NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Spies with hidden messages in their shoes, neighbors who couldn't trust each other, and a teenage girl's midnight ride: this was the real history from North Salem's backyard, where Dr. Debbie Oswald brought Revolutionary War tales to life for fourth graders studying American history at Pequenakonck Elementary School.
Oswald, a local author, former PQ teacher, and current director of the Southeast Museum in Brewster, painted a vivid picture of wartime Westchester County.
"Imagine being in lawless North Salem, maybe you're a patriot, but your next-door neighbor is a loyalist and you can't trust anyone," said Oswald. “North Salem was dangerous. But remember, there's no internet, no cellphones, no telephones, you'd basically have to yell for help.”
Her presentation highlighted the current museum exhibition "Women of the Hudson Valley during the American Revolution," featuring remarkable local figures, such as 16-year-old Sybil Luddington, who rode 40 miles in 1777 to warn troops of a British attack on Danbury. "She traveled all the way through Mahopac, Carmel, Patterson, a tiny bit of Brewster. She was like Paul Revere, but she rode twice the distance," said Oswald.
Students were surprised to learn about Lake Tonetta's namesakes, Mehitable "Etta" and Anthony "Tone" Waring, an enslaved couple who, after serving in the war, opened a fishing shop on a lake in Brewster.
The local spy stories particularly captured imaginations. Oswald spoke about Enoch Crosby, who concealed his loyalties for eight years while working with John Jay to gather intelligence on the British. Her recent research for an upcoming book uncovered new information about Susanna Kniffen, who delivered messages on horseback with dispatches hidden in her shoes, and the wealthy loyalist Susannah Phillips Robinson, who spied for the British.
Students were eager to imagine themselves in these dangerous roles. "I'd probably dress all fancy, like I was a loyalist, and then report back to the patriots," said Maddie. "I feel like that even though girls weren't allowed to do much, they still fought through it and decided, 'I'm going to do it.'"
"I would play along with it and see what I could find out," said Kaitlynn, while her classmate Conor said, "I would have told everybody; I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret."
The local connection struck students deeply. "I didn't realize the war was happening in a lot of these places. I didn't realize it took up this much space and all around North Salem," said Leo.
The interactive presentation, which included handling replica Revolutionary War items, such as canteens, tin whistles, and eating utensils, made the 18th-century experience tangible for modern fourth graders. This interactive approach engaged the students and helped them connect their neighborhood's dramatic past with their class studies.
Article courtesy of North Salem Central School District.
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