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June 1, 2021
The Putnam County Historian s Office is seeking the public s help to chronicle the extraordinary conditions we have lived through during the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents are asked to think back on the past year when they may have experienced COVID-19 testing, quarantine, school closings, and shortages in the stores. Can you tell a story about how the pandemic affected your job or business? Did you experience sicknesses or, under the most tragic circumstances, lose a loved one to COVID-19? Everyone s story is vitally important.
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An online form has been created on the Historian s website for contributions of personal stories, photographs, or images of artifacts that reflect the individual s response to this crisis. Contributions will help document 2020-2021 and be considered for inclusion in the Historian s Collection at the Putnam County Archives.
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Sgt. Clunton J. Peterson s account was first published and heralded in the columns of The Courier over 100 years ago. (New York State Archives)
Press release from Putnam County:
Jan. 31, 2021
The Putnam County Historian s Office has partnered with The Putnam County Courier to post a digital reference guide of Kent Cliffs native, Sgt. Clinton J. Peterson s 1919 column, My Year in France . It is a serialized record of Peterson s experience as an African-American serving 191 days in the trenches with the 369th U.S. Infantry Regiment, better known as the Harlem Hell Fighters , alongside the French during World War I. His account was first published and heralded in the columns of The Courier over 100 years ago.