History, Natural History & the Arts
The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey.
Before the creation of the vast Palisades Interstate Park spanning New York and New Jersey, people lived and worked there in small villages and hamlets. [Read more…] about A Palisades Interstate Park History Podcast
Some of the world’s greatest cities originated on river banks. In spite of individual histories, there is one common pattern. These were all “hydraulic” communities that developed creative skills to control the elements and open up the access to waterways.
Environmental intervention facilitated their adaptation to the habitat. They engineered techniques to dig canals, drain swamps, reclaim land and build on marshy ground by using mud banks to produce stylish brick. The transition of Venice, Antwerp or Amsterdam from soggy settlements to iconic port cities symbolized man’s ability to master his surroundings. New York City joined that list. [Read more…] about The Sloop: Queen of the Hudson River
The Historical Society of Rockland County will be hosting a “Walk through History on the South Nyack Rail Trail” with with former South Nyack Trustee Andrew Goodwillie on Sunday, November 17, beginning at 11 am (rain or shine).
During a walk along the old railway trail from one end of South Nyack to the other Goodwillie will discuss the history of the village. [Read more…] about South Nyack Rail Trail Walk through History Planned
Mount Moor African-American Cemetery, also known as Mount Moor Cemetery, is a historic African American cemetery located at Palisades Center, West Nyack in Rockland County, New York. It was established in 1849 and contains approximately 90 known graves including veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War One. [Read more…] about Mount Moor African-American Cemetery in Rockland County
Go for a spin this fall and discover the scenic biking trails at New York State Parks. Bicycling is a great, low-impact exercise to enjoy with family and friends and a picturesque way to experience fall foliage in New York State. With so many trails to choose from, here are a few destinations from around the state worth exploring. [Read more…] about Bicycling Adventures in New York State Parks
On the latest episode of Crossroads of Rockland History Miriam Hoffman, Trustee of the Historical Society of the Nyacks (HSN), joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss the new exhibition at the HSN entitled “Nyack Jazz – The Golden Years of ‘The Office’ and its Forerunners.” [Read more…] about Nyack Jazz: The Golden Years of ‘The Office’ and its Forerunners
In late August 1664 the Burgomasters and Schepens (mayors and aldermen) of New Amsterdam (what is now Lower Manhattan) were faced with “four King’s frigates from England, sent hither by his Majesty and his brother, the Duke of York, with commission to reduce not only this place, but also the whole N. Netherland under his Majesty’s authority…”
The event was not unexpected. The Dutch had long been wary of their neighbors to the North (the English had settlements in Massachusetts and Connecticut and outposts in eastern Long Island). [Read more…] about Corporate Takeover: The English Invasion of New Amsterdam
The June episode of Crossroads of Rockland History focused on a new documentary, “What Happened to Jackson Avenue: A Story of Urban Renewal.“ Host Clare Sheridan spoke with the filmmakers Hakima Alem and Rudi Gohl. She also heard from members of the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, Craig Smith and Elise Stone, who are producing the film, which covers an urban renewal program in Nyack, NY in the 1960s and 1970s that removed 125 families, 79% of whom were Black. [Read more…] about The Destruction of Jackson Avenue: A Story of Nyack Urban Renewal
Zita Johann (1904–1993), best known for her role in The Mummy (1932) starring Boris Karloff, lived for many years in Rockland County. The latest episode of Crossroads of Rockland History explores a new book on the actor by local author Tom Stratford, Along Came Zita (BookBaby, 2023). [Read more…] about Zita Johann: Rockland County’s Classic Movie Star
2022 marks the 140th birthday of Edward Hopper (1882-1967). On the November episode of Crossroads of Rockand History, we learned about the events celebrating this important American artist, who was born in Nyack, in Rockland County, NY. [Read more…] about Celebrating Artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967)
On the June 2021 episode of Crossroads of Rockland History, author Brenda Ross visited the program to speak about the Toni Morrison retrospective that she curated for the Historical Society of the Nyacks. This is the first exhibit to open in the Historical Society’s new museum space. [Read more…] about A Toni Morrison Retrospective in Nyack
On the February 2021 episode of “Crossroads of Rockland History,” the topic was the history and impact of Urban Renewal on Nyack, NY.
Clare Sheridan’s guests were Owen Voutsinas-Klose, author of Race, Power and Urban Renewal on the Hudson, and Bill Batson, whose family was directly impacted when their home was seized by eminent domain to make way for urban renewal in Nyack. [Read more…] about Race, Power and Urban Renewal In Nyack
The October 2019 “Crossroads of Rockland History,” featured an interview with Dr. Arlene Clinkscale who made New York State education history when she became the first African American woman in the state to lead a school district. Nyack. [Read more…] about Nyack Education Pioneer Arlene Clinkscale
The December 2018 “Crossroads of Rockland History,” featured South Nyack Village Trustee and Esposito Rail Trail Sign Committee member Andrew Goodwillie.
Goodwillie shared fascinating facts and anecdotes about the impact of the railroad and Thruway on Nyack and South Nyack. Goodwillie and a team of volunteers from Nyack, South Nyack and Piermont have been researching this history to create wayside historical signage along the Esposito Rail Trail (Nyack, South Nyack, Piermont and Sparkill). The signs are finished and will soon be in the ground in a number of locations along this busy walking trail. [Read more…] about Esposito Rail Trail: Crossroads of Rockland History
There’s a new book out that is a must for lovers of Nyack and for anyone who enjoys a well told story of a town. For the past few years, Nyackers have looked forward every Tuesday to the Nyack Sketch Log by Bill Batson on the website Nyack News and Views.
Each week Bill explores an aspect of Nyack’s past or present through an original pen and ink sketch and a written essay. Now the best of Nyack Sketch Log is available in book form, and the individual entries coalesce into something even better – an illustrated biography of the community. [Read more…] about Sketching Nyack: Exploring A Hudson River Village History
When printmaker Sylvia Roth moved into her home in South Nyack in 1977, she had no idea it was the birthplace of a major figure in American art, Joseph Cornell. This house on Piermont Avenue seems to have its own designs, selecting artistic occupants for over a century.
Emily Dickinson, Cornell’s enduring muse, wrote that “nature is a haunted house, but art is a house that tries to be haunted.” As Roth describes the creative output of subsequent generations of her family, one begins to suspect that this is a house haunted by art. [Read more…] about Sylvia Roth: A Nyack House Haunted by Art
Imagine the stories that would be told if houses wrote autobiographies.
This stately structure on South Highland Avenue in Nyack could tell us if slaves were hidden here during the abolition movement. We would know about the political maneuverings and legal strategies of the successive generations of lawyers who called this place home. Or learn the downside of having a neighbor who owns a private zoo. The garden could share the secrets of what makes her bloom. But alas, buildings and garden beds don’t write books.
Fortunately for us, this house has a biographer, and her name is Judy Martin. [Read more…] about A Nyack Sketch: The Historic Towt House
In June, Nyack Hospital and Montefiore Health System issued a joint press release announcing a merger. When the process is complete, Nyack will have a medical institution informed by over two centuries of history in health care. Will the philanthropic and progressive impulses that characterized the creation of nonprofit hospitals in nineteenth-century America endure?
A moment of reflection seems to be in order. Here’s a snapshot of the origins and early days of each health care institution that may provide some prologue and set expectations for what will follow. Nyack Hospital was incorporated in 1895. Initial funds were raised by an initiative called “Kirmess,” that drew inspiration from medieval festivals that used merrymaking to accomplish good. [Read more…] about Merger Recalls Nyack Medical History
Cemeteries were segregated in America until the mid-20th century. Even black veterans of America’s armed conflicts were dishonored when buried. Today, Mount Moor Cemetery stands as a monument to the twisted logic of racial discrimination. But the cemetery of approximately 90 veterans and civilians also serves as a symbol of perseverance and defiance.
The gravestones at Mount Moor endure, despite the initial efforts of the developers of the Palisades Mall to obliterate the burial ground. [Read more…] about Mount Moor: Nyack’s Segregated Cemetery
The Great Nyack House Tour: Houses with a Secret, will be hosted by the Historical Society of the Nyacks on Saturday, May 3, 2014.
“Houses with a Secret,” the Society’s sixth biennial house tour, invites visitors to explore houses that have mysteries hiding behind the doors. In case your speculation does not unlock the secrets in each amazing home, volunteer docents will be there to demystify the local history surrounding each property. [Read more…] about Great Nyack House Tour: Houses with a Secret
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