There will be celebrations in 1984 in the 200th year of Washington County, in the 225th year of Whitehall, and in the 75th of Granville Pember Library and Museum.

Already, formal plans for the observance of Washington County are under way and others will soon follow.

Before the American Revolution, the whole of upper New York was known as Tryon. In 1763 five new counties were carved from the area, one of them being Albany, extending from the north line of Massachusetts and north of the Mohawk to the Canadian line. On 2 March 1772 Charlotte County was set off from Albany. Each of these was named for a political person, the first two for men and the last for the wife of King George III. After the Revolution, on 6 September 1783, people were still anxious to “get rid of all things British” and so Charlotte County was renamed Washington County to honor the great general of the Revolution. It is supposed that this was the first county to be so-named. Finer detail of action will be reported as programs progress.

A committee for the county observance has been appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. It is led by the county planner under the supervision of the Whitehall Supervisor appointed head of the county committee. A core committee includes the county historian, two town historians representing the northern and southern blocks of towns, a financial advisor, two presidents of the chambers of commerce, two representatives from the county preservation committee, and the president of the Washington County Historical society.

It is hoped that assistance will be provided voluntarily by many organizations and individuals.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – The Whitehall Times – September 15, 1983