Maps from Walling's Route Guides, 1867, showing the Hudson River Railroad—predecessor to today's Metro-North. "The Hudson River Railroad was chartered in May, 1846 and Cornelius Vanderbilt obtained control of the line in 1864." The timetable lists Co…

In 1950, Theodore J. Cornu created a historical map depicting "the lower Hudson River as the Lenape saw it, circa 1600," published in Hudson Valley Echoes Issue 1.

An 1835 fire burns a quarter of New York City On December 16, 1835, a devastating fire struck New York City. The fire began in a warehouse on Pearl Street. "The city's undermanned volunteer fire brigades rushed to the scene, but what little water co…

This vintage Esso service station map from 1950 strategically excluded the railroad—"the arch-enemy of gas companies." However, an anchor symbol beneath "Croton-on-Hudson" indicated seaplane service back to New York City, and a small airplane landing…

A map and graph from the May 23, 1908 issue of Scientific American illustrating reservoirs within the Croton watershed system following completion of the New Croton Dam, with their relative elevations.

Clean, Sweet, Abundant Water! This article features an excerpt from Maria Lydia Child's Letters from New-York, celebrating the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in October 1842. Child eloquently describes New Yorkers' joy at accessing clean water. Chi…

The Underhill Vineyards, 1867 In October 1867, Harper's Weekly featured a full-page wood engraving depicting the Underhill vineyards on Croton Point during grape harvest season. The artwork, created by artist D. C. Hitchcock, captured the operation …

The Other Harmon While Clifford B. Harmon earned recognition as a prominent aviator and real estate developer who created the suburban community of Harmon along the Hudson River, his brother William E. Harmon left a more culturally significant legac…

William E. Harmon's Death Reveals His Secret William E. Harmon, a retired real estate operator, passed away on July 16, 1928. His obituary initially presented him as a philanthropist. However, three days later, the New York Times revealed a remarkab…

What Does Everyone Want? Land On July 16, 1928, the New York Times published William E. Harmon's obituary. Harmon explained his business approach: "The surest way is to hit upon something that everybody wants, make it possible for everyone to buy it…

A Delightful Place to Dine This piece examines a vintage black-and-white postcard featuring the Nikko Inn, located in Harmon-on-Hudson. The reverse side bears significance because, though appearing handwritten, the message was actually printed on ev…

Roy Kojima, Busted and Boastful Roy Kojima was a Japanese proprietor of the Nikko Inn, a speakeasy operating in Harmon-on-Hudson during Prohibition. In May 1925, federal authorities padlocked the establishment for two months after agents purchased i…

Our Multi-Talented Federal Prohibition Agents On June 17, 1922, the New York Times reported on several raids by Federal prohibition agents. Upstate, agents conducted an undercover operation at the Nikko Inn in Harmon-on-Hudson. The agents—William M…

R. T. Underhill - Doctor, Winemaker, and Investor in the First New York City Elevated Railway Richard T. Underhill was an investor in the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company, which pioneered the city's first elevated railway system. Charle…

The View from Quaker Bridge This post showcases historical postcards depicting the Croton River near Quaker Bridge, dating from approximately 1901-1907. The first card, published by William Terhune of "Ossining on Hudson," presents "the Croton River…

Hudson Valley Echoes, Issue #1 This post features the first issue of Theodore J. Cornu's hand-drawn and hand-lettered self-published journal titled Hudson Valley Echoes. The publication covers Hudson Valley history and culture through Cornu's artist…

Hudson Valley Echoes This page showcases issues 1 and 2 of Theodore J. Cornu's hand-drawn, hand-lettered self-published journal titled "Hudson Valley Echoes." Posts of issues 3 and 4 are forthcoming. Issue 1 (1950): Contains four pages of the origi…

Croton Aqueduct Puzzles This piece explores two nineteenth-century jigsaw puzzles featuring the Old Croton Dam and High Bridge, part of a collection called "Sliced Objects" published by E. G. Selchow & Co. between approximately 1867 and 1880. Selch…

Log Cabin Restaurant Revisited The post features an early postcard depicting the "Belle Terre, Log Cabin Restaurant at Camp Broadway, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y." According to the Croton Historical Society's book in Arcadia's Images of America series, th…

Newly Married Folks Buy . . . at Harmon According to a June 12, 1921 article from the New York Tribune, Harmon-on-the-Hudson emerged as a thriving suburban real estate hub that spring. Developer Clifford B. Harmon reported that approximately one hun…

Oscar Levant Plays the Mikado Oscar Levant, a pianist, composer, actor, author and quiz-show panelist known for his quick wit, performed at the Mikado Inn in Harmon-on-the-Hudson during 1922 when he was just 16 years old. In his 1965 memoir The Memo…

American Cooking, Japanese Service! An advertisement from the May 30, 1908 Highland Democrat announced "Something New!" promoting the Nikko Tea House located on the Croton River in Harmon, where "Cool Breezes blow even on the warmest days." The New…

Dr. Underhill, a Patriarch and a Man of Renown The Eclectic Magazine, in an April 1864 piece, praised Dr. Underhill as "a patriarch and a man of renown" among grape growers. The publication highlighted his fifty-acre Croton Point vineyards as the so…

The Gardens of Van Cortlandt Manor, 1930 These glass lantern slides document the gardens of Van Cortlandt Manor as they appeared in 1930, when the property remained in the hands of Van Cortlandt descendants. The photographs originate from the Garden…

Cannon Ball Time to Harmon This post features a historical advertisement from the New York Evening World (June 25, 1907) promoting land sales in Harmon. The ad describes Harmon as "the highest, healthiest, most beautiful, most accessible and most ar…

O, blessed be the Croton! The article introduces a poem by Lydia Maria Child celebrating the Croton Aqueduct's opening in 1842. Child, described as "renowned in her day as a tireless crusader for truth and justice," wrote "The New-York Boy's Song" t…

Driving to the Dam, 1912 This historical post features a 1912 photograph showing "an automobile driving along the road which once ran across what is now the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail." The image captures an early motorcar on a path near the New Crot…

Camping at Croton Point, 1905 An 1905 article in Country Life in America magazine featured Croton Point as an ideal camping destination. Located "about thirty miles from the city" on the Hudson's New York side, the area offered a retreat that felt r…

Census Map of Croton, 1935 This post presents three detailed sections from a 1935 census map of the Town of Cortlandt, which accompanied the 1940 census. The map details focus on three areas: Croton, Harmon, and Croton Point. The map was created in…

Stagecoach, Sloop, Steamboat These newspaper advertisements from the Hudson River Chronicle illustrate how transportation methods evolved along the Hudson River in the Croton area during the early 19th century. During the early 1800s, stagecoaches …