America's Birthday – Happy 250th – Proud of Our Independence

It may seem like 250 years was a long time ago, but when you figure that the average person lives about 80 years, that’s only about 3 lifetimes. America is young, but how it has matured is astonishing

 Jesse Van Vechten Vedder was the first Greene County Historian appointed in 1924, a little over 100 years ago, the first local historian since America celebrated its birth. Vedder did an amazing job of collaborating our county’s history and stirring an interest that continues today.

America’s history began when we were claimed by both the English and the Dutch, each wanting to continue owning our territory. Vedder tells us that in 1664 the English, by conquest, obtained possession of all the Hudson Valley and the lands claimed by the Dutch, regained possession, and was soon forcibly repossessed and remained under English rule until the present government of the United States was instituted following the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.  Sadly, like in every war, too many lives were lost in battle.

About 100 years prior to the Revolution, the colony of New York was divided into 12 colonies, with Albany and Ulster having a direct relationship with Greene. The dividing line on the Hudson River, Vedder said, was Murderer’s Creek in Athens.

The area officially became Greene County on March 25, 1800, only 17 years after the end of the Revolutionary War.

Things change. Greene County boundary lines were moved; town names were altered, changed, or eliminated but eventually the county stabilized. By 1801 the counties were divided into towns, with Greene County consisting of just Catskill, Freehold, Windham, and Coxsackie. Hunter, called Greenland at that time, became a township of its own in 1813.

Local history books are plentiful, and fortunately available in most libraries. But for now, we’ll close with what Vedder said of Greene County, “The scenic wealth of the Catskill Mountains lies within the borders of the Town of Hunter. It has been more richly endowed in this respect than any other town in Greene County, and three cloves with their streams, ravines, cliffs and trails, smaller replicas of those found among the Rockies and the Klondike, here have a common meeting place. It is also from Hunter town that the door unexcitingly opens to that most impressive of all views, that of Hudson Valley and portions of the Eastern states.”

Thank you, America, for giving us all you have. As difficult as life can be at times, it is great to live in a free, young country.

And to live on the Mountain Top, in the Town of Hunter, is a bonus.

Thanks for reading. Happy 4th of July. Be careful and stay well. I hope many of you can celebrate the 250th at the July 4th parade with refreshments, music, and fireworks to follow at the new gazebos at Tannersville Lake. To make for an extra exciting weekend, the Hunter Foundation will host a great display of fireworks at the Colonial Country Club!

 Dede Terns-Thorpe/Hunterhistorian@gmail.com