Events
Please call the individual sites directly to inquire about the events listed below.
Events must be related to the themes of the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and be heritage, cultural, historical, and/or recreational/trail related.
The Names We Know: Jack & Betty, the First Known African Residents of New Paltz
Aug 16, 2026 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Location: 80 Washington Street, Poughkeepsie NY 12601 Website: https://walkway.org/calendar/ Email: clima@walkway.org Phone: 8457630656In July 1680, New Paltz Patentee, Christian Deyo, purchased an enslaved African man named Jack from New York City physician, Hartman Wessels. Nine years later, Christian's son, Pierre Deyo, purchased an enslaved African girl named Betty from a trafficker in New York City named James Barré. These are the first recorded purchases of enslaved Africans in the community of New Paltz, and Jack and Betty are the earliest recorded African residents of the town. In this presentation, Ulster County Historian, Eddie Moran, will guide attendees through documentary sources to discuss what we know about Jack and Betty, and what their lives in New Paltz may have been like.