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Early Esopus History and Geography
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The Esopus Colony was the third settled by Dutch settlers,
largely by persons dissatisfied with the restrictions of the first
two: New Amsterdam or Beverwyck (Albany). I have read
several versions of the meaning of the word "Esopus". The one
I like is that shop-us is an Algonquin term for "flowing waters
and high banks" and the e was prefaced to make the word
easier to pronounce but also because of the similarity with
Asopus, the name of several rivers in ancient Greece.
Esopus also appeared in German literature. In the sixteenth
century, Martin Luther translated Aewsops Fables into German;
Erasmus Alberus wrote his Fabien (1534) and Burkhard Waldis
in his Esopus turned the fable into a lively minor genre.
P a -
Gtll~ttd
1624•17
1
4
,
----
During the time of the Dutch, the Rondout
Creek was called the Esopus, and the term
included almost all of present Ulster
County. Some early books and maps even
include parts of Rhinebeck and Hyde Park
within Esopus. A remnant of this remains
I
in the name "Esopus Island" for an island
I
in the Hudson very close to the eastern
shore. The area north of the Rondout was
called 'grotte Esopus' or greater Esopus,
while the area south was called 'klyne
• .:.~"'.........
•
Esopus' or little or lesser Esopus. The
••
town of Kingston was called Wiltwyck.
When the British took over New York in 1664, names were
changed. The Duke of York had an estate in Ulster, Ireland, so
his territory became Ulster. When the Duke became King James
II, the town of Wiltwyck became Kings-town.
Patents. The only patent I could find for the area during the
1610-1664 was for Fox Hall, a small rectangle on the Hudson
River, for which I have not been able to determine how it
started nor how it passed out of existence. During the early
British times, patents were granted for New-Paltz and Kingston,
and later patents were granted for Hurley, Marbletown, and
Rochester. Contra to the usual practice of granting huge
acreage to favorites, these patents were granted to trustees
who later distributed the lands to yeoman-type settlers who
were determined not to become mere leasers from lords of
manors.
When the British took over New York from the Dutch, the
governors confirmed most of the original Dutch grants,
probably to gain the allegiance of the Dutch groups. Most of
the grants were first invalidated, and the owners had to show
they had received the land from the Indians. This became a
source of interesting income for the officials. After the
American Revolution, all the grants were again invalidated, and
the owners had to reapply. More interesting income, both
official and unofficial, for the agents!
Rochester received a patent June 25, 1703 and became a town
March 7, 1788. From it was taken part of Middletown, (
Delaware county), Neversink (Sullivan County), 1798;
Wawarsing, 1806, and a part of Gardiner 1853. Millstones were
once quarried in quantity. There were settlers here before the
granting of the patent, for 1688 documents mention a saw mill,
a "corn mill" and a church. Lake Minnewaska and Lake Mohonk
adjoin the town.
Marbletown derived its title from a patent of Queen Anne, dated
June 25, 1703, and was formed as a town on March 7, 1788. A
part of Olive was taken off in 1823, and a part of Rosendale in
1844. The village of Marbletown had its turn as the capital of
the State before Hurley, for at the burning of Kingston in 1777,
the Council of Safety fled to Marbletown. One of the finest bits
of scenic beauty to be found in this wild, rough town is Lake
Mohonk, famous the world over.
Hurley was granted by patent October 19, 1708. It has given
territory to help form New Paltz in 1809, Esopus in 1819, Olive
in 1823, Rosendale in 1844 and Woodstock in 1853. It is
moderately hilly, with extensive fertile flats along the Esopus
Creek. The citizens of Hurley first asked for an extension of land
to guarantee a supply of pasture land and forests, but the
extended negotiations led to the granting of the notorious
Hardenbergh Patent to Jacobis Hardenbergh and six others.
Later, Robert Livingston purchased almost half of the
Hardenbergh patent from its original owners.
Kingston was incorporated by patent May 19, 1667 and
recognized as a town May 1, 1702. Among the towns taken
from this patent are Esopus and Saugerties in 1811, Kingston
City in 1827, Woodstock in 1879, leaving the town little more
than a name.
New Paltz was granted by patent by Governor Andros
September 29, 16 77. Its bounds were enlarged in 177 5, and a
part of Hurley annexed February 2, 1809. A part of Esopus was
taken off in 1842, a part of Rosendale in 1844, Lloyd in 1845,
and a part of Gardiner in 1853.
The site was settled by French Huguenots in 1677 who named it
for an earlier European refuge, the Rhenish Palatinate (German
Pfalz). Six stone houses (1692-1712), part of the original
settlement, are maintained by the Huguenot Historical Society.
Rosendale formed from Marbletown, New Paltz and Hurley April
26, 1844 just west of the town of Esopus stood at the head of
the cement trade for a century. Rosendale cement was noted
for its hardness and was the most common cement until it was
supplanted by the quicker setting Portland cement. Rosendale
cement is found in the Manhattan Bridge, the Croton Aqueduct
system, and the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
Lloyd, just south of the town of Esopus, was formed from New
Paltz April 15, 1845. It is well located on the Hudson, and had
many fine country estates along the banks. It must have been
one of the earliest settled, but when, and by whom, there is no
record.
Esopus was formed from Kingston April 5, 1811. It became a
favorite spot for country homes for people of means from New
York and Brooklyn. Port Ewen, near the mouth of the Rondout,
was founded by the Pennsylvania Coal Company in 1851 as a
coal depot. Rifton, on the Wallkill, was the site of a large cotton
mill. Ulster Park, north of the village of Esopus, is the center of
the fruit district. Rosemount, the former home of Alton B.
Parker, once a candidate for President of the US, lies near Ulster
Park. West Park lies directly across the Hudson from Hyde Park;
a corresponding village directly east of Hyde Park along route 9-
G is named East Park.
The boundaries of the present town of Esopus were determined
in 1811. The town is bounded on the north by the Rondout
Creek, on the west by the Rondout Creek and Wallkill River, on
the east by the Hudson River, and on the south by the town of
Lloyd. The southern boundary is a straight line running
approximately north-northwest beginning at the Hudson River
just below the current Saint Cabrini campus. Curiously, the
creek known today as "Esopus creek" now begins at the
Ashokan Reservoir, curls southward towards Kingston, then
turns back north and empties into the Hudson at Saugerties,
never touching the town of Esopus!
The waters of the Hudson near Esopus have always been known
for its high quality. Burke cites several events in the late 17th
century where the governor loosened up the meeting with
barrels of 'sopus ale, known for its high quality because of the
water. As late as 1980, tankers delivering crude oil to Albany
would pause overnight at Esopus to take on water, use it as
ballast for the return trip to Saudi Arabia, and then sell it as
drinking water! And until recently, the Payne estate drew its
water supply directly from the Hudson.
For the remainder of this presentation, we shall refer to the
town of Esopus as that marked on current maps, namely
bounded on the north by Rondout Creek, on the west by the
Rondout Creek and then southerly by the Wallkill River where it
leads into the Rondout Creek, and on the south by the town of
Lloyd. The town of Rosendale lies west of Esopus, across the
Wallkill and Rondout. The Rondout Creek begins in Ellenville and
wends its way generally in a northeast direction until it empties
into the Hudson River; it was the route of the Delaware and
Hudson Canal in the early nineteenth century. The Wallkill River
originates in northwest New Jersey (skiers will recognize Vernon
Valley and Great Gorge) and wends its way through Orange
County and then Ulster until it merges with the Rondout just
above Rifton.
definition of towns of Esopus, Kingston and New-Paltz in the Laws of State
of New York, 1813 "An ACT for dividing the Counties of this State into
Towns.
Esopus And that all that part of the said county of Ulster,
bounded on the east by the middle of the channel of Hudson's
river, from the middle of the Ronduit creek, where it empties
into Hudson's river, on the south by the north bounds of the
town of New-Paltz, on the west by the east bounds of the town
of Hurley, until where it crosses the Ronduit creek, and on the
north by the middle of the Ronduit creek, shall be and continue
a town by the name of Esopus.
Kingston And all that part of the said county of Ulster, bounded
northerly by the town of Saugerties, on the east by the middle
of Hudson's river, on the south by the town of Esopus, and
westerly by the towns of Hurley and Woodstock, shall be and
continue a town by the name of Kingston.
New-Paltz And all that part of the said county of Ulster, bounded
northerly by Esopus and Hurley, easterly by the middle of
Hudson's river, southerly by Marlborough, Plattekill, and
Shawangunk, and westerly by the west bounds of the New-Paltz
patent, continued southerly to the southwesterly corner of the
same, from thence along the highest part of the precipices of
steep rocks to the northwest corner of Shawangunk, shall be
and continue a town by the name of New-Paltz.
We turn now to only the town of Esopus. The terrain is part of
the Shawungunk mountain chain, but for the most part, Esopus
is level, especially at the northern part. However, a spine of
three high ridges or hills runs down the middle of the town. The
northernmost part of this ridge is called Hussey Hill ( elevation
1005 feet); from here the locals watched the British burn down
Kingston during the Revolutionary War. The hill immediately
south is called Shaupeneak Mountain (lower elevation) and
directly west of the Payne lands is another hill, not tall enough
to be graced with a name in most early maps. The land to the
west of these hills is drained by the Wallkill and Rondout.
The land to the east is drained by the Black Creek, which
originates in Plattekill at
Sunset Lake
, and winds twenty miles
between the hills and the Hudson, emptying into the Hudson
just above the Payne lands. Along the way, just below West
Park, the Black Creek enters Chodikee Lake, then continues
past the lake to two waterfalls near the Burroughs Nature
Preserve, and finally through the Payne properties until it finally
drops to the Hudson just north of the Marist Brothers' property.
Black Creek derives its name from the color of the water, as it
receives tannic acid from the many hemlocks and larch trees
along its path; in some early deeds, it is called Beaver Creek,
probably after the family of John Beaver, who settled on and
just north of the Marist Brothers' property. In the winter of
1942-1943, we skated several times on Chodikee Lake, but we
called it Lake Broglio, after the family who operated the
restaurant now called the Hedges (or Stonehedge). Tradition
held that Broglio was a major rival of John Foglia's Ship Lantern
Inn, and ran a speakeasy near the lake which burned down. We
found a small shed near the lake which held several jugs of
what tasted like pure alcohol. Brother Joseph Cadroes
considered shipping it to Poughkeepsie, where several Brothers
made fine liqueurs; but it was judged too untrustworthy after so
many years, and was poured out. In the 1945-1965, the Marist
Brothers owned a camp called Camp Sunset, but this purchase
and use had no real connection to the Marist property at the
other end of Black Creek.
Despite the hills, the town of Esopus has many flat sections;
there are numerous tiny lakes and swamps where the water has
no clear exit path. John Burroughs built Slabsides near a swamp
which he partially drained, and several deeds relating to our
property refer to a tamarack (or larch tree) swamp.
The railroad leaves the Hudson just below West Park and moves
westerly. The original design of the New York, West Shore and
Buffalo Railway called for it to hug the shore right up to
Kingston; but this would then entail a bridge or trestle over
water of 4000 feet, which would also interrupt boat traffic
between the Rondout and Hudson. It was relocated back about
a mile, where the crossing of the Rondout is less than one
fourth that length, but on the heights, so river traffic was
uninterrupted. As an added benefit, the railroad then ran right
through the city of Kingston. The railway was built in 1881 as a
rival to the New York Central; for most of its path from Albany
to Buffalo its tracks ran within sight of the New York Central.
The railway went bankrupt in 1884, and was swallowed by the
New York Central. The original thought of linking the ports of
New Jersey to Lake Erie had considerable merit, apparent today
when so much of the port trade of New York Harbor has left
Manhattan for Brooklyn and especially New Jersey. The railway
has been reduced to a single track, but Conrail runs about 24
freight trains daily down the line. As late as 1956, Brother
Brendan Regis Ginnity used to take the West Shore passenger
line from Hoboken to Haverstraw to visit his folks. There is talk
of restoring passenger traffic on part of the railroad, but as of
this date it is just talk.
The principal north-south road is route 9W. Around 1915, this
road was straightened near the north end of the Payne
property. Its original route followed the current Black Creek
Road and Main Street through Esopus. The stone bridge near
the southern end of Black Creek Road was designed and built
by Julian Burroughs, and superintendent of the Payne estate
and son of John Burroughs the famous naturalist. The Beaver
family cemetery is also located along Black Creek Road.
The town of Esopus has no cities, but several hamlets. Along
the river, from south to north, we can identify West Park, village
of Esopus, Ulster Park, Port Ewen and Sleightsburgh, the last
being on a low section of land at the intersection of the Rondout
and the Hudson. On the west, from south to north, there is
Dashville (home of the Perrine Bridge, one of the last remaining
wooden bridges in New York State, location of falls which
furnished power for several factories operated by the heirs of
Archibald Russell), then Rifton (home of Central Hudson's
recreation site), and closer to Kingston, Saint Remy, New Salem
and Connelly.
The principal farm products of the town of Esopus are grapes
and apples. The west shore has several slopes facing south
and east, making them suitable for wine grapes, and even
today there are several wineries along route 9W. But apples
are the major product. In the first half of the 19th century,
Robert Livingston Pell developed a process of preserving apples
which enabled him to ship them to Europe, where they became
popular. In 1942-1945, I remember spending a week picking
apples. The pay for the students' apple picking was a few
crates of good apples, and plenty of 'drops', which had to be
peeled, cored and canned quickly. Currently apples are one of
my favorite fruits, but in the 1950s I avoided them completely;
my days in Esopus and Poughkeepsie had 'appled me out'.
References:
Town of Esopus Story, 3000 B.C. - 1978 A.D., Ulster County,
New York, published by Town of Esopus Bicentennial
Committee, 1978. (Available in Port Ewen library on 9W,
Burroughs reading room; also available for purchase at nearby
pharmacy).
Laws of the State of New-York revised and passed at the thirty-
sixth session of the Legislature, furnished by the revisors,
William P. Van Ness
&
John Woodworth, esquires; Albany, H. C.
Southwick
&
Co, 1813 (donated by Constance
??
to Marist
College library)
Burke, Dutch and English Colonies in America, 2 vols, 1899
(Available in Chappaqua library)
Maps and Charts of State of New York (circa 1949) (Available in
Chappaqua library)
Dr. James Sullivan, editor, History of the State of New York
1523 - 1927, New York, The Lewis Historical Publishing
Company, Inc. 1927, volume 2.
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most recent revision February 24, 2002
reformatted and minor corrections made 9 August 2010
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Print too small? try control &
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or print too large? try control & "-"
This works for Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox
The Esopus Colony was the third settled by Dutch settlers,
largely by persons dissatisfied with the restrictions of the first
two: New Amsterdam or Beverwyck (Albany). I have read
several versions of the meaning of the word "Esopus". The one
I like is that shop-us is an Algonquin term for "flowing waters
and high banks" and the e was prefaced to make the word
easier to pronounce but also because of the similarity with
Asopus, the name of several rivers in ancient Greece.
Esopus also appeared in German literature. In the sixteenth
century, Martin Luther translated Aewsops Fables into German;
Erasmus Alberus wrote his Fabien (1534) and Burkhard Waldis
in his Esopus turned the fable into a lively minor genre.
P a -
Gtll~ttd
1624•17
1
4
,
----
During the time of the Dutch, the Rondout
Creek was called the Esopus, and the term
included almost all of present Ulster
County. Some early books and maps even
include parts of Rhinebeck and Hyde Park
within Esopus. A remnant of this remains
I
in the name "Esopus Island" for an island
I
in the Hudson very close to the eastern
shore. The area north of the Rondout was
called 'grotte Esopus' or greater Esopus,
while the area south was called 'klyne
• .:.~"'.........
•
Esopus' or little or lesser Esopus. The
••
town of Kingston was called Wiltwyck.
When the British took over New York in 1664, names were
changed. The Duke of York had an estate in Ulster, Ireland, so
his territory became Ulster. When the Duke became King James
II, the town of Wiltwyck became Kings-town.
Patents. The only patent I could find for the area during the
1610-1664 was for Fox Hall, a small rectangle on the Hudson
River, for which I have not been able to determine how it
started nor how it passed out of existence. During the early
British times, patents were granted for New-Paltz and Kingston,
and later patents were granted for Hurley, Marbletown, and
Rochester. Contra to the usual practice of granting huge
acreage to favorites, these patents were granted to trustees
who later distributed the lands to yeoman-type settlers who
were determined not to become mere leasers from lords of
manors.
When the British took over New York from the Dutch, the
governors confirmed most of the original Dutch grants,
probably to gain the allegiance of the Dutch groups. Most of
the grants were first invalidated, and the owners had to show
they had received the land from the Indians. This became a
source of interesting income for the officials. After the
American Revolution, all the grants were again invalidated, and
the owners had to reapply. More interesting income, both
official and unofficial, for the agents!
Rochester received a patent June 25, 1703 and became a town
March 7, 1788. From it was taken part of Middletown, (
Delaware county), Neversink (Sullivan County), 1798;
Wawarsing, 1806, and a part of Gardiner 1853. Millstones were
once quarried in quantity. There were settlers here before the
granting of the patent, for 1688 documents mention a saw mill,
a "corn mill" and a church. Lake Minnewaska and Lake Mohonk
adjoin the town.
Marbletown derived its title from a patent of Queen Anne, dated
June 25, 1703, and was formed as a town on March 7, 1788. A
part of Olive was taken off in 1823, and a part of Rosendale in
1844. The village of Marbletown had its turn as the capital of
the State before Hurley, for at the burning of Kingston in 1777,
the Council of Safety fled to Marbletown. One of the finest bits
of scenic beauty to be found in this wild, rough town is Lake
Mohonk, famous the world over.
Hurley was granted by patent October 19, 1708. It has given
territory to help form New Paltz in 1809, Esopus in 1819, Olive
in 1823, Rosendale in 1844 and Woodstock in 1853. It is
moderately hilly, with extensive fertile flats along the Esopus
Creek. The citizens of Hurley first asked for an extension of land
to guarantee a supply of pasture land and forests, but the
extended negotiations led to the granting of the notorious
Hardenbergh Patent to Jacobis Hardenbergh and six others.
Later, Robert Livingston purchased almost half of the
Hardenbergh patent from its original owners.
Kingston was incorporated by patent May 19, 1667 and
recognized as a town May 1, 1702. Among the towns taken
from this patent are Esopus and Saugerties in 1811, Kingston
City in 1827, Woodstock in 1879, leaving the town little more
than a name.
New Paltz was granted by patent by Governor Andros
September 29, 16 77. Its bounds were enlarged in 177 5, and a
part of Hurley annexed February 2, 1809. A part of Esopus was
taken off in 1842, a part of Rosendale in 1844, Lloyd in 1845,
and a part of Gardiner in 1853.
The site was settled by French Huguenots in 1677 who named it
for an earlier European refuge, the Rhenish Palatinate (German
Pfalz). Six stone houses (1692-1712), part of the original
settlement, are maintained by the Huguenot Historical Society.
Rosendale formed from Marbletown, New Paltz and Hurley April
26, 1844 just west of the town of Esopus stood at the head of
the cement trade for a century. Rosendale cement was noted
for its hardness and was the most common cement until it was
supplanted by the quicker setting Portland cement. Rosendale
cement is found in the Manhattan Bridge, the Croton Aqueduct
system, and the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
Lloyd, just south of the town of Esopus, was formed from New
Paltz April 15, 1845. It is well located on the Hudson, and had
many fine country estates along the banks. It must have been
one of the earliest settled, but when, and by whom, there is no
record.
Esopus was formed from Kingston April 5, 1811. It became a
favorite spot for country homes for people of means from New
York and Brooklyn. Port Ewen, near the mouth of the Rondout,
was founded by the Pennsylvania Coal Company in 1851 as a
coal depot. Rifton, on the Wallkill, was the site of a large cotton
mill. Ulster Park, north of the village of Esopus, is the center of
the fruit district. Rosemount, the former home of Alton B.
Parker, once a candidate for President of the US, lies near Ulster
Park. West Park lies directly across the Hudson from Hyde Park;
a corresponding village directly east of Hyde Park along route 9-
G is named East Park.
The boundaries of the present town of Esopus were determined
in 1811. The town is bounded on the north by the Rondout
Creek, on the west by the Rondout Creek and Wallkill River, on
the east by the Hudson River, and on the south by the town of
Lloyd. The southern boundary is a straight line running
approximately north-northwest beginning at the Hudson River
just below the current Saint Cabrini campus. Curiously, the
creek known today as "Esopus creek" now begins at the
Ashokan Reservoir, curls southward towards Kingston, then
turns back north and empties into the Hudson at Saugerties,
never touching the town of Esopus!
The waters of the Hudson near Esopus have always been known
for its high quality. Burke cites several events in the late 17th
century where the governor loosened up the meeting with
barrels of 'sopus ale, known for its high quality because of the
water. As late as 1980, tankers delivering crude oil to Albany
would pause overnight at Esopus to take on water, use it as
ballast for the return trip to Saudi Arabia, and then sell it as
drinking water! And until recently, the Payne estate drew its
water supply directly from the Hudson.
For the remainder of this presentation, we shall refer to the
town of Esopus as that marked on current maps, namely
bounded on the north by Rondout Creek, on the west by the
Rondout Creek and then southerly by the Wallkill River where it
leads into the Rondout Creek, and on the south by the town of
Lloyd. The town of Rosendale lies west of Esopus, across the
Wallkill and Rondout. The Rondout Creek begins in Ellenville and
wends its way generally in a northeast direction until it empties
into the Hudson River; it was the route of the Delaware and
Hudson Canal in the early nineteenth century. The Wallkill River
originates in northwest New Jersey (skiers will recognize Vernon
Valley and Great Gorge) and wends its way through Orange
County and then Ulster until it merges with the Rondout just
above Rifton.
definition of towns of Esopus, Kingston and New-Paltz in the Laws of State
of New York, 1813 "An ACT for dividing the Counties of this State into
Towns.
Esopus And that all that part of the said county of Ulster,
bounded on the east by the middle of the channel of Hudson's
river, from the middle of the Ronduit creek, where it empties
into Hudson's river, on the south by the north bounds of the
town of New-Paltz, on the west by the east bounds of the town
of Hurley, until where it crosses the Ronduit creek, and on the
north by the middle of the Ronduit creek, shall be and continue
a town by the name of Esopus.
Kingston And all that part of the said county of Ulster, bounded
northerly by the town of Saugerties, on the east by the middle
of Hudson's river, on the south by the town of Esopus, and
westerly by the towns of Hurley and Woodstock, shall be and
continue a town by the name of Kingston.
New-Paltz And all that part of the said county of Ulster, bounded
northerly by Esopus and Hurley, easterly by the middle of
Hudson's river, southerly by Marlborough, Plattekill, and
Shawangunk, and westerly by the west bounds of the New-Paltz
patent, continued southerly to the southwesterly corner of the
same, from thence along the highest part of the precipices of
steep rocks to the northwest corner of Shawangunk, shall be
and continue a town by the name of New-Paltz.
We turn now to only the town of Esopus. The terrain is part of
the Shawungunk mountain chain, but for the most part, Esopus
is level, especially at the northern part. However, a spine of
three high ridges or hills runs down the middle of the town. The
northernmost part of this ridge is called Hussey Hill ( elevation
1005 feet); from here the locals watched the British burn down
Kingston during the Revolutionary War. The hill immediately
south is called Shaupeneak Mountain (lower elevation) and
directly west of the Payne lands is another hill, not tall enough
to be graced with a name in most early maps. The land to the
west of these hills is drained by the Wallkill and Rondout.
The land to the east is drained by the Black Creek, which
originates in Plattekill at
Sunset Lake
, and winds twenty miles
between the hills and the Hudson, emptying into the Hudson
just above the Payne lands. Along the way, just below West
Park, the Black Creek enters Chodikee Lake, then continues
past the lake to two waterfalls near the Burroughs Nature
Preserve, and finally through the Payne properties until it finally
drops to the Hudson just north of the Marist Brothers' property.
Black Creek derives its name from the color of the water, as it
receives tannic acid from the many hemlocks and larch trees
along its path; in some early deeds, it is called Beaver Creek,
probably after the family of John Beaver, who settled on and
just north of the Marist Brothers' property. In the winter of
1942-1943, we skated several times on Chodikee Lake, but we
called it Lake Broglio, after the family who operated the
restaurant now called the Hedges (or Stonehedge). Tradition
held that Broglio was a major rival of John Foglia's Ship Lantern
Inn, and ran a speakeasy near the lake which burned down. We
found a small shed near the lake which held several jugs of
what tasted like pure alcohol. Brother Joseph Cadroes
considered shipping it to Poughkeepsie, where several Brothers
made fine liqueurs; but it was judged too untrustworthy after so
many years, and was poured out. In the 1945-1965, the Marist
Brothers owned a camp called Camp Sunset, but this purchase
and use had no real connection to the Marist property at the
other end of Black Creek.
Despite the hills, the town of Esopus has many flat sections;
there are numerous tiny lakes and swamps where the water has
no clear exit path. John Burroughs built Slabsides near a swamp
which he partially drained, and several deeds relating to our
property refer to a tamarack (or larch tree) swamp.
The railroad leaves the Hudson just below West Park and moves
westerly. The original design of the New York, West Shore and
Buffalo Railway called for it to hug the shore right up to
Kingston; but this would then entail a bridge or trestle over
water of 4000 feet, which would also interrupt boat traffic
between the Rondout and Hudson. It was relocated back about
a mile, where the crossing of the Rondout is less than one
fourth that length, but on the heights, so river traffic was
uninterrupted. As an added benefit, the railroad then ran right
through the city of Kingston. The railway was built in 1881 as a
rival to the New York Central; for most of its path from Albany
to Buffalo its tracks ran within sight of the New York Central.
The railway went bankrupt in 1884, and was swallowed by the
New York Central. The original thought of linking the ports of
New Jersey to Lake Erie had considerable merit, apparent today
when so much of the port trade of New York Harbor has left
Manhattan for Brooklyn and especially New Jersey. The railway
has been reduced to a single track, but Conrail runs about 24
freight trains daily down the line. As late as 1956, Brother
Brendan Regis Ginnity used to take the West Shore passenger
line from Hoboken to Haverstraw to visit his folks. There is talk
of restoring passenger traffic on part of the railroad, but as of
this date it is just talk.
The principal north-south road is route 9W. Around 1915, this
road was straightened near the north end of the Payne
property. Its original route followed the current Black Creek
Road and Main Street through Esopus. The stone bridge near
the southern end of Black Creek Road was designed and built
by Julian Burroughs, and superintendent of the Payne estate
and son of John Burroughs the famous naturalist. The Beaver
family cemetery is also located along Black Creek Road.
The town of Esopus has no cities, but several hamlets. Along
the river, from south to north, we can identify West Park, village
of Esopus, Ulster Park, Port Ewen and Sleightsburgh, the last
being on a low section of land at the intersection of the Rondout
and the Hudson. On the west, from south to north, there is
Dashville (home of the Perrine Bridge, one of the last remaining
wooden bridges in New York State, location of falls which
furnished power for several factories operated by the heirs of
Archibald Russell), then Rifton (home of Central Hudson's
recreation site), and closer to Kingston, Saint Remy, New Salem
and Connelly.
The principal farm products of the town of Esopus are grapes
and apples. The west shore has several slopes facing south
and east, making them suitable for wine grapes, and even
today there are several wineries along route 9W. But apples
are the major product. In the first half of the 19th century,
Robert Livingston Pell developed a process of preserving apples
which enabled him to ship them to Europe, where they became
popular. In 1942-1945, I remember spending a week picking
apples. The pay for the students' apple picking was a few
crates of good apples, and plenty of 'drops', which had to be
peeled, cored and canned quickly. Currently apples are one of
my favorite fruits, but in the 1950s I avoided them completely;
my days in Esopus and Poughkeepsie had 'appled me out'.
References:
Town of Esopus Story, 3000 B.C. - 1978 A.D., Ulster County,
New York, published by Town of Esopus Bicentennial
Committee, 1978. (Available in Port Ewen library on 9W,
Burroughs reading room; also available for purchase at nearby
pharmacy).
Laws of the State of New-York revised and passed at the thirty-
sixth session of the Legislature, furnished by the revisors,
William P. Van Ness
&
John Woodworth, esquires; Albany, H. C.
Southwick
&
Co, 1813 (donated by Constance
??
to Marist
College library)
Burke, Dutch and English Colonies in America, 2 vols, 1899
(Available in Chappaqua library)
Maps and Charts of State of New York (circa 1949) (Available in
Chappaqua library)
Dr. James Sullivan, editor, History of the State of New York
1523 - 1927, New York, The Lewis Historical Publishing
Company, Inc. 1927, volume 2.
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most recent revision February 24, 2002
reformatted and minor corrections made 9 August 2010