Top 5 Reasons to Dive into Greene County History at the Vedder Library
It’s true: The Vedder Research Library, the home of the Archives and Special Collections of the Greene County Historical Society, is a super fun place to spend an afternoon. I knew that Archer, our 11-year-old history buff, would be into it, but I wouldn’t have guessed that the rest of us would spend a day laughing about local history. (Note: If you want to check this place out, appointments are required and available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and most Saturdays.)
The #1 reason to visit is archivist Jonathan Palmer, an Athens native who takes visitors through the library with the folksy charm of a storyteller and the enthusiasm of your favorite social studies teacher. As he cracked corny joked about local landowners from 100 years ago, I felt like we’d found the young Ted Lasso of the Catskills, effervescent positivity, mustache, and all.
Inside the Vedder Research Library at the Greene County Historical Society.
Reason #2: You can ask any question about this history of Greene County and there’s a good chance you’ll find an answer here. Whether you’re interested in learning about local ancestors or just want to know about this history of the land your house is built upon, this place is a treasure trove of well-organized information. Curious about how the town called Surprise got it’s name? You’ve come to the right place! (More on that later…)
Jonathan Palmer introduces the kids to a card catalog at the Vedder Library.
Reason #3: You get nostalgic about card catalogs. (I mean, I know I do.) Since we can look up books on computers at our local library, my kids have never actually used a card catalog. This reminded me of the time we spotted a payphone in Preston Hollow and they had no idea what it was. Archer referred to the payphone as an “artifact.” My goodness.
Anyway, flipping through the cards in those the long, narrow drawers felt like time travel. It was like getting a chance to be a kid again, at a library with my own kids—the actual best.
A document from 1779 at the Greene County Historical Society’s Vedder Research Library.
Reason #4: You can hold a piece of paper from the 1700s! Have you ever touched a ledger from the Revolutionary War era? I can now say that I have. History class never really captured my attention as a kid, but I never had a hands-on experience like this before. I found it moving to look at the old penmanship and hold these carefully preserved documents in my hand.
So much to love about this official banner from the Sesquicentennial of Rip’s Awakening.
#5 Jon Palmer’s one-liners make Greene County history feel as juicy as local gossip. The guy rattles off fanciful names of folks from over 100 years ago like they’re old friends. In some cases, they’re actually old relatives.
He pulled out a document related to someone he called Uncle Telah and chuckled, “As my grandmother used to say, ‘Boy, was he trouble!’”
He told us that he was a descendant of Pieter Bronck, of the Bronck House Museum, which is also part of the Greene County Historical Society campus. Through his research, Jon has learned that Pieter Bronck is his great great great great great great great great (that’s 8 greats) grandfather.
"And you know what that makes me?” he asked with a big smile. “Not much!”
As I was writing this post, Archer referred to UsefulCharts, one of his favorite YouTube channels, and reported that each of us has 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, and 1024 ancestors by the time you get to 8-greats. (Thanks, Archer!)
A page from the Times Union dives into the history behind the name of Surprise, NY.
With the help of the card catalog, we found a 2005 newspaper with an article about the origin of our favorite town names in Greene County. Journalist Felix Carrol wrote, “The names Surprise, Climax, and Result may have sprung from nothing historical at all but instead ‘a sense of humor on the part of the postal authorities’ When they set up rural post offices in the region in the late 1800s.”
Local history buffs dig deep and share their findings with the research library.
At one point, as Jon was rifling through some documents, he asked, “Ever hear of Duke Wellington?”
“He fought Napoleon,” Archer piped up.
“He beat Napolean!” Jon replied, enthusiastically. He must have been relieved that at least one of us knew what he was talking about.
Apparently, a British-born Catskill resident named Anthony S. Thomas fought with the Duke, and a local history buff named Anthony M. Appa took a deep dive into the late soldier’s life and shared his research with the Vedder Library.
Receipts an albums from local Greene County businesses.
We peeked at shelves of receipts, books filled with court records, and lockers stuffed with ancient newspapers — and it felt like we only dipped a toe into the giant pool of resources here.
Books of minutes from the Greene County Surrogate’s Court.
If anything has been written about Greene County, it’s here at the Vedder Library, and if anyone comes across old documents in an attic or elsewhere, they’re welcome to bring them in. Some fascinating and incredibly old paperwork has shown up on their doorstep (sometimes stuffed into damp shopping bags) and it all gets carefully preserved and filed away. Diving into the history of Greene County made us all feel so grateful to get to spend so much time in this special place.
The Vedder Research Library is located at the Greene County Historical Society, beside the Bronck Museum at 90 County Route 42, Coxsackie, NY. Appointments are required for all visitors.
