DUTCHESS COUNTY CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Program to Explore Economic Diversity of Dutchess County’s Black Community in the 19^th Century
In honor of Black History Month, Dutchess County joins the nationwide celebration of Black Americans’ contributions. County Executive Sue Serino announced today the County’s Division of History is sponsoring a free virtual event, hosted by the Dutchess County Historical Society (DCHS), on Thursday, February 20th at 7 p.m. This presentation will discuss major new findings that reveal the economic diversity of the local Black community in the 19th Century.

Led by DCHS Executive Director Bill Jeffway, the virtual event, entitled “Navigating Wealth & Poverty: The Economic Diversity of Dutchess County’s 19th Century Black Community,” will explain how global trade and a Wall Street aristocrat intersected with local merchants and the working class through the tumultuous period of the 19th Century and U.S. Civil War. Through never-before-published diaries, virtual attendees will hear firsthand observations of the post-Civil War Black communities in Dover and eastern Dutchess County, in particular, where resourcefulness and adaptability played a crucial role in managing everyday challenges.

Registration for this free event is available at dchsny.org/feb20, and registrants will receive a Zoom link to join the event.

Among the local Blacks who will be discussed in the virtual presentation:

Jeremiah Hamilton, known as the “Black Baron of Wall Street” and the nation’s wealthiest Black, made significant investments in Poughkeepsie, including Mansion Square and Union Landing, through his relationship with the Improvement Party.

• Paul Cuffee was a celebrated and successful whaling captain with an all-Black crew. Recently discovered records detail his trading in a rare Brazilian wood for use at Poughkeepsie’s dye factories.
• Uriah Boston, who emerged as a member of the very successful and high profile Black middle class. A popular and successful barber, Boston invested in his own local property, acquiring political gains as a result.

The Dutchess County Department of History works to preserve, study and promote the stories from Dutchess County’s past; coordinate the Dutchess County Historical Community; and support other government offices and partner organizations in the continuing development of our county.

County Historian William P. Tatum III said, “The indelible mark that Blacks have made on Dutchess County and our history is both astounding and ever-evolving, and we are proud to recognize these contributions.”

The department continually expands access to digitized historical resources, including the Ancient Documents Collection. More information is available on the Department of History webpage, dutchessny.gov/history.