The Hudson River National Defense Fleet, officially established by Congress in 1946, served as a reserve of merchant ships ready to support military operations. Located at Jones Point (formerly Caldwell's Landing) near Dunderberg Mountain, this anchorage housed what locals called the "Ghost Fleet."

The fleet reached its peak in July 1965 with 189 ships arranged in ten rows extending several miles south from the Jones Point dock. During the Korean War, 130 ships were activated, leaving only 39 behind. The Suez Crisis in 1956 required deploying 35 vessels, and the Vietnam War demanded over 40 ships.

Between 1953 and 1963, the U.S. Department of Agriculture used the fleet for grain storage, loading more than 53 billion bushels of wheat across 231 ships. A maintenance crew of 86 workers preserved the vessels through regular machinery operation, rust removal, and protective oil coating. The fleet's value exceeded $255 million.

The last two ships were towed away on July 8, 1971, for scrap sale to Spain, ending nearly 25 years of service. The article notes that Dunderberg Mountain and Caldwell's Landing have historically been associated with legends of ghosts, goblins, and Captain Kidd's treasure.