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Rockland History: 2022-2023 Radio Programs

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am on WRCR radio at www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month.

"Winter Wonderland": The HSRC's 47th Annual Holiday Exhibition

This program originally aired on December 18, 2023.

Jennifer Rothschild, the HSRC’s director of programming, joined host Clare Sheridan to talk about “Winter Wonderland: The 47th Annual Holiday Exhibition.” The exhibition celebrates winter and its gift-giving holidays by showcasing items from the HSRC collections that include children’s toys, books, and games; holiday cards and décor; snow-themed works of art; and more. They also discussed the candlelight tours of the historic Jacob Blauvelt House.

The Soap Box Derby, with Jim Cassetta
This program originally aired on November 20, 2023.

Jim Cassetta, reference librarian at the Pearl River Library, joins host Clare Sheridan to chronicle the derby's rollercoaster history—from its national origins to Pearl River’s thrilling ride; from its post–World War II arrival to a glorious rebirth and a second farewell in the 2000s.

The Eberling Mail Wagon, with Frank and Ray Eberling
The program originally aired on October 16, 2023.

Host Clare Sheridan welcomed Frank Eberling  and his brother, Ray Eberling, New City natives, for a discussion about the early days of New City and the wagon that their grand father used to carry mail on New City’s Rural Free Delivery routes at the turn of the 20th century. Since the 1970s, when it was donated to our collection by the late Dr. Anthony Pavia, D.C., of New City, the HSRC has had in our possession this horse-drawn wagon. Ray and Frank are now working with the HSRC to restore it for display at the History Center in New City.

The Treason of the Revolution (Reprise)
The program originally aired on September 18, 2023.

On September 22, 1780, American General Benedict Arnold and British Major John André met in the woods along the Hudson shoreline in Rockland County, and there began an act of treason that would become a pivotal point in the Revolutionary War. This episode we revisited an earlier episode during which host Clare Sheridan explored the history of the André-Arnold affair and discussed the people and places involved in this fascinating story of betrayal, secrecy, and deception with local historian Thano Schoppel of Tappan. For more about Arnold and André, check out:

The Murals, with TG Jamroz
This program originally aired on August 21, 2023

We turned our attention to a new documentary, The Murals, that delves into the art of Henry Varnum Poor, formerly of New City. The film features the New Deal–era Uptown Post Office Murals in Chicago. Filmmaker TG Jamroz spoke about how and why these murals were made by Poor; why they feature Carl Sandburg and Louis Sullivan; and how they inspire people today.

Learn more about The Murals at https://www.instagram.com/themuralsdocumentary or https://www.facebook.com/themuralsdoc

Germond Family Murders
This program originally aired on July 17, 2023.

Dr. Vincent Cookingham joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss his new book, The Germond Family Murders: A Forensic Conclusion to a Cold Case. Despite contemporary attention from Franklin D. Roosevelt and from Pinkerton Detectives, and more recently from amateur sleuths and the press, the Germond murders went unsolved until Dr. Cookingham’s investigation. The multiple murders of James (Husted) Germond; his wife, Mabel; and their two children, Bernice and Raymond, at their Dutchess County farm in November 1930 is one of the most famous crimes ever committed in the Hudson Valley.

Urban Renewal in Nyack Documentary
This program originally aired on June 19, 2023.

Clare Sheridan spoke with filmmakers Hakima Alem and Rudi Gohl about their new documentary film. What Happened to Jackson Avenue: A Story of Urban Renewal. We also heard from members of the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, Craig Smith and Elise Stone, who produced this powerful film. What Happened to Jackson Avenue covers an urban renewal program in Nyack in the 1960s and ’70s that removed 125 families (79% Black). These families lost their homes, families, and community, as well as generational wealth valued at $30 million-$40 million. The film includes personal and emotional stories from individuals who were present and saw the destruction of their community. Now in their eighties and nineties, they want to be heard.

To learn more about the film or the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, visit https://www.phoenixtheatreensemble.org,

Zita Johann
The program originally aired on May 15, 2023.
Host Clare Sheridan explores the new book by local author and actor Tom Stratford, Along Came Zita. The book has been described as “a story of one man's journey with Hollywood Gold”: Zita Johann (1904–1993), who lived for many years in Rockland County. A stage and screen actress, Johann is best known for her role opposite Boris Karloff in the film The Mummy. She debuted on Broadway in 1924 and made her first film appearance in D. W. Griffith's 1931 film The Struggle. After seven films, she quit movie acting to work in the theater, collaborating with John Houseman, to whom she was married from 1929 to 1933.

"Getting There" Exhibition at the Orangetown Museum

This program originally aired on April 17, 2023.

We explored “Getting There: Rivers, Roads, Rails,“ the new exhibition at the Orangetown Historical Museum & Archives. Mary Cardenas, Orangetown Historian and museum director; Elizabeth Skrabonja, exhibition curator; and Steve Schwinn, member of the Board of the Friends of the Orangetown Museum, joined host Clare Sheridan to talk about why transportation matters in a place where the journey is a part of the adventure.

Avon
This program originally aired on March 20, 2023.

In recognition of March as Women's History Month, we delved into the history of Avon. Beginning as the California Perfume Company, it called Suffern, NY, home for more than a century, making it one of the longest continuously running businesses in Rockland County. Host Clare Sheridan welcomed Rockland County Historian Craig Long back to the program for a lively discussion about the history of Avon, its impact on Rockland County, and the role women, including Mrs. Albee, played in its success.

Mr. Marshall Comes to Hillburn (Reprise), with Travis Jackson

This program originally aired on February 20, 2023.

In recognition of Black History Month, Clare Sheridan revisits her 2011 interview with Dr. Travis Jackson (1934–2021), the first African American teacher at Suffern High School, about his personal memories and his extensive research related to the desegregation of the Hillburn schools and the role that Thurgood Marshall played in this important piece of Rockland history. Dr. Jackson was entering the fourth grade in 1943 when Hillburn families of color and the NAACP worked together to desegregate the Hillburn schools. "I had an early understanding of what segregation does to people," he said in a 2004 interview. "I knew what it felt like, and that's why I became an educator."

To read Dr. Jackson’s article "Mr. Marshall Comes to Hillburn," visit our archived issue of South of the Mountains (vol.47, no. 1, 2003) at https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/hsrc/id/4450/rec/1.

Pearl River Oral History Project
This program originally aired on January 16, 2023.

The Pearl River Public library is celebrating its 60th anniversary! Clare Sheridan welcomes Jim Cassetta of the Pearl River library to the program. In honor of its 60th anniversary, the library is inviting the public to share personal recollections in videotaped interviews. Memories including moving to Pearl River and living and raising families there will be compiled and edited to create a film for posterity. We’ll learn all about the library’s anniversary and this interesting oral history project.

Dutch Holiday Traditions
This program originally aired on December 19, 2022.

Jennifer Brooks, Public Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Historical Society of Rockland County, joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss Dutch holiday traditions. We traced the line between the traditions of early Dutch settlers in Rockland County and surrounding areas to the growth of our modern American Christmas. We explored the history behind our holiday traditions. Where did they come from? Who is Saint Nicholas, and how did he become Santa Claus? Why is the December season known for gift-giving and charity? What’s with the tree and the chimney? And what does any of this have to do with religion. Happy Holidays!

"Edward Hopper's Boyhood"
This program originally aired on November 21, 2022.

The year 2022 marks the 140th birthday of Edward Hopper. On the November episode of Crossroads of Rockand History, we learned about the events celebrating this important American artist, who was born in Nyack. Kathie Bennewitz, executive director of the Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center, joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss the new exhibition at Hopper House, "Edward Hopper‘s Boyhood on the Hudson River and Emerging Artistic Vision"; a new documentary about Hopper, Hopper, An American Love Story; and the Whitney Museum’s exhibition "Edward Hopper’s New York."

Haunted History (Reprise)
This program originally aired on October 17, 2022.

Clare Sheridan read the mysterious story of Lavender. Afterward, we revisited a 2014 episode featuring Linda Zimmermann, the author of more than twenty books and a popular speaker television and radio speaker on history, science, and haunted sites. Whether it’s the house on LaVeta Place in Nyack; Bosco; Clarkstown's Jane “Naut” Kanniff, and the last witch trial in New York; the Goblin of the Dunderberg, or others, Linda knows them all and shared many with us.

Burgess Meredith
This program originally aired on September 19, 2022.

The renowned Broadway, television, and film actor Burgess Meredith lived in Pomona for thirty years. His son, Jonathan Meredith, joined Clare Sheridan to share memories of his father, growing up in Rockland County, and his father’s eclectic group of creative friends and neighbors, including the cartoonist Charles Addams, playwright Maxwell Anderson, composer Alan Jay Lerner, and more.

New Exhibitions at the HSRC and Historical Society of the Nyacks
This program originally aired on August 15, 2022.

The August 2022 episode of Crossroads of Rockland History featured two guests, First, Miriam (Mimi) Hoffman was on hand to discuss “Storytellers from Nyack & Nearby,” the current exhibition at the Historical Society of the Nyacks. The exhibition features the work of 14 local authors and illustrators of children’s books, including authors Berta and Elmer Hader, who wrote the first children’s book by Americans. Then Susan Deeks spoke about “Uniquely Rockland: Important, Iconic & Oddball Objects” from the HSRC Collection. Each item chosen for this exhibition tells a story about a person or group of people, place, or thing that existed (and may still exist) in Rockland. Text panels in the exhibition are based on the essay “A Brief History of Rockland,” by Thomas F. X. Casey, past County Historian and HSRC President.

"The Orangetown Memory Project"
This program originally aired on July 18, 2022.

We turned our attention to the new exhibition at the Orangetown Historical Museum &Archives, "The Orangetown Memory Project." Mary Cardenas, Elizabeth Skrabonja, and Stefanie D'Erasmo joined Clare Sheridan to discuss the exhibition, which uses artifacts and archives from the Orangetown Museum's permanent collection to discover how finding out about our past adds immeasurable value to our daily lives. 

Millia Davenport
This program originally aired on June 20, 2022.

David Bisaha, assistant professor of theater at SUNY Binghamton, joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss the life and legacy of Millia Davenport (1895-1992), a remarkable and trailblazing woman who lived most of her life in Rockland County. Among her many contributions, Davenport wrote the definitive book on theatrical costume history, The Book of Costume (1948), which remains the gold standard in the field. Dr. Bisaha current book project is American Scenic Design and Freelance Professionalism, a cultural labor history of scenic designers and designing in the United States.

Confessions of a Hayseed D.A.
This program originally aired on May 16, 2022.

Kathleen Meehan Do visited the program to discuss the new book she edited, Confessions of a Hayseed D.A., written by her father, Robert R. Meehan. In this page-turner, former Rockland District Attorney Robert R. Meehan takes the reader through his journey from naive do-gooder to seasoned prosecutor, investigating and solving heinous crimes and surviving an attempt on his life that upended his family’s world. Robert R. Meehan was the district attorney of Rockland County from 1965 to 1974. Kathleen Meehan Do is a communications specialist who has served in the administration of New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo, Pennsylvania Congressman Joseph Sesak, and Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell.

Sidney Simon
This program originally aired on April 18, 2022.

We explored the life and artistic legacy of Sidney A. Simon (1917–1997). On the occasion of an exhibition of his works at the Blue Hill Art and Cultural Center (Pearl River, NY), two of Simon's children, Teru Simon and Mark Simon, joined Clare Sheridan to share memories of their father and their own recollections of growing up on South Mountain Road in Rockland County. Simon was a painter, sculptor, muralist, art school cofounder (Skowhegan), and US Official War Artist.

Women of South Mountain Road
This program originally aired on March 28, 2022.

To celebrate Women's History Month, we focused our attention on the women of South Mountain Road (Rockland County) who, like their male counterparts, were gifted artists and intellectuals. HSRC Executive Director Susan Deeks joined Clare Sheridan to discuss some of these notable women and why they deserve a prominent place in the history of American arts and letters. Lita Hornick, Martha Ryther, Lotte Lenya, Eva Zeisel, Bessie Breuer and Mary Mowbray-Clarke were discussed.

Skunk Hollow (Revisit), with Dr. Joan Geismar
This program originally aired on February 21, 2022.

In recognition of Black History Month, we revisited our 2016 interview with historical archeologist Joan Geismar and the fascinating area known as Skunk Hollow. Dr. Geismar has been a practicing urban archaeologist since 1981 and wrote her dissertation on Skunk Hollow. Skunk Hollow, or “The Mountain,” was a free Black community from 1806 to 1905. The first known deed, dated 1806, belonged to Jack Earnest from Palisades. In 1841, William Thompson, an African Methodist Episcopal itinerant preacher, bought Jack’s house, built a church on his land, and became the resident preacher. More than one hundred families lived in Skunk Hollow, including the Browns, Olivers, Siscos, Thompsons, and Williamses. 

Learn more about Skunk Hollow here:  https://aahsmuseum.org/dt_portfolios/skunk-hollow

Dedication, with Roger Peltzman

This program originally aired on January 17, 2022.

Clare Sheridan interviewed Blauvelt native Roger Peltzman, who, since his appearance on "Crossroads" in 2014, has continued to explore his family’s harrowing story that took place in the wake of Hitler’s rise to power. His primary focus is his uncle, the piano prodigy Norbert Stern, who perished in Auschwitz at age twenty-one. Learn about the new facets of Peltzman’s exploration and the exciting public events that share this musical journey.

Watch a short trailer of Peltzman's performance at https://vimeo.com/660428184

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