RHS: Fall 2008
SAVE THESE DATES
Saturday, September 27th – 5:30 P.M.
John Cronin at the Rhinecliff Hotel
“RHS celebrates Rhinecliff”
(See Poster Inside)
President's Message Summer 2008
I have 6 months left of my 4 years as president, and it's
been a wonderful position to be in on Hudson Valley local
history. I discussed the random events in this writing with
Elma Williamson. She's enjoying the Olympics and
“supervising" the apartment-like addition where she's
living. She might join us 9/27 to hear John Cronin talk at
the Rhinecliff. Our speaker in November, Alex McKnight,
just got his new radio history book out "Never Seen Only
Heard". Just before the railroad bridge closed to walking
tours by Fred Schaeffer he prepared us for its focal-point
as a new park with trails running for miles in both
directions.
The quadricentennial next September will be a talk by
Tivoli mayor Tom Cordier. He'll use an October 9th, 1909
poster that reads "The Hudson-Fulton Celebration at
Tivoli (Home of the Clermont)". Trains may get 2.4 times
better fuel-mileage than trucking, but the CSX noise
replacing railroad ties has some along the Hudson
annoyed. It may make the future Amtrak faster by 8mph.
August 2nd Nancy Kelly hosted a Rock City history
exhibit at the church where she is organist. The maps and
picture display were the work of Patsy Vogel and others.
Patrick Higgins was there and everywhere. He'll be
stepping down as EBHS president at the Elmendorph, but
continuing as Milan historian. His Tivoli Talk focused on
Hudson's failures to attain food spices and silk fabrics by
venturing into the frozen Passage. It brings to mind how
coal is leading to an ice-free planet. In a tv-documentary a
new theory is being tested. Ice-age (France) tribes hugged
the ice-shore as they hunted west as in Virginia are found
projectile-points matching Europe rather than the Clovis
points from the Orient migration. There's so much more
to discover. Our local history talks will have a new
ceiling projection-system as Starr Librarian, Steve Cook,
improves the facility. Now that the new floor is finished
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the Wager-cabinet can remain on the lower level. As I was
putting on a cabinet lock donated by Kingston I was
entertained by the Rhinebeck Legion Band outside, "we'll
now hear music from 1550" the conductor announced.
Our RHS Board is doing an outstanding job: Mike Frazier
with a sub-committee took steps to preserve the Schuyler
Mansion. Likewise 14 Center Street is being monitored as
the Village took it over and it's been suggested it can be
possibly a reception/lounge for attached new village-
offices behind. On Sunday, 10/5, at the 9/9G original
Rhinebeck of Palatine origin, the Farmstead will christen
the restored beehive bread-oven. Ellen Phelan will also
have butter-churns for kids (like us) to make butter for the
hot bread!
John Vincent, president
The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge
By Cynthia Owen Philip
Have you ever walked on air? It won’t be too long before
you can. The 1888 Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge will
soon come to life, not as the important conduit for freight
it once was but as an incredible public play space – a
pedestrian and bicycle park over 200 feet high with
spectacular views up and down the Hudson River.
The grand opening of this stellar park will take place over
the weekend on September 25, 2009 and will be the
culmination of the great Hudson-Fulton-Champlain
Quadricentennial celebration. According to Jeanne
Fleming, designer of the event, the theme on Friday night
will bring the bridge out of the darkness it has endured
since it burned in 1974 and into light by means of a
magical illumination with fireworks galore. Saturday will
be VIP day, a thanks to all who made the project a reality.
It will feature an immense parade, nautical events and
more fireworks. Sunday, the culmination of the
culmination, is saved for the public. Walkers and cyclists
coming from towns near and far will sing and dance to
their own music and will also be entertained by bands and
the enormous variety of performers Jeanne is so adept at
assembling. All the participants will be able to approach
the bridge either via a two minute walk from Route 9
along Haviland Avenue in the Town of Lloyd or from
Washington Avenue in Poughkeepsie.
Here are a few notes on the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge
as a reminder of what an historic bridge it was and as a
help to us in imagining what an extraordinary experience
walking and cycling in the new park will be. Built in
1888 – not incidentally, the same year as the Great
Blizzard – it was an engineering marvel in its day. Over
200 feet above the water, it was the longest bridge in the
world. A new invention called “mild steel,” whose
absolutely uniform strength could be trusted, made the
feat possible. Without it the two track bridge would not
have been able to support two loaded trains each drawn by
two concatenated locomotives as they passed each other.
For the first time trains loaded with coal from
Pennsylvania could go directly to New England towns in
contrast to the water route that required costly
transshipment at both the Hudson River and at the coastal
ports. The trains originating in the east carried mixed
freight and opened up the entire western rail system to
eastside mid-Hudson and New England towns.
Firm underpinnings were, of course, necessary to
withstand such weight. These were a special challenge
because the Hudson is sixty feet deep at the site and
beneath the water are 70 more feet of mud and clay before
bedrock is reached. Moreover, the piers had to be widely
spaced so that neither the great passenger steamboats, nor
the wind dependent sloops nor the eighty canal boats
grouped in “big tows” up to 150 feet wide and 800 feet
wide were held up. The ingenious solution was a
combination of seven spans, two shore spans each
measuring 201 feet, two connecting spans of 525 each and
three cantilever spans of 548 feet. A writer at the time the
spans were being put in place was thrilled to see three
massed tows passing simultaneously between two of the
four piers.
The Poughkeepsie Bridge was an unmistakable boon to
towns on both sides of the river. Moreover, it was so well
constructed that, although exactly a hundred years old, it
is still intrinsically sound - today a miracle in itself.
Resurrected as a walking and cycling park with links to
rail trails from New Paltz on the west side and from
Hopewell junction on the east side, it will be enjoyed for
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generations to come. Not only will it be the heady
experience because of its great height and spectacular
views, but it will offer a chance to recall what it has meant
historically to the development of the entire region.
September 25, 2009 may seem far away, but the other day
driving along Route 9 in Poughkeepsie I spied a bright
yellow construction vehicle working away up on the span.
Actually from below it looked like a tootsie toy, but it was
a clear signal that work is underway to bring us a splendid
addition to our park system. Watch it. It will be fun and
measuring its progress will speed the time as the big day
of the park’s opening draws near.
______________________________________________
Rhinebeck’s 18th Century
Palatine Farmstead
Route 9
“Let’s Go Deutsch”
Sunday October 5, 2008
12:00 noon to 5:00 pm
845-871-1798
An Event Celebrating Palatine Heritage with
Bake Oven Demonstrations, Butter Making, House and Barn
Tours Music, 18th Century Exhibits and Demonstrations,
German Fare
Benefit the Restoration of the Farmstead’s 1770 Dutch barn
Funds raised will match a
NYS $35,000 Barn Restoration/Preservation Grant
General admission $10
(Children 12 and under free)
Donor $25
(Recognition as a Donor on the Sponsor Board + admission)
Patron $50
(Recognition as a Patron on the Sponsor Board + admission)
Benefactor $100
(Recognition as a Benefactor on the Sponsor Board +
admission)
Event Sponsor $1000
(Recognition in event publicity, on the Sponsor Board +
admission)
Deadline Sept. 8, 2008 for inclusion on the Sponsor Board
Farmstead is located .3 mile north of 9 & 9G intersection.
Make checks payable and send to:
QRC-Palatine Farmstead Committee,
Michael Frazier, PO Box 624, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
(Along with Name, Address and Telephone)
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