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Title: Bookmarks: Local authors Colette C. Fulton of Cornwall Author: Staff Writer Publisher: Time-Herald Record Date: 10/25/09 Title: 'Images of America: Cornwall-on-Hudson' Author: Colette C. Fulton of Cornwall Author's occupation: About 20 years ago, Colette C. Fulton became the first historian for Cornwall-on-Hudson. Previously, there was only a Town of Cornwall historian. Fulton began collecting items in her own home and later got a space when the village offices moved from River Avenue to Hudson Street. The glass plate negatives and Louis Chivacheff, the photographer who took them, became the subject of this book. Favorite items: There are two favorite items in the historical society's office. A model of the Chauncey Vibbard ship on the Hudson River in the 1870s was donated to the historical society by former resident Milton Faurot. Fulton also has a newspaper clipping that gives the ship's schedule on the Hudson River. The other items Fulton treasures are pottery pieces from the Revolutionary War. Kids get a history lesson outside the classroom: On Sept. 29, Fulton and town officials rededicated the playground that is situated right behind the school. In 1907, a principal from one of the schools pushed for a place for kids to play. On Sept. 29, 1909, the playground was dedicated. People erroneously think that the playground was added onto the school, but it was the other way around, since the school that stands there now was built in the 1920s in front of the existing playground. At the dedication, Fulton told the students, "Land doesn't come that easy." She continued, "People had children in mind and people cared about one another and what they needed. Today, it's much more (financially driven)." How long did it take to write the book: "Two years, because there were several thousand glass plate negatives," said Fulton, who was faced with the task of identifying as many people and (locations) as possible. She began with slide presentations, hoping that people could identify grandparents. "The new people came because they are curious. People had a wonderful time, but they couldn't identify anyone," Fulton said. She also studied the photographer, Louis Chivacheff. who took most of the images, and included a chapter on him. He became an art teacher and made a lot of his money from rich people that came from New York City to visit and capture a memory of themselves in the country. He also seemed to like the community because he married a local girl and stayed here. Fulton solves a mystery of why people in old pictures seem so serious. "It took a minute to take and that's why there aren't many smiling faces, because it was hard to keep that pose." Why preserving history is so important: "You can have a significant role in the future," Fulton says, recounting a recent call from a New York Times reporter about Quaker Avenue's name being changed to honor Gen. David Petraeus, now commander of the U.S. Central Command. Petraeus, who previously was in charge of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, grew up in Cornwall. In fact, he was a paperboy and lived on Avenue A. As a historian, Fulton says she "objects to changing the names of streets." But she approved of the way Cornwall officials noted Petraeus' own historical contribution to the community. His name appears on another sign at the Quaker Avenue location, but the original name wasn't changed. She says officials chose Quaker Avenue because military visitors coming from Stewart to West Point would have to drive through Quaker Avenue to get to Stewart or West Point. "The point is don't be so quick to change names of (locations in history) ... because they have a history in itself," Fulton said. Cornwall-on-Hudson was incorporated as a vill
