African American Stories from Rockland County

Remembering Jerry Donnellan

2013 image photo credit Dorice Arden (2013 Historical House Tour, West Nyack)

Bob Knight, 1939-2018

A brief book talk on three new acquisitions to the New City Library collection: Possessions: the history and uses of Hauntings in the Hudson Valley by Judith Richardson, Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics by Terry Golway, and Berta and Elmer Hader: a Lifetime of Art.

Books on Local History and Culture

Travis Jackson discusses the desegregation of the Brook School in Hillburn, NY in an edited part of an interview with Eileen McAdam of the Sound and Story Project.  Recorded at the New City Library on Saturday September 20, 2014.

Travis Jackson on segregation and desegregation in Hillburn

Jerry Donnellan, Vietnam Veteran and Director of Veteran's Affairs for Rockland County, talks about the commonality of veterans.

Fighting for Each Other

Jerry Donnellan talks about growing up in Nyack and in particular, one story about floating down river on a chunk of ice

Floating on a Chunk of Frozen Hudson River ice

Bert Dahm on Growing up in West Nyack

Gene Ostertag talks about working as a young man with gases as insecticides in the greenhouses that were part of his parent's wholesale flower business.

Gassing the Greenhouses

Jerry Koblin remembers going to school in Nyack at the Liberty Street School, including memorable teachers and studying at the University of Connecticut to become a pharmacist.

When the light turns on

Al Magnatta talks about his military service in World War II, specifically the bombing missions from England into Germany.

Lucky Bastards Club

Jerry Donnellan discusses losing his leg in Vietnam and dealing with PTSD.

Wounded in Vietnam

Tom Riley talks about his childhood at the Happy Valley Home in Pomona, how he became interested in the Orphan Trains, and how he finally connected with his Irish heritage.

From Happy Valley To The Orphan Train To Ireland

Robert Protzmann talks about how he came to be interested in genealogy and his Rockland County cousins.

I guess it started I was a curious kid

Mary Marshall of Congers talks about writing to her future husband and other soldiers during World War II and the dances that Rockland women attended in Tappan during the War.

The Last Person They Would See

Bob Knight discusses his love of reading as a kid and how the Pearl River Public Library played a role.

On the Pearl River Library and the Love of Reading as a Kid

Rich MacVicar tells us a little bit about John Christie and Christie's Airport that was once in New City, NY.   Rockland County is currently the only county in New York State without an airport, but it once had many.  MacVicar and Adam Raines co-authored a book on the History of Aviation in Rockland County.

Rich MacVicar On John Christie And Christie Airport

Norina Ross describes her school days growing up in West Nyack as a young girl.

Ringing The Bell at the West Nyack School

Alice Gerard remembers Palisades, NY during World War II.

Palisades during the War

Bill Debevoise on Vanderbilt Lumber and New City's Changing Landscape

Clarkstown Historian talks about acquiring his sandstone house.

Acquiring a Dutch Sandstone House in Congers

Colwell oral history

Richard Colwell on his Grandmother and discrimination

Judge Joseph Thaxton talks about the importance of the library to him as a young man growing up in Spring Valley, NY.

Judge Joseph Thaxton Oral History

The Beauty of Growing up in Spring Valley

Sam Simon, former Director of the Finkelstein Memorial Library remembers the origins of the quilt that hangs in the library.

Share Listen Learn: Sam Simon

On Finkelstein Memorial Library's Quilt

Photograph by Alexandra T. Wren, http://www.alexandratwren.com/

Alice Gerard Oral History

Alice Gerard on the Palisades Library and Palisades History

Reggie and Mary Maiorano Oral History

Reggie and Mary

Joe D'Innocenzo talks about working at the Robert Gair Paper Factory in Piermont.

Joseph Dinnocenzo on The Robert Gair Factory

Florine Lee Hamilton talks about the bus trip North from Millen, Georgia to New York.

Florine Lee Hamilton On Moving North

Lottie Crawford remembers skating on the Sparkill Creek as a young girl.

Lottie Kane Swann Crawford On Ice Skating on the Sparkill Creek

Julio: Vine a los Estados Unidos, mi familia me pidió, mi hermano que ya estaba aquí. 
Vine via Puerto Rico. En ese entonces no había vuelos directos de República Dominicana a los Estados Unidos.

Iratzi: Y llego aqui a Haverstraw, llego the Puerto Rico a ..

Julio: Bueno llegue a Puerto Rico de Puerto Rico a el aeropuerto LaGuardia. El aeropuerto Kennedy no existía. Estaba bajo construcción. Entonces de ahí mi hermano me trajo a Haverstraw que fue quien me recibió. También vine a los Estado Unidos buscando un sistema mejor de vida porque en mi país existía una dictadura muy fuerte que era la dictadura del Señor Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Y es una dictadura muy fuerte y mi pensamiento era que de este lado la hierba estaba más verde y había más democracia a las cuales en mi país no había. Bueno me sentía aquí más libre. En este país. Siempre he creído en la democracia. Lo cual no había en mi país. Estuve preso tres veces alla bajo la dictadura de Trujillo. Y afortunadamente pude migrar para aca.

Iratzi: Entonces era muy dificil alla?

Julio: Muy dificil. Con una dictadura así tan fuerte que es la familia entera, dueña del país. Que había que hacer lo que ellos dijeran. Si no, ya usted sabe, usted iba preso, lo que sea. 
Bueno la diferencia es que cuando usted vive bajo una dictadura usted tiene que hacer lo que el gobierno diga. No hay democracia. Aquí hay democracia, ok? En Cuba no hay democracia, en Venezuela no hay democracia, mire lo que está pasando hoy en dia, verdad? Y nosotros no queríamos eso. Después de que luchamos contra la dictadura Trujillo. Queríamos un pueblo con democracia, libre, independiente. 

English:
Julio: I came to the U.S. because my family asked me to; My brother who was already here. I also came to the U.S. looking for a better way of life because in my country there existed a very strong dictatorship, and it was the dictatorship of Mr. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. And it was a very tough dictatorship and my thought was that the grass was greener on the other side and that there was more of a democracy, which in my country, there wasn't. Well I felt more free here. In this country. I have always believed in democracy, which there wasn't in my country. I was arrested three times under the dictatorship of Trujillo. Fortunately, I was able to immigrate here. 

Iratzi: So it was very complicated over there..

Julio: Very difficult. With a dictatorship that consisted of the whole Trujillo family, who basically owned the country. Where you had to do what they said. And if not, you already know. You ended up in prison. The difference is that when you live under a dictatorship, you have to do whatever the government says. There is no democracy. There is a democracy here. In Cuba there is no democracy, in Venezuela there is no democracy, and look what is happening nowadays, right? We didn't want that. After we fought against the Trujillo dictatorship, we wanted a united country with democracy. Free and independent.

Julio Cabrera On Why He Left Dominican Republic - Porque Cabrera Se Fue De La Republica Dominicana

Vincent Saracco talks about meeting his wife and moving to Rockland County from the Bronx with their family.

We Fell In Love With It And Have Been There Ever Since

Share Listen Learn

Bob Knight on Pearl River history and the beginnings of his journalism career

Joe Holland Oral History

She went for all that for me

Bob Knight talks about his short career as a 14-year old tomato picker in Blauvelt.

Bob Knight Oral History

Picking Tomatoes in Blauvelt

On Postcards

Bob Knight talks about the importance of the sandstone houses of Rockland and Bergen Counties.

The Sandstone Houses of Rockland and Bergen Counties

Bob Knight talks about how to get involved in local history in Rockland County.

Getting involved in Local History

Bob Knight talks about doing battle to try to save Teaberry Port in West Nyack and his role as Clarkstown historian.

Clarkstown Historian and the Historic Preservation Battle over Teaberry Port

Bob Knight talks about how Clarkstown saved the Storms Tavern in Valley Cottage from demolition.

Saving the Storms Tavern in Valley Cottage

Bruno Cosentino remembers learning of the Kennedy Assassination while Principal at Laurel Plains Elementary School in New City,

Bruno Cosentino oral history

It wasn't my job to distribute the news

Rita DiCarlo remembers the Kennedy assassination while working at Radiation materials in Congers.

Rita DiCarlo Oral History

Remembering the Kennedy assassination

Ray Eberling remembers the impact of the Kennedy assassination and the unique personal circumstances at that time for him and his family.

Ray Eberling Oral History

It had a major impact on me

Vivian DeGroat remembers the Kennedy Assassination

Vivian DeGroat Oral History

I Just Held Jackie

Gordon Wren, Jr. recalls learning of the Kennedy assassination while at Spring Valley High. Photo by Alexandra Wren, Jr.

Gordon Wren Jr. Oral History

We realized we were living history

Mike Toto talks about playing baseball in Central Nyack before the Tappan Zee Bridge came to Rockland.

Rockland Room

Pinned to spotlight

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