Category: Industry

R. T. Underhill—Doctor, Winemaker, and Investor in the First New York City Elevated Railway

The amazing thing about searching with Google is that not only can you find a needle in the internet haystack—sometimes you find needles you weren't even looking for, like this story of Richard T. Underhill's involvement in the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company, the company that began the New York City transportation system. First … Continue reading R. T. Underhill—Doctor, Winemaker, and Investor in the First New York City Elevated Railway →

The Underhill Vineyards, 1867

In October 1867, Harper's Weekly published a full-page wood engraving of the Underhill vineyards. Entitled "Gathering Grapes—An October Scene on the Hudson," the image takes us back to the time when Richard T. Underhill was the "grape king" of Croton Point. How significant were the Underhill vineyards? In his multi-volume History of Wine in America, … Continue reading The Underhill Vineyards, 1867 →

The Grape King of Croton Point

These two prints, from U.P. Hedrick's, The Grapes of New York, published in 1908, show the grapes that made Richard T. Underhill famous as the "Grape King." Underhill began his vineyard by planting European varieties of grapes he purchased in Brooklyn from André Parmentier, a wealthy, educated Belgian who came to America to escape the … Continue reading The Grape King of Croton Point →

Osborn Boat Yard

This promotional post card appears to show the Croton waterfront behind the Osborn boat, but there is no publisher or printer credit on the back.

W.E. Tallcot & Co. Brickmaking Machine, 1884

A diagram of a brickmaking machine manufactured by W.E. Tallcot & Co. at Croton Landing in the late 1800s. This image and the ad below are from A Practical Treatise on the Manufacture of Bricks . . . by Charles Thomas Davis, published in 1884.

Anchor Brand Bricks at Croton Landing, 1889

"No Overburnt Brick" An ad from the Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, July 6, 1889.  

The U.S. Brick & Enameling Company at Croton Point, 1884

An ad for the United States Brick & Enameling Company at Croton Point, from Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide (v. 34, no. 851: July 5, 1884)

Croton Area, 1778-1780

Detail from an engraving based on one of Robert Erskine's military maps, showing the Croton Area in 1778-1780. The full map is below. Since this was produced for military purposes it notes the location of Cortlandt Furnace (as well as the Sing Sing silver mine). This copy was printed and folded into Washington Irving's multi-volume … Continue reading Croton Area, 1778-1780 →

Furnace Brook, 1868

Detail from the Town of Cortlandt map from Atlas of New York and vicinity ... by F.W. Beers, published by Beers, Ellis & Soule, New York, 1868. The entire atlas is available online at David Rumsey.

High Bridge

High Bridge was built in 1842, with timbers from the Adirondacks, floated down the Hudson to the site. Spanning the Croton River between Van Cortlandt Manor and Quaker Bridge, High Bridge was 100 feet long, perched 60 feet above river. It was used until 1879, when it fell into the river. The photo above is … Continue reading High Bridge →