Port Jervis remembers lynching with historic marker

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Marchers tracing the lynching of Robert Lewis

PORT JERVIS – The mayors of all three of Orange County’s cities were among speakers at City Hall and for placement of historic marker remembering a horrendous Port Jervis crime – the lynching of an innocent black man.

Port Jervis Mayor Kelly Decker, Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano, and Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey each pledged to remember the brutal 1892 crime rendered by a citizen mob against a fellow human being.

Speaker after speaker, ministers, community and organization leaders, students, and others paused at times to gather composure as they spoke of a heart-wrenching 130-year-old crime spontaneously committed by otherwise ordinary Port Jervis citizens. 

The gathering held this past Thursday, on the same month, day, late afternoon time, street and location as the 1892 murder of Port Jervis resident Robert Lewis, also brought many in the crowd of nearly 200 to tears.

Two books have been released in recent weeks, detailing the brutal mob beating/lynching of Lewis.  Lewis, an affable African American resident in the 1890s, was accused, but never arrested, tried, or convicted of what remains to this day an untried, unproven crime. The authors, retired Port Jervis Police Detective Michael Worden and Professor Phillip Dray, were among the June 2 speakers. 

Worden said placing of the historic marker may add some closure to the man’s murder.

“I think he would look at it as maybe the final measure of justice has been given to him even though no one has ever been held accountable for his murder, no one was ever tried, or ever will be tried, that perhaps seeing the community come together and finally come to terms with it, putting up an historical marker to commemorate the location, I think in maybe his eyes, he would see this as some closure as there has been some justice finally served,” Worden said.

The group Friends of Robert Lewis hosted the anniversary remembrance and has worked diligently for education and tolerance over the years.  One of this group’s founding members, Ralph Drake, wore a shirt with the handwritten words “I am Robert Lewis” as he marched the painfully historic route.   Drake has marched the route alone, or with sparse few, in past years.  He and others in his group are grateful to see awareness and support growing, especially among young people.




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