For decades, the history of slavery and the underground railroad in the Rivertowns was untold. Slavery was recognized as a Southern economic institution; however, it also was embraced in the North.
Rivertowners enjoying an outing at MacEachron Waterfront Park in Hastings-on-Hudson undoubtedly have seen Gates of the Hudson Arch, a 2012 sculpture by the renowned sculptor Greg Wyatt.
Regardless of the reason that writers and readers come to the Hudson Valley Writers Center in Sleepy Hollow, what strikes them first is the charm of the space.
Power walkers, bicyclists, families strolling, joggers—the Governor Mario M. Cuomo (formerly the Tappan Zee) Bridge Path, between the historic villages of Tarrytown and South Nyack in Rockland County, has room for all to enjoy the majestic views of the Hudson River.
The Hudson River begins in the Adirondack Mountains at Lake Tear of the Clouds in Essex County and stretches for 315 miles before pouring into the Atlantic Ocean in New York City.
. . . occasional gathering of amateur astronomers, who bring their telescopes and welcome the community to come look at the moon, planets, and stars. This last use of the park is particularly fitting, given the contributions to the field of astronomy by the remarkable Draper family of Hastings.
Tarrytown and Westchester County played an important role in the Revolutionary War and in the victory that brought about the independence of the United States.
In the late 1800s, to escape summers in New York City, Helen Francis (Fanny) Garrison Villard and German-born financier and railroad tycoon Henry Villard bought their summer home high on a hill in Dobbs Ferry.
The observance of President’s Day, a holiday celebrated in February since 1885, brings to mind presidential visits to the Rivertowns. Through the decades, a few presidents have passed through the villages, while some have made longer stops in the area.
Most people love a good story and history is brimming with them. Local history—which is often overlooked—has some of the most surprising and even humorous tales.