Schoharie takes a break from rebuilding to celebrate 300th year

PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Munger Jr.

Share on Facebook

Save

Plans are in place for a three-day festival starting Friday to celebrate Schoharie’s 300th anniversary.

Tours of historic sites, fireworks, a time capsule, 300-cent meals at local restaurants and attractions like a petting zoo and big truck tours for kids are among a variety of features planned for Schoharie 300, event co-organizer Darlene Patterson said.

“We’ve got a lot of things planned for the weekend,” she said.

Schoharie 300

What: Celebration of the 300th Anniversary of Schoharie’s settlement in 1712

Where: Main Street, Depot Lane, Old Stone Fort Museum, Historic 1743 Palatine House, Schoharie Free Library and other locales in the village

When: Friday through Sunday

How much: Events are free, admission to the Old Stone Fort Museum is $7 for adults, $6 for children

More info: www.schohariepromo.org

It’s been three centuries since Palatine Germans first settled the Schoharie Valley in 1712, a story to be outlined in a new, 130-page book put together by village historian Lester Hendrix. The book is filled with historical notes about the area, including honors its farmers received in the 1800s, when they won best corn at the Chicago World’s Fair.

The text will be among several items Patterson said the Schoharie 300 committee plans to store in a time capsule that will be held at the Old Stone Fort Museum until the 350th anniversary.

Descendants of Palatine settlers will have their day Saturday, when the Schoharie chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution hold a welcome the Palatines event at Lassell Hall on Main Street.

The historic flood of 2011 will have some influence on the time capsule — a maple tree felled by flooding was used to build the box that will hold it.

Patterson said the events, running through Sunday, should give folks in the flood-weary county some fun while helping to show guests how far they’ve come in rebuilding after the damage wrought by tropical storms Irene and Lee.

“We’ve got a lot of history, and this celebration is for everyone to see how Schoharie is doing and also so that our folks can have a celebration,” Patterson said. “They’ve been at it for a year, and I think it’s time to kind of sit back a little bit and enjoy the end of the summer and just focus on where we’re going.”

A scavenger hunt being held as part of festivities will lead to a $50 prize for whoever identifies all 16 historic sites, for which only a partial photograph will be provided.

The Schoharie Promotional Association is sponsoring a Big Trucks tour for children, bringing massive vehicles kids typically get to see only in passing.

“There’s going to be lots of things for the kids to do,” Patterson said.