Portal:Hudson Valley

The Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail is a 3.22-mile (5.18 km) rail trail between the village of Walden in the town of Montgomery and the hamlet of Wallkill in the town of Shawangunk. Montgomery and Shawangunk are located in Orange and Ulster counties, respectively.

The trail, like the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail to the north, is part of the former Wallkill Valley Railroad's rail corridor. The land was purchased by the towns of Montgomery and Shawangunk in 1985 and converted to a public trail. The portion of the trail in Shawangunk was formally opened in 1993 and named after former town supervisor Jesse McHugh. Plans to pave the trail between Walden and Wallkill were discussed since 2001, and the route was finally paved between 2008 and 2009. The trail also includes an unofficial, unimproved section to the north of Wallkill, and is bounded by NY 52 and NY 208.

• ... that Moffat Library (pictured) in Washingtonville, New York, was formally opened in 1887 but did not have any books until bookcases were bought a year later?
• ... that Ted Mack auditioned contestants for the Original Amateur Hour in the 400-seat theatre at Irvington, New York's village hall?
• ... that the abandoned O & W Railroad Station at Port Ben, New York is so well-preserved that coal remains in its bin more than 50 years after it closed?

Henry Hudson (c. 1560/70s – 1611?) was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. After several voyages on behalf of English merchants to explore a prospective Northeast Passage to India, Hudson explored the region around modern New York City while looking for a western route to Asia under the auspices of the Dutch East India Company. He explored the river which eventually was named for him, and laid thereby the foundation for Dutch colonization of the region.

Hudson discovered a strait and immense bay on his final expedition while searching for the Northwest Passage. In 1611, after wintering on the shore of James Bay, Hudson wanted to press on to the west, but most of his crew mutinied. The mutineers cast Hudson, his son and others adrift, and the Hudson's and those cast off at their side were never seen again.