Synopses & Reviews
This book focuses on the Hudson Valley region, describing places that no longer exist. The Ashokan Reservoir towns were either moved or flooded to create a reservoir system to supply New York City with its water needs. Roseton was a town supported by the Hudson River brick industry, but disappeared when the industry declined. The West Point Foundry was an ironworks factory famous for producing the Parrot rifles which were used during the Civil War. Ice and quarry industries provided year round employment for many of the residents of Rockland Lake, but very little remains of the original town today. Camp Shanks served as the main point of embarkation for United States troops going to North Africa and Europe during World War II. After the war it transformed into Shanks Village, which provided affordable housing for returning veterans and their families. In 1956 Shanks Village disappeared when developers purchased the land to build tract housing.
Synopsis
This is the story of five towns located in New York's Hudson River Valley that met their demise as quickly as they were established. From the icehouses of Rockland Lake to the Ashokan Reservoir towns to the brick quarries of Roseton, only traces of these once vibrant settlements can now be found. Camp Shanks, one of World War II's most significant military compounds, was erected in 1942 but was quickly abandoned at the war's end. 'Last Stop USA,' as it was known, played host to over one million soldiers and welcomed patriotic visitors like Frank Sinatra and Shirley Temple. In this collection of images, local authors Wesley and Barbara Gottlock revive the spirits of these bygone communities and celebrate a lost way of life.
Synopsis
Did you know a town can vanish? Discover the curious history of five towns nearly lost to history...
This is the story of five towns located in New York's Hudson River Valley that met their demise as quickly as they were established. From the icehouses of Rockland Lake to the Ashokan Reservoir towns to the brick quarries of Roseton, only traces of these once vibrant settlements can now be found. Camp Shanks, one of World War II's most significant military compounds, was erected in 1942 but was quickly abandoned at the war's end. "Last Stop USA," as it was known, played host to over one million soldiers and welcomed patriotic visitors like Frank Sinatra and Shirley Temple. In this collection of images, local authors Wesley and Barbara Gottlock revive the spirits of these bygone communities and celebrate a lost way of life.