Dr. Gehring will provide a richly informative look into our local Dutch culture
— New York Public Library Digital Collections
“Where a Kill is not a Murder and a Fly not an Insect: Origin and Meaning of Dutch Family and Place Names”: Charles Gehring, translator of documents written in the 1600s in the New Netherland colony, will speak on March 5 to the New Scotland Historical Association. The public is invited to the free event. Pictured is a detail from a 1656 map in Adriaen van der Donck’s book, “A Description of New Netherland,” showing settlements extending from modern-day New York City up the Hudson River to Fort Orange, which is the site of Albany today.
To the Editor:
Often many visitors to our area are taken aback at the use of “kill” and “fly” in so many of our local place names. Actually, these and other widely used terms are remnants of our Dutch heritage.
Although the Dutch colony of New Netherlands came under English rule in 1664 and was then renamed New York, Dutch influence remained strong. Known for its concept of tolerance, many immigrants came to New Netherlands for the comparative freedoms allowed here.
Dr. Charles Gehring, one of the most highly regarded and knowledgeable scholars of our Dutch history, will be the speaker at New Scotland Historical Association’s March program. A native of Fort Plain and a resident of the town of New Scotland, Dr. Gehring has dedicated over 40 years to translating Old Dutch documents from the New Netherland Colony.
Many of these are barely decipherable because of their usage of the old Dutch language, the packed handwriting, their age, and their exposure to the 1911 fire at the State Capitol. With many historic documents still awaiting translation, Dr. Gehring’s work is ongoing.
Yet, besides translating, Dr. Gehring’s mission is to disseminate this information so that people’s knowledge of the Dutch heritage in this area is not lost,and so that people are aware of the unique area in which we live.
For a richly informative look into our local Dutch culture, please take this opportunity to learn a bit of the amazing history which has been unlocked and preserved through Dr. Gehring’s dedicated research. To quote Dr. Gehring, “You need to know your past so that you can prepare for the future. This story tells us why we are who we are.”
This program will be presented at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, at the Wyman Osterhout Community Center in New Salem on 7 The Old New Salem Road. Admission is always free.
The New Scotland Historical Association Museum will be open for a half hour before the program.
Judy Kimes
Publicist
New Scotland
Historical Association