Pine Bush Area Public Library Local History Collection: Orange County

In two volumes

Town of Wallkill chronicles the history of a town situated midway between two great rivers, the Hudson on the east and the Delaware on the west. It portrays the growth of this community, which was organized in 1772, from homesteads and farms, hamlets and schoolhouses, sawmills and gristmills, to trolleys and parks and beyond.

The villages of Walden and Maybrook are located within the town of Montgomery, halfway between New York City and Albany. During part of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Walden was considered the Knife Capital of the United States; three companies specialized in producing pocketknives, penknives, and switchblades. At the same time, Maybrook was known as the Gateway to the East; it had the largest railroad-switching terminal connecting rail service from the interior of the country to the New England states. The two villages depended upon each other: Walden manufactured the goods, and Maybrook shipped them to market.

Located in the lower Hudson Valley, Middletown was first settled in 1760 and quickly grew into a thriving dairy farming center. With the arrival of the pioneering New York and Erie Rail Road in 1843, Middletown continued to flourish, and by 1888, it became a city. Hundreds of residents found employment in the growing railroad industry as well as at the sprawling Middletown State Hospital, with its advanced facilities at one time boasting over 100 buildings. Middletown Revisited documents the rich history of a city that has continued to grow over generations.

The town of Mount Hope and the village of Otisville are located in a picturesque area of Orange County, nestled in the shadows of the Shawangunk Mountains. In 1846, the arrival of the Erie Railroad in Otisville changed the sleepy town into a center of commerce for the surrounding area. While the railroad sparked a decline in trade within Mount Hope, many citizens in Otisville had railroad-related jobs and relied on the railroad for transportation. In the early 1900s, Otisville became a chief supplier of butter for the New York City market. The vintage images in this book chronicle the changing history of these two communities, from the introduction of the bustling railroad to a simpler time of summer strawberry festivals and winter sleigh rides, when life revolved around the village.

The town of Crawford was initially settled by German, Dutch, Irish, and Scottish families who built mills along the Hudson River tributaries. By the early 1800s, the area was known as "the Butter Capital of the World." Nestled along the base of the Shawangunk Mountains, the town of Crawford has transitioned from a rural farming community to a residential oasis. Along the way, farmlands have become housing developments, local industry has given way to chain stores, and dirt roads have become paved highways. A collection of images from as early as the 1860s depicts the transformation of the communities of Searsville, Bullville, Thompson Ridge, and Pine Bush. Although the surroundings have changed, the hearts of area residents have remained loyal to the small-town ideals that define the town of Crawford. The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all. Book jacket.

Issues from 1971-1976. Located on Local History Shelf in folder "REF 974.731 ORA"

Folded map attached to rear end paper. "The purpose of this booklet is to present to the teach student of local geography such data as may be readily adapted to his peculiar method of instruction. Edenville, N.Y., August, 1901."

[Facsimile copy of 1847 publication] [Alternate-title] "An outline history of Orange County with an enumeration of the names of its towns, villages, rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, mountains, hills and other known localities, and their etymologies or historical reasons therefor; together with local traditions and short biographical sketches of early settlers, etc."

[Finding Aid created by New York Historical Resources Center]

Newburgh: The Heart of the City focuses on one of the widest thoroughfares in the Northeast, Broadway, the main street in Newburgh, measuring one hundred thirty-two feet across. Known as "the heart of the city," Broadway was the activity center in the twentieth century. It was lined with government offices, commercial and business enterprises, schools, churches, restaurants, firehouses, farms, fortune-tellers, and entertainment and recreational establishments. Broadway was not only the street of everyman but also the street of presidents, playing host to both Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.

[Includes rosters and histories of fire departments throughout orange county]

[IN THREE VOLUMES]: Portrait and biographical record of Orange County, New York : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county ; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States.

[Contains biographical portraits of prominent women from Orange County, NY]

Two Volumes.