Part 719: Ellenville, New York, 1909
In 1909, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “July 10th, Mama, Mary and myself started for Ellenville, N.Y. where we met all the family, except Rupert. We had a fine vacation, which I have written in detail in my “Ellenville sketching trip of 1909.” Unfortunately, Moses’ travelogues have yet to be located for reference.
The first time that Moses mentioned Ellenville in his typed memoirs, however, was during 1903. At the time he wrote, “I also found time to take the family to Ellenville, N.Y. I made quite a number of sketches.” In many cases, family outings for the Moses family coincided with prime sketching locations. This often provided Moses with an opportunity to capture local scenes and gather resource material for future painting projects in the studio.
The region surrounding Ellenville had been drawing artists for quite a while when Moses first ventured to the picturesque area. Ellenville is located about 90 miles northwest of New York City and about ninety miles southwest of Albany. One of the oldest public roads in the United States also runs through Ellenville, “sanctioned” by the King and Queen of Holland. It was originally used by the Leni-Lenape Indians who traveled between the Hudson and Delaware valleys, later becoming known as the Minisink Road, the Old Mine Road and Kings Hoghway. It has since lost any historical character and is now known as simply Route 209.
Ellenville is located in the Rondout Valley, at the eastern base of the Catskill Mountains and the western base of the Shawanguk Ridge. Sandburg Creek and Beer Kill intersect in Ellenville to form the Rondout Creek, that then flows north to join the Hudson River near Kingston. The area is currently within the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Center.
In examining pictures of the area and the history of the town, I uncovered a few interesting tidbits about the area, the most interesting in how the village received its name. When the village constructed its first post office in 1823, it was known as Fairchild City. Named after a prominent landowner, it was during a meeting to discuss potential names for the village that Ellen Snyder queried, “Why not name if after me?” After prolonged discussions and the inability to select any other name, the residents decided to use the proposed name of Ellenville.
Another fun fact about the area is that on August 21, 1931, Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his run for presidency in Ellenville. His keynote speech began, “my friends and neighbors of Ellenville.” Roosevelt then touched upon his family’s connection with Ulster County, the significance of state parks, the beauty of the Catskills, and the challenges of progress. For more information about this beautiful area and its history, visit: https://findellenville.com/find-yourself-in-ellenville-ny/ellenvilles-historical-facts-and-figures/
To be continued…
