MILLBROOK — Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States, left her mark on the world, and on the Hudson Valley.
During Roosevelt’s tenure, from 1933 until his death in 1945, he dealt with the Depression, World War II and instituted programs such as the WPA and the New Deal. But unlike most first ladies, both before and after, his wife had many important projects of her own. She was a proponent of women’s rights, racial equality, education, civil liberties and basic human rights.
This took great courage and strength on her part, and she remained fearful and often lacked self-confidence. But she forged ahead because she saw the need and felt it was her place, as she had a voice that could be heard world-wide, to help wherever and whenever she could.
Jeff Urbin, of the FDR Library and Museum at Hyde Park, at the March 21 meeting of the Millbrook Historical Society, said Eleanor carved a place for herself as first lady. Throughout their time in the White House, she never shrank from taking on more work as she recognized more needs.
Her visits to the Millbrook area revolved mostly around The Millbrook School. Her grandson, Haven, was a student there. She visited the school, gave one of her important speeches from there, and had other interactions around the area, especially while living in Hyde Park. She became friendly with Edward Pulling, who founded the school in 1933, and was instrumental in helping the Trevor Zoo become a reality. The zoo, started by Frank Trevor, opened in 1936. She was a famously bad driver, it is said that whenever she visited The Millbrook School, Pulling had to fetch her, feed her and deliver her back to Hyde Park.
Urbin spoke of her dedication writing “My Day,” a newspaper column she wrote six days a week for 26 years and only stopped writing just weeks before her death. However, in all those years she only mentioned Millbrook four times. The column spoke of national and international news, as well as the Roosevelt’s everyday life, reflections and ideas. She was also on the radio, did some television, and even did some commercials, but only with the contract allowing that she could make political comments.
A dedicated human rights advocate, an early date with future husband Franklin consisted of visiting one of the tenement houses she worked in. Supposedly, the future president was shocked to find out that people actually lived like that, and were that poor.
Urbin told the audience that she was never quite comfortable speaking; she did not have a pleasing voice. She also knew that she was not a raving beauty. During her rather terrible childhood, part of it spent with her grandmother in Tivoli after both her parents died, she heard often that she was no beauty. Further, she had the equivalent of a high school diploma but never attended college, and she often felt that lack of higher education in spite of her superior intellect. Only her deep desire to help the less fortunate kept her using her voice, her face and her energy year after year.
She was known for getting people to do things they never would have, if not for her. One of her famous quotes says it all: “It is not fair to ask of others what you would not do yourself.”
Urbin is looking for more information, photos and narratives about Roosevelt’s visits to Millbrook. An intern and a videographer have been assigned to undertake this project over the summer, and Urbin is asking for anyone in the area with any information to come forth. Urbin said, in asking for Millbrook’s help, “Once again the people of Millbrook are pioneers.” This project is a pilot program, and hopefully will be a model for other municipalities in gathering more material for historical archives.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park is open year round, and now features four days per year for 2019 Sensory Sensitive Tours. Call the museum for more information, 845-486-7761.
Also, the 2019 Tavern Trail is coming up. Learn more on the Dutchess County Historical Society’s website, www.dchsny.org.
The Millbrook Historical Society meets every third Thursday of the month at Lyall Federated Memorial Church at 7:30 p.m.
Dick Hermans in the Oblong Bookstore on Millerton’s Main Street in 1985.Provided
Fall storage crop harvests amid soil building cover crops at Adamah Farm in Falls Village. Janna Siller 
