HISTORY & MYSTERIES
At first glance you might think this beautiful print is an etching made by a Hudson River painter—looking north from Scarborough, showing a sweeping, placid panorama of the widest section of the river, stretching from Rockland Lake to the mouth of the Croton. The artist has depicted a sailboat in the foreground—representing the romantic, natural … Continue reading View of Haverstraw Bay, circa 1868
Here are two priceless “bird’s eye” views of the Croton Aqueduct, made eight years apart during the period when New York City was rapidly outgrowing the capacity of what we now call the Old Croton Aqueduct. One map looks north, showing the burgeoning metropolis in 1879—straining the water supply system with its unrelenting growth. The … Continue reading Bird’s Eye Views of the Croton Aqueduct, 1879-1887
It’s a beautiful day and you’ve decided to take a jaunt in your newfangled automobile, going north along the scenic Hudson River. You can’t count on good, well-marked roads, so you’ve brought along the GPS system of the day—a copy of Photo-auto maps . . . New York to Albany which features “photographs of every … Continue reading Motoring Across the Croton, 1912
Anyone who takes Metro-North’s Hudson River Line is struck by the beauty of the river, particularly in the evening when the sun is setting over the Palisades. Although it’s difficult to imagine, this trip has made an impression on travelers for more than 160 years. Here’s one account of the passage up the river, through … Continue reading What a Delightful Ride
These beautiful glass lantern slides show the gardens of Van Cortlandt Manor in 1930, when the property was still owned by Van Cortlandt descendents.1 The photographs are from the Garden Club of America collection in the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian's website states that "the Garden Club of America was … Continue reading The Gardens of Van Cortlandt Manor, 1930
Below is issue 1 of Theodore J. Cornu's extraordinary hand-drawn, hand-lettered, self-published journal, Hudson Valley Echoes. When the publication opens you can click on the pages and enlarge them. The embedded viewer uses Flash, so if you don't see it below because your device doesn't support Flash, you can click here. Issues 2 to 4 … Continue reading Hudson Valley Echoes, Issue #1
Here is a post card showing the "Croton River, from Quaker Bridge, where Washington's Army Crossed." Below is a post card from the same period, showing what Quaker Bridge looked like at the time. Except for the unpaved road and the railing it looks the same as it does today, because our beloved Quaker Bridge is … Continue reading The View from Quaker Bridge
Detail of the Croton area from Colton's Map of the County of Westchester. Drawn, Engraved and Published by G.W. & C.B. Colton & Co. 182 William St. New York. 1886. The entire map is available online at David Rumsey Map Collection.
This postcard, postmarked from Croton in 1907, is labeled "Camp Schrader, Mesmonk Island, Croton River." Anyone know what island this was?
This map is from the "pocket edition" of the New York Walk Book, published in 1923 by the American Geographical Society. The Croton area walks include: Salt Hill Route—Croton to Croton Lake Station Croton Lake Region—Harmon to Millwood Montrose to Harmon via Spitzenberg and Keg Mountains In addition to the maps the book has detailed … Continue reading New York Walk Book, 1923
CROTON 