Athens
Bicentennial
Celebration
1805-2005
June 3, 4, and 5, 2005
Contributed by Sharon Palmateer
Happy 200th Anniversary, Athens!
Welcome Home! It’s great
to see everyone!
There is an old saying that ‘having
Athens’ mud on your feet will always bring you home’.
It’s nice to see that so many of you have dirty feet!
My name is Sharon Palmateer and I have had
the privilege of serving as the Chairperson of the Athens Bicentennial
Committee.
The story tonight is one of celebration!
This is the time to pat ourselves on the back, as Athenians, for how far
we have come and – at the same time, look over our shoulder to thank those who
came before us. We begin our
celebration in just this way.
Before Athens was discovered by Europeans,
it was inhabited by the Mohican Indians from the Potach Village just west of
Athens. Potic Mountain and Potic
Creek are named for this Indian encampment. They fished the river and hunted the pristine valley.
They mined flint from the area which has been found throughout New
England.
The 1600s began the great explorations of the world. The Athens area is mentioned in a diary kept by Robert Juet of
his trip up the North River with Henry Hudson on the Halfmoon in 1609.
He describes their running aground on the flats between Athens and
Hudson, and their subsequent anchoring for several days.
His entry reads that during the anchoring, the crew visited the west
shore and marveled at “the good ground for corne and other garden herbs, with
great stands of goodly oakes and walnut trees and chestnut trees, ewe trees and
trees of sweet wood in great abundance, and a great store of slate for
houses.”
The earliest European settler in Athens was Jan Van
Loon, who secured title to the land from various owners in 1685.
In 1706, Van Loon was living on his land known as Loonenburgh which
constituted most of the current village.
Nestled along the Hudson River, Loonenburgh survived
through the Dutch rule and the transition to English rule and maintained its
agricultural way of life.
In 1794, a company of New York City speculators led by
Edward Livingston, purchased a tract of land forming what is now the upper
village area. These men began to
lay out a dream city called “Esperanza” which they hoped would become the
capital of New York State and the terminus of the Erie Canal.
But, these plans never materialized, due to the loss of much of their
financial support. The land was
partitioned in 1799. A small
community grew in the upper village area in the initial years of the 1800s, but
it never rivaled the lower village in size or importance.
At the turn of the nineteenth century, the village of
Athens began to form.
This was largely due to the efforts of Isaac Northrup,
who, in 1800, purchased the large farm of the Van Loons and other adjoining
properties and set about the planning of the village along the Hudson.
The streets and alleyways of the village south of Market Street are the
original basic design.
The charter for the incorporation of the Village of Athens
was signed on April 2, 1805. Patricia
Riley Martine, our NYS Deputy Historian for Athens, has a copy of the charter
for our current dignitaries to sign.
David Riley –
Mayor, the Village of Athens
David Taft – representative
of John Sweeney
Letter from
Governor Pataki
By the middle of the nineteenth century,
Athens was an established and successful community.
Numerous factors were significant in the village’s prosperity, the most
important being its location along the Hudson.
Farming, ship building, railroads, ice harvesting, brick
making, manufacturing and resort-based jobs were abundant. Hotels, boarding houses, restaurants and retail shops served
locals and travelers alike.
But, Athens would be just another piece of
property without the people that make up the community.
In the early years of Athens, the Dutch and Palatine populations were
predominant. Van Loon/Van Loan,
Hallenbeck, Van Hoesen, Van Valkenburg, Brooks and Clark are all families from
that period still in Athens. In the
mid 1800s, the Irish famine brought the Ryans, Hyers and O’Gradys to our
shores. Later, the western European
immigration through Ellis Island brought the Italian entrepreneurs and workers
such as the DelVecchios, Petramales, Riozzis, Olivetts, Apas, Favicchios,
Pieruzzis and Gerrains, as well as many other nationalities.
Families moved in and out of Athens but, once here, many stayed.
If we haven’t listed your family surname,
you are no less a part of this community. Please
don’t be upset. All of us are
threads in the fabric of Athens that has been woven over two centuries.
School
Awards – We thought this would be a good opportunity
to get the children involved and teach them about their hometown.
Patrice Palmateer Miller coordinated this effort and I would
like to ask her to come forward to present the awards.
We asked the first through fourth graders to make posters using the
theme: Then and Now. We 
would
like to thank the faculty at E. J. Arthur Elementary School for their
cooperation. We chose three winners
and we would like them to come up to receive their prize. The third prize winner
is Danielle Finch. Her poster
represents the one room school with quill and ink wells verses the pen and chalk
used today. Second place goes
to Julia Reeves for drawing a horse drawn steamer pump compared to a modern fire
truck. Our first prize winner is
Edward Meyer, with a poster depicting the differences in food preparation.
Congratulations to all. Their award
winning posters will be on display at the D. R. Evarts Library.
Introduce
Grand Marshals - What would a Bicentennial Celebration
be without a parade? After the
initial discussions of bands, floats, the parade route and other vital decisions
were being finalized, we turned our attention to selecting a Grand Marshal.
Who should we select? What
would the criteria be? There were so many people that, for one reason or another, the
committee felt should be honored in this way.
We decided to honor the oldest man and woman but we didn’t really know
who those people were. We asked the
community for suggestions by putting a request in the Daily Mail and waited.
The people we are about to present to you
may not necessarily be the oldest people in
Athens but, the community responded and the committee agreed that these people
have spent most, if not all, of their lives supporting and caring about Athens
and they deserve this honor. We
decided, since we are 200 years old, we would have two sets of Grand Marshals
– one for each hundred years. You
will see that these people represent the thread of our village in a variety of
ways. As I call your name, please
stand and face the crowd.
Edith Minerley
For
over 45 consecutive years, you gave back to the community as the first
designated Town Historian. Without
a template to show you how to be a historian, you forged on.
Only a few people know that you kept diaries of the day-to-day happenings
in Athens by recording the births, marriages and deaths of each individual that
passed this way. Your attention to
detail has served Athens well. As
the person who nominated you said, “Your whole life has been history.” And
we quite agree! We present our
oldest Grand Marshal – Mrs. Edith Minerley.
James Van Kuren
As the third generation of your family to live
in Athens, when we think of the varied
industries that have developed in Athens, you personify them.
You have worked in a Knitting Mill in Hudson, the Lifeboat & Davitt
Co. building lifeboats during World War II, the brickyard, Aerobilt/Olson Bodies
and finally, for the Town of Athens. Your
hobbies also remind us of the typical resident because they varied from bowling
to baseball to fishing and hunting. You are clearly a man of many interests and what better
example could we ask for to honor. We
present the person who has LIVED Athens – Mr. James Van Kuren.
Franklin Clark
From boy scouting to Eagle Scout through the
teaching profession to Principal to serving 
in
the Army/Air Force during World War II and being discharged as a Second
Lieutenant, your leadership abilities have blossomed in much the same manner as
your garden. In 1948, you became
the District Superintendent for the First Supervisory District of Greene County
and held that position until 1976. You
served on the committee that drafted the law that authorized the Board of
Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) which has touched so many of our lives.
You single-handed made it possible for a large number of young boys to
get their hands dirty while making money and learning life lessons moving those
‘misplaced plants’ heretofore known as weeds.
You are always willing to share your knowledge and interests.
No one can paint a visual image like you.
We present our most respected educator – Mr. Franklin Clark.
Emily Brunner
Your generosity of spirit and giving of your
time without the expectation of personal reward is what makes you stand out in
the community. From the
moment you moved to the Athens-Hudson Lighthouse in 1931 with your family, you
have carved your own path
and been a model to many of the youth and adults alike.
You were “Women’s Liberation” before anyone ever realized the
meaning of the phrase. Many
adults remember your nursing skills in their time of uncertainty, while others
have memories of you taking the time to play ‘pitch and catch’ to teach them
how to play ball. Still others
continue to benefit from your caring today.
Your sense of community, fair play and personal ethics is what set you
apart as someone we would like to honor. We
present our very own – Emily Brunner.
Present the plaque to the mayor – Mayor Riley, would you step up, please? To commemorate this landmark event, the committee would like to present this plaque to the mayor as the representative of the Village of Athens. (Read the plaque.)
From left to right: Sharon Palmateer,
Chairperson of the Bicentennial Committee, Mayor David Riley, Trustees: Jim
Palmateer Jr., Andrea Smallwood, Chris Pfister
Certificate
from John Sweeney - David Taft – representative of
John Sweeney
Time capsule – We know there was a celebration in 1955 for the Sesquicentennial. Many of us remember it. But, we do not know if a time capsule was buried or where. We have decided that there will be one this time. Let me tell you what we decided to place in it.
Organizational notes of the Committee
A poster for the celebration that includes the schedule of events
A copy of Athens: Moments in Time video
T-Shirt
Founder’s Ball ticket
The 2005 calendar that we sold as a fund raiser – Number 200.
Cancellation Stamp
Bicentennial Walking Tour
Signed Game Ball from the Little League game
Pictures of the Weekend Events
Statistics of Athens
Names of original and current elected officials
A mint coin set for 2005
The time capsule will be buried sometime
next year in the Riverfront Park after the renovations are complete.
At that time, we will place a plaque over the spot as a reminder of this
celebration.
Introduce
the Athens Bicentennial Committee – Now, let me
introduce the people that have worked so hard over the last two and a half years
to plan and organize the upcoming weekend. If
I could ask the members of the committee to step forward please.
Pat
Riley Martine is the NYS Deputy Historian for Athens
and coordinated the Bicentennial Teas that have been held over the past two
years and provided the Introduction for the video.
She also helped produce the Bicentennial Calendar and has supplied
countless photos for us. Barbara Ryan Surrano has served as our Secretary and is responsible
for the decorations you see around town. Patrice Palmateer Miller chose the children as her focus, as you
have already seen. She will also be
in the Village Green on Sunday afternoon working with some former summer
recreation directors organizing fun games for the kids that do not require video
games or pockets of money.
Michael
Petramale is not with us tonight (he’s at his
son’s Babe Ruth game) but he has served as the Treasurer of our group. He
organized the BBQ, coordinated the Founder’s Ball and assumed the
responsibility of the Little League game to be played on Sunday night. Many
of you recognize Herby Blasewitz as
being Chair of the Athens Street Festival and local DJ and our liaison with the
Athens Paddock Club. He has brought
his entertainment talents to our committee by bringing the Dented Fenders to our
picnic and, as you will see tomorrow, when he introduces the parade on N.
Washington St. and entertains at the Founder’s Ball tomorrow night.
Ray
Brooks, Billy
Van Schaack and Andy Dougherty
have pulled together a wonderful parade that symbolizes the colonial period with
a Fyfe and Drum band, the NYS Correctional Officers Emerald Society Celtic Band
to remind us of the Irish immigration in the mid 1800s, the Italian Roma Band to
represent the Italian immigration to Athens in the early 1900s and the Air
National Guard Band of the Northeast representing our military, as well as our
Grand Marshals, the 125th NYS Volunteer Infantry Regimental
Association Civil War group, floats and other fun things.
Brian
Whiteman has been our liaison with both the Zion
Lutheran Church and the Athens Fire Department.
He has worked on publicity for the event.
Pauline Salvino Palmateer has been the liaison for the St.
Patrick’s Catholic Church and spear-headed the contents of the Time Capsule.
Pat Moon Whiteman has been working on obtaining donations from the
moment she joined the committee and acted as liaison for the Albany Carriage
Service for Sunday. Phyllis
Dinkelacker is our liaison with the Athens Little League and the Rescue
Squad which will be here during the weekend as a precaution.
Nancy Dorn is new to the
community but jumped in to help in the DVD production.
Al
Poole coordinated the Old Car Show for us and arranged
for cars for the Grand Marshals in the parade.
And Rebecca Ramm designed the
logo first seen on the calendar.
Which brings me to R.
J. Hummer, our photographer slash videographer.
R. J. videotaped every tea and has worked night and day to finish
the DVD for this weekend. He will
be continuing to document our celebration as the weekend unfolds.
As chairperson, it was my responsibility to
coordinate the Civil War Living History and oversee the project.
It has been a pleasure working with these people and to watch the
celebration take shape. I believe I
can speak for the committee when I say, it has been a challenge at times but
most rewarding.
Lastly, the committee has asked me to thank
my family – my husband, Jim for his support and advice – when asked and
mostly without complaint, and my sons, Ian and Matt.
Ian and Jimmy have heard ‘Bicentennial Celebration’ morning, noon and
night and have been very tolerant of the myriad of details that have passed by
their ears. They have performed
above and beyond the call of duty. Matt
designed the Bicentennial Walking Tour map two years ago, the posters, T-shirts,
the packaging for our DVD - Athens: Moments in Time, the timeline at the D. R.
Evarts Library, the flyer for the Old Car Show and anything else that needed
printing along the way. All of
which added a touch of professionalism to this endeavor. Thanks guys. Even
Ian’s girlfriend, Starlyn Selmer pitched in to help when I asked.
And I personally would like to thank ALL of
the families of the committee members. Missed
dinners, games and stacks of information around the house will soon be a thing
of the past and we will have the wonderful memories of this weekend.
Things will be back to normal shortly!
Each of these people wear many hats in the
community but found time during the last two and a half years to work together
to make this celebration happen. Please join me in thanking all of them. During the rest of the weekend, we will be wearing collared
Bicentennial shirts which were provided by the Greene County Promotions
Department. Feel free to ask any of
us any questions you may have.
These people have served on the committee
but there are countless other people that have pulled together to make this
weekend possible. If I start naming
them now, we would be here through the night. Please know that this celebration is the work of many, many
people and as a community, we are sincerely grateful.
Closing
- The key word for this weekend is FUN!
We have tried to incorporate a variety of interesting things to do which
tie the history with today.
Tomorrow, the Greene County Historical
Society is sponsoring an Old Homes Tour from the First Reformed Church from 10am
to 4pm. The Athens Cultural
Center will be open throughout the weekend and the Athens Museum will be open
from 10 to noon tomorrow. There is
a display at the D. R. Evarts Library as well.
Stop by the tent tomorrow morning to see
displays of clubs and local organizations.
Naturally, the parade with our Grand Marshals begins at 1pm along N.
Washington St, onto Second St and then N. Franklin St. back to the Village Green
for refreshments served by members of the Athens Paddock Club.
The Coxsackie-Athens Community Band will provide entertainment by
performing the music of yesteryear. After
the parade, young and old are invited to ‘enlist’ in the 125th
NYS Volunteer Infantry Regimental Association.
You will fill out enlistment papers and report for duty on Sunday
afternoon, at which time you will learn how units drilled and marched during the
Civil War. You are invited to visit
the Civil War encampment at the Riverfront Park.
Feel free to wander and ask questions.
The community picnic earlier and the
children’s games scheduled for Sunday are reminiscent of the Grumman Picnics.
The Civil War Living History reminds us of sacrifices our community
suffered. The carriage rides scheduled for Sunday give us a glimpse
into a more relaxed method of travel and the old car show brings back memories
of that first car.
Finally, we invite you all back here on
Sunday at 5pm to wrap up the weekend with a baseball game.
Many of you remember Sunday afternoon at the Ball Diamond grandstand and
field where the elementary school now stands and others remember the beginning
of Little League in Athens in 1954. Little
League players from 1954 to 1969 have been practicing and this should definitely
be a fun-filled game.
Thank you for coming tonight.
Get your cameras ready. Prepare
to make your own memories as we celebrate the memories of the past and look to
the future.
A Photo Celebration
1. 
2. 
3. 
1. Rte 385 approaching the
village from the north
2. The start of the parade. June 4, 2005
3. Dominick Multari, Village Trustee on the float representing
Italian immigration to Athens in the early 1900's. The Italians were a major
workforce in the Athens brickyards.
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
1. Float for the Zion
Lutheran Church who celebrated their 300th anniversary in 2003
2. Richard Talay, a member of the 125th Regimental Volunteers
Reenactment Group, Coxsackie resident and contributor to the 1976 Athens
celebration
3. 125th New York Regimental Volunteers Reenactment Group out
of Troy, NY
4. Sister Mary Massa, current Catholic parish Co-ordinator, Front seat
Father Vaughn, with sunglasses in the back seat, former Athens priest
Father Joseph D'Agostino, back seat, former Athens priest
Enjoying the Parade
1. 
2. 
1. Athens Volunteer Fire
Department
2. Dented Fenders Barbershop Quartet
The Commemorative Little League Game with
Jim Palmateer Jr in the center
The Winning Team of the
Commemorative Little League Game
The Ramblers/Silver Arrows - June 5, 2005
Reprising their roles from the 1954-1969 years, left to right :
Gene Hoerning - Hoerning's Pharmacy, Coxsackie
Eugene Houghtaling - instrumental in helping Billy Stafford become a Yankee
player
Warren Gritmon - works for the National Bank of Coxsackie
Ed Miller - works for Amerigas
1. 
2. 
1. Gene Houghtaling being
commemorated by the The Ramblers/Silver Arrows and The Yankees/Rockets baseball
teams for his efforts in supporting Athens Little League
2. Phil Peters signing a baseball that is going into the Athens time capsule,
reprising his role as umpire to the same baseball players he umpired in the
1950'2 and 1960's
1. 
2. 
1. Founder's Ball,
Saturday, June 4th at the Athens Firehouse on 3rd St.
2. Paul Wais, was in the band, the Brass Key, that played
at the Founder's Ball. Mr. Wais also runs the last working dairy farm in Athens
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