Credit: Mary Jenkins
I’ve lived more than 50 years in Pine Plains in a house first owned by Adam and Sarah Pulver, built in 1784. That year is incised on the bottom of the chimney along with the stone mason’s initials. The first night I stayed there, my husband had gone off to work and when I looked out the window, there were cows all over! Somehow I found out they belonged to Dave Osofsky (Rick and Ronnie’s dad), so I had him notified to come and get them. He had thought I was a city slicker—I moved here from Salt Point—until he saw me going around the carriage house shooing them out.
One of my favorite memories of living in Pine Plains was when Gert Matragrano, whose husband owned the pharmacy, asked me to participate in the Community Day parade. Gert and I were good friends. We always had a lot of fun, and did things together all the time, like visiting the stone houses in Hurley across the river. We were both in the Garden Club, and Gert was a member of Little Nine Partners Historical Society. One year, Gert asked me to join her on the Historical Society’s float in the parade. I’m not sure of the year, but it was a very long time ago. She said to me, “You have to come!”
I had to make my own costume, which wasn’t hard because I am an expert seamstress. My mother was too, and made all our clothes; so I just came by it naturally. I made an apron, a dress and a matching hat for the parade. I used a pattern — I’m not the kind of seamstress that sews without one. One year, also a long, long time ago, I made my husband sport a coat that won second prize at the New York State Fair.
Credit: Courtesy of Grace Bensing Dietrich
Gert and I were in a cart drawn by two oxen, along with little Kate Osofsky, Jean’s daughter, and two other girls whose names I’ve forgotten. I remember the parade started at the high school. The oxen and wagon belonged to an old person who was a member of Nine Partners. Gert’s been gone a long time, and I miss her.
I have attended every Community Day parade since I’ve lived here. I usually go on a Saturday night, and sit and watch. It’s a lot of fun!
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As we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the town we all call home, the New Pine Plains Herald wants to hear from you!
Maybe you have a family story that stretches back through generations. Maybe you remember a favorite walk, friendship or pet. It could be the winning run in a baseball game, the birth of a calf or the crunch of autumn leaves. There’s simply no limit to what Pine Plains represents to each of the people who live here.
Throughout the Bicentennial year, the Herald will be publishing your stories, creating a portrait of the town through your memories and images. If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, please send 200 to 500 words (ideally) and 1-2 photographs to editor@newpineplainsherald.org. If you’ve got a great story to share but don’t care for writing, get in touch! We’d be happy to listen to your story and help put it into print.
Please include your name, brief biographical details and contact information so we can reach you with any questions or edits.
We look forward to hearing from you!