Happy Birthday Putnam County! Celebrate Putnam County’s History June 12th
CARMEL, NEW YORK, May 10 — Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell and County Historian Sarah Johnson, Ph.D., invite the public to celebrate Putnam County’s 206th birthday on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at the Historic Courthouse, 44 Gleneida Avenue, Carmel, NY, from 10 – 11:30 am. During the annual birthday ceremony, the County Historian will debut highlights from the Historian’s Collection and discuss the importance of contributions of records, letters, photographs, and other ephemera from local families, politicians and organizations.
This year the Putnam County Historian’s Office will honor residents and organizations for their outstanding contributions to local history including:
Exemplary Public History in Schools: Haldane High School History Club
Innovative Interpretation: Ed Illiano & The Master Gardeners, “Hike Putnam”
Digital History Award: Putnam History Museum
Preserving Local History: Peter Bruenn – “Putnam County Playhouse”; Dan Birmingham, Heather Reid & Bonnie Groat – Moses Fowler Family Papers 1765-1927
Local History Publication: Dolores Beal Stephens, “Water for the Troops”
Lifetime Achievement – Local History: Louise Andres, The Milltown Association
In Memoriam: Dr. Samuel Ross, Jr., Green Chimneys
Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to join the County Historian and honorees in the lobby of the David D. Bruen County Office Building for the traditional County birthday cake and refreshments. The public is welcome, no RSVP required. For more information about the event, please contact the Historian’s Office at 845-808-1420 or historian@putnamcountyny.gov
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About The Historian’s Office
The Historian’s Office preserves, interprets, and promotes the history of Putnam County as a local government office. New York’s Town and Village Historians began serving public history since 1919, in part to document World War I Veterans back into civilian life. The New York State Legislature authorized the appointment of county historians in 1933. County Historians are appointed by the Putnam County Executive and confirmed by the Putnam County Legislature. New York State defines the work of County Historians in four broad categories: research and writing, teaching and public presentations, historic preservation, and organization, advocacy and tourism promotion. To support these efforts, the Putnam County Historian’s Office has been collecting historical records, maps, books, photographs, and periodicals since 1953. In 1992, the Putnam County Archives was established in the Historian’s Office to preserve, arrange, describe, and make accessible the governmental records of Putnam County. The Archives and Historian’s Collection are used as a resource for people in Putnam County and elsewhere. Finding aids are available at www.putnamcountyny.com/countyhistorian and are also linked to OCLC’s Archives Grid. The Historian’s Office is a consortia member of SENYLRC’s Hudson River Valley Heritage digital initiative www.hrvh.org/putnamcounty and can be found on Facebook at Putnam Historian and historic sites on History Pin.
