Join us for a fascinating afternoon with Ron Knapp, SUNY New Paltz Emeritus Professor and renowned historical geographer, as he uncovers the stories of the first covered bridges in New Paltz. Drawing on new research and documentary evidence, Dr. Knapp will explore the 1820s construction of the New Paltz, Perrine’s, and Phillies bridges—highlighting their engineering […]
Join Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran for a visual presentation exploring the presence and experiences of Native American individuals recorded in the mid-18th-century account books of Louis Bevier Jr. These records reveal interactions between the Esopus people and the Bevier family on the current site of the Ulster County Historical Society. The talk offers insights […]
Step into the darker corners of Ulster County’s past with County Historian Eddie Moran. In this compelling and eerie presentation, Moran examines real historical crimes from the colonial and early republic eras—offering a window into the early justice system, shifting social values, and the lasting imprint of inequality. Drawing on archival documents, period images, and […]
Join Ambie Award-winner Blake Pfeil and writer Isabel Wilder for an immersive, multimedia journey into Ulster County’s abandoned spaces. Using Pfeil’s All-American Ruins as a guide, participants will explore how local ruins reflect America’s past, present, and future—while doubling as playgrounds for creativity, imagination, and healing. The program includes an audio feature from Pfeil’s podcast abandoned, a screening […]
What did a “proper” funeral look like in colonial Hurley? How have our rituals of grief, remembrance, and burial changed—and what remains surprisingly familiar? Join Miranda J Voronoy, INELDA-trained Death Doula and Historian, for a fascinating exploration of death practices past and present. Using evocative images from the Old Hurley Burial Ground, we’ll examine how […]
Join Dr. Samantha Misa, author of Witches of the Catskills, for an engaging presentation on historic accounts of witchcraft and maleficium in the Catskill Mountains. Learn about eerie tales rooted in regional folklore and how they shaped local culture. Following the talk, participants of all ages can enjoy a hands-on seasonal craft to take home. […]
Dive into the dramatic early chapters of the women’s suffrage movement in Ulster County during this engaging lecture with historian Kelli Huggins. Explore the 1894 State Constitutional Convention and the determined—but unsuccessful—efforts of local activists to secure the vote. Learn how these women’s stories connect to national figures like Susan B. Anthony and laid vital […]
To close our Ulster in Maps season, the Sunday Salon Series turns to one of the most remarkable land grants in New York history: the 1708 Hardenbergh Patent. Originally pitched to the Colonial Government as a request for a “small tract of land,” it ballooned into a grant larger than the State of Rhode Island. […]
Immigration has defined American political life for decades — and today's debates may feel unprecedented, but they are not. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Immigration Act of 1924, the United States has been here before: moments when anti-immigrant sentiment hardened into law, when nativist arguments drowned out other voices, and when the question […]
Immigrant labor built America — and nowhere is that story more visible, or more local, than the Ashokan Reservoir, which still supplies roughly 40 percent of New York City's drinking water more than a century after its construction. Join local historian Steven Caselli for a presentation and conversation about the Southern Italian laborers who built […]
