To the Editor:

Please join the Berne Historical Society for a trip back in time. A time when, much like today, the working person struggles to meet the demands put in place by the ruling power of the day. A time when tenant farmers declared their independence and were urged to take up the ball of the revolution against the tyranny of the patroon land system.

Author, researcher, and public speaker Jill Witbeck Knapp, Ph.D., shares her ancestor’s story during the well documented struggles of the Anti-Rent Wars.

In 1869, her great-great-grandfather William Witbeck was charged with the murder of Rensselaer County Sheriff Griggs during a quest to collect unpaid rents. 

Jill’s book, “The Time for Redemption,” chronicles the events leading to arrest, imprisonment, and court house drama.

Join us Sunday, June 30, at 3 p.m. at the Berne Public Library ,located at 1763 Helderberg Trail. 

See you there or on the trail and remember to save room for refreshments.

Sandra Kisselback

President

Berne Historical Society