2023

Upcoming Programs:

28
August 2023
50th Anniversary of the Mountain Top Historical SocietySave the date!
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.
Twilight Park Clubhouse
10
September 2023
Tour of Opus 40 with Dr. Robert Titus
10amOpus 40
photo of stone sculptures at Opus 40

Maggie Woodworth with baby bear at East Jewett Post Office and store.
23
September2023
11th Annual Postcard ShowJoin us for the 11th Annual Postcard Show at the U & D Train Station. 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
Ulster & Delaware Train Station
8
October2023
Native Seed Collection and Sowing with Chris Nilan of Barkaboom Native PlantsLocation: Mountain Top Arboretum

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.

10amMountain Top Arboretum
8
October2023
4th Annual Community Reading of Rip Van WinkleThe 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.
2pmUlster & Delaware Train Station

Past Events:

The Twilight Inn Fire

23 July 2023

At the Twilight Park Clubhouse, Twilight historian Joanne Ainsworth and Town of Hunter Historian Dede Terns-Thorpe will present the tragic story of the Twilight Inn fire that occurred on July 14, 1926.

We will cross above Santa Cruz, Buttermilk, Wildcat, and Viola Falls on a trail that leads to Poet’s Ledge, the well-known viewpoint looking west up the Clove. Come prepared for some wet or muddy conditions, rocky trails. Bring plenty of water, snacks, lunch, bug spray. Sturdy shoes or hiking boots and long pants are highly recommended. Bring trekking poles if you have them. We reserve the right to ask hikers to drop out if they are not properly prepared for challenging conditions.
Rating: Moderately difficult due to length and terrain; minimal elevation gain. Length: 6 miles round trip. The hike will be canceled in case of rain. Limit: 20 hikers. Advance registration by June 2 at 12 noon with the MTHS is required at mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

Meet at the MTHS KRT parking lot for 9:30 sign-in and carpooling arrangements (parking at the trailhead in Twilight is limited). 

7
May2023
Tour of the Hunter SynagogueJoin local historian Carol Slutzky-Tenerowicz as she tells the story of this beautiful Queen Anne style building listed on the register of National Historic Places. A Jewish-American Heritage Month program. Registration required. Please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.
1pmHunter Synagogue

Thursday, March 16, 6pm – “Era Zistel Posselt, Forgotten Gem of the Mountain Top”

A Women’s History month celebration by Johanna Titus. Era Zistel Posselt was a spunky mid-western gal, who fell in love with the Catskills. She was a long-time librarian of Haines Falls, prolific author, and profound lover of animals. Along with Posselt, Johanna Titus will tell us of the women who were instrumental in carving out what the mountain top community is today. Register to obtain a link to the program. To register email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

Thursday, April 6, 7pm – “CCC in The Catskills”
Diane Galusha, author of Another Day, Another Dollar: The Civilian Conservation Corps in the
Catskills, will give an illustrated talk on that subject for the Mountaintop Historical Society Thursday, via Zoom. To register please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657

The presentation will provide background on the Depression-era program for unemployed young men and will offer details on the operation and accomplishments of the four principal camps that housed them in the Catskills region: Boiceville, Tannersville, Margaretville and Breakabeen.

The CCC’s aims were to provide jobs to young men and veterans, assist their struggling families and at the same time conduct conservation projects to reverse decades of environmental degradation, improve public lands and develop parks, trails and campgrounds for public enjoyment. Projects ranged from trail building and tree planting to erosion control and insect eradication. North Lake, Devil’s Tombstone, Woodland Valley and Beaverkill State Campgrounds in the Catskill Park were developed with Corps labor. Area CCC camps operated from six months to several years between 1933 and 1941.

Diane Galusha is the author of several books of local and regional history and is the president of the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown in Delaware County.   

Saturday – April 22, 1pm – Earth Day / Celebrate Trails Day: Hunter Branch Rail Trail Opening

Celebrate the rich history of the Mountain Top with the opening of the newest section of the Hunter Regional Trail (formerly Kaaterskill Rail Trail) connecting the Kaaterskill Falls with the Village of Hunter. Join the Hunter Area Trail Coalition for a grand opening ceremony and bridge dedication on Celebrate Trails Day and Earth Day. More details to follow.