Lumbering made its way to the Neversink River gorge by about 1830, followed by tanning, quarrying, and farming. By the early 1900s, the Hackledam community was known more for its colorful characters and bear hunts than for its mills, dairy farms, vineyard, and the “very fine” 1880 home of a local lumber baron.
In 1916 the schoolhouse was put on wheels and carried to the more populous town of Rock Hill.
Essentially, the story of Hackeldam exemplifies dozens of fleeting early-industrial hamlets across New York State, but because the area is preserved as New York State land, the ruins are still there to tell the tale.
At 10 am on Saturday, September 23, 2023 the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference will host a free, easy-to-moderate 1.5 mile historical walking tour in the Neversink River Unique Area in Sullivan County, NY.
The tour will last approximately 90 minutes. Participants may then make the 20-minute return walk to the parking lot or continue on the trails to view three spectacular waterfalls
and additional beauty spots along the Neversink River.
Tour participants will meet at the Katrina Falls Trailhead parking lot at the end of Katrina Falls Road, off Exit 109, Highway 17. Further description, directions, and registration information can be found online here.
Register to receive updates — the rain date will be Sunday, September 24.
Photo: A fly fisherman casts his line in front of the stone abutments of the ca. 1850 suspension bridge that connected the one-time community of Hackledam across the Neversink River (photo by Nancy Bachana).
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