Presented by Charles Canham, Senior Scientist Emeritus, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

Forests of the Hudson Valley have seen constant change throughout the more than 12,000 years since the retreat of the Pleistocene glaciers. Although humans have been responsible for the most important transformations, the most dramatic changes followed European settlement. The future of those forests will be shaped by a new set of forces, including climate change and the impact of forest pests and pathogens.

On February 3 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation.

Presented by James Brands, Town Justice, Town of Clinton.

Jim Brands is a direct descendant of Johannas George Rymph, the earliest known member of the Rymph family to migrate from Germany in the early 1760s. The family settled in Hyde Park and became emblematic of many of the founding families of the community. Judge Brands and his wife reside on the family farm on Rymph Road and a number of his ancestors have been buried in the Pleasant Plains Cemetery on Fiddlers Bridge Road.

On April 21 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation or join us in person at the Creek Meeting House.

Presented by Patrick O’Hara.

A descendant of the Rymph family, Patrick O’Hara spent the summer of 2022 visiting local cemeteries while researching his family tree. Mr. O’Hara cleaned over eighty cemetery markers, writing narratives about the deceased and posting them to social media — and in the process stimulating interest and discussion on the upkeep of local cemeteries. He will discuss how to safely clean a gravestone, the best cleaning solutions to use, and basic tools and techniques.

On May 5 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation or join us in person at the Creek Meeting House.

Presented by Shannon Butler, Historian, Poughkeepsie Public Library District.

Using court records, early newspaper articles, and pamphlets, Shannon Butler discusses Dutchess County’s most gruesome murders from the 18th through the early 20th centuries—including one of the first female serial killers and the gruesome murder of a Poughkeepsie businessman. Ms. Butler, the author of two books and numerous articles, has worked in local history for sixteen years and is the creator and cohost of a historical podcast entitled “All My Favorite People Are Dead.”

On June 2 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation or join us in person at the Creek Meeting House.

Our “Clinton: Then and Now” summer exhibit features over 140 vintage images, some as early as 1900, of the town’s historic homes, general stores, schools, and churches, paired with current photos of each site.  The society’s extensive archive provided most of the historic images, while residents also contributed from their personal collections.  Interestingly, some sites show little change over the 100-year span, while others reveal great change. Included in the exhibit are “lenticular” photos from the 2007 summer exhibit which show in one photo either the “then” or “now” image depending on the angle the photo is viewed from.

The free exhibit will be open weekends from
1-4PM from July 8 through July 30 at the society’s 1777 Quaker Meeting House. Light refreshments will be served.

Stop by Our Booth and Say Hi!

We'll have books and maps for sale, membership brochures and a friendly face to greet you. If you missed our summer exhibit, "Clinton: Then & Now", this is your chance to catch it inside the Creek Meeting House along with a flower show by the Friendship Garden Club.

Presented by William P. Tatum III, Dutchess County Historian

Dr. Tatum provides an inside perspective on the challenges and rewards of using land records as historical resources through the example of the Gazely Farm, located on West Meadowbrook Lane. The deed records associated with this property link it back to the Great Nine Partners Patent, providing a historical chain that connects the earliest eras of European settlement in Dutchess County to the present day.

On September 8 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation or join us in person at the Creek Meeting House.

Presented by Joseph Vance

Joe Vance is an award-winning architect in New York City who has recently moved to the Town of Clinton. His firm specializes in residential design projects using 3D software that allows clients to visualize their project in “virtual reality” from inception through completion. Mr. Vance will speak on architectural issues common in rural properties, including renovation of a 1790s home and barns in the Town of Clinton.

On October 6 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation.

The Progressive Dinner fundraiser is on Saturday, October 21. This popular fall event brings members, friends, and neighbors together for an enjoyable evening. The first stop is for wine and cheese, then on to another home for dinner, and ending together at one location for dessert and coffee. If you wish to participate in this important fundraiser, as a host or a guest, please contact: Lisa Noval at 845- 266-4903 or ljnoval@optonline.net.

Presented by Harvey K. Flad, Professor Emeritus of Geography, Vassar College

In the nineteenth century, Hudson River School artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church and landscape designers such as Andrew Jackson Downing, Calvert Vaux, and Frederick Law Olmsted planted the seeds of a national identity through their works in the Hudson River Valley. Professor Flad introduces this historic cultural landscape and presents some personal perspectives on local and regional efforts to preserve this heritage.

On November 3 at 7:30pm click here to join the Zoom presentation.

Save the date for holiday shopping at our craft fair! Plenty of beautiful handcrafted items from local makers and homemade baked goods will be on offer. Please note the new location at the Evangelical Free Church of Clinton Corners, 20 Shepherds Way, (due to construction at the Creek Meeting House). Shepherds Way is off Salt Point Turnpike diagonally across from the Creek Meeting House.

Our 2023 Vendors

Please note this event starts at 7pm.

Presented by the Honorable Albert M. Rosenblatt.  Judge Rosenblatt teaches at the New York University School of Law and is a retired Judge of New York State Court of Appeals. 

The Eight tells the story of Lemmon v. New York—or, as it's more popularly known, the Lemmon Slave Case. All but forgotten today, it was one of the most momentous civil rights cases in American history. There had been cases in which the enslaved had won their freedom after having resided in free states, but the Lemmon case was unique, posing the question of whether an enslaved person can win freedom by merely setting foot on New York soil—when brought there in the keep of an "owner."

The case concerned the fates of eight enslaved people from Virginia, brought through New York in 1852 by their owners, Juliet and Jonathan Lemmon. The Eight were in court seeking, legally, to become people—to change their status under law from objects into human beings. The Eight encountered Louis Napoleon, the son of a slave, an abolitionist activist, and a "conductor" of the Underground Railroad, who took enormous risks to help others. He was part of an anti-slavery movement in which African-Americans played an integral role in the fight for freedom.

The case was part of the broader judicial landscape at the time: If a law was morally repugnant but enshrined in the Constitution, what was the duty of the judge? Should there be, as some people advocated, a "higher law" that transcends the written law? These questions were at the heart of the Lemmon case. They were difficult and important ones in the 1850s—and, more than a century and a half later, we must still grapple with them today.

Albert M. Rosenblatt teaches at the New York University School of Law and is a retired Judge of New York State Court of Appeals. His previous books include Opening Statements: Law, Jurisprudence, and the Legacy of Dutch New York (coedited with Julia C. Rosenblatt) and Judith S. Kaye in Her Own Words: Reflections on Life and the Law, with Selected Judicial Opinions and Articles (coedited with Judith S. Kaye and Henry M. Greenberg), both published by SUNY Press.

Please join us after the talk for a Holiday Reception!

Presented in partnership with the Clinton Community Library. This talk is in person only.