Villagers with long memories gathered at the Altamont Free Library last Friday night, on the eve of the village’s first Founders Day, to share memories and swap stories. Joe Burke, who directs the library and hosted the event, started off with a story about the late Ev Rau remembering his first visit, at age 5, to the train station that now houses the library. He and his grandfather rode the train to the state capitol, where his grandfather wept to see the flag he had fought under during the American Civil War. Three women with the longest memories — Carol Dubrin; Jean Hungerford Krull, who came with her daughter, Kristin; and Mary Hughes with her daughter, Meg — told tales that stretched back generations. Ron and Lois Ginsburg shared memories from the last half-century as did Mary Elario. Ellen and Dick Howie came not just with their own stories but with some from Newt Ronan, too. The tapestry their voices wove, which can be heard on this week’s podcast at AltamontEnterprise.com/podcasts, portrays a village that was at once self-sufficient while its residents depended upon one another.