DID YOU KNOW ?
- The first Historic Stuyvesant day was in 1994, held at the sandbar, celebrating the newly restored bridge.
- The north end of our town was known as Poolsburgh, named after the Vanderpoel family who settled there.
- In 1939, the Stuyvesant-on-the-Hudson Garden Club was organized & still holds monthly meetings.
- An 1873 map of Stuyvesant shows there were eight districts with schools houses marked “SH” in six different locations.
- This week in history, in 1939 the Berlin Olympics were held & American athlete Jesse Owens shattered world records winning 4 gold metals.
- Herodotus (c. 484-425/413 BCE), was a Greek writer who invented the field of study as “history”.
- The first Town Board meeting was held in the new Town Hall in 2002.
- Ferry between Newton Hook and Coxsackie was discontinued in 1939.
- As late as 1850, the census showed there were 225 horses and 156 oxen on the 75 farms in town.
- On August 9th 1944, the first Smokey Bear poster debuts. Because of this, August 9th is used as Smokey’s birthday.
Hello Stuyvesant,
The Town of Stuyvesant became an official township in April 1823. It was formerly a part of the 10-mile square that had been portioned as the Township of Kinderhook. It contained several Hamlets known as Kinderhook, Landing, Nutten Hook (or Newton Hook), Glencadia, Sunnyside and Poelsburgh. Stuyvesant Landing & Stuyvesant Falls replaced Kinderhook Landing & Glencadia. Nutten Hook was known as Coxsockie Station for a short time.
We have set-up a core committee who have been planning several seasons of celebrations for next year. Different locations thru out the Town. Tentative dates April, July, Harvest time, and December. With much program planning on going, we do not want to forget our yearly Historic Stuyvesant Day celebration. This is usually the second Saturday in August which is fast approaching, and we hope you will accept a format change.
Instead of our annual Historic themed picnic get together, the 2023 committee plans to make August 2022 Trivia month which will be posted on the Town Website.
This new feature “Did You Know” will be present thru out the month of August.
We will also celebrate Community Night on October 8th with another Vendor Fair & Cruise In. It will be held at the Town Hall from 3pm – 7pm and thee will be food, vendors, cars, music, and neighbors. Please plan to join us.
-- Juanita Knott
1. What transportation route was favored by both Native Americans and Dutch immigrants?
2. Early roads often followed trails used by Native Americans. Which group called the east bank of the Hudson River home?
3. South of Stuyvesant, the Kinderhook Creek joins the Claverack Creek. The combined waters (now called Stockport Creek) were once named for one of the earliest Dutch immigrants to settle in Columbia County. Who was he?
4. Hamlets are clusters of homes within a township. Stuyvesant Landing and Stuyvesant Falls are two examples in the town of Stuyvesant. Name two other Stuyvesant hamlets?
5. Name an agricultural product, once grown by both Native Americans and early European immigrants, which is still grown by Stuyvesant Farmers?
Answers: 1. the Hudson River 2. Mohicans 3. Major Abram Staats (Major Abram’s Creek) 4. Newton Hook & Poelsburgh 5. Maize / Corn
Juanita Knott - Town Historian
-- by Juanita Knott
In 2009 and 2010 the Town produced a local photo calendar. It has recently come to my attention that the "People and Places" 2010 Calendar matches the dates/days in 2021. Since we have some left, we are slashing the price by 50% and making them available again for just $10. All money raised will go toward our Bicentennial Celebration in 2023.
The photographs in the calendar are priceless and each month features a brief history note.
January -- Ice Harvesting on the Hudson River
Febrruary -- Isaac Sharp Store & Stuyvesant Falls Bridge
March-- Albany Southern Railroad car & workers
April -- Stuyvesant Chiefs baseball team (ca. 1951)
May --- Doyle's cash store and Stuyvesant Post Office
June -- Bicycle Emporium Route 26A, Stuyvesant & Pollys Garage Route 9, Stuyvesant Falls
