Columbia County History Events

       Celebrating the Library’s LGBTQ+ Hudson History Archive

On Thursday, June 12, 6-7:30pm, the Hudson Area Library will host a celebration of the library’s new and ongoing LGBTQ+ archive. This collection, much of it consisting of oral histories of local people who identify as LGBTQ+, has been developed in the past year thanks to funding from Spark of Hudson, in partnership with the Eutopia Foundation, and funds from the Poke the Bear fundraiser. The program, curated by Jasper Francis, features clips from the oral histories that have been completed in the last year. Community members will comment on the importance of the clips chosen. There will be a reception following the program.

This community-sourced archive is in collaboration with OutHudson. The evening celebrates the progress of this archive and also informs people of next steps to build the collection. The library is looking for donations (or loans to digitize) of photographs, video, art, documents, ephemera, and memorabilia on Hudson’s vital queer history. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about how the archive will be developed and how items donated or loaned will be handled. All are welcome to attend, learn more, and engage as a community.

Jasper Francis (he/him) is a historian, translator, and writer based out of Hudson. He is currently a volunteer researcher with the HAL History Room and works closely with Oral History Summer School. 

Interviews for the library's LGBTQ+ focused portion of the Hudson Area Library Oral History Project collection (https://oralhistory.hudsonarealibrary.org/)  were recorded in collaboration with OutHudson and with support from The Spark of Hudson and John Schobel and the Poke the Bear Foundation in honor of Rich "Trixie" Volo.

The Hudson Area Library History Room houses a collection that pertains to the history of the City of Hudson, Greenport and Stockport; as well as Columbia County and New York State. The History Room also hosts the Local History Speaker Series at the library, offering free monthly talks on diverse topics related to local history.

The History Room is open Saturdays, 10am-1pm and Wednesdays 6 - 8pm and by appointment. Online research requests for information on local history are available at https://historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org/. This is a free service to the public. To inquire about an appointment email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792 x106.

The Hudson Area Library is located at 51 North Fifth Street in Hudson, NY. The mission of the library is to enrich the quality of life by providing free and equal access to programs, services and resources, and by creating opportunities for all members of our community to connect, create, learn and grow.

AT THE MUSEUM:

Each weekend from 2-4 PM, the RJHS summer exhibition welcomes visitors to explore a plethora of information, photographs, documents, and artifacts representing the featured sites. The displays will vividly illustrate the historical significance of these locations and highlight how they have and continue to play a vital role in our community through restoration and repurposing. Notably, the RJHS venue, a former Methodist Church, was rescued, restored, and repurposed over 40 years ago. It remains a hub for the Roe Jan community as an active historical society and museum. 

Working in concert with the RJHS Board of Directors, the Copake Historic Preservation Committee, the Copake Grange, and various individuals and organizations throughout the Roe Jan area are contributing valuable content, documents, artifacts, and images that will together breathe life into these significant historic places.

SITE VISITS:

In addition to our regular hours (Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 PM), RJHS will be hosting many special Sunday afternoon site visits from July through October. Sites we will visit include the former Bash Bish Inn and Copake Pure Water & Ice Co. Icehouse, the Copake Union Free School, the Craryville Depot Complex, the Copake Iron Works Historic District, Livingston era Mill Success, Boston Corner's original boundary marker in Ancram, Historic historic Hillsdale's town center, and others. 

The site visits are free, but registration is required. Details regarding dates, times, and how to register will soon be available on the RJHS website. The RJHS website, future newsletters, and social media will continue to provide up-to-date information.

Note: From Saturday, July 12, to Sunday, October 26, the museum will be open during the regular 2 to 4 PM time slots on both Saturdays and Sundays. Museum admission and site visits are free. Donations are welcome.