Walkway Connections: The First Known African Residents of New Paltz

In July 1680, New Paltz Patentee, Christian Deyo, purchased an enslaved African man named Jack from New York City physician, Hartman Wessels. Nine years later, Christian’s son, Pierre Deyo, purchased an enslaved African girl named Betty from a trafficker in New York City named James Barré. These are the first recorded purchases of enslaved Africans in the community of New Paltz, and Jack and Betty are the earliest recorded African residents of the town. On Sunday, August 16 from 2-3 p.m. at the Ulster Welcome Center in Highland, Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran will guide attendees through documentary sources to discuss what we know about Jack and Betty, and what their lives in New Paltz may have been like. Edward “Eddie” Moran III currently serves as the appointed Historian for Ulster County, NY. Eddie graduated with a B.A. in history from SUNY New Paltz in the Spring of 2020, and began work as a tour guide at Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz while still a student in 2017. He managed guided tours and historical interpretation full-time at Historic Huguenot Street beginning in 2022, and was appointed Ulster County Historian in September 2024. He is a lifelong resident of the Wallkill River Valley. All Walkway Connections events are free to attend and appropriate for all ages.