MARCH

The History of Ossining

The first incorporated village in Westchester, Ossining is defined by a history of remarkable firsts: the county’s first newspaper, first volunteer fire department, first childcare facility, and first official American casualty of World War I. One of its most enduring symbols is the infamous Sing Sing Prison, established in 1825. Although its presence has left an indelible mark on the village’s identity, the prison remains just one chapter in Ossining’s rich and textured story. Local authors Scott Craven and Caroline Ranald Curvan will reveal the rich history of this unique community, the subject of their just-published book Ossining: A Brief History.

Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Croton Free Library

APRIL

Remembering Remarkable African American Women of Westchester

Westchester has been home to a number of prominent African American women, many of whom have been relatively unrecognized. In this 60-minute digital slide presentation, Barbara Davis relates the Westchester years of early pioneers, such as Sojourner Truth, to more contemporary women, such as leaders in psychology, dramatic arts, music, law, and other fields. Croton-on-Hudson’s own Lorraine Hansberry provides the link in a fascinating thread of remarkable African American women with ties to Westchester.

Thursday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Croton Free Library

MAY

Voices of the Hudson Valley’s Indigenous Peoples

Nick Schumatoff, a former curator of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, sought to preserve the Lenape culture and dialect. In the 1970s, Schumatoff and a team of researchers went to Oklahoma to record, preserve, and learn from the voices of the last remaining Unami-speaking Lenape population. This is their story, with archival audio, presented by Jean Klurfeld.

Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Croton Free Library

JUNE

Croton in the Revolutionary War

To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, Croton Village Historian Marc Cheshire will recount some of the dramatic events that took place in here, the devastation and danger in Westchester during most of the war, the heroic military service of local patriots like Pierre and Philip Van Cortlandt, the brief occupation by Hessian soldiers in 1779 and the march of American troops through the village on their way to Yorktown, Virginia, to defeat the British in the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.

Thursday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Croton Free Library