Award Ceremony Salutes Women of Strength

By Jennifer L. Warren

NEWBURGH – Persistence. Successful. Strength.

They are each words that can be used to describe women involved with and honored at the Annual Martha Washington Woman of History Award Ceremony, held Sunday afternoon at Newburgh’s Washington Headquarters. For the 15th year, a Hudson Valley-based female, who generously and selflessly contributed to the research as well as ongoing educational growth and awareness of history in the area, was saluted for her diligent as well as crucially important efforts. This year’s recipient was Dawn Elliott, an educator, reenactor, preservationist and researcher who has shared her passion for history with others for over two decades. Her influence has been broad, stretching from her founding member status of the Scions of Patria, to a Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy Scouts to her connections with the Museum Village in Monroe, Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz to the Senate House in Kingston, to name a few. Her love for all things history can be traced all the way back to nine years of age when she told her parents she wanted to be an Amish weaver.

Her widespread experiences for delivering history to people has allowed her in many ways to fulfill this dream, a vision that was recognized with much admiration at the Newburgh historic site. And, one that humbled Elliott.

“I feel extremely lucky; I could not have done this without the help of so many people, my “guardian angels,” said a smiling Elliott. “I facilitate other people’s dreams; I feel like I’m just a component of all of these programs, and not the one who is responsible.”

Also on Sunday’s program was featured speaker, Susan Stessin-Cohn, a former professor of social studies education at SUNY New Paltz and currently Historian for the Town of New Paltz as well as author of “In Defiance: Runaways from Slavery in New York’s Hudson River Valley 1735-1851,” Stessin-Cohn spoke about women who escaped from slavery in the Hudson Valley, a topic fitting for Women’s History Month, displaying the incredible fortitude of females.

Providing her audience with a detailed slide show, Stessin-Cohn spoke about the specifics of runaway notices, which delineated the name, age, gender, complexion, height, weight and many other variables of the woman. She further elaborated upon such points as; only the healthiest being able to escape, their insistence to take surnames to eliminate any connections to slavery, as well as the three most popular namesakes being: Johnson, Thomas and Williams. Also discussed during her presentation were the variety of skills enslaved women possessed, scarification and the over 30 designations of color a slave could be given, running the gamut from black to white. Stessin-Cohn also relayed that 18.1% of “freedom seekers” were female and they did so mainly to be free and in defiance. Finally, the newspaper’s role during the time period was pointed out; however, rarely was it able to even get involved.

“So many slaves were caught before a slave ad even went to the paper,” said Stessin-Cohn, who concluded her talk with a powerful quote, projected as the final slide.

“Reach back and gather the best of what our past has afforded us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward.”

Part of the fabric of that great past includes the very woman whose namesake the Award carried: Martha Washington, “The General’s Lady.” The oldest of eight siblings, Washington was a strong female figure who was a widow with four children when she met George. In addition to her fortitude, Martha was an intriguing woman who had much to say and contribute.

She lived a life worthy of our attention and respect.

“When you study George Washington, you learn to appreciate Martha, said Kathleen Mitchell, Founder of the Martha Washington Woman of History Award in 2003. “You also realize George got a lot of attention and that she deserved to get some more.”

Perhaps that potent impact is now living through each of the recipients of the award in her honor, made even more special during Women’s History Month.

“I feel a lot of what I do is women’s history in the 17th Century cooking, weaving and button making demonstrations at Museum Village when we do living history, as it’s mostly the interpretive roles of women,” explained Elliott. “This month has created an incentive for museums to do programming on a topic, women, they might not really do.”