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Library

Cornelius Hegeman

July 18, 2012

|

Hudson, NY

Song

Recorded by

Jenny Kane

This interview is available in-person only. Please get in touch if you would like to listen.
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Summary:

This interview with Cornelius Hegeman was conducted in Hudson, NY in a conference room at Space 360, as part of the Oral History Summer School, on July 18, 2012.  Cornelius Hegeman grew up near Albany and spent much of his Childhood in rural Vermont.  He and his wife, Geraldine, have lived in Germantown, NY, for the past twenty years, and have a small farm in Clermont.  He is retired from the NY State Department of Corrections and is very involved with local community projects, primarily through the Masonic Lodge.  He has been actively supportive of the Germantown Community Farm since it’s early days.

Some of the topics that came up in the interview are: Masons, farming, young people starting farms, Corrections Department, charity work, community, Utopian worlds,  raising animals, organic farming,  Germantown Community Farm,  CSAs,  theatre, radio, small towns,  giving back to the community, community acceptance, strong work ethic, SUNY Oswego, Hudson Valley Community College,  changes in the town of Hudson, orchards, bee keeping, agricultural tax exemptions, making a difference in the world, Barbecue, grilling.

This interview might be of interest to people looking to learn more about the changes in the farming community in Columbia County, community projects, the NYS Corrections Department, and small town life.

Themes:
Correctional Facilities
,
Farming
,
Masonic Lodge
,
Germantown Community Farm
,
Change and Gentrification
,
Volunteering
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Interviewer Bio:
Jenny Kane

I live in Brooklyn, NY and work on movies, TV shows and commercials as an electrician. I studied history in college, photography at the International center of Photography and I’ve been an addicted listener to WNYC radio since moving to New York. I recently completed a master’s degree in Media Studies at the New School where I made a short video about tug boats which introduced me to the New York waterfront. I’m involved with waterfront organizations, maritime preservation projects and my local food co-operative. I’ve always been interested in hearing stories of places that no longer exist or have changed dramatically, probably because I grew up hearing stories from my grandfather about the immigrant neighborhood he grew up in that was razed, in the 1960s, as part of an ‘urban renewal’ project.

Additional Info:
Interview language(s):
English
,
Audio quality:
High

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Permissions: 

This interview is hereby made available for research purposes only. For additional uses (radio and other media, music, internet), please click here to inquire about permissions.

Part of this interview may be played in a radio broadcast or podcast.

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