mail carrier.

🔹Naming of Roads and Settlements

Rockland County was largely rural until rapid development began in the 1950s. Many roads were unnamed, and place names once familiar to county residents are largely unknown today. Marianne B. Leese introduces and presents two letters written in 1931 to the editor of the Rockland County Leader that address the issue of historical road and settlement names of the county.

🔹Notes about the Letter Writers

Brief biographies of our letter writers: the newspaperman Wilfred Blanch Talman (1904–1986) of Spring Valley and the writer and landscape architect Mary Helena Bothwell Horgan Mowbray-Clarke (1875–1962) of New City.

🔹In Memoriam: Laurence “Pete” Beckerle

COVER PICTURE: The author’s grandparents Frank and Elsa Eberling on the day of their engagement, ca. 1907. They are standing at the top of the hill on New Hempstead Road near the home of Frank’s parents, Henry Eberling Jr. and Anna Fedelia (Morphet) Eberling. Raymond A. Eberling Collection

"South of the Mountains" is one of the tangible benefits of membership in the Historical Society of Rockland County. For more information on membership, click here: http://www.rocklandhistory.org/product.cfm?category=17.

SOUTH OF THE MOUNTAINS (ISSN 0489-9563) is published quarterly by

The Historical Society of Rockland County

Single copy price of South of the Mountains is $5, including postage and handling.

While all efforts are made to ensure accuracy in the articles, the Historical Society assumes no responsibility for opinions and conclusions expressed or implied by contributors. The editors welcome contributions of letters and articles. Please contact us at the Historical Society.

Editor: Marjorie H. Johnson

Consulting Editor: Marianne B. Leese

Printing by Harrington Press, Nyack, New York

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #hudson river valley #new city

0 notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 1 month

Text

FBF News from Yesteryear

March 21, 1974 – 50 YEARS AGO Excerpt from The Journal News

HAMLET HAS LITTLE INDUSTRY — SPOTLIGHT ON CONGERS [Image: Erna Bohr operates sewing machine in Congers drapery and upholstery shop. Journal News Staff photograph by Ted Neuhoff.]  The industrial age has touched Congers only lightly, and what amounts to an oldtime cottage industry still survives on a corner of a major state highway.  Nearby, several small factories are engaged in more modern industries.  Ginny’s Custom Sewing, a drapery and slipcover business, employs three women in a backroom of an old store. Ginny herself is Mrs. Ginny Ketterer, who lives in Valley Cottage now but graduated from Congers High School years ago and knows most of the hamlet’s citizens.  “I like the people . . . I’ve known them since they were little kids,” she says.  She has been working in the old building for 25 years. She used to carry clothing merchandise but was put out of the retailing business when the big chain stores came to the county 14 years ago and put little businesses out in the cold.  “We all started to hurt,” she says.  But the custom sewing has brought her a living because she is able to undercut the prices at those same big stores, and she finds no need to advertise the service (most of it is word of mouth.)  Her customers come from throughout the county and from New York City, she says.  She learned her trade working in the factories in Nyack and Garnerville, where clothing has been produced for many years. Now, she is “in the process” of buying the old store she has rented for 25 years.

_____

Flashback Friday appears every Friday. To receive it in your email inbox, enter your email address at the bottom of the HSRC’s website landing page, or call the HSRC office to register your email at 845-634-9629.

This week’s full report can be found at link in bio or at this link: https://www.rocklandhistory.org/page.cfm?page=1124

#RocklandCountyNY #RocklandCounty #RocklandHistory #LocalHistory #NYSHistory #HudsonRiverValley #HudsonValley #LowerHudsonValley #HSRC #HistoricalSocietyofRocklandCounty #HistoricalSociety #HistoryMuseum #HistoryMatters #HistoryHappens #congers

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #hudson river valley #congers #women entrepreneurs #women’s history month

0 notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 1 month

Text

The new episode Crossroads of Rockland History is streaming now! The episode originally aired Monday, March 18, 2024 at 9:30am on WRCR 1700AM Radio.

Listen at this link: https://on.soundcloud.com/mzviL

Or on any podcast platform.

Host Clare Sheridan welcomed members of the Piermont Historical Society (PHS) to discuss their recent efforts to preserve and share the history of Piermont with the public.

The Piermont Historical Society is a dynamic organization ensuring that the unique history of the Village is passed down through generations of residents and shared with all of those who have an interest in this beautiful Hudson Valley.

The mission of the PHS is to preserve and protect the integrity of Piermont’s architecture, history and cultural heritage and to celebrate the history of Piermont. The vision of the Society is to make the history of Piermont a common narrative in the Village and beyond. Visit their website here: piermonthistoricalsociety.org/

The PHS's new film entitled "ALL ABOARD! Next Stop Piermont" will premiere at the Nyack International Film Festival on April 7, 2024.

To watch a sneak preview of the film click here: youtu.be/X8u9nCKSy-E?si=4gDZ9qx1OpLTxS-v

Crossroads of Rockland History is a program of the The Historical Society of Rockland County. The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #orangetown #historic preservation #hudson river valley #piermont

1 note · View note

rocklandhistoryblog · 1 month

Text

50 Years Ago in Rockland History

St. Patrick’s Day, 1974

Clipped from the Journal News

📸Staff photo - Art Sarno

Kirsten Pedersen of New City holds her ears Friday as bagpiper Brian Meagher of Spring Valley gives his all in front of Germonds Church, Germonds Road in New City, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

To all who celebrate, we wish you a safe and happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #hudson river valley #saint patricks day

0 notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 1 month

Text

FBF News from Yesteryear

[Image: Adam Gitlitz (left) and Richard Farley smile together after Richard's rescue. Journal News photograph by Al Witt.]

March 16, 1974 – 50 YEARS AGO The Journal News

POMONA BOY RESCUES FRIEND FROM DROWNING   An 11-year-old Pomona boy who says he wants to be a lifeguard when he grows up got a head start on his future profession this week. He saved a five-year-old neighbor from drowning in a backyard pool.  Ramapo police credit Richard Farley, of 120 E. Willow Tree Road, with saving the life of Adam Gitlitz, of 102 E. Willow Tree Road, after Adam had fallen into a neighbor’s pool Wednesday afternoon.  Richard told The Journal-News he was walking on East Willow Tree Road at about 4:30 p.m. when he heard screams coming from a neighbor’s backyard. Rushing to the scene, he found Adam “going down a few times” in about four feet of water.  “I broke a piece of wood off a bench they had there,” Richard said, “and reached it out to him. He was about five feet away.”  By manipulating the board, Richard was able to keep the semi-conscious child afloat, until his mother, Susan Gitlitz arrived and hauled him out.  A witness said Adam Gitlitz was playing near the pool when he fell in.  Richard’s quick thinking “apparently saved the boy’s life,” said Ramapo Police Sgt. Duane Whitaker. He said that Ptl. Morton Haber, who investigated the accident, recommended Richard for commendation.  Richard, a fifth-grader at the Carlton School who says he enjoys math and social studies, said he knew the Kitlitz boy from around the neighborhood. A member of the Rockland County Dolphins swimming team, said a lifeguard “seems like a good thing to be” when he grows up.  Asked how it feels to be a hero, Richard replied, “To tell you the truth, it feels pretty good.” _____

Flashback Friday appears every Friday. To receive it in your email inbox, enter your email address at the bottom of the HSRC’s website landing page, or call the HSRC office to register your email at 845-634-9629.

This week’s full report can be found at link in bio or at this link: https://www.rocklandhistory.org/page.cfm?page=1122

#RocklandCountyNY #RocklandCounty #RocklandHistory #LocalHistory #NYSHistory #HudsonRiverValley #HudsonValley #LowerHudsonValley #HSRC #HistoricalSocietyofRocklandCounty #HistoricalSociety #HistoryMuseum #HistoryMatters #HistoryHappens

0 notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 2 months

Text

The new episode of Crossroads of Rockland History is streaming now !

Listen here: https://on.soundcloud.com/TVwuf

Or on any major podcast platform.

_______

Did you know that the Lafayette Theater in Suffern is Rockland’s only single-screen movie palace? In operation since 1924, it marks its 100th anniversary this year!

With special guest Ari Benmosche and Craig Long, we turned our attention to history of the Lafayette Theater, what Suffern was like a century ago, and learned about the ongoing festivities celebrating this landmark anniversary. The festivities—“100 Years of Film,” showcasing classic movies from the 1910s to the 2010s—will run until March 3, 2024.

Learn more about the “100 Years of Film” celebration at https://lafayettetheatersuffern.com.

***

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the Jeff and Will morning show, on WRCR Radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

@lafayette_theater @wrcr1700

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #historic preservation #hudson river valley #suffern #Lafayette theater

1 note · View note

rocklandhistoryblog · 3 months

Text

Sixty years ago today, the Beatles arrived to screaming fans at New York's JFK Airport to begin their first American tour. Two days later they appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Here in Rockland, teen girls were able to get a Beatle haircut from Mr. Paul’s in West Nyack. ‘Miss Beatle’ models it in this vintage ad from the salon.

Clipped from the Journal News, Feb. 1964.

#rocklandhistory

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #hudson river valley #west nyack #the beatles #miss Beatle

2 notes · View notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 3 months

Photo

Happy Birthday to Babe Ruth! Born George Herman Ruth #otd in 1895, the @yankees player was captured in this iconic photo by Nat Fein of Tappan.

This dramatic photograph was taken on June 13, 1948, at Yankee Stadium. “The Babe Bows Out” won a Pulitzer Prize for photographer Nat Fein. This photograph is featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian Institute.

3 notes · View notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 3 months

Text

📸 Dorice Arden

Preparing for the next episode of “Crossroads of Rockland History” about the 100th Anniversary of the Lafayette Theater in Suffern. The episode will air 2/19 on @wrcr1700 but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post the movies they will screen this weekend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🍿The Graduate 7:30PM Friday, February 2nd

🍿2001: A Space Odyssey 1:00PM Saturday, February 3rd

🍿Psycho 7:30PM Saturday, February 3rd

🍿My Fair Lady 1:00PM Sunday, February 4th

The single-screen movie palace is the perfect place to see these modern classic films.

🎥 Enjoy!

@lafayette_theater #suffern #lafayettetheatre #psycho #myfairlady #2001aspaceodyssey #thegraduate #classicfilm

#rockland history #local history #rocklandhistory #rockland county #nyshistory #nys history #historic preservation #hudson river valley #suffern #Lafayette theater

1 note · View note

rocklandhistoryblog · 3 months

Text

The Ballad of Claudius Smith

THE BALLAD OF CLAUDIUS SMITH

By H. Pierson Mapes

South of the Mountains, Vol. 9; No. 1 (January – March 1965)

The story of Claudius Smith is an exciting legend that is becoming more and more extinct with the passing years.

Thief, bandit, traitor, desperado, outlaw, highwayman, kidnapper, arsonist, murderer and unmitigated scoundrel were only a few of the infamous names given to Claudius Smith during his reign of terror from 1774 to 1779.

The legend of his escapades has been handed down from generation to generation and only after the turn of the Twentieth Century did the people of lower New York State cease scaring unmanageable children with “Claudius Smith will get you if you don’t watch out!”

It is believed that Claudius Smith started his notorious career at an early age in Monroe, New York. Historians say that he and his two brothers, Richard and James, were encouraged in their ways of transgression in early childhood by their father.

The beginning of the Revolutionary War saw Claudius a grown man, and, being of English parentage, he seized the opportunity to band together a group of traitors and Tories, who had embraced the cause of the Crown.

The British were stationed in New York City and at Fort Lee, New Jersey, and up as far as Stony Point, and they were in constant need of supplies. In the beginning Claudius and his band stole horses and cattle and sold them to the British. Hence, legendary stories always referred to them as “The Cowboys of the Ramapos.”

Before the capture of Claudius and the breaking up of the band they were by that time stealing and plundering anything they could lay their hands on. They would come forth at night from their mountain caves, breaking into dwellings, stealing food and valuables, and sometimes set ting homes and barns on fire, killing in cold blood if resisted.

The countryside was in a constant state of terror. In 1778 an indignation meeting was held by the citizens and an appeal was made to Governor Clinton of New York State for help. It was not until the following year that Claudius was finally captured and taken to the jail in Goshen, New York. He was tried on January 13, 1779 and hanged January 22, 1779. I t is ironic to note in the writ of execution that he was tried and executed for burglary only.

Three of the caves which were used by Claudius and band are situated within 35 miles from New York City and may be visited today, one near Tuxedo, New York, another on Route 202 at Wesley Chapel and the other on the Townsend farm North of Southfields.

To hear author, Historian and Ghost Hunter Linda Zimmermann speak about Claudius Smith, click here: https://soundcloud.com/cbsheridan/claudius-smith-cowboy-of-the-ramapos-linda-zimmermann

________________________________________________________

The Ballad of Claudius Smith

Claudius Smith was a wayward lad

From early youth his ways were bad

And he came to an end that was very sad.

They caught him in the valley

And they hung him on the hill

And his skull may be seen

in the courthouse still

In the eighteenth century year seventy-four

Men were meeting at door to door.

There was talk of tax on tea

They were protesting, it should be free.

Patriots rose in seventy-five

Public spirit sprang alive.

Seeds of liberty were sown deep

Blood flowed freely, death did reap.

British marching in from the ocean

Headed up toward the land of Goshen.

Their high stepping troops it was told to me

Were hired to fight, from across the sea.

Hessian soldiers, evil and smelly

Would only fight on a full belly.

They needed horses, beef and pork

To sustain their march up from New York

They were willing to pay with gold

And this is what tempted our outlaw bold.

So Claudius became a bandit chief

From farmer boy to desperate thief

Their many acts of depredation

Were a curse to the struggling nation.

It is told in all the stories

How he banded together a gang of Tories.

The outlaw leader and his band

Were often called the scourge of the land.

Hard riding men, fast with a gun

Working at night and afraid of the sun.

They used to meet in his father’s tavern

Then hid by day in the mountain cavern.

From Sidman’s Bridge to Tappan Zee

They robbed and stole to get their fee.

Driving away with farmers’ cattle

Wanton killing if forced to battle.

Martinis Onderdonk was wealthy and proud

And he had no use for the Tory crowd.

He had a son, a daughter too

Who all the village boys did woo.

The leader of the traitor band

Also sought her lovely hand.

But the marauding free booter

Was a very unwelcome suitor.

Katherine Onderdonk turned him down

For his allegiance to the crown.

He was determined to have this maid

“Forget her, Claudius” his followers said.

He had no ears, she’d hurt his pride

By force he’d have her for his bride.

The bandits surrounded her house that night

Katherine woke with an awful fright.

She looked at Claudius with eyes of hate

Knowing too well what was her fate.

He bound and gagged her, the heartless knave

And took her off to his mountain cave.

He further raised the farmers’ ire

By setting their homes and barns on fire.

A t nigh t the citizen’s watch did keep

For fear of being murdered in their sleep.

Terror reigned and nerves were taut

Then Governor Clinton’s aid was sought.

He promised them muskets, flints and powder

As the many protests grew steadily louder.

The wrathful farmers came en masse

From Hudson Valley to Ramapo Pass.

A meeting was called in old South Field

The doom of Claudius Smith was sealed.

They planned a search throughout the land

To destroy the leader and his band.

They chased him from secluded nooks

And trailed him down the mountain brooks.

And then the countryside did rally

For Claudius was captured in the valley.

He was taken to the county seat

Stoutly tethered, hands and feet.

They chained him to the jailhouse floor

And double barred the oaken door.

Villagers gathered from many a mile

And gave him a fair and honest trial.

The jury came in and here’s what they said

“He shall hang by the neck until he is dead.”

“For your evil deeds you must pay.”

Then the judge decreed he’d hang that day.

So Claudius went up the Gallows Hill

Just beyond the village mill.

The angry mob howled and jeered

With rope in hand the hangman leered.

Amid the roar of angry hoots

Claudius calmly removed his boots.

The assembled crowd just looked with a stare

For there he stood, his feet were bare.

Someone muttered, I wonder why?

Claudius spoke in a loud reply.

’‘My mother said with my boots on I’d die

I want to prove that she did lie.”

As he deprived his mother of her prophecy

He raised his foot so all could see.

Then with a sickening cry, they pulled him high

And he swayed in the wind that came with a sigh.

So ends our tale of the wayward lad

Whose finish you see was very sad.

They caught him in the valley

And they hung him on the hill.

And his skull may be seen

in the courthouse still.

7 notes · View notes

rocklandhistoryblog · 3 months

Text

#FBF News From Yesteryear; 90YEARS AGO

January 18, 1934  Excerpt from Pearl River News

TO ERECT BRONZE TABLET TO “UNCLE BENNY” HYDE IN PALISADES INTERSTATE PARK [Images: (1) Benjamin Talbot Babbitt Hyde (a.k.a. “Uncle Benny”) with unidentified children, undated; (2) Hyde Memorial Tablet. Images courtesy of the Regional Museums–Harriman State Park.]

Members of the staff of the regional nature museums in the Palisades Interstate Park, and others who knew the work and the fine character of the late B. T. B. (“Uncle Benny”) Hyde, are joining in a permanent tribute to his memory, in the form of a bronze tablet to be placed in a suitable location in the Harriman Section of the Palisades Interstate Park, in the Highlands of the Hudson, for which subscriptions are now being collected.  Contributions from any interested persons will be received by Miss Ruby M. Jolliffe, Superintendent of the Camping Department of the Palisades Interstate Park, at Room 794, State Office Building, 141 Worth Street, New York City. It is hoped to raise enough to make an appropriate memorial which will be dedicated next June during the summer camping season.  “Uncle Benny” is lovingly remembered by many who were inspired and encouraged by him in the study of nature when he was chief of this work from 1918 to 1925, at the camps of the Boy Scouts of the Greater New York Council, at Kanawauke Lakes in the Park; but his work was extended to all the others of the eighty camp grounds in the Harriman Section. He was the first to lay out nature trails about the Kanawauke camps and to establish an indoor museum there, and he stimulated the establishment of similar features at other camping lakes…