Historic Tavern Trail at Foster's Coach House: "Your 1774 Shopping List: Buying and Selling in Pre-Revolutionary Dutchess County"

Long before Amazon and other online shopping venues, Dutchess County residents went to physical stores for all of their retail needs. Join Dutchess County Historian Will Tatum for a deep dive into the origins of the shopping experience in the county. Learn what colonial era stores stocked and sold, the forms of payment their accepted, and the extensive areas they served. If you feel that you have to drive a ways to access a grocery store today, prepare to have your frame of reference significantly widened.

This season-end Tavern Trail program foreshadows a focus on stories from Revolutionary Era Dutchess that will drive the next several years of the Tavern Trail. As the 250th Commemoration Cycle of American Independence begins, the topics explored will cover the colonial era, the Revolutionary War, and how the promises made in the Declaration of Independence have — and have not — been delivered over the past 250 years of Dutchess County and American history.

Space is limited; click here to RSVP.

The Dutchess County Historic Tavern Trail brings history and local cuisine together while introducing the community to iconic locales. The Tavern Trail is a collaborative endeavor between the Dutchess County Department of History, local historical societies and signature food and beverage industry partners to create an innovative program that highlights the county’s rich history. Each installment of the program is held at a different historic location and includes a brief presentation on an engaging episode of the local past.