A Note from the Director, Wendy Saul
For me, the project began in the History Room at the Stone Ridge Library. I was there doing research on my own house and its former residents when my eye drifted to an intriguing headline from a 1969 issue of the Daily Freeman: “Different Because of Their Otherness” it read, and featured a handsome photo of Cornelius (Neil) Hasbrouck. “Fascinating” I said to myself and tucked away the questions I had for another time.
Then a grant opportunity from the National Writing Project appeared on my computer screen—a request for proposals from people working the non-profits who are interested in amplifying the voices that are too seldom heard—a way to help “Build a More Perfect Union.”. “Mightn’t this be a way to explore “Eagle’s Nest” I thought and began digging into some of the obvious documentary sources. Everywhere I went people asked if I knew Lorna Smedman… ”She’s been working on this same stuff for quite a while,” people told me.
So I called Lorna — a smart, careful tracker of data and a Hurley native. Lorna was game to lead the historical research effort. Slowly but surely the group of interested and contributing participants grew. (See Acknowledgments).
This website is just part of what we have come to call the “Hurley Mountain Project.” There is also a Facebook page as well as a blog. A play, written and directed by internationally renowned storyteller, musician and playwright David Gonzalez, is in development. David has extensive experience working with historical documents and interviews in order to create dramatic presentations. The play will be presented on March 3 and 4, 2023 at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY
There are also interviews of local residents. A link can be found on the Resources page.
There are educational materials, some developed by master teachers and some born from an online course. These are found under Lessons on the Navigation Bar.
I am grateful to be part of a community that values local history and I hope that this project has contributed to as well as benefitted from the work of those who came before.
Wendy Saul, PhD, is a retired Professor of Education and International Studies, University of Missouri-
St Louis. Her most recent book, Thinking Like a Generalist (with Angela Kohnen) was published by
Stenhouse in 2021. She now lives in Stone Ridge, NY.