Justin Wexler, an authority on indigenous people of the Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley, will give a talk on the Esopus band of the Munsee Lenape (Delaware) on Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m. at the Middletown History Center, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville.
“Happy While United: Daily Life for the Esopus Indians in the Catskills, 1730-1777” is
offered by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown. Admission to the program is by donation.
To protect their traditional way of life, 18th century Esopus Indian families largely left the Hudson Valley for the isolated East and West Branches of the Delaware River. Over several generations, they combined the best of both worlds, adopting various aspects of Dutch colonial society (including animal husbandry, cider making, and architecture) with traditional skills. By the late 1770s, the American Revolution nearly destroyed the hybrid world that they had created, forcing them to Canada.
For more information, on this and other programs at the History Center, visit mtownhistory.org
You may also leave a message at 845-586-2400, or email historicalsocietyofmiddletown@gmail.com
