Saturday marked the 209th birthday of Putnam County.  The theme of celebrations focused on the presence of the American Flag in local history.   The outdoor exhibit on the steps of the Historic Courthouse includes images from county-wide collections.  Panels feature images from every town and village thanks to the Historian’s Collection, Putnam History Museum, Southeast Museum, as well as the Carmel, Kent, Patterson and Putnam Valley historical societies. People were then encouraged to walk down to Lake Gleneida and see the Row of Honor.  The twice-yearly Row of Honor is a salute to veterans on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  There are at least 550 flags, representing memorials to veterans. This is the largest number of flags since the tradition was started nearly a decade ago.  They are sold for $100 to those who want to recognize a veteran. Putnam County Day is an annual event that typically includes a ceremony, historic presentations, and awards for outstanding people, projects and publications that enrich and record Putnam County’s history.  Next weekend is New York State’s Path Through History weekend.