1856, the Will (and codicil to the Will) of S. Maretta Thrall,
Library Annual Reports beginning with a fragment in 1911, Library
Board Minutes, letters, brochures, Library scrapbooks, newspaper
articles, photographs, and interviews with Ann Vall, Linda A.
Aumick, and Kevin J. Gallagher.
I also consulted three books written between 1881-1928 that
discussed Middletown, its people, and institutions. The two
volume history of Orange County, New York written by E. M.
Ruttenber and L. H. Clark in 1881 included descriptions of the
then village of Middletown and its earliest library established
in 1801. The Portrait And Biographical Record of Orange County
New York... published in 1895 appears to have been a vanity
publication but provides confirming details of the 11fe of the
woman whose monetary gift established Middletown's first public
11brary, Mrs. S. Maretta Thrall, who was still alive in 1895.
The only book length history of Middletown ever published was
Franklin B. Williams' 1928 work entitled Middletown A Biography.
Most subsequent journalists and authors of short pieces on
Middletown's history frequently quote from this book. Local
newspaper reporters have quoted Williams' work almost from its
inception and have for years repeated his erroneous date July 4,
1901 as the date of the opening of Thrall Library, the generous
legacy of Mrs. S. Maretta Thrall