The Town of Deerpark Museum ~ History

History continued ...

The construction of the D & H Canal (1828-1898) dramatically changed the Town of Deerpark. Primarily, it was constructed to provide much needed Pennsylvania anthracite coal to New York City. Other goods, such as bluestone, cement and lumber, were shipped as well. The route of the canal through Deepark was determined by the relative ease of construction through this valley. New industries were created and old ones expanded. Quarries, tanneries, lumber mills, boat yards, supply stores, blacksmith shops, carpenter shops were busy places along the canal. Homes were built making schools, churches and public buildings necessary. Many of these buildings remain throughout the town.

The town’s make up changed once again with the advent of the railroad. In 1868, the Monticello & Port Jervis Railroad Company started to bring people here for vacations and to enjoy the natural beauty of the rivers and mountains. A thriving resort industry arose. The railroad also was instrumental in making commercial dairying in the Neversink Valley a viable occupation. Each farm within a convenient distance of a railroad had a “milk stop” to pick up cans of milk to ship to New York City. Since the middle of the 20th century, farming has no longer been profitable.

The automobile brought even more people to the town. Among them was D. W. Griffith. Between 1909 and 1915, he made many films using the majestic mountains and flowing rivers as natural backdrops. The Neversink Valley Area Museum in Cuddebackville regularly shows the classic silent movies.

The recognition of our history is an ongoing part of our community. The Neversink Valley Area Museum has exhibits about life on the D & H Canal, including boat rides on the canal. School children visit the museum to learn about the Lenni Lenape Indians and The Canal. The town has restored an 1863 brick schoolhouse for community use. Other one room schools have been converted into private homes.

Geography remains an important part of the town’s identity. Camps care for natural areas and teach environmental education courses. The Nature Conservancy has extensive holdings of environmentally fragile sections of the Neversink River. The Orange County Land Trust and the Basherkill State Wildlife Management Area protect sections of the Basha Kill wetlands. The Orange County Parks Department has developed The D&H Canal Park to preserve one of the few sections of the Canal which still holds water.

New York State has designated Route 97 and the Hawk’s Nest as The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway along the Delaware River. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has set aside land as an eagle preserve. All of these places give visitors and residents the opportunity to enjoy activities such as fishing, hunting, canoeing, rafting, camping, hiking, and birdwatching.

Reflecting on our past gives us pause to think about our future and how change will continue to be a part of this town. Some changes already are in progress, such as the plans for building an Interpretive Center near the Mongaup River by the National Parks Service and the plans for the creation of a walking/biking trail along the abandoned D & H Canal towpath from Westbrookville to Cuddebackville by the Orange County Parks Department. These plans show how our history effects present day changes.