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The Little Nine Partners Historical Society of Pine Plains, NY, presents WIDOW’S WEEDS, written by Dyan Wapnick and directed by Robert Lyons, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
WIDOW’S WEEDS tells the compelling true story of Mary Ingalls, who in 1842 at 84 years of age applied for her husband Elihu Ingalls’ pension under the Pension Act of 1836, which extended pension benefits to Revolutionary War widows for the first time. Elihu had served in the NY militia and died in 1823 without ever receiving a pension. Unfortunately, nearly all of his service papers and proof of their marriage were lost, and Mary had to rely on memory and oral testimonies to support her application.
WIDOW’S WEEDS is made possible in part by a generous grant award of $9,475 from the Dutchess County Department of History, approved by the Dutchess County Legislature out of a funding pool of $100,000 from their 2025 budget. The original pool was $75k, but after seeing the strength of the applications, the Dutchess County Legislature voted an additional appropriation of $25k to offer more support. The grant was open to all twenty Dutchess County historical societies of which 19 applied, and out of 27 project proposals, 23 were funded. The grant’s mission is to “Encourage and support public-facing programming and interpretive products that engage diverse audiences through exploring how the ideas, events, and impact of the American Revolution changed life experiences and shaped the path to liberty for Dutchess County residents.”
“The project proposed by the Little Nine Partners Historical Society was among the most innovative we received,” said Dutchess County Historian Will Tatum, “This play brings a vital type of primary source record to life, places a spotlight on the experience of Revolutionary War Veterans’ widows, and explores the lingering impact of our struggle for independence on our rural landscape. I look forward to personally attending the production.”
Paid for in part by Dutchess County.
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