To the Editor:

Who were the Shakers? Where was their first settlement?

The Shakers are a utopian society whose beliefs on gender and racial equality and communal living date to the late 1700s.

You may know about Shaker furniture, admire Shaker oval boxes, have hummed the “Simple Gifts” song, and may have even worn a Shaker stitch sweater, but did you know that the Shakers’ first permanent settlement was here in Albany County?

The Watervliet Shakers as the Albany settlement is known, built extensive industries based on their agricultural products. For instance, they developed the seed-packing industry in the 1790s.

Join us on Wednesday, May 3, to discover the origins of this communal society and how many of their innovations we benefit from today. It is remarkable to consider that a major cultural force in America grew from the local community founded by Mother Ann Lee and a handful of others.

The program, hosted by the Clarksville Historical Society, is open to the public and is held at the Clarksville Community Church at 1997 Delaware Turnpike in Clarksville, starting at 7 p.m.

Marilyn Miles

Program Chair

Clarksville

Historical Society