To the Editor:

“Old news?” That’s history.

Remember when that guy took out the beaver dam? People were flipping, fish were flopping, and water stormed down the creek for days. After a fashion, the hoopla calmed down and the news of the day drifted into the “remember when” landscape.

The Berne Historical Society shares “old news” in the Berne Museum. Rooms are stocked full of artifacts from an era of one-room schoolhouses and neighbors supporting neighbors in a common cause. This fall, three openings of the museum were greeted with enthusiasm by visitors.

One specialty event featured the “Spooky Museum Tour” on Oct. 30. Well, that’s “old news” scoffed the peruser of the printed word. True, but this “old news” now joins the tapestry of the museum’s history.    

The October Halloween event cranked up some fun with spookily decorated rooms. A three-foot butler offered some savory guts along with a wee sinister chuckle. A gypsy, acting as museum tour guide and fortune teller, roamed about upstairs with onlookers in tow.

Downstairs, four volunteers buzzed about, offering goodies of cider and sweets to calm the stream of curious folks before entry into the spooky zone. And then there was the old minister in the church room who seemed to be asleep but moved ever so squiggly just as you were about to exit.

Other “old news” from the Berne Historical Society files of 2016 include a visit in April by K9’s Ash and Eddie along with their handlers from the State Police, the annual Memorial Day museum opening, a quilt show held jointly by the Berne and Knox societies, and the eye-popping makeovers of Berne’s historical markers dotting the roadsides.   

New news, “old news,” history.  Remember those tenant farmers of long ago joining ranks during the Anti-Rent Wars of the mid-1800s? You know, they fought against the injustices of yearly rent to the patroon down there in the flatlands. They tarred and feathered, disguised themselves as Calico Indians, and tooted their tin horns to alert neighbors of sheriffs approaching to serve legal papers demanding back rents. A group that organized themselves toward a common cause, the voice of the people needed to be heard: “Down with the rent!”

In August, the Berne Historical Society applied for a grant to place a historic marker commemorating the Anti-Rent State Convention held here in Berne on Jan. 15 and 16, 1845. Over 150 delegates from 11 counties converged in Berne to meet in the red brick church. A meeting place has made its mark in the realms of history by being aptly placed on the State and National Historic Registers.

Approval for the grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation was received this week. This new news will soon become “old news” and, when the marker is installed next spring, it will be added to our big bundle of Berne history being documented by the Berne Historical Society. Thank you to all who helped in this historic endeavor.

Sandra L. Stempel-Kisselback

Berne Historical Society