Greene County commemorates America’s 250th

CATSKILL―On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, severing allegiance from Great Britain and its king in what has been described as the greatest break-up letter in history.

What followed would be five more bloody years of the Revolutionary War and the establishment of a new nation that this weekend celebrated 250 years of independence.

Across the country, semiquincentennial celebrations took place from sea to shining sea and in Greene County, from the mountaintop to the riverfront.

Festivities kicked off Friday afternoon with a ceremony on the steps of the Greene County Courthouse. Hosted by the County of Greene with Honeyford Memorial American Legion Post 110 Commander Tom Andreassen serving as master of ceremonies, it included speeches, prayer, song, cannon fire, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, dedication of two historical plaques and the filling of a time capsule.

Greene County Legislative Chairman Patrick Linger brought with him a child’s Revolutionary War-era replica uniform that was made by his aunt and that he wore 50 years ago when the nation celebrated it bicentennial.

“While the clothes may no longer fit, the message does,” said Linger.

“We continue to celebrate the same victories and our continued freedoms. It is up to us to ensure the freedoms of future generations still exist. Freedoms we enjoy today did not come to us without cost, nor are they unincumbered,” he added.

Often, Linger noted, the Revolutionary War invokes thoughts of grand battles like Saratoga, Yorktown or Lexington.

“But the true spirit of 1776 was also forged right here in the shadow of the Catskills. Long before Greene County even bore its official name, the people living along the western banks of the Hudson River were standing up for liberty,” he said.

“In May of 1775, just a month after the battles of Lexington and Concord, 225 brave men gathered in the Coxsackie district at the site we now know today as the Bronck Museum,” Linger explained, adding that those Patriots put their lives on the line by signing the Coxsackie Articles of Association, voicing their frustration over unjust taxes and British rule.

“When the dust of war finally settled, the pioneering spirit of these revolutionaries helped shape our local identity,” Linger said. “In 1800, when Greene County was officially established, it was proudly named after General Nathanael Greene, George Washington’s most trusted commander and a man whose steadfast and tactical brilliance helped secure the freedom we enjoy today.”

“A portrait of General Greene hangs in our county offices,” he added.

Greene County Historian Jonathan Palmer read the inscriptions on two new historical markers, mounted on both of the pediments flanking the steps of the county courthouse, and commemorating the nation’s 250th year of freedom.

The courthouse, he said, is not only an official seat of government, but “the seat of local democracy as the founders envisioned it 250 years ago.”

“The United States of America emerged out of the principles that people can and should be allowed to govern themselves, speak freely and pursue opportunity,” said Assemblyman Chris Tague.

“Two hundred fifty years later, we mark the day with festivities that represent not just the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but also the generations of American ingenuity, determination and resilience that has shaped our great nation,” he added.

Following the ceremony, Main Street was transformed into a patriotic display of red, white and blue with exhibits, entertainment, live music, food and vendors.

Two hundred fifty year ago, noted State Senator Michelle Hinchey, “ordinary people made an extraordinary decision.”

“They came from different colonies, different faiths and different walks of life,” she said. “And together they dared to believe that liberty belonged to the people―that government derived its power from the people and that every generation has both the right and the responsibility to fight for the promise of a better tomorrow.”

“It was a bold claim to make out loud at a time when monarchies were the rule. But their courage and conviction gave rise to the United States of America,” Hinchey said. “And if not for their belief in what America could be, we would not be standing here today.”