Big Doings at the Historical Society

I attended the grand opening of my town’s historical society’s recently relocated and restored one room schoolhouse. There was a band, and some guy from the historical society expounded on the history of schooling in the town. There were quite a few old folks who had attended one room schoolhouses, and I was surprised to learn that one room schoolhouses had been the norm in the town until the 1950s. Dutchess County must really have been the boondocks back in the day. Even my pitiful impoverished Appalachian community in North Georgia had multiple room schoolhouses in the 1950s.

There is still an operating one room schoolhouse not far from where I live, and it serves children of the members of the Bethel Baptist Church in Shenandoah Corners. The head teacher spoke briefly at the event.

This particular structure is believed to date from about 1820. The society did a great job of moving it and restoring it. It joins the Palen homestead, an18th century farmhouse restored and furnished with period furniture, and a carriage barn complete with some old sleighs and carriages. All these historical society resources are situated in the midst of an ordinary subdivision, and I would never have known about it if the head of the society hadn’t filled me in. It’s a pretty impressive set up for a small town historical society.

I am thinking of joining the society since I am a history buff, but I have some concerns. The opening of the schoolhouse included a flag raising, the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the national anthem, all gratuitous jingoism having nothing to do with the event or the purposes of the society. Also, I learned in conversation that the society is funded mostly by the town, that is its activities are paid for with money extracted from the subjects of the town by force. I am given to understand that the society aims to become independent of tax dollars, and I reckon that is a worthy goal. I am still mulling over the ethical angle.

My town has a full time historian on the payroll. I did not know that. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what an official town historian is for. Perhaps she is responsible to revise history in order to bolter the agenda of the current town regime.