Hudson Valley - Catskills

John D. Rockefeller: Tree Farmer Extraordinaire

November 29, 2023 by Charles Yaple Leave a Comment

When the name John D. Rockefeller Sr. captures someone’s attention the mind usually pictures the famous – or infamous depending on one’s view of 19th century capitalism – late oil baron and once world’s richest man.

Someone more versed on his life might recall Rockefeller’s love for the game of golf. However, John D. was also a passionate and prolific tree farmer and landscaper on his 3,000 acre Kykuit estate bordering the Hudson River near Pocantico Hills, in the Westchester County town of Mount Pleasant, NY. [Read more…] about John D. Rockefeller: Tree Farmer Extraordinaire

Sojourner Truth State Park Gets Improvements

November 28, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

A project to better connect people with the Hudson River at New York State’s newest State Park – Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston, Ulster County – has been completed. [Read more…] about Sojourner Truth State Park Gets Improvements

$28 Million for Recreation and Historic Preservation Projects

November 28, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

$26.6 million has been awarded for recreation and historic preservation projects through the state-funded Environmental Protection Fund to support 72 projects and $2.4 million from the federally funded Recreational Trails Program for 15 projects during Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. [Read more…] about $28 Million for Recreation and Historic Preservation Projects

The Borden Company’s Milk Condensing Plant in 1893

November 26, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The following essay, “‘Crazy Uncle Gail’s’ Idea and What Came of It,” by Eliza Archard Conner, appeared in the June 10, 1893 Northern Star of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. It was transcribed by Hudson River Maritime Museum volunteer George A. Thompson and annotated by John Warren.

About forty years ago Gail Borden, a civil engineer of New England ancestry, conceived the idea that milk could be boiled down in a vacuum till from the liquid condition it became substantially solid, and in that state, preserved by means of another Yankee invention — the sealed tin can — it could be kept for any length of time. [Read more…] about The Borden Company’s Milk Condensing Plant in 1893

The Whites of Their Eyes: The Life of Israel Putnam

November 26, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” remains one of the enduring, and most stirring, quotations of the Revolutionary War, and it was very likely uttered at the Battle of Bunker Hill by General Israel Putnam.

Putnam’s renown as a battlefield commander and his colorful military service far and wide are explored in The Whites of Their Eyes: The Life of Revolutionary Hero Israel Putnam from Rogers Rangers to Bunker Hill (Stackpole Books, 2023) by Michael E. Shay. [Read more…] about The Whites of Their Eyes: The Life of Israel Putnam

Rangers Recover Body; Battle Late Season Wildfires, Conduct Search & Rescues

November 25, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Body; Battle Late Season Wildfires, Conduct Search & Rescues

Striped Bass Public Hearings in New York

November 21, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) released the Draft Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass (PDF) for public comment.

This Draft Addendum presents background on ASMFC’s management of striped bass commercial fisheries. the addendum process and timeline, and a statement of the problem. This document also provides management options for public consideration. [Read more…] about Striped Bass Public Hearings in New York

Call Me Robert: Deborah Sampson, Continental Army Soldier

November 20, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Deborah Sampson was born in Plympton, Massachusetts, in 1760. She was hired out as an indentured servant to a family in Middleborough, MA. Upon gaining independence at age 18, she worked as a weaver and briefly as a schoolteacher.

In 1782, Sampson disguised herself in men’s clothing and enlisted in the Continental Army under the name “Robert Shurtliff.” [Read more…] about Call Me Robert: Deborah Sampson, Continental Army Soldier

Bricks and Brick Ruins of the Hudson Valley

November 18, 2023 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

New York State was once one of the great brick making centers of the world, with scores of brickyards on both sides of the Hudson River.

Countless mansions, houses, schools, and factory buildings were built from Hudson River bricks, whose legacy can also be found in piles of reject bricks found along the shoreline today. Many of these bricks were molded with the name of the brickyard owner or company. [Read more…] about Bricks and Brick Ruins of the Hudson Valley

‘Greenway Trails For A Green Future’ Bills Introduced In State Legislature

November 17, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Thursday, New York State Assemblymember Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) introduced a package of legislation known as the “Greenway Trails For A Green Future” aimed at modernizing New York’s greenway and multi-use trail system, while improving cyclist and pedestrian safety and growing the tourism and outdoor recreation industries.

Senator Pete Harckham (D-Peekskill) and Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia) are also sponsoring a bill included in the package. [Read more…] about ‘Greenway Trails For A Green Future’ Bills Introduced In State Legislature