Videos
The Roosevelts and the Importance of Local Community - Eleanor Roosevelt continues to be a powerful role model for us today, as Jeffrey Urbin attests in this short video on the Roosevelt’s and the responsibility we all share within our community to be good neighbors, leaders, and followers.
The Thompson Maps: Red Hook in 1798 - In 1798, the State of New York ordered state wide mapping of the counties, resulting in multiple versions of a map of Red Hook (then part of Rhinebeck), four of which are extant. During our 2020 annual meeting last October, the Dutchess County Historian Will Tatum gave a presentation on these maps.
Watch all of the Hardscrabble Day 2020 videos on one place! Community members from all over Red Hook contributed videos to celebrate Hardscrabble Day in a unique way. We received over 40 videos, and are uploading them to this playlist, so keep checking back for more content, and also visit the playlist on YouTube.
Sue Crane’s forefathers were leaders in the Red Hook community more than a century ago. Sue in turn has exemplified the spirit of service and commitment that makes Red Hook so special. A lifelong resident who “never dreamed of politics,” it is thanks to her vision and tireless leadership as Town Supervisor that Red Hook Commons, a 96-unit complex of senior affordable housing, stands proudly in the village today.
"Protecting Red Hook" - Red Hook is home to some of New York's most beautiful farms. This video profile helps explain why. Returning to his hometown after years away, Bill O'Neill helped spearhead local laws that have led to the preservation of more than 4,000 acres of farmland and open spaces. In 2015, Bill told his story to Chris Klose and documentary filmmaker Seth Kramer, who transformed the interview into this inspiring short that debuted at Historic Red Hook's 2018 annual meeting.
"Waiting on Red Hook" - Longtime Red Hook Town Clerk Margaret Doty recalls her early life in Red Hook when she worked as a waitress at the Red Hook Hotel - a wayside favorite of travelers since 1799 that sadly, was torn down in 1965. Video by Seth Kramer, 2017.
"Historic Red Hook at the Elmendorph" - In 2017 Historic Red Hook Board Member Bill Jeffway created this short video to capture the essence of what we are all about at Historic Red Hook.
"Claude Potts Way" - Talk about serving your community! Tivoli’s Claude Potts takes the cake. He said, “No, thank you,” to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had offered him a job in Washington during World War II. Instead, he stayed on the family farm, raised prize-winning apples - and three children - drove the school bus and served for 73 years as a volunteer fireman. Video by Seth Kramer, 2016.
"Saving the People's Building" - Barbara Bielenberg, longtime president of Red Hook's Historical Society, and her artist husband Bob were passionate forces behind preservation of the Elmendorph Inn. Forty years later, she recalls with great satisfaction the successful volunteer effort that saved Red Hook's oldest building. Video by Seth Kramer, 2015.
"Racing Through History" - For forty years, from 1922 to 1962, auto races were held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds' Speedway. In May 2016, Historic Red Hook and the Rhinebeck Historical Society gathered 30 retired drivers, collected oral histories and displayed some of their original cars, photos and memorabilia at the Antique Car Show held at the Fairgrounds. Filmmaker Jim Biffle put together this video to showcase their story.
"We Were Just Kids" - Soon after he moved to Red Hook in his late 80s, Carl Estersohn, a B-17 pilot who flew 35 missions over Germany during World War II, had a chance to relive his memories aboard a refurbished B-17 flown into Poughkeepsie Airport by the Collings Foundation in 2015. John Vincent filmed his interview with Chris Klose. Then Carl, joined by his son, Pieter, grandson Elio, and Chris, took off for a low-level flight up the Hudson River -- Carl's first time in a 17 since his last mission in the spring of 1945.
Historic Red Hook arrived with a bang! Check out the cool video created by Seth Kramer to announce the formation of Historic Red Hook in 2014!
Community Heritage Day. A joyous portrait of Red Hook's 2012 Bicentennial Celebration by Amy Murray.
Hooked On Red Hook. Old-timers and newcomers alike shared their passion for Red Hook and why it really is "Our Town" as part of Red Hook's 2012 Bicentennial. Video by Amy Murray.
Mill Road Student Tribute. As part of the Town of Red Hook's Bicentennial celebrations, Mill Road Primary School students worked with "Story" Laurie to compose and perform songs about their town. July 14, 2012. Video Production by Alexander Klose.
Irving Fraleigh, Dairy Farmer. Irving Fraleigh (1920-2000) was the fourth and last generation of his family to farm some 250 acres east of the Village of Red Hook, bordering the Sawkill. To begin tossing hay bales for "Young" Irv (under the ever-watchful eye of "Old" Irv, his father, from the cab of their faded green Chevy farm truck) was a rite of passage for generations of young boys itching to make some money. In this 1989 segment from the TV pilot 'Tales from America,' produced by Deborah Klose, we see the past and hear the future of dairying in Red Hook.
Cole Palen, Vintage Aircraft Enthusiast. Cole Palen (1925-1993) founded the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in 1959 -- in Red Hook! This world-famous mecca of early aviation (oldrhinebeck.org) attracts tens of thousands of people annually between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Barnstorming rides in the Aerodrome's 1929 American Standard biplane offer unparalleled birds-eye views of Red Hook's rolling farms and hills, villages and hamlets, and the majestic Hudson River. Segment from a 1989 'Tales of America' TV pilot produced by Deborah Klose.