The 300th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Palatines

1710 2010G E R M A N T O W N , N E W Y O R K

HistoryGerman "Palatines" came in 1710 to the upper Hudson Valley, to land that is today Germantown, Columbia County.

The “Palatines” were driven from the Rhenish Palatinate, a small Electorate located near the junction of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers in Germany, by wars and famine. They left their homeland in the so-called Great Migration of 1709, and settled in New York in 1710.

The History of the Settlement of this area may be said to have begun on, or about, September 29, 1710, when Robert Hunter, newly appointed Royal Governor of New York Province, purchased some 6,000 acres of land on the east bank of the Hudson River, from Robert Livingston, First Lord of the Manor.

     This land was purchased for the purpose of settling some 1,400 or more German-speaking Palatines from the Rhine Valley and adjacent areas. 

These Palatines were to be settled along the Hudson River, and put to work manufacturing Naval Stores, products of the pine tree, for the British Navy. 

 Naval Stores is a term which originally applied to the resin-based components used in building and maintaining wooden sailing ships.

There were two species of pine trees predominant  here along the Hudson, the White Pine and the Pitch Pine.

The White Pine was most numerous along the river, but was not suited to the purpose in mind,

The Pitch Pine also grew here, but was most numerous some distance inland from the river. This tree was suited to the project under consideration.

The undertaking of manufacturing Naval Stores proved a failure and, in the autumn of 1712, the Colony split, with many of the settlers moving on.

Others elected to remain and fought through some terribly hard conditions.

By 1724, some 63 families were firmly enough established to petition for title to the 6,000 acres purchased by Governor Hunter in 1710.

This petition was granted in 1725. 

In 1740 the area was surveyed and mapped, and those remaining were given Indentures of Ownership for their lands.

Cadwallader Colden Map. A map of the six thousand acres of land granted to Paletine heads of families

ANNESBURY In the Snyder's Corners-

Half Moon Anchorage area

Approximate locations of Palatine Settlements at East Camp in 1710

QUEENSBURY    

In the vicinity of Sharp's Landing Road, Maple Avenue, Maple Avenue

Extension, and Highway 9G

HAYESBURY    

In the area around the junction of County Road No. 8 and Highway 9G

HUNTERSTOWN

In the vicinity of present-day Cheviot

Art: AnalemmaAn analemma is a piece of art conceived by Dea Archbold and Kurt Holsapple, both of whom are descendants of the first settlers of Germantown in 1710.

This piece of art is created by recording the spot where the tip of the shadow of a twelve foot pole falls at the same time of day for all 365 days of the year.

Seminar

•Hank Z. Jones; professional genealogist known for his extensive work with Palatine genealogy.

•Rev. David J. Webber; genealogical research with expertise in the history of Palatines to America.

•Philip Otterness; Professor of History and Political Science, Warren Wilson College; Author of Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York.

•Alice Clark; Palatine DNA project, will talk about findings and future plans.

Music

Gala Concert

Reformed Church in Germantown

Sunday October 3, 2010, 3:00 PM

• Maestro Harold Farberman; composer/conductor and long-time Germantown resident premieres a new concert work commissioned for voice and instruments

• Donna Diehl, Conductor; 18th century hymns sung by the Southern Columbia Community Choir

• Performances by other groups and soloists

History Preservation

• Oral histories; recorded interviews with Palatine descendants will be available for viewing at the Germantown Library

• Reviewing church and history department documents

• Long-term cataloging project

• Digitizing pictures

• Lindner mapping project

Archeology Project

• Researcher Christopher Lindner, Ph.D., archaeologist in residence at Bard College

• Archeological excavation of artifacts at the Maple Avenue Parsonage

• Artifacts to be displayed at the Germantown Library

• Field & lab school for students and teachers

• Exhibit designer, Scott Guerin

The following Library activities/programs related to the Parsonage archaeology project have been arranged.

• Monthly reports on progress.

•Public visits to the Parsonage, one when the Bard anthropology department is at work

•Visits by groups of Germantown Central School students 

•A slide presentation during the tricentennial celebrations about archaeological research on our early history

Germantown Library

Publications

• “Ginny’s Book”; publishing of a story of early life in Germantown, written by Virginia “Ginny” (Miller) Sherwood.

•Walter Miller’s “History of Germantown” reprinted

2010 Garden Club Calendar has been

published

Commemoration of the Palatines

Planning is under way for a commemoration to the Palatines in Germantown. The monument below currently exists across the Hudson River in West Camp.

Palatine Oktoberfest

• Friday, October 8th; A wagon parade down Main Street, honoring local businesses, farmers, and GCS students. The early evening parade will end at Palatine Park where participants can join in the Oktoberfest, enjoying plenty of food, cider, perhaps a bonfire (NYS Permit pending) and music.

• Saturday, October 9th, 11 am to 11 pm; Oktoberfest continues at Palatine Park with music, free tractor and horse drawn wagon rides, many displays, food vendors, crafters, farm exhibits, petting zoo, fire displays, an evening teenage dance, rides, children's games, sales, history exhibits, German food sales and fireworks.

• Sunday, October 10th, 11 am to 7 pm; Oktoberfest continues with German Oompah Band, a visit from our friends at West Point Military Academy, and all

of the events from Saturday will continue.

FREE ADMISSION AND PARKING SEE YOU ALL AT PALATINE PARK; ALL WEEKEND

“WHERE THE HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS COME TOGETHER”

Germantown Central School Projects related to the Palatine settlements of 1710

•Elementary Drama Production of a Palatine play

•Learning about life in 1710; passages from Ramsey/Miller book

•Discussions about Palatines

•“Then and Now” visual display; including maps, artistic works and essays

•Poetry writing on the Palatine topic

•Field trips to the Parsonage archeological dig

•Broadsides (one page newspapers) and dioramas depicting life in 1710

•Visual timeline of Germantown

•Palatine survey of family members; visit to the Parsonage History department

•And more, including music and art projects

Activities will generate projects to be displayed at the Palatine 300th Anniversary

Miscellaneous• Community Spaghetti Dinner at the Kellner Activity Building; Friday, April

30th. Proceeds go towards the Palatine Oktoberfest.

• Banners for telephone polls

• Tree Planting project – Boy Scouts

• Mural to be painted on the salt garage wall

• Garden Club 300th garden party on Saturday, September 25

• Joint exhibition with Saugerties Historical Society

• Monthly publication of newsletter, "The Packet" bringing stories of the Palatines and news of progress and events relating to the celebration.

Calendar of Germantown 300th Anniversary Events

Sunday , March 21, 20104pm: Lenten Hymn Sing at the Reformed Church of Germantown;

Rev. David Tipple’s address will discuss “Palatine Piety”.

Sunday , April 18, 2010Time TBA: Presentation of German organ composers contemporary to the Palatine Migration; featuring two organists from the Old Dutch

Church in Kingston

Saturday , May 22, 201010am: Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture (HVVA) Society’s

stone house tour of Saugerties

JuneExhibit at the Germantown Library of artifacts found in and around

the Germantown Parsonage

Weekend September 11-12, 2010House tours and visits on both sides of the River

Saturday , September 25, 20102pm to 4pm: 300th Birthday Party at the Parsonage, sponsored

by the Germantown Garden Club.

Friday, October 1, 2010Talks to students at Germantown Central School on Palatine

history by Henry Z. Jones, historian/genealogist, and David Jay Webber, historian/Palatine descendant and GCS graduate.

Saturday, October 2, 201011am to 3pm with lunch break: Seminar at the Reformed Church

in Germantown on aspects of Palatine history and the arrival of the Palatines in Germantown. Speakers:

Henry Z. Jones, David Jay Webber, Philip Otterness, and Alice Clark

Reservation desk opens at 9:30 am.3pm to 4:30pm: Seminar speakers available to discuss

genealogy with seminar participants

 

Sunday, October 3, 20108am to 9:15 am: 300th Anniversary breakfast, hosted by the

Christ Lutheran Church (Viewmont) 10am Ecumenical church service at the Christ Lutheran Church in

Viewmont celebrating the church’s 300th Anniversary 3pm Gala concert at the Reformed Church in Germantown

- Maestro Harold Farberman; Commissioned work for voice and instruments based on church hymns

- 18th century hymns sung by the Southern Columbia Community Choir, Donna Diehl, conductor

- Performances by other groups and soloists

Friday, October 8, 2010Early evening: Wagon parade along Main Street of floats saluting local businesses and organizations, farmers, and GCS students; ending at

Palatine Park with food and refreshments. Kick-off of the Palatine Oktoberfest; including food booths, crafters,

music, community bonfire. Free admission and parking.

Saturday, October 9, 201011am Opening ceremony of Palatine Oktoberfest and Harvest Festival:

remarks by a distinguished guest followed by daylong family

activities, music, international foods, craft vendors, demonstrations, dancing, free horse and tractor-drawn wagon rides,

and more. Free admission and parking.10pm Fireworks to close the first day

Sunday, October 10, 201011am Oktoberfest and Harvest Festival continues:

Previous day’s activities plus an oompah band; highlighted by a visit from our friends at West Point Military Academy

7pm Closing ceremony

Germantown 300th Committee

For more information

Nadine Rumke Co-ChairJerry Smith Co-ChairLarry Osgood Treasurer

Power Point created by: Devin Overington

Jerry Smith: smith@valstar.net518 537 6902

Town Hall: 50 Palatine RdGermantown, NY 12526518 537 6687 Ext.308

Committee: P.O.Box 63Germantown, NY 12526

www.germantownnyhistory.org