Clare Sheridan will be joined by theatrical historian Richard Skipper. A talented entertainer, Skipper captivates his audiences wherever he goes, blending theater history, personal reflections, songs, and memories. We’ll discuss theater history; his upcoming performance at the Valley Cottage Library; and the role our public libraries play in the arts and in preserving the history of our communities.

About Richard Skipper: Richard Skipper is a multitalented and multi-award-winning vocalist, host, and raconteur. He has had a long and varied career, from his native South Carolina to New York and beyond, in many aspects of show business. He was the associate producer of the 2010, 2012, and 2013 Bistro Awards, and has produced many cabaret shows and concerts. As a philanthropist, he raises funds for many worthwhile causes.

Richard Skipper’s upcoming local performance will be held at the Valley Cottage Library on August 14, 2025 at 7pm.

It’s a one-of-a-kind, unscripted evening shaped entirely by questions from the audience. Richard Skipper blends personal stories, theatrical history, music, and spontaneity to create a joyful, interactive experience that’s never the same twice. With Musical Director Dan Pardo and direction by James Beaman, this show invites audiences into a dynamic celebration of truth, legacy, and connection.

Advance registration required. Click here to register: https://valleycottage.librarycalendar.com/event/everything-you-always-wanted-know-about-richard-skipper-20384

Skipper's website about the history of Hello Dolly can be found here: https://www.callondolly.com/

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New episodes of the "Crossroads of Rockland History" podcast, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, premier at www.RocklandHistory.org on the third Monday of each month. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York. www.RocklandHistory.org

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Crossroads revisited an earlier interview with Virginia Norfleet, founder of the Haverstraw African American Connection (HAAC), an organization that sponsors the annual Haverstraw Juneteenth Celebration. Norfleet was also instrumental in the founding of the African American Memorial Park in Haverstraw. Norfleet is also the 2019 recipient of the HSRC’s Margaret B. and John R. Zehner Award for contributions to the county's history.

The 2025 Juneteenth celebration in Haverstraw will take place over three days: June 19, 20 and 21. Learn more about this years events and programs here: https://www.thehaac.com/juneteenth

Juneteenth is a holiday observed annually on June 19. It commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. A combination of the words June and nineteenth, the holiday, also called Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1866 and is considered to be one of the oldest continuing African American holidays. Juneteenth commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans throughout the former Confederacy of the southern United States. This announcement came 2 1/2 years after The Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery. On June 17, 2021, Pres. Joe Biden signed legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

The mission of the Haverstraw African American Connection is to research, recover, preserve and teach the rich culture and contributions of African American’s with emphasis on the African American people of Haverstraw N.Y.

​H.A.A.C is a Non-Profit 501c3 agency. Through public outreach, dialogue, exhibits and other community initiatives, we will promote knowledge, acceptance and appreciation of our heritage.

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"Crossroads of Rockland History," is a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. The recorded broadcasts are available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a non-profit educational institution and principle repository for documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House located at 20 Zukor road in New City.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Episode originally aired on Monday, April 21, 2025 at 9:30 am, on WRCR Radio 1700 AM.

The topic of conversation was the Lawrence–Tonetti Waterfall in Palisades, NY. Also known as Peanut Leap Cascade, this natural waterfall was beautifully enhanced by sculptors Mary Lawrence and Francois Tonetti in the early 20th century by creating stream-fed pools, sculptural fountainheads, and a Roman-style pergola on the shore of the Hudson River.

John Ratcliff, the grandson of the sculptors, joined host Clare Sheridan to share memories of this extraordinary place, which was once part of the larger Lawrence property in Snedens Landing. The property is now contained within the Palisades Interstate Park, where thousands of hikers pass by its ruins as they descend the Shore Trail to the Hudson River.

We are pleased to share the details of an upcoming program at the Palisades Free Library:

The Lawrence-Tonetti Waterfall: A History of the Peanut Leap Cascade
from Snedens Landing to Palisades Interstate Park

When: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 6:30 pm

Where: Palisades Free Library, 19 Closter Road, Palisades, NY 10964, (845) 359-0136

About the program: Join Francesca Costa (Palisades Interstate Park Public Historian), Jennifer Rothschild (Historical Society of Rockland County Programming Director), and John Ratcliff, grandson of the sculptors Mary Lawrence and Francois Tonetti as they tell the story of "The Waterfall" and how it has become a popular hiking trail within the park. This slide presentation and panel discussion explores the fascinating history of The Waterfall, a natural feature enhanced by Lawrence and Tonetti in the early 20th century with stream-fed pools, a roman-style pergola, and sculptural fountainheads. Once part of the larger Lawrence property in Snedens Landing, it became a favorite spot for moonlit gatherings of guests who arrived by boat, including fellow sculptors and painters, as well as the renowned architects Charles McKim and Stanford White, who helped design the pergola. This magical spot is now contained within the Palisades Interstate Park, where thousands of hikers pass by its ruins as they descend the Shore Trail to the Hudson River.

To register, go to: https://southorangetownlibraries.librarycalendar.com/event/lawrence-tonetti-waterfall-snedens-landing-palisades-interstate-park-33538

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

A 30-minute version of this interview originally aired on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 9:30am on WRCR Radio 1700AM.

Crossroads celebrated both Women’s History Month and Saint Patrick’s day with a discussion about an exciting program coming up at Harmony Hall in Sloatsburg. Eve Kahn, the former Antiques Editor for the New York Times and Elizabeth Stack the Executive Director at the American Irish Historical Society will joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss Anna Frances Levins, the Irish American artist and entrepreneur who traveled widely to photograph remotest Ireland and created portraits of sitters ranging from Pope Pius X to martyred Irish revolutionaries.

Anna Frances Levins founded her own company, Levins Press, which published lavish books about the history of Ireland and Irish Americans, and her photos appeared by the hundreds in books, newspapers, and magazines. Levins also helped the newest Irish arrivals at Ellis Island, combating her era's bitter prejudices against immigrants. She eventually married one of her portrait sitters, an Irish baronet. Despite all of this, Levins has ended up in contemporary obscurity.

About the guests:

Eve Kahn is an Independent scholar and former Antiques Columnist at The New York Times. She is an award winning author who writes about art, architecture, and design for the Times among other publications.

Elizabeth Stack, PhD, is the Executive Director of the American Irish Historical Society in New York City. Dr. Stack was previously the executive director of the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, NY and before that she taught Irish and Irish American History and was an Associate Director at Fordham University’s Institute of Irish Studies. She completed her PhD at Fordham, writing about Irish and German immigrants in New York at the turn of the twentieth century, as they grappled with the immigration restriction movements of that time.

About the Program: Anna Frances Levin on Sunday, March 30th, 2:00 pm at Harmony Hall, Jacob Sloat House in Sloatsburg, NY.

Tickets available at https://www.friendsofharmonyhall.org/events

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The American Irish Historical Society will also host Eve Kahn for "Rediscovering Anna Frances Levins” on March 25th at 6pm. Info here: https://aihsny.org/events-2/rediscovering-anna-frances-levins-forgotten-irish-american-photographer-publisher-political-activist-and-baroness

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Broadcast originally aired on Monday, February 17, 2025 at 9:30 am, on WRCR Radio 1700AM.

Master storyteller and author Jonathan Kruk joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss his career as a Master Storyteller. In April, Kruk will bring a family-friendly program to the Historical Society of Rockland County entitled: “Imps of Donderberg: The Lore of Rockland County.”

Topics discussed in this interview include: Washington Irving; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; The Goblin of Donderberg; Charles Dickens; A Christmas Carol; Hudson River; Rocklandia; The Hudson River; Pete Seeger and more.

Best known for his solo shows “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “A Christmas Carol,” Jonathan Kruk has been featured on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, and the BBC. In addition to performing for the New-York Historical, the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, Pete Seeger’s Clearwater Fest, the NYS Reading Teacher’s Association, NYS PTA Conference, the Nassau County Museum, the Greater Hudson Heritage Network, Met-Life, and Pepsico, he has eight award-winning recordings and is the author of two books: Legends and Lore of Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley and Legends and Lore of the Hudson Highlands.

His website is: https://jonathankruk.com/

The upcoming program at the HSRC:

In this family-friendly Sunday afternoon program, Jonathan will tell adventuresome stories about pirate treasure, bold patriots, ghost imps, Indian guides, and more.

IMPS OF DONDERBERG: The Lore of Rockland County, with Jonathan Kruk

• When: Sunday, April 6, 2025,at 1:00 pm SHARP
• Where: Lower-level Community Room, HSRC History Center, 20 Zukor Road, New City
• Price: $15.00/adult; $5/child (best for children in second grade or older)

Learn more or get tickets: https://www.rocklandhistory.org/family-program--imps-of-donderberg

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Episode originally aired Monday, January 20, 2025 at 9:30m on WRCR Radio 1700AM.

Crossroads of Rockland History revisited one of the most tragic events in Rockland History: The 1914 murder of Eugene Newman by William V. Cleary. In this re-broadcast, host Clare Sheridan interviewed the grand-nephew of the murder victim, Eugene Newman. Now living in Chicago, IL, Gene Newman shared the details of this dreadful event and the subsequent trial which has been described as a major scandal involving political and legal corruption in New York State.

Please note: A version of this interview was aired on Monday, October 19, 2015 and was archived as episode 61.

To read an outstanding article by Cheryl Slavin , published by the Rockland County Times in 2014, visit: www.rocklandtimes.com/2014/07/24/haverstraw-political-boss-shoots-newspaper-publishe

To see related photos and news clippings, visit our flickr album here: www.flickr.com/photos/100479933@N04/albums/72157658442917045

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30am on WRCR Radio 1700 AM (live streaming at www.WRCR.com). Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Broadcast originally aired on Monday December 16, 2024 at 9:30 am, on WRCR 1700 AM Radio.

Beverly Schultz Csordas joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss her new book, The Olden Days: My Mother's Family History (1594-1997).

Csordas is a member of the Concklin family whose Orchards in Pomona have been owned and operated by the Concklin family for ten generations. By weaving together a wide variety of family documents and photos, and enhancing them with her own research, Beverly Csordas presents a historical and fascinating tale of her mother's heritage from the time the first ancestors arrived in Salem, Massachusetts. in the 1600s. https://www.orchardsofconcklin.com/

Learn more about the author: https://beverlyscsordas.com

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Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Episode originally aired on Monday, November 18, 2024 at 9:30 am, WRCR Radio 1700AM.


We turned our attention to the historic Jacob Sloat house, also known as Harmony Hall, in Sloatsburg. The house is owned by the Town of Ramapo, but a small group of dedicated volunteers - The Friends of Harmony Hall - are working hard to preserve and restore this important place.

Peter Bush, a member of the Friends of Harmony Hall and a Sloat descendant, joined host Clare Sheridan to share what the Friends of Harmony Hall have done so far this year and what is coming up at Harmony Hall.

Learn more about the Friends of Harmony Hall here: https://www.friendsofharmonyhall.org

The Friends of Harmony Hall 's Annual Victorian Holiday at Jacob Sloat's 1848 Greek Revival mansion will take place Sunday, December 8, 1-5 pm. Enjoy live music, sweet treats, and their signature hot mulled cider. Children’s crafts and unique hand-made crafts in Ye Olde Holiday Shoppe - and, of course, a visit from Santa (1:30-2 pm) - will complete the day! Tickets are available at the FOHH website.
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Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org

Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.

The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.

www.RocklandHistory.org