MTHS

Hike: Rips Retreat and Alligator Rock at North South Lake
2024-06-01 09:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | North South Lake
Saturday, June 1
Meeting at 9:30 AM at the South Lake Beach parking area. Make the first right turn after checking in at the North-South Lake entrance gate (there is a day use fee of $10 per car).
Please register by emailing mthsdirector@mths.org or calling 518-589-6657.
Hike leader: Bob Gildersleeve
Difficulty: Easy (good for families with kids)
Description: Rip’s Retreat was a tourist location in the early 1950s at what is now the North Lake Beach picnic area. There were several small buildings featuring Dutch style crafts, playground rides, talking animals and Rip himself with his dog Wolf.
We will explore today’s picnic area for traces of the buildings, stand in front of the spot where, in 1950’s, puppets reenacted the story of Rip while we listen to the exact recording that visitors of that time heard.
While we are there, we will be able to walk past Alligator Rock and see the famous view from the Catskill Mountain House site and perhaps walk the path of the parks train ride.

Ron Gabriele Presents “War Dogs”
2024-05-26 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
Ron Gabriele presents “War Dogs”, a Memorial Day tribute to the brave and tireless canine companions of our military and law enforcement.
Mr. Gabriele will examine the history of dogs on the battlefield, the role that dogs play in today’s American military, the similarities between the military dog and the police dog, and finally the role of America’s dogs in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and the Afghanistan wars.
Mr. Gabriele holds an MS from SUNY Albany and a BS from SUNY Brockport. In 2003 he retired from Columbia Greene Community College where he held the position of Athletic Director and taught health and physical education for many years.
Program will be held at the MTHS Ulster & Delaware Train Station. Refreshments will follow. Suggested donation $ 5

Birdwatching with Nancy Allen
2024-05-19 06:30 - 08:30 (America/New_York) | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
Leader: Nancy Allen
Difficulty: Easy
Description: Birdwatching at the MTHS pond for all experience levels. Binoculars, field guide, and a sketch pad are nice to have, but not required. Park at the MTHS parking lot. It’s just a short walk to the pond area. Join us for part or all of the time. Heavy rain cancels.
Join again on 6/16, 7/21, & 8/18

Catskill Mountain House & Environs: Romantic Poetry of the Catskills
2024-04-24 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
Led by Town of Hunter Historian Dede Terns-Thorpe & MTHS Board Member Cyndi LaPierre at the MTHS Visitors’ Center. Dede, Cyndi and others will be reading from writings by Thomas Cole, William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, and other romantics who are continuing that style into the present time. We are setting this evening program in the Visitors’ Center to allow for informal conversation. Please remember to pre-register by emailing mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

Susie Barstow and Her Circle: The Women of the Hudson River School
2024-03-01 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
In conjunction with the Clinton Historical Society of Oneida County.
Presented by Nancy Siegel, Professor of Art History at Towson University.
This is a Zoom presentation.

Why do we not know more of Susie M. Barstow (1836–1923), a prolific artist and notable figure in the field of American landscape painting? Nancy Siegel, Professor of Art History at Towson University, draws on previously unknown archival materials (letters, dairies, photographs, paintings, drawings, and sketchbooks) to discuss the life and career of this fascinating artist within the context of the Hudson River School.

To view this program please use this link.

Richard Sears Walling presents "The Lost Mondore Village of Prattsville"
2024-02-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
Thursday, February 22 at 6 pm
Zoom Presentation

The Lost Mondore Village of Prattsville program details the forgotten community of African American families who once lived in this small village nestled in the Western Catskills. Descending from enslaved parentage, the family intermingled with local folks, creating a locally unique social dynamic. One of the descendants served as a Union soldier and was present in Texas on June 19th, 1865.

Richard Sears Walling, son of two World War II officers, is a graduate of Rutgers University. He has dedicated his life to history, historic preservation and humanitarian causes. His primary work is in African American and Native American history and genealogy. He is the author of numerous books, including “My Year in France”, about a Harlem Hell Fighter, and “Edward & Eleanor and the Wages of Sin”, about the infamous 1922 double homicide of a minister and his lover in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Registration is required. Please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

4th Annual Community Reading of Rip Van Winkle
2023-10-08 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
The 4th Annual Community Reading of Rip Van Winkle will take place on Sunday, October 9 at 2pm.
Get to know the “true” story behind sleepy Rip, his dog Wolf and the mysterious ninepin bowling Dutchmen. Vintage and antique Rip Van Winkle books, films and art will be on display. Rip Van Winkle himself just might make an appearance too–bring your cameras!
*READERS WANTED!* Sign up by e-mailing mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

Native Seed Collection and Sowing with Chris Nilan of Barkaboom Native Plants
2023-10-08 10:00 - 12:00 UTC
Join native plant nursery owner Chris Nilan as we learn the ins and outs of growing native plants from wild-collected seeds. Chris will cover the ethics and benefits of seed collection, how to determine seed ripeness and viability, seed harvesting, processing, and storage, as well as the various methods of achieving germination, from winter sowing to artificial stratification. This will be a hands-on workshop where participants will receive native wildflower seeds from Chris’s seed plots to try growing at home.
Chris Nilan is the owner and grower at Barkaboom Native Plants, a native plant nursery in Margaretville, NY. At Barkaboom, Chris grows over 125 species of perennial plants native to the Catskills, entirely from seed and with a strong focus on local ecotypes. This emphasis on locally adapted seeds means that at certain times of the year, Chris spends more time in forests, swamps, beaver meadows, bogs and floodplains than in the nursery. Prior to his total infatuation with growing native plants, Chris worked for a near-decade on a number of organic vegetable farms in the Hudson Valley, Maine, and Connecticut.
This event is a collaboration between Mountain Top Arboretum and Mountain Top Historical Society.

9th Annual Hikefest (Cancelled)
2023-10-07 08:30 - 15:00 UTC
Join us for a fun day, as part of the Catskills “Lark in the Park”. Hikes/Walks to several destinations. Please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657 to register. Group capacity will be limited.
Hike #1 The Hudson River School artists at Kaaterskill Falls with hike leader Robert Titus
Much of the early work done by Hudson River School artists was done at Kaaterskill Falls. It is easy to search for and find exactly where they sketched. This hike will visit many of these sites. It is Dr. Titus’s contention that it was the Ice Age processes of erosion that created the scenic beauty that was painted. Dr. Titus and his wife Johanne are preparing a book about this. This hike will be a preview of that book.
Meet at the Laurel House parking lot at 8:30 AM. An easy to moderate hike of about three to four hours. Bring snacks and water.

Hike #2 Kaaterskill Junction with hike leaders Pete Senterman, Paul LaPierre, Gary Dufel, and Mike Kudish
Explore the area around Kaaterskill Junction on State Route 214. Step back in time to the days when the Kaaterskill and Stoney Clove Railroad came up to the Junction from Phoenicia and then split to the west on the Hunter Branch and headed east on the Tannersville Branch toward the Hotel Kaaterskill. Host Gary Dufel, along with Senterman and LaPierre will also be joined by Mike Kudish, author of Where Did the Tracks Go in the Catskills? to give the story from 4 points of view. A side excursion to the new Hunter Branch Rail Trail pedestrian bridge over a tributary of the Schoharie Creek will be added after returning to our start at the Junction site.
Park on the U-shaped driveway at 4282 route 214 at 9:00 AM. There is a sign planted in the grass marking the Junction. This is a moderate hike about 4 miles long. Bring snacks and water.

Hike #3 Vistas of the Kaaterskill Clove with hike leader Pete Preston
This is a fast moving, moderately challenging loop hike that features spectacular views from high above Kaaterskill Clove. Follow the up-and-down cliff-top Escarpment Trail passing Layman’s Monument into Kaaterskill Clove to the famous Sunset Rock and Inspiration Point, followed by the not-to-be-missed views over Palenville and the Hudson Valley. Tour the site of the Kaaterskill Hotel and then return to Scutt Rd via South Mt. Pausing throughout the hike along the way when history beckons. In Bob Gildersleeve’s book, Catskill Mountain House Trail Guide, most of his Hike 4 covers this hike.
Meet at the Scutt Rd parking lot 9:00 AM, which is on North Lake Rd, right before the campground entrance. Total estimated time: about four hours. The trail can be muddy in places if the days prior to the hike have been rainy, so think about footwear. No dogs please. Bring snacks and water.

11th Annual Postcard Show
2023-09-23 10:00 - 15:00 UTC
Join us for the 11th Annual Postcard Show at the Ulster & Delaware Train Station on the MTHS campus. The MTHS will also be selling ephemera from its attic in a special sale. A $ 3 entry fee will be charged at the door. Vendors contact John Duda at johnalmathduda@gmail.com

Tour of Opus 40 with Dr. Robert Titus - Free for MTHS Members
2023-09-10 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | opus 40
Tour of Opus 40 with Dr. Robert Titus, Geologist. This tour will be FREE for MTHS members. If you need to renew your membership or would like to invite a friend to become a member please use this link. If you have any questions regarding your membership please email mthsdirector@mths.org. Non-members may attend, but will be asked to pay the usual entrance fee of $13.00. Sign up by e-mailing mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.
Become a member at https://mths.org/membership/
The group will meet at Opus 40 Sculpture Park & Museum, 356 George Sickle Road, Saugerties, NY 12477 which is accessible from RT 212, or Glasco Turnpike. Please arrive at 9:45AM to check-in. We recommend guests wear comfortable walking shoes and bring sunscreen and bug spray. We love dogs but only service dogs that are individually trained to do specific tasks for a person with a disability are allowed at Opus 40. They do not permit support animals. If you have any doubt about what category your dog is in, please do refer to the comprehensive ADA definitions HERE. The admissions area, gift store, and gallery, as well as the meadow in front of our sculpture and portable toilets, are all accessible. Unfortunately, wheelchairs or walkers are not allowed on sculpture for safety reasons, nor do we recommend that anyone with vision or mobility issues walk on the sculpture without aid.
Registration is recquired.The group will be limited to 20 participants.To register please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Mountain Top Historical Society, we are pleased to be able to offer this program to our invaluable members. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the Society over the last half century! We look forward to seeing you soon.

50th Anniversary of the Mountain Top Historical Society
2023-08-28
On August 28th we will celebrate 50 years of service to the community as we discover, preserve, share and interpret all aspects of Mountain Top history.
We will be honoring our founders, current and former board members and presidents and all our volunteers with exhibits documenting our local history.
There will be a few surprises! Invitations will be mailed in July. We hope you will join us.

"The Fenwick Lumber Company. Edgewood: Almost Forgotten 1906-1917" by Elaine Warfield
2023-08-20 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Mountain Top Historical Society, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, New York, United States
Elaine Warfield will present a slideshow on the Fenwick Lumber Company at the Mountain Top Historical Society’s 1913 Ulster and Delaware Train Station, 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls, NY on Sunday, August 20 at 1 p.m. Copies of her new book on the Fenwick operation will be available for sale.

Elaine has lived on the mountain top for over 40 years and enjoys creating projects pertaining to the rich mountain top history, past and present, in book and photographic formats. Her new book, “The Fenwick Lumber Company. Edgewood: Almost Forgotten 1906-1917″ will be available at the event, before its official September release date. 224 pages, 160+ images, 8.5″ x 11”. $16.99.

The book can be purchased from Elaine at 518-965-8601, www.ElaineWarfieldBooks and will be available on Amazon.
Please pre-register for the event with the Mountain Top Historical Society by calling (518)-589-6657 or RSVP below.

Early in the 1900s, there was a change occurring in the town of Hunter. Actually, a revolutionary change, high up on the Southwest (back side) of Hunter Mountain. No one alive today seems to know exactly why, but two enterprising brothers from Steuben County, New York found their way to the Catskills and began purchasing land and timber rights up on that lofty mountain.
Deeds show that the Slawson brothers, Alfred and John, in 1903 bought approximately 2,000 acres from Hiram and Anna Whitney, land in the town of Lexington, at about three dollars an acre.

There were other acquisitions, including rights-of-way, timber rights and a mill site on the “old Harrison Benjamin lot” in the town of Hunter near Edgewood. It might have been a wonderful money opportunity to log that side of the mountain for the brothers, but unfortunately, their idea for bringing the logs down the steep grade (approximately 28% in some places), via a log chute, did not work out well. The logs gained such momentum that upon reaching the bottom of the chute, everything was torn apart.

In 1906, the Slawsons sold their operation to the Tennant-Richards Lumber Company, who in turn sold it to the Fenwick Lumber Company. It was said the Slawson brothers went bankrupt, but there are several newspaper articles that may indicate otherwise. And so began an operation that disappeared just over 10 years later almost as mysteriously as it may have begun.
