An 1867 map of the town of North East. The boundaries of North East changed drastically in 1823 after Pine Plains left to form its own town.
MILLERTON — In a November lecture at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex, William Tatum III, emeritus of the Dutchess County Historical Society, described how the map lines of the Town of North East were drawn, redrawn, and redrawn again.
“2023 is a big year for Dutchess because it is the 200th anniversary of a major change,” began Tatum. “It is the 200th anniversary of Pine Plains being established as an independent town.”
Tatum said he likes to give the “other side of the story. What about the old town? What about communities from which these new towns came?”
He gave a timeline:
— In 1683, Dutchess County was established as a “paper entity.” It was one of New York’s original 12 counties, 10 of which survive. Two were “bartered away” said Tatum, to get another territory in 1731.
— 1737: North East is established as a precinct.
— 1788: North East is incorporated as a town.
— 1818: Milan splits from North East.
— 1823: Pine Plains becomes an independent town.
Precincts — a Colonial term used instead of “towns”— were formed in New York when a group of partners “formed a patent,” and then would seek out Indigenous tribal leaders to “buy” land from them.
Tatum said they would buy “a vaguely defined amount” of land. He gave an example of how what would become Rumbout (Rombout) was purchased: from the top of Mount Beacon, the partners declared, “We are purchasing all that we can see.”
After the purchase, this patent would have to be approved. First, the paperwork was sent to Manhattan, where it was looked over and approved or rejected by authorities there.
If approved, it went on to London (a six-week to three-month trip depending on “the time of year and prevailing winds”), where it needed approval from the Board of Trade.
Then it would go to the crown, where it needed to approved by the king’s ministers, and then finally to the king or queen.
If approved, it then went through all these steps in reverse, until it got back to the Colonies, where the land claimed in the patent became a precinct.
In 1706, eight investors plus one silent partner, all men “well placed and influential” in society, formed Little Nine Partners Patent for the area of North East; their patent was officially approved by Queen Anne in 1708.
In 1731, “The Oblong” was added to the territory by the Treaty of Dover. This is when two counties were “bartered” to Connecticut for the Oblong, and North East gained its panhandle.
In 1744, after 40 years, the Little Nine Partners Patent (consisting of Dutchess County) was finally divided into seven precincts (South, Rumbout, Beekman, Poughkeepsie, Crum Elbow, Rhinebeck and North East). “Lots were assigned by lottery with two young boys under the age of 16 drawing the assignments” said Tatum. “I like to imagine it was out of a hat, but out of some kind of container.”
Once the patent was divided, it could be sold or rented to the colonists.
To form a new town, colonists had to advocate with petitions and letters to the State Assembly, so that the state would pass a law establishing a town.
Milan split from North East in 1818 to form a new town, and North East lost one-third of its territory. Due to a fire at the state capital in 1911, many of the records of how and why Milan split from North East were lost.
Then in 1823, Pine Plains decided to form an independent town. This was a problem since it left North East with “a whole new series of boundaries, because to keep that community viable, you had to take roughly the northern third of Amenia,” said Tatum.
Tatum added, “And some people are still not OK with that secession of territory from one town to the next.”
Tatum continued, “To divide town A and B was somewhat simpler” but what “North East of 1823 faced was as complicated as it could be.”
The center of North East’s government had to be moved from its seat in what had become Pine Plains. Accounts and paperwork had to be divided between North East and Pine Plains, and then this had to be done again with the new territory gained from Amenia. New officials had to be appointed and elected.
After 1823, “Little was left of the old North East” and it had a “brand new civic identity,” concluded Tatum.
PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains FFA Ag Fair brought a crowd to the high school on Church Street Saturday, Oct. 11.
Kicking off the day was the annual tractor pull, attracting a dedicated crowd that sat in bleachers and folding chairs for hours watching Allison-Chalmers, International Harvesters and John Deeres compete to pull the heaviest weights.
A large collection of food was on offer from the Pine Plains FFA and each one of the classes in the Pine Plains Central School District. The football team was selling pickles.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd enjoyed a dip in the dunk tank to raise money for the Pine Plains teachers’ union-sponsored scholarship.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd got dunked several times during his half-hour shift in the dunk tank. Proceeds from the throws benefitted the Photo by Nathan Miller
MILLERTON — Ten candidates for office in the Nov. 4 election will answer questions from Dutchess County voters at a candidate forum on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Annex at the NorthEast-Millerton Library located at 28 Century Blvd.
The forum, which is sponsored by the library, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Candidates for local and county offices will answer questions from residents in attendance or from residents who have submitted questions in advance.
“We’re excited to keep the tradition of the candidate forum going,” said Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, director of the library. “Some years we can’t always get candidates together.”
This year’s forum will include:
Rachele Grieco Cole, a Democrat, and Chris Mayville, a Republican, who both are running uncontested for the North East Town Council;
Casey McCabe, a Democrat, also running uncontested for North East Justice.
Among Dutchess County races:
Tracy MacKenzie, who is endorsed by Republicans and Democrats, is running uncontested for Dutchess County Family Court Judge;
Kara Gerry, a Democrat, and Ned McLoughlin, a Republican, are in a contest for a Dutchess County Court judgeship currently held by McLoughlin.
Chris Drago, D-19, and Tonya Pulver, a Republican, are competing to represent Dutchess County’s19th District seat currently held by Drago.
Democratic incumbent Dan Aymar-Blair and Will Truitt, the Republican chair of the county legislature, are competing for the Dutchess County Comptroller position currently held by Aymar-Blair.
Leo-Jameson is encouraging questions for the candidates to be submitted in advance, which will not be revealed to candidates beforehand. Dutchess County residents may pose questions during the forum. To submit a question on the library’s website, go to the calendar at nemillertonlibrary.org and find the link in the Oct. 24calendar entries.
The format calls for opening statements from the candidates, followed by questions from residents, and candidates will be able to stay after the forum to answer questions personally.
The “Elusive Ki Shusui” koi were temporarily relocated into a tub before being returned to their home pond at Maxine Pietro’s annual koi harvest at Broccoli Hall Farm in Amenia on Friday, Oct. 10. Speaking of their yellowish beauty, Pietro is pictured pointing out that the fish are scaleless but for scales that grow along the “zipper” on each fish’s dorsal ridge. The koi in the photo are estimated to be 6 or 7 years old.
The North East Community Center's Early Learning Program uses the research-based Creative Curriculum, which features a flexible, play-based approach with lots of time outdoors.
MILLERTON — In its third year, the North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program has become a vibrant, nurturing space for children and an invaluable resource for families in Dutchess County, an area identified as a child care desert by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. There are openings in both the toddler and preschool rooms for children ages 18 months to five years.
The ELP follows what’s known as the Creative Curriculum, a research-based early childhood program that builds confidence, creativity and critical thinking through hands-on, project-based learning.
“Kids are natural explorers,” said Emily Redmond, Early Childhood Programs Director. “Oftentimes, they tell us what they need to learn, so we leave plenty of room to follow the child.”
Before joining NECC, Redmond spent 13 years at Washington Montessori School in Connecticut, working in both classroom and administrative roles.
She explained that the Creative Curriculum allows teachers to stay flexible and build on children’s natural curiosity. For instance, worms appearing on the playground after a rainstorm can spark endless questions, leading to unexpected learning opportunities in math, science and beyond.
Redmond noted that children in the ELP practice pre-writing skills, work with small manipulatives to build fine motor skills, immerse themselves in nature and hone social-emotional skills. All the while, NECC’s team of educators understand that play is central to early childhood development.
One thing that sets the ELP apart from other child care programs, Redmond said, is “the mythical Chef Lenny.” Lenny Sutton, NECC’s longtime food service coordinator, prepares multiple meals and snacks for the kids each day in the on-site commercial kitchen, often using locally sourced ingredients. Known for his colorful aprons and bubbly personality, he has even been spotted in the classroom playing a few songs on the guitar.
So beloved is Chef Lenny that some students incorporate his role into their own play at home, pretending to cook and serve just like him. “Not many child care programs have an on-site chef to prepare daily meals,” laughed Redmond.
The only thing more colorful or bubbly than Chef Lenny is the new classroom fish tank, a favorite feature that provides both a calming presence and learning opportunities. A lively mix of fish adds to the ambiance, including several types of goldfish, a student-favorite pictus catfish, one powder blue gourami, a halfmoon blue betta, two dalmatian mollies and more.
The ELP is fully licensed by New York State, allowing NECC to accept state subsidies and help families access financial assistance.
“We truly value all forms of diversity, including socioeconomic diversity, and as a hallmark of NECC’s mission we strive to eliminate barriers to accessing quality education,” said Redmond, noting that the organization’s Family Programs department can provide support throughout the application process, including bilingual assistance.
NECC’s Early Learning Program is a New York Office of Children and Family Services-licensed day care center located at 11 Park Street in Millerton. Contact emily@neccmillerton.org for more information.
