Week of July 11
July 10, 1875 – 150 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Journal
THE CENTENNIAL YEAR
Our nation is beginning at length to enter heartily into the Centenary arrangements. What really constitutes the Centennial year will soon be determined to a nicety, for the War of the Revolution had no fixed date of opening. Its surges were rising through years of oppression of the American colonists. It burst forth from all parts of the scattered and feeble colonies. There were white caps that told of the coming storm years before the blending of the elements in the gale that swept the country through its length and breadth, and sweeping away from within her borders every vestige of the power of the King. Had the King and his counsellors been wise enough to have interpreted and understood the prophetic voices and incidents of those days, we might never have had the Revolution, and we should never have heard of the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. It is not too much to hope that the patriotic spirit this year should awaken in every American heart, will call out from all localities far and wide, a flood of associations and reminiscences which the local press shall everywhere record and thus faithfully contribute to what may better be written in its second century than its first, —the true history of the United States. Some of the leaves were roughly handled and torn not long ago, and we have had to have a little rebinding done, but the volume that holds our destinies is still as strong as ever, and our American historians may date their revises from this Centennial year. Of course, in all this matter, any attempt on the part of any city, whether Philadelphia, Boston, or New York, to carry off all the glory and honors, will be simply ridiculous, There is scarcely a point in the country, from the Dominion to the Gulf, that has not its glorious record, either of achievement or heroic sacrifice. Let them all be remembered and duly honored, and out of the remembrance let there come to us a largeness of heart and brotherly spirit that shall bind yet closer than ever in unity of feeling and purpose every part of this grand Republic. We rejoice to see that this is the present drift of feeling, and we trust that it will widen and deepen as the months of this Centennial year roll on. This will, indeed, be a fitting close to the first century of the work began by our fathers and left to us, their children, to perfect.
July 11, 1925 – 100 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Times
COUNTY GIRLS WIN HONORS AT NORMAL SCHOOL — Garnerville Girl Among Graduates of Oneonta Who Took Class Honors
Four Rockland County girls, who attended the State Normal School at Oneonta, were graduated Tuesday June 23. All of them distinguished themselves in various ways.
Miss Laura Heminover, of Garnerville, was the treasurer of the class of ’25; Miss Margaret Onderdonk, of Monsey, and a graduate of the class of ’22 of Spring Valley High School, was elected the class prophetess. She also took one of the leading parts in the senior play given Monday evening, June 22.
Spring Valley’s two girls, Miss Carrie May Eberling and Miss Helen Rouy, who graduated with the class of ’22 of Spring Valley High School, won triple honors at Normal. They were honor students and commencement speakers. Besides this, they walked off with two out of the three prizes given by the school.
Miss Eberling won the prize given to the girl who had the best influence among the other students and who had done the most good for the school. Miss Rouy won the prize offered to the one obtaining the highest scholastic average.
CHURCH HAS NEW ORGAN — New and Useful Musical Instrument to Be Utilized on Sunday
[Image: Undated postcard featuring St. Paul’s Church, Congers. Courtesy of the Nyack Library via NYHeritage.org.]
The new and beautiful organ recently installed in St. Paul’s Church at Congers and presented to that edifice by the members of the choir who have been assisted by the congregation and generous citizens of other religious denominations of the ‘City by the Lakes,’ in securing of funds which enabled them to make the purchase and installation, is to be formally pressed into service at the ten o’clock Mass Sunday, when tones of the organ are to peal forth.
Professor Muehlfeld of Glen Rock, N.J., is to preside at the keyboard of the organ and render special and appropriate selections of sacred music at the ten o’clock mass, Mr. Ralph Thompson singing the offertory piece entitled Rosewig’s Ave Maria.
Besides the mass scheduled for ten o’clock when tones of the organ is to be first heard by the congregation, there are services at seven and nine o’clock.
The pastor of St. Paul’s, The Rev, Father Vaeth wants to thank all the generous souls of the community who have so loyally aided in the work of providing this attractive instrument for the use of the congregation.
July 11, 1975 – 50 YEARS AGO
The Journal News
CENTER DEDICATES GEODESIC DOME
HILLBURN — The Rockland Center for the Arts has scheduled a special ceremony for Sunday as part of the dedication of its geodesic dome located on Fifth Street.
On display from 3 to 5 p.m. will be arts and crafts constructed by youngsters and adults from the Hillburn community. Work done by the community’s summer program of free classes in photography will also be displayed.
The concept of using the dome as a permanent facility was developed by the Rockland Center for the Arts and funded with the support of the New York State Council on the Arts.
The summer program was made possible by donations from the Rockland County Legislature, the village of Hillburn and local industries including Avon, Ciba-Geigy, and IBM.
Admission is free, and refreshments will be served.
This Week in Rockland (#FBF Flashback Friday) is prepared by Clare Sheridan for the Historical Society of Rockland County. © 2025 by The Historical Society of Rockland County. #FBF Flashback Friday may be reprinted only with written permission from the HSRC. To learn about the HSRC’s mission, upcoming events or programs, visit www.RocklandHistory.org or call (845) 634-9629.
