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The History Project Thanks It's Interview Subjects
October 22nd was a RED LETTER DAY
for The History Project. Seventy-five of our interviewees and supporters
gathered at Ruschmeyers in Montauk for a complementary luncheon.
It was our way of saying thank you to the many people who have shared
their lives with us over the past three years and to those whose
generosity has made The History Project possible. Michele Allison,
our transcriber at the East Hampton Library, took the opportunity
to meet some people whose interviews she has been transcribing.
It was wonderful for her to be able to finally put faces to the
voices she has been hearing. It was a chance to reminisce about
the "Good Old Days," renew old friendships and make some
new friends.
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Ethel (Age 90) and Ed [E.Monroe] Osborne (Age
95) are
celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this year. Here
they
are talking to Adelaide Horne during lunch.
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L to R: Roberta Gosman, Tracy and
Perry Duryea and Buzz Loper.
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Barbara and Frank Borth with
Charlie and Bea Smith
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Emma Parsons and Lib Davis (Age 97), both
from Amagansett shared some memories
during the afternoon.
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The Town of East Hampton Continues its Support of The
History Project
The Town Board has announced that The History Project will
again be included in the Town's 2001 budget. We are extremely
grateful for their continuing support.
The History Project Collection Continues to Grow
During their October stay in East Hampton, Tony Prohaska
and Martha Kalser deposited additional completed interviews
and an updated index with the Pennypacker Long Island Collection
of the East Hampton Library. This brings to 80 the number
of transcribed and indexed interviews in The Collection along
with 650 accompanying photographs and other printed materials
donated by our subjects.
Since we have done 178 interviews, this means we still have
98 interviews to go! A good two years work ahead of us.
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Interviews Continue
Also during the October visit, Tony and Martha conducted
additional interviews with Sherrill Dayton, Helen McGuirk
and her brother Arthur Miller and Charlie and Bea Smith.
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Sherrill Dayton told us about the years
of work he has put |
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into restoring the windmills of Eastern Long Island.
He also spoke about his father, Frank Dayton, whom Tony
Prohaska interviewed in 1991 and 1992. One of those
interviews is already in the East Hampton Library.
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In Memoriam
We note, with sadness, the passing of Mary
Venegas, Miriam Byrnes, Dudley Roberts, Morris
Hettiger, Barbara DiSunno, Charlie Keyes, Eunice
Meeker and Dorothy Cote. Their interviews
join those of others who have gone, but whose
words live on in The History Project collection.
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Tony's Column
Tony Prohaska has kindly relinquished his column
so that, for the first time, I can share some of my thoughts with
you. Three years ago, when Tony first proposed The History Project,
I had no idea what a life-changing experience it would be for
me. Tony already knew most of the people we have interviewed and
as he introduced me to these wonderful folks, they, in turn, introduced
me to the East Hampton of yesteryear. That place is long gone,
but I am privileged to be able to glimpse into the past, through
the words of our subjects. I have come to love them and the town
they remember. I've enjoyed every single inteview and now I'm
getting the chance to relive them again, while we are doing the
transcriptions. I'm probably one of the few people from "away,"
to ever have this opportunity. I wouldn't have missed this experience
for the world!
Martha Kalser
Project Manager
| RECOLLECTIONS... |
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Marguerite "Maggie" Smith (Age
91) remembers...Horse Heaven (East of Abraham's Path,
North of Town Lane) |
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"Some of the old timers will tell you...that's where
they use to carry the horses and cows and things when they
died. They'd lug 'em up there and dump 'em in that big lot.
As years went on, all those beautiful blueberry bushes and
things grew up through the bones of the cows and horses,
and the best blueberries in God's world would be on them
bushes."
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Your continued support is needed.
Even with the library's help, we
still need funds to cover our expenses. We hate to keep
asking, but we have two more years to go until The Project
is finished and our expenses will continue until then.
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