CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Palisades of the Hu±9Qi,,5!?&/,Sfflt^ olin 3 1924 028 832 801 DATE DUE -^tor:^ IHiSfc- ._ " i : ] GAYUORD PfliNTEDINU.S.A This is Number «J- of the first One Hundred copies issued from the press. Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028832801 "The Palisades" FROM A PAINTING BY VAN DEARING PERRINE, THE PAINTER OP THE PALISADES, OWNED BY THE WHITE HOUSE "Amid thy forest solitudes one climbs O'er crags, that proudly tower above the deep. And knows that sense of danger which sublimes The breathless moment, when his daring step Is on the verge of the cliff, and he can hear The low dash of tlie wave with startled ear.'' — Fitz-Oreene Halleck. THE PALISADES OF THE HUDSON THEIR FORMATION, TRADITION, ROMANCE, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, NATURAL WONDERS AND PRESERVATION ARTHUR C. MACK PUBLISHED BT THE PALISADE PRESS Edge-water, New Jersey COPYRIGHT NOTICE. The title, text matter, illustrations, maps and cover design of this book have been duly copyrighted, accord- ing to law, and their unauthorized use will be vigorously prosecuted. Copyright, 1909, by The Palisade Press. 3 3b' 3 f^Ib X QjY^\ CONTENTS Alpme 23-23 Altitude of the Palisades 2 Area of the Palisades Interstate Parle 47, 48 Bergen, Ancient Town of. 9 Birds of the Palisades S3 Block House Point 10 Burdett's Ferry 13, 14 Burr-Hamilton Duel 10 Bull's Ferry 1 1 Boundaries of Palisades Interstate Park 48 Campers Along the Palisades 48-49 Castle Point 9 Closter Landing 28 Cornwallis' Headquarters 27-28» Commissioners Palisades Interstate Park 50 Chevaux-de-Frise 15 Desecration of the Palisades 39 Englewood 26-27 Englewood Cliffs 35 Englewood Creek 26 Elysian Fields 10 Fort Lee, Historic Old 15-23 Fort Washington, Battle of 18-21 Flowers of the Palisades 52-53 Ferry Routes to Palisades Interstate Park 56 Geology of the Palisades 3-5 Gifts to the Palisades Reservation 44 Hamilton-Burr Duel and Monument 10-11 Half -Moon 7-9 History, Palisades in 7 Hudson, Henry 8 Henry Hudson Drive 55 Huyler's Landing 27-28 Hobpken 9 Indians of the Palisades 7 Jeffrey's Hook 17, 18 Lee, Gen. Charles 26 Lee, Fort 1 3-23 Map of Sneden's Landing 32 Map of the Forts 15 Path Through Palisades Interstate Park 48 Park, Palisades Interstate 47 Palisades, Town of ._. 31-32 Police Patrol of Palisades Interstate Park 49 Roads of the Palisades 35 Springs of the Palisades 49 Saving the Palisades 39 Sneden's Landing 29-33 Sneden, Mollie 32 Trees of the Palisades. 52 Undereliff Settlement 27 Washington, Fort 15-23 Washington, Gen. George 15-23 Washington, Lady Martha 33 Washington, Battle of Fort 18-21 Weehawken 10 Women's Work for the Palisades 40, 48 WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. Acknowledgments are hereby made to the following persons for assistance in the preparation of this book: Charles P. Berkey, B. S. Ph. D., Instructor in Geologj'^, Columbia University, New York; Winthrop S. Gillman, author of "The Story of the Ferry" (A History of Palisades and Sneden's Landing) ; Francis E. Halsey, late editor New York Times Saturday Book Review; Edward Hagaman Hall, Secretary American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society; J. Du Pratt White, Sec- retary, and Leonard Hull Smith, Assistant Secretary, Commissioners Palisades Interstate Park; J. Howard Wilson, Van Dearing Perrine, the painter of the Pali- sades; and for some of the historical facts to the works of Asher, Bancroft, Broadhead, Cooper, Fiske, Green, Irving, Lossing, O'Callaghan, YateS and Moulton, Paine, Schoolcraft, etc. Most of the photographs and initials, not credited specifically, were made by John P. Fritts. The Palisades oi the Hudson THE PALISADES OF THE HUDSON "1 see the beetling Palisades Whose wrinkled brows forever In calms, in storms, in lights and shades Keep watch along the river. "Such watchi of old, the Magi kept Along the sad Euphrates; Our eyeless ones have never slept And this their solemn fate is." — Stoddard: those who have not explored the long ridge of towering basalt that rims the northeastern edge of New Jersey, and become in tune with the spirit of its huge gray rocks, the Palisades of the Hud- son remain a closed book. Travelers by the railway on the opposite shore, or by the river steamers, following the main channel, see only a nearly perpendicular wall, fringed with vegetation at its base and top. To them and to writers whose viewpoint is similar to theirs, "the great chip rocks," as the Dutch pioneers named them, are little more than natural curiosities of monotonous formation. A closer intimacy with the unspoiled portion of the ridge extending from Edgewater to Piermont unfolds unex- pected charms. Let him ivho would discover the wonders and beauties of these ancient cliffs paddle close to their winding base, landing here and there in the shady glades that tempt the river wanderer at frequent intervals. Near one of the cool and crystal spring-s that gush from crevices in the rocks, the explorer's tent should be pitched. There are a few points where the dizzy heights may be ascended, and a ramble through the wild woodland that sur- mounts the cliffs and a sight of the picturesque near and dis- tant views will richly reward the climber. , , As the edge of the precipice is reached, instead of a flat- faced wall the Palisades will be found in reality to consist of a The Palisades of the Hudson A Restful Retreat in the Wonderful Palisades Region. series of bold and majestic headlands, diversified by innumerable rocky battlements, often separated by tiny valleys down which dash silvery cascades. Instead of the apparently even fringe of verdure surmounting the heights, a wild and pristine forest will be found which nature has richly stocked with an endless variety of tree, shrub and flower. Here will the explorers who can read them find graven upon the stones in spite of the ravages of time, records of the earth's creation full of significance and interest. Here, too, will he who cherishes Revolutionary asso- ciations be able to visit localities made famous by the armies of Washington and Cornwallis. Standing between the Hudson and the broad sweep of low- lands now known as the Hackensack Valley, the Palisades Ridge proper extends almost due north and south (from Bergen Point, New Jersey, to Piermont, New York), for a distance of thirty miles. It varies in width from two miles to less than a mile, the average being one and one-half miles. Its altitude varies from a maximum of 550 feet near the northern end to the minimum of but a few feet at sea level at the southern termination, the mean elevation over most of the ridge being 269 feet. Its eastern face is abrupt, either vertical or slanting back slightly; its western face much less steep, usually forming a gradual slope down to a broad and fertile valley. The Palisades of the Hudson THE STORY OF THE ROCKS |ROM geological standpoints this entire formation is rich in meaning. Records of great processes in the formation of the earth's crust can be clear- ly traced by even the tyro in geology. The main body of the ridge consists of igneous rock of trappean variety, which was forced up in a semi- molten state, through a long fissure in the earth's crust during what geologists term the Jurassic Period.* This process, which scientists calculate to have occurred, upwards of 30,000,000 years ago, although similar to that which produced the fantastic formations of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, the ChfFs of Kawaddy in India and Fingal's Cave in Scotland, has resulted in a configuration unlilce any of those wonders and not resembling closely any other in the world. There are fewer columns than are found in other formations of the same origin and there is more rugged picturesqueness. To comprehend that vast cataclysm of nature which re- sulted in the upheaval of the Palisades centuries upon centuries ago, it is necessary to understand the character of the earth's crust over their area at that time. This crust consisted of a layer of triassic sandstone, enormously thick. Beneath this sandstone the volcanic forces opened a long crevice and forced A. Diabdsc CRe&e Se^ctioh Showing C£oLA^i«Ai_ rovMATieH OP THE C. fbrdkAmQnciu B. S«>«lt-. A. , ^^ «^ i^tu ' JaBSjH^^^H^^^^^^^^^^^^I >»S:dJi^^^^^^H^^H - - - - - '. :.„«.A56iZ^__. -J Ruins of the Old Mountain House at Englewood Cliffs. MARKING HISTORIC LOCALITIES fyYT HE remains of Fort Washington can still be seen, ¥ and on the 125th anniversary of the battle, Oc- tober 16, 1901, a bronze tablet was placed on the site by the American Scenic and Historic Preser- vation Society. Until 1908 no monument or tablet marked the site of Fort Lee. On September 26 of that year, however, through the efforts of the Fort Lee Revolutionary Monument Association, the Palisades Interstate Park Commis- sion, acting as custodians of the funds, an appropriate monu- ment was erected. This monument is the work of Carl E. Tefft, whose design was selected in a competitive con- test. The base of the mon- ument consists of an im- mense boulder of Palisade rock, climbing up one side of which heroic bronze figures of two Continental soldiers are represented. The artist's and sculptor's idea is to show the soldiers scaling the crest of the Palisades. Few traces of the de- fenses themselves now remain. Traces of the south bastion of the fort west of the quaint little stone Episcopal Church may still be seen, also the soldiers' ovens cut out of the rock. Almost opposite the church is the "Washington Spring," which supplied water to the troops. All traces of the redoubt on Fort Lee Bluff have now Revolutionary Monument at Fort Lee. 26 The Palisades of the Hudson disappeared, although J. Fletcher Burdett, of Fort Lee, told the writer that a few years ago, in constructing a building there, the stone wall thrown up by the Continental soldiers was clearly disclosed. A TRAITOU'S NAME PERPETUATED. It is unfortunate that the name of the Palisades fort was changed from Fort Constitution to Fort Lee. It now perpetu- ates the memory of one whose disloyalty and treachery to the American cause were manifested on many occasions. The career of Charles Lee was repugnant alike to the Continental and Brit- ish armies. We have seen his supreme disregard of Washing- ton's orders. After tardily bringing his forces across the Hudson, he was captured by the British and taken to New York for confinement. He immediately set about to purchase his liberty by treachery. In prison he elaborated a plan to his captors for conquering the American Army. But his perfidy was not well received by Sir William Howe. Instructions were received from the King to send Lee to England for trial. Washington held six Hessian officers as hostages for Lee's safety, however, and Howe fearing to send his prisoner home, in May, 1778, exchanged him for Major General Pres- cott. Lee was reappointed to Second in Command, but further treachery at Monmouth and subsequent disloyalty led to his per- manent dismissal from the army. His later days were given to venomous attacks upon Washington. Finally, despised by all decent men, he died in a public house at Philadelphia, his re- mains being interred in Christ Church Cemetery. A few miles above Fort Lee Bluff a white edifice surmounts the cliffs. This is St. Michael's Villa, a prominent Roman Cathohc Convent. Just beyond this point are the remains of the old Englewood pier, long since dis- used. North of the pier Englewood Creek winds through a narrow meadow of salt grass to the base of the Palisades. To the north of St. Michael's are the vine-covered ruins of the Palisades Moun- oid Undercliff Settlement. The Palisades of the Hudson 27 tain House, burned in 1884. Opposite here, on the western slope of the Palisades, lies the city of Englewood. The little set- tlement from which the present city had its origin was called Liberty Pole. During the Revolution it stood in the thick of military activities. A PICTURESaUE HAMLET. A mile north of the old Englewood pier a pic- turesque hamlet of scarce half a dozen houses nestles under the brow of the great rocks. This is known as Undercliff Settlement. For generations, dating Old Burying Ground at Unde.cliil Set.l.ment. back to Revolutionary days, members of the Van Wagoner fam- ily have dwelt here. In two of the houses still live venerable members of this family. Back of the settlement from a tangled undergrowth rise the headstones of an ancient burying ground. Here lie the remains of the Van Wagoners, all the gravestones bearing dates at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Easily distinguishable from the river by its two long, white houses is Huyler's Landing, a short distance north of this ham- let. Its former name was Lower Closter Landing. The two houses, with a tiny cottage almost hidden behind the trees, are of The Cornwallis Headquarters at Alpine. This House, Which Is Over 150 Years Old, Is Being Carefully Preserved by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. 28 The Palisades of the Hudson great age. An old road, now dis- used, winds down from the cliffs. Decades ago Huyler's Landing was a shipping point for the back coun- try. Directly opposite the city of Yonkers is Alpine Landing, which in Revolutionary days was called Clos- ter Landing. We have already seen its historical importance as the point at which Lord Cornwallis, and later, General Earl Grey, landed their re- spective forces. Among all the an- cient houses of the Palisades still pre- served none is more interesting than one which stands here. It was built over 150 years ago of Palisade stone and timber rough hewn from the Palisades forest. In this house Lord Cornwallis made his headquarters. Just to the south is the beginning of the old road up which the British armies made their laborious ways. Its remains may be traced clearly through the woods. Until a few years ago an old brick grist mill was still standing at the landing. Here the farmers of the western valley were wont to bring their grain and obtain provisions brought hither by the river packets. Almost in front of the Cornwallis house rests a gigantic boulder which came crashing down the face of the Palisades only a decade ago. It narrowly missed striking and annihilating the old structure. From Alpine Landing to Sneden's Landing, a distance of five miles, the Palisades assume their most imposing formation. Opposite Hastings the cliifs rise almost perpendicularly from the water, presenting a sheer face of rock 550 feet in height. This is the highest portion of the ridge. Remains of Old Military Road at Alpine. The Palisades of the Hudson 29 Revolutionary Pistol Found in Old Block House at Sneden's Landing. STORY OF SNEDEN'S LANDING m/f rtl NEDEN'S LANDING is rich in its historical as- f >^m|| sociations. In this quaint little settlement cen- ■**'^^^^ tered some of the most spirited minor events of the Revolution. Directly in front of it, on the noble river whose waves wash its ancient dock, was stationed the British fleet during the period from 1776 to 1783; and it was here that, by direct order of Parliament, the American flag was first saluted by the English navy. During the Revolution Sneden's Landing was known simply as "Dobb's Ferry on the west side of the Hudson." The old house at the landing, where lived the intrepid ferry mistress, "Mollie" Sneden, is a landmark to- day for patriotic Americans to visit and enjoy. In Revolutionary days it was known far and wide as "Sneed- ing's old house at the Fferry." As far back as the year 1719, according to historical records, it was known as "Corbet's old house," and it was here that James Alexander took observa- tions for the establishment of the point where the 41st degree of longi- tude crosses the Hudson River, marking the boundary line between New York and New Jersey. On the sharply rising ground above the landing are the ruins of the old redoubts. Here were posted 500 Continental troops under Major John At oid Huyier's Landing. The Palisades of the Hudson 31 Photograph by W. S, Gillman. Grave of MoUie Sneden at Palisades, N. Y. Clark, immediately after the battle of White Plains, in November, 1776. The Amer- i c a n commanders believed that it was Lord Howe's in- tention to invade the state of New Jersey by way of Sne- den's Landing and Major Clark was ordered to dispute the British general's passage. The Continental officer was not compelled to fight the British at Sneden's Landing, however, as the invading army under Lord Comwallis crossed over at Alpine, five miles below. There are many other points of historical interest at Sneden's Landing. Nearby, on the Closter Road, stands the Nagle, or Naugle, homestead built about 1710, where in Revo- lutionary days lived John D. Nagle, "the honest miller." The old Nagle grist mill was a landmark for many years, but was finally torn down. After the execution of the British spy, Major Andre, at Tappan, a few miles away, the unfortunate officer's effects were brought to the Nagle house. On the hill above the redoubts stood the old Block House built in 1776, a conspicuous mark for the British ships. The tops of two large cedar trees, which stood near the Block House, were blo^'n off under the bombardment of the British frigate Asia in 1776. Ruins of the' old defense may be still seen in the woods surrounding its site. In these ruins more than a century ago was found an old Revolutionary pistol, now in possession of the Mann family. Between the Block House and the redoubt is located the Wash- ington Spring, where, tradi- -tion has it. Major Clark and A Glimpse of the Italian Garden on the Lawrence Estate, 32 The Palisades of the Hudson his men obtained their water. In the little hamlet of Palisades, just on top of the hill west of Sneden's Landing, stands one of the oldest structures in America, antedating by nearly a cen- tury the Revolution. It is known as "the Big House." The foundation of its kitchen is said to date back to 1685. In this house General Washington is said to have sat at table. At present an extensive circulating library is maintained there. Nearby is located the old Palisades Cemetery. Here lie the remains of many old settlers, among them, those of MoUie Sneden, the ferry mistress of the Revolution. i ■ ,^^0 ■ „^ Map -0 f the Lockhart ..,».y.f.//. .-^/^./y iXy^.-. f,:j£ui rt- /—..A.J ...J jiV„^/j(„.„*; .:»,..,<; of the Lockhart Tract at Sneden's Landing Made in 1746. The Original of This Map Is Now in Possession of the Palisades Library at Palisades, New York. The Palisades of the Hudson 33 Sneden's Landing played its part in the mournful Revolu- tionary episode of 1778 when Colonel George Baylor and more than a hundred of his troops were slaughtered while asleep by the British General Grey at Paramus, a few miles west. Coincident with Grey's attack upon the defenseless Continentals Lieutenant Colonel Campbell crossed to Sneden's Landing and moved west to surprise General Wayne at Tappan. But the wily American officer had been warned and with his force, inferior in numbers only, had retreated northward to safety. It is said that Lady Martha Washington, in journeying to join her husband at Cambridge, in the autumn of 1775, crossed the ferry at Sneden's Landing. Just south of the landing, upon a plateau, is "ClifFside," the magnificent estate of Mrs. Lydia G. Lawrence. Of all the imposing homes of the Hudson Valley few command a grander view than this, overlooking the broad expanse of the Tappan Zee, and the lower river. A woodland path leads southward from the house to a pergola standing on the river's edge, modeled after a similar structure at Amalfi, Italy. Behind this pergola a cascade falls down the perpendicular side of the Palisades into a beautiful grotto with pools, fountains and statuary. The owner of "ClifFside" has recently given a large and valuable tract of her estate to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. In the old days Sneden's Landing was an important ship- building point, many vessels being constructed here. Only twenty-five years after the launching of Fulton's Clermont, the steam ferryboat Union was built and put in operation at the landing. The only ferry at present is a motor boat accom- modating foot passengers only. Night on the Palisades. Photograph by John P. Fritta. The Palisades of the Hudson 35 ROADS OF THE PALISADES , ALISADES roads are among the interesting fea- tures of the ridge. This is especially true of several old roads. One of the most picturesque of these zig-zags down the precipitous cliffs from the end of Palisade Avenue, Englewood Cliffs. There are few wilder mountain roads than this — known for many years as the old Englewood turnpike. It crosses and recrosses a stream which leaps in cascades to the river. On one side is a sheer wall of rock ; the other overlooks an almost perpendicular declivity. At a point near the river the road forks, one branch extending southward to the old Englewood pier, the other, called Undercliff Avenue, running northward to Undercliff settlement. Another old road, now disused, winds down the cliffs at Huyler's Landing, while farther northward are the remains of the ancient road which led from Closter (now Alpine) Landing t o the cliffs, and over which the British ar- mies were transported. The present road at Alpine accomplishes the ascent by far eas- ier grades. At Sne- den's Landing the old Rockland Road led down to the river. Its course was to the north and down a much steeper hill than the present highway. An almost continuous trip by road along the top of the ridge can be made from Wee- hawken to Piermont. From Weehawken to a Picturesque Old Highway of the Palisades. Photograph by John P. Pritts. This Cool, Shady Path Invites the Tired City Dweller to Rest and Reflection. The Palisades of the Hudson 37 Hudson Heights, just below Cliff side, the magnificent Hudson County Boulevard follows the edge of the cliffs. From Cliffside to Fort Lee an excellent road runs some distance back of the crest. From Fort Lee to Alpine a macadam highway traverses the woodland a short distance from the cliff line, continuing from Alpine to Piermont, as an ordinary country road. In Revolutionary times a military road was constructed be- tween Sneden's Landing and Fort Lee, running for a few miles close to the cliffs. Traces of this road can yet be seen, espe- cially along the northern portion of its course. Summer and Wmter Along the CId Englewood Turnpike. Photograph by John P. Fritts. Depth and Distance Are Typifled in This View, from h Jutting Point Above Englewood Creek. The Palisades of the Hudson 39 HOW THE PALISADES WERE SAVED ^ELOW Fort Lee Point there is but little left of the wild beauty of former years. Here the hand of man has reached out and scarred and destroyed tlie picturesqueness of the cliffs. Huge factory chimneys rise against jagged quarries. Wretched Italian settlements are crowding out the old es- tates, and soon nothing of the old-time charms will remain. North of Fort Lee Bluff the ruthless dynamiter began to destroy the grandest portion of the ridge. The greater portion of old Indian Head was blown asunder to be metamorphosed into flats and skyscrapers in the neighboring city. The old trees were torn from their roots and the hacking ai|i4 flashing threatened the entire ridge. Well might the old trees have exclaimed with Kipling as this work went on : "Children we are of the great god Pan Who marvel much by the river; How ruthless man can mar the plan Of the wise and bounteous giver. We hear afar the sounds of war As rocks they rend and shiver; They blast and mine and rudely scar The pleasant banks of the river." With increasing desecration of the cliffs public indignation grew stronger. Protests against the vandalism became more and more persistent. Various measures for halting the destruc- tion were proposed. Every movement and every public body that joined in an effort to save the Palisades helped to pave the way for the actual accomplishment which has been achieved by the' present Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The early attempts at preservation, the steps that led up to this efficient body, its organization, its methods and its future aims, all con- stitute a chapter in the history of scenic preservation of vital interest and significance. The first tangible plan toward protecting the Palisades was a proposal to induce the National Government to secure them for military purposes. Supporters of this idea induced the state Legislatures of New Jersey and New York to pass bills 40 The Palisades of the Hudson authorizing the appointment of a commission to confer "for the acquisition of the Palisades by the United States." This com- mission consisted of three members from each state. The New Jersey commissioners were Henry D. Winton, Edward P. Meany and Charles B. Thurston. The New York representatives were Enoch C. Bell, Waldo G. Morse and J. James R. Croes. Ac- cordingly in 1895, under recommendation of the joint commis- sioners, legislation was introduced in each state ceding the face and water frontage of the ridge to the United States for a "mili- tary fortification and reservation." The respective measures were signed by Governor George T. Werts, of New Jersey, and Governor Levi P. Morton, of New York, and submitted to the House Committee on military affairs in the Fifty-fourth Con- gress. The Palisades were obviously of little value for military purposes and the proposal was not accepted. Resubmitted in the Fifty-fifth Congress it met with similar fate. fcil*;: NEW JERSEY WOMEN TAKE A HAND. The outlook for preservation following these failures was discouraging. There seemed to be no plan or hope for future action. At this junc- ture the women of f 1 New Jersey took up ', the work. With per- sistence and zeal the New Jersey State ; Federation of Wo- men's Clubs began an active campaign. The first fruits of this movement were real- ized in the passage of a bill in 1899 by the New Jersey State Legislature empow- ering the Governor to appoint a commit- tee of five to "report upon the present con- dition of the Pali- sades and to suggest , some remedy or rem- Palisades at Coytesvnie. Ruthless Quarrymen Were edies to Drevent the ?t"*'"? .'5;*"S„"" ''^," "^ "'« ciijf when stopped euiLb LU pieveuL uie Through the Efforts of Patriotic Citizens. The Palisades of the Hudson 41 Bare and Ghostly Trees Overlooking an Ice- Locked River. Palisades from defacement and depredation." Governor Foster M. Voorhees signed the enactment and named as members of the commission Miss Elizabeth B. Vermilye, Cecilia Gaines Holland, Franklin W. Hopkins, William A. Linn and S. Wood McClave. In New York state interest in halting the vandalism was keen. Among the prominent friends of the Palisades in New York were Andrew H. Green, "Father of Greater New York," President of the American Scenic and His- t o r i c Preservation Society and Governor Theodore Roosevelt. The New York Legislature passed a bill sim- ilar to that enacted in New Jersey and Governor Roose- velt appointed as the New York committee at the sug- gestion of Mr. Green, Fred- erick W. Devoe, Frederick S. Lamb, George F. Kunz, Abraham G. Mills and Edward Payson Cone. Conferences covering nearly a year were held by both com- missions. A definite solution of the Palisades problem was de- cided upon. The committees recommended in their report to the respective state Legislatures that the first important step should be the passage of acts "constituting a permanent Interstate Palisades Park Commission with power to acquire and hold for each state whatever territory was necessary along the Palisades for an interstate park and thereby preserve the scenery of the Palisades — the intention being to form a continuous park along the entire front of the Palisades from Fort Lee, N. J., to Pier- mont, N. Y." Five members were to be appointed from each state. Legislation to this end was passed by the New York Legis- lature and approved by Governor Roosevelt March £2nd, 1900. A bill of similar purport was introduced in the New Jersey Legislature. It met with hostility. Within and without the Legislature influences were set in motion to kill the measure. Powerful opposition was exerted by the quarrying interests. A 42 The Palisades of the Hudson This Chaiming Footpath Runs Practically the Whole Length of the Palisades Interstate Park. portion of the press gave evidence of being subsidized. Legis- lators themselves worked for its defeat. The friends of the proposed enactment maintained an unremitting fight, however, and finally by dint of tremendous effort and by yielding to un- important compromise in certain points, they carried the day. The bill was passed and approved by Governor Foster M. Voorhees. Thus was created the present Interstate Park Commission which has solved one by one the problems of saving the Palisades from destruction and converting them into a great pleasure ground of priceless value and transcending natural beauty. New Jersey's commissioners as appointed by Governor Voorhees 'vere : Abram S. Hewitt, Edwin A. Stevens, Franklin W. Hop- kins, William A. Linn and Abram De Ronde. New York's ap- pointees were: George W. Perkins, J. DuPratt White, Ralph Trautmann, D. McNeely StaufFer and Nathan F. Barrett. The wise judgment shown in these appointments has been demonstrated, not only by the efficiency of the members, but also by the notable fact that their personnel has remained unchanged for upwards of a decade except that the death of two commis- sioners, Abram S. Hewitt and Ralph Trautmann have given place to William B. Dana and William H. Porter. The Palisades of the Hudson 43 Palisades Interstate Park Patrol Boat. WORK OF INTERSTATE PARK COMMISSION HEN the Commission of the Palisades Interstate Park began its labors it had on hand appropria- tions of $5,000 from New Jersey and $10,000 from New York. A complete and systematic sur- vey of the territory under jurisdiction was at once L ■ . instituted as a foundation for their future work. New Jersey's entire appropriation was devoted to this undertaking. In the New Jersey frontage there were 147 parcels held by 112 different owners. The survey was attended by unusual difficulties. Nothing better illustrates the wilder- ness character of this region than the difficulty which was ex- perienced in determining some of the property lines and the ownership of certain areas. There was much confusion in boundary lines and in some instances no transfer of titles had been made for generations. It was a work requiring a vast amount of patient investigation. In one instance, that of a parcel of an acre in size, it was necessary to send a deed convey- ing an undivided 1/240 interest twice to the state of Washing- ton before the document was properly executed. Once the commission's survey had been completed the vital work of preservation was taken up. At intervals along the Palisades quarrymen were cleaving huge masses from the cliffs. Probably the worst offender was a concern that was tearing an enormous gash in the rocks near Fort Lee Bluff. According to a statement published at that time 12,000 cubic yards of the Palisades were being blasted away each day at this quarry alone. To stop this and other blasting was the commission's task. It succeeded in securing an option on the property of this leading offender. The price asked for the property was $132,500, and 44 The Palisades of the Hudson $10,000 was required to secure the option. The commissioners still had New York's $10,000 appropriation, and they decided to use it in securing this option. The amount was paid in De- cember, 1900, and on Christmas Eve of that year blasting was stopped at this quarry — a memorable event in the history of Palisades preservation. The problem of raising the balance of $122,500 necessary to secure ownership of the property was then faced. The pros- pect was not encouraging. Further state aid was out of the question for the time being. Public contributions formed the only other alternative. The commission set about this laborious process of rais- ing the money. The commission's president, Mr. George W. Perkins, Mr. J. Plerpont Morgan's business partner, was one of the most ener- getic workers for funds. Mr. Per- kins presented the needs of the com- mission to Mr. Morgan and Mr. Mor- gan responded by contributing the entire amount needed, $122,500, thus enabling the commission to close title with the quarry men. Other public men have contributed both money and property. Mr. Cleveland H. Dodge has given the commission 12 acres, while Mr. George W. Perkins only recently has donated $12,000 towards the purchase of the remaining properties. No tablet has been placed upon the Palisades recording Mr. Morgan's magnificent gift, bestowed at the most critical of all periods in Palisades preservation, or commemorating gifts which have been made by others, of both land and money, but Mr. Morgan and the other men who have come to the aid of this vast scenic enterprise could crave no grander monument to their munificence than the great cliffs, that will tower above the river unmarred, for generations after the lives of these donors are but distant memories. A Bit of Shore Line. COMMISSION IN FULL CONTROL. From this auspicious beginning the commission progressed steadily, securing quarry after quarry, until all were in its con- The Palisades of the Hudson 45 trol. State aid became more generous. In 1901 New Jersey appropriated $50,000 for the purchase of land and New York $400,000. By the end of 1903 at least 50% of the land had been acquired. The following table shows at a glance the yearly progress made by the commission in purchasing Paliss J. I UIlLd^c: . Feet Cost of Land Year Frontage Acres and Improvements 1901 11,832 122 $178,210.62 1902 10,214 131 63,750.98 1903 10,377 72 38,352.90 1904. 9,500 112 46,489.80 1905 4,605 58 43,530.33 1906 2,010 25 41,250.00 1907 343 2(homesteads) 17,500.00 1908 1,740 29 4,047.30 1909 acquisition practically completed. The total cost of land, riparian rights and improvements up to June, 1909, has been $543,000. It is doubtful whether any public work has been ever conducted with more economy and efficiency. With its personnel representing men of large interests having exacting demands upon their time the members of the commission have devoted their energies to its business for a period of eight years. They have served without financial recompense. It is a fact notable in the annals of public service that the commission's actual running expenses during these eight years have not exceeded 3 per cent, of the total amount ex- pended in its undertakings. The territory under its jurisdic- tion, the probable cost of which had been freely estimated as high as $2,000,000, has heen secured for about one-quarter of this amount. In fixing land values the commission divided the area into three sections. The first section, nearest New York City, was placed at $500 per acre; the second at $350 per acre and the third, farthest north, at $200 per acre. The commission ad- hered to these prices in buying the land and virtually the whole jurisdiction was acquired under this schedule of prices. A POLICY OF CONCILIATION. The commission's policy has been one of tact and concilia- tion. It has gone about its work quietly and skilfully. It has avoided disputes and made friends of enemies. Its power of Photograph by John P. Fritta> Where Cliffs Struggle Upward to Meet the Sky. The Great City Is Outlined in the Distance on the Opposite Shore. The Palisades of the Hudson 47 condemnation has been invoked in only a few instances. It has devoted nearly a decade to overcoming the innumerable diffi- culties connected with securing the property, but it has made sure and solid progress each year. The commission's work has been conducted so quietly, the contributions of its members and friends made so unostenta- tiously that the general public has had no idea of the magni- tude of its achievements. It is well, however, that the people of not only New Jersey and New York, but of the whole nation, should realize and appreciate the accomplishment of these earnest, self-sacrificing men. "Had these cliffs," said the Evening Post, "been left in the possession of private owners to be torn to pieces by blasts, divested of their covering of trees and lined by smoke-belching factories, this 'priceless possession' — the natural enhancement of our grandest river — would at no very distant period have been transformed into ragged stone heaps, offensive to the eye, with a value governed solely by the cubic foot price of trap rock." With preservation insured and the property under its control the commission will now concen- trate its energies upon the care and development of facilities for making it more accessible. A 700-ACRE NATURAL PARK. The Palisades Interstate Park thus formed is one of the world's most remarkable territories set aside for natural preser- vation and public enjoyment. With its southern portion op- posite New York City it has fourteen miles of rocky shore A Typical Camp Colony Along the Palisades. 48 The Palisades of the Hudson frontage and fourteen miles of towering crags and cliff -topped woodland. The park begins at Fort Lee Bluff and extends northward along the Hudson River to Piermont Creek. It in- cludes the water rights, shore and face to the crest of the Palisades. Eleven and two hundredths miles, or 58,185 feet are in New Jersey ; two and eighty-four hundredths miles, or 14,995 feet are in New York. Seven hundred acres are in- cluded within its area. No long or tiresome journey is neces- sary to reach this matchless recreation region. No admission fees are exacted. All classes are welcome and the wealthy and the humble are represented among its visitors. In commemoration of the work for Palisades preservation accomplished by the Federation of Women's Clubs, of New Jer- sey, the commission has set aside a reservation upon a command- ing bluff upon which a suitable monument will be erected with funds contributed by their friends. Until a short time ago it was well-nigh impossible for a pedestrian to walk along the entire shore line of Palisades owing to the great masses of rocks here and there, and also because of the precipit- ous formations of the cliffs themselves, especially along the northern stretches. The commission has now completed a picturesque and continuous pathway along the shore. This path descends and scales the many gulches which notch the river bank. It twists be- tween huge boulders and skirts preci- pices. It penetrates the shadows of the virgin forest and traverses the beach. Its diversity and wildness will reward the nature lover who enjoys a long and vigorous walk. THE MECCA OF CAMPERS. One of Several Public Springs in tlie Palisades Interstate Park. The love of out-door life and the appreciation of nature which are de- veloping so rapidly into national traits have caused thousands of city dwellers, residents of both states, to seek the wilderness and beauty of the Palisades shore for camping purposes. Dur- ing the summer months little villages of tents dot the river's edge. The popularity of the Palisades as a camping resort is The Palisades of the Hudson 49 Numercus Canoe Clubs Make Their Outing Headquarters in the Interstate Park. shown by the rapid increase in the number of permits sought. Twenty-five were granted the first year, 221 the second year and 395 the third year. Nearly 4,000 campers availed themselves of the advantages of the park last year, over Saturdays, Sun- days and holidays. The Palisades Park section is admirably situated for use as a military camping ground. The commission has recently granted permission to one company of the Seventy-first Regi- ment, N. G. N. Y. to erect its tents for a summer instruction camp. This illustrates but one of the many public uses to which the park area is being adapted. The commission has entire jurisdiction over the park lands. Since 1905 it has maintained a corps of marshals and a police patrol boat during the summer months. All campers are required to secure permits from the com- mission and the government of the tent colonies is placed to a certain extent directly in the hands of the campers themselves under an ingenious and successful code of regulations. It is a notable fact that it has not been necessary to make a single arrest among any of these campers. > The commission guards carefully from contamination the many springs whose waters gush from the rocks, an illustration of this watchfulness being shown in the accompanying pictures. 50 The Palisades of the Hudson PERSONNEL, OF THE COMMISSION. The present personnel of the Commission of the Palisades Interstate Park of New York are: George W. Perkins, Presi- dent, Riverdale, New York City ; Franklin W. Hopkins, Vice- President, Alpine, N. J. ; J. Du Pratt White, Secretary, Nyack, N. Y. ; D. McNeely StaufFer, Treasurer, Yonkers, N. Y. ; Edwin A. Stevens, Hoboken, N. J. ; Nathan F. Barrett, New Rochelle, N. Y. ; William A. Linn, Hackensack, N. J. ; Abram De Ronde, Englewood, N. J. ; William B. Dana, Englewood Cliffs, N. J. ; William H. Porter, New York City. The New Jersey commission is composed of the same ten members, and the officers of that commission are: Edwin A. Stevens, President ; D. McNeely StaufFer, Vice-President ; J. Du Pratt White, Secretary, and Abram De Ronde, Treasurer. The commission maintains an office at No. 31 Nassau Street, Borough of Manhattan, New York City, in charge of its Assistant Secretary, Leonard Hull Smith, where its maps,- records and reports are open to inspection. As will be seen, the two commissions are composed of the same ten members, five of whom are residents of New York, appointed by the Governor of that state, and five of whom are residents of New Jersey, ap- pointed by the Governor of that state. Each Governor ap- points his resident members and accepts the nominees of the other Governor. This custom of interstate appointment makes possible the scheme and intention of the statutes creating the Interstate Park, to establish one harmonious commission rep- resenting both states. A Wild Fern Field on the Palisades, Near Fort Lee. The Palisades of the Hudson 51 A PRISTINE WILDERNESS LMOST without interruption from Fort Lee BlufF to its northern end at the Piermont Valley, the eastern side, and much of the northern end of the Palisades Interstate Park remains a pristine wilderness. Here within actual sight of the north- ward-pushing city on the opposite island, is a little world of almost virgin nature, many parts of which have never been trodden by the foot of man owing to their inaccessibility. Over the fourteen miles from the old dock at Fort Lee to the northern end of the rocks, there are hardly more than a score of human habitations, not counting the colony of campers whose tents dot the river shore line at frequent in- tervals during the summer months. Of the folk living in the few permanent houses nearly all are a quaint fishing people, and old residents. IN nature's bealm. At each season of the year the Palisades Interstate Park will reward the nature lover with some particular charm. In the dreamy summer's afternoons with the distant headlands fad- ing gradually away in the blue haze, their lights and shadows are seen to greatest perfection. On a crisp winter's morning with every rocky pinnacle sparkling with frosty diamonds under the rays of the eastern sun, the towering cliffs present a spec- tacle of dazzling beauty. As each season brings a new mood, so each time of day changes the atmosphere of the scene. In the early summer's mornings the woods ring with many joyous bird voices and one is reminded of Bryant's lines in "A Scene on the Banks of the Hudson," written by the way, on the shore beneath the Palisades : '"Mid the dark rocks that watch his bed Glitters the mighty Hudson spread Unrippled, save by drops that fall From shrubs that fringe his mountain wall." Twilight settles early under the tall rocks, enshrouding with mystery each glen and rocky retreat. Night, especially if it be a winter's night, with ghostly patches of snow resting 52 The Palisades of the Hudson here and there in the niches of the dark crags, ice floes passing silently upon the tide below, and the only lights those twinkling from the opposite shore, presents a scene of unusual impres- siveness. Verdure, more or less dense, now climbs and clings to the rugged face of the Palisades from the river shore to varying heights toward the crest, in some cases even rising to the crest itself. Forming this vegetation, and in the midst of the state- ly forest that crowns the table-like top of the ridge are many varieties of trees. In May the dogwood and chestnut blossoms dot the delicate emerald leaves with white, in June the tulip trees unfold their snowy flowers, and in au- tumn all the trees join in a symphony of splendor, the red and yellow maples, crim- son sour gums, garnet sweet gums, bronze oaks and orange hickories, stretching in a broad band of color be- tween the blue river and the fleecy clouds. A little north of Englewood Creek is the "evergreen section," i n which spruce and pines pre- dominate. Between the trees that cleave to the battlements, and' the flinty rocks them- selves, nature is encouraging a grim battle. The preci- pice stands unrelenting, re- peUing, defying, the trees rise, grasping, pushing, twisting and thrusting their tenuous roots into every crevice and ledge, ever mounting higher and higher toward the top, the gnarled oaks, sturdiest foemen of them all, gripping a foothold on the dizziest of the heights, and leading all the others upon the attack. So from year to year the warriors press upward covering more and more of the gray rocks with their ranks. Growing among the rocks and trees are many varieties of wild flowers. Among the first of the spring blossoms are those The Falls, Green's Brook, Near Alpine. The Palisades of the Hudson 53 of the dainty wild violets, while later come the bluebells, wake- robins and the dandelions. With summer the Virginia creeper begins to twine lovingly about the tree trunks, the creeping wintergreen hides many boulders, the mountain laurel reaches maturity, mint perfumes the air, pitcher plants, primroses and "bright-eyed and bold" buttercups put on their gay attire. When the crisp October breezes rustle through the leaves the prim jacks in the pulpit put on their coats, the fringed gen- tians make a, brave showing and the golden rod raises his "myriad glimmering plumes." This wild vegetation is tenanted with throngs of birds at all seasons. Now and then a bald eagle or a fish hawk, can be seen soaring gracefully over the highest cliffs. At night the wild call of the hoot owl is often heard upon some lofty bough. The voices of the bob-whites, bluebirds, blue jays, wrens and woodpeckers are familiar among the trees. These are all among the permanent residents but there are numerous migrants who are drawn to the loveliness of the park's retreats. In No- vember come the white-winged gulls from the lower harbor, to remain until the warm spring sun tempts them seaward again. Among the other winter visitors are the ruby-crowned knight, the winter wren, the horning gull and the crow. Summer's charms entice hither the wood thrush, scarlet tanager, Balti- more oriole, hermit thrush and indigo bird, the mocking bird, yellow warbler, purple martin, sandpiper and other wanderers grave and gay. The ridge is the home of many foxes, their depredations upon hen roosts having caused the borough of Englewood Cliffs to offer a standing reward for their capture. Among the most delightful attractions of the Palisades Interstate Park are the crystal streams that bubble from the flinty rocks, and the little cascades that here and there tumble down mossy ravines. One of the most beautiful of these streams is that known as Green's Brook, which falls over successive rocky terraces under the dense foliage just below Alpine, en- tirely hidden from the river so long as the leaves are on the trees. The Palisades cf the Hudson 55 THE HENRY HUDSON DRIVE HE great development of the park lands towards which the commissioners of the Palisades Inter- state Park are now working is the construction of a driveway along the park's rock-hewn shore. Complete surveys for this road were made in 1903 by Charles W. Leavitt, Jr., the eminent landscape engineer. Senator Edmund W. Wakelee, always a consistent friend and worker in the cause of the preservation of the Palisades, introduced a bill in the New Jersey Legisla- ture in February, 1909, empowering the commission to con- struct a driveway. Senator Howard R. Bayne introduced a similar bill in the New York Legislature. The New Jersey bill passed but without an appropriation, thus merely declaring the state's policy in favor of a driveway. The New York bill did not pass. While the result of this year's legislation is disap- pointing, yet the friends of this plan to develop the park by constructing a magnificent interstate driveway, are confident that it is only a question of time be- fore the states will realize the possi- bilities and needs of such a drive and appropriate the necessary funds to that end. For most of its distance the pro- posed drive will be cut and filled from the Palisades rock itself. It will curve gracefully around the head- lands and by easy grades it will dip or rise in order to avoid the mon- otony of conformity to the water level. At one point it will tunnel through solid rock two hundred feet above the river. When it reaches a point just south of Sneden's Land- ing the drive will rise easily and sweep westward through a depres- A Glimpse of Military Camp Life at Interstate Park. 56 The Palisades of the Hudson sion at that point, connecting with the highway leading north- ward to the magnificent State Road through the highlands. The plans provide for a boulevard similar in construction to the world-famous roads traversing the Swiss Alps and equaling any other in picturesque location and beauty of view. Except for this magnificent driveway, and necessary water and land connections the commissioners will rigidly exclude arti- ficialism from the park. Its wild growths, its picturesque beauty will not be interfered with. The commissioners belong to the school of Walpole and Kent. They believe that the un- derlying principle of landscape art in the Park shall be a faith- ful preservation of nature's handiwork exhibited in such mar- velous diversity throughout the Palisades ridge. HOW TO REACH THE PALISADES INTERSTATE PARK The Palisades Interstate Park may be reached by several approaches. From New York City access may be had by the ferries of the West Shore Railroad from the foot of Franklin or West Forty-second streets to Weehawken, New Jersey, there connecting with direct trolley to Coytesville, a few moment's walk from the crest of the Palisades. A more attractive route, however, is provided by the West 130th Street Ferry (reached by Subway to Manhattan Street or upper Broadway surface cars and 125th Street crosstown cars) to Edgewater, New Jer- sey, thence by trolley to Main Street, Fort Lee, a short distance from the cliffs, or by foot from the Edgewater ferry house northward along the River Road, one and one-quarter miles, to the Park's southern boundary, thence by path the entire length of the reservation. From the foot of Dyckman Street (Subway to Dyckman Street Station), a motor-boat ferry is operated during the summer months to the old Englewood pier. From Yonkers a steam ferry yacht plies to Alpine and from Dobbs Ferry a motor-boat ferry runs across the river to Sneden's Landing. From New Jersey the Park may be reached by sev- eral roads leading up the western slope, also by the wagon road traversing the backbone of the ridge. The Palisades of the Hudson Jieproduced from an Old Print, Now in Possession of the Palisades Interstate Park Com- mission, After a Painting by W. G. Wall. THE PALISADOES The folIowiofiT quaint detcription accompanies the picture reproduced above : The Palisadoes consist of a line of rugged and perpendicular bluffs, which at a few miles distance from the city of New York, margin for a considerable distance and over- look the bed of the Hudson river. To the eye of the traveller, rising in savage grandeur, And stretching their tree-crowned summits far as the vision can compass, these rocks are too prominent a feature in the scenery of the Hudson to be overlooked. The shore, throughout the whole extent of these bluffs, is abrupt, and the water sufficiently deep to allow vessels, even of considerable burthen, to approach within a short distance; and, when sailing close along the shore, the view of these steep and peculiar acclivities is peculiarly grand and imposing. Into every crevice of the rocks vegetation has insinuated itself, and wreaths of verdure seem to hang from every jutting point and projecting ledge. Oak, hickory, chestnut, butternut, and maple, are to be found among the trees which adorn the summit of the Palisadoes, and grow to a magnitude which would scarcely be credited by those who have no other opportunity of viewing them, except from the deck of a vessel. Considerable quantities of wood are annually cut from this abundant source, and being plunged down the precipice, are easily thrown into the vessels which lie close under the shore, and conveyed to a ready and profitable market. The height of these bluffs is various, rising from 400 to 800 feet, exhibiting, in every interval of verdure, steep and solid masses of stupendous stone, and presenting here and there deep cavities, where the eagle builds his nest among the cliffs, secure from the reach of human enmity. From the quarries at the foot of these rocks, inexhaustible sup- plies of stone are transported to the city; and the scanty cottages and other buildings which are scattered along the shore, present a singular contrast to the stupendous edifices of nature, which overtop them, and seem to threaten them with continual destruction. Ranging along the west bank of the Hudson, this singular line of precipice forms a striking contrast with the gradual, fertile, and cultivated scenery of the opposite shore. On the eastern margin of the river, the eye is gratified by the appearance of villas and seats, laid out with taste, and lifting themselves to the view, amidst a verdant and culti- vated landscape; while on the west, the interval between the bluffs and the river is so narrow as scarcely in any instance to admit of tillage, except indeed where the industry of the cottager has succeeded in extorting from the reluctant soil some pittance toward the -SUDpIv of his daily wants. . .. . , . . » . The bold and rocky middlcground of the picture is peculiarly characteristic of the ..scene, and the thinness and liquid transparency of the water along the shore are Jnimitable. 58 The Palisades of the Hudson ®I|^ faltsaJi^Bi — An Apjrrwtattcn By Vas- Deahing Perrine, "The Painter of the Palisades." In the minds of the unimaginative the Palisades will always suffer by comparison. They are of not nearly so great a height or bulk, neither are they composed of so great a variety of forms, as any number of places familiar to the tourist of today. Yet they have a character all their own — too subtle to be grasped by the idle beholder of an hour. Their beauty must be lived with before one may be elevated into a response to their loftiest spell. And then what a playground they really become for the imagination, and with what solemn fitness they frame the stars! One may sit at night and watch the lights come out on the opposite shore, a tiny thread of gems. Plucking a leaf and holding its stem at arm's length would blot from the eye a point where exists a greater human activity than anywhere else upon our planet today. Yet what a mere moment has been the ex- istence of this new world metropolis when compared with these time-scarred rocks. For countless ages storms have spent their fury cutting and grinding hieroglyphics there. But even as we contemplate their age our minds are drawn beyond their blackened rim to where bygone abysmal fires, on another night, dimly o'erflecked a duskier sky. Beyond that mask of smoky filament what suns unknown to us are lost! We look again at the ledge and wonder that we should ever have thought it great or old. Others perhaps will come and will gaze upon these self -same rocks and stars, and though like our- selves they should never have an answer for humanity, may not the questioners have contributed richly, by the widening of their own sense, to the Mystery? erATF/v /si.4,vi? Altitude and Location Map of the Palisades Region from Bergen Point to Piermont ,^_sga«r>r.'^''''^'**^?^^|a_ BBAWN BV F.THOWS N.V.CITV . Altitude and Location Map of the Palisades Region from Bergen Point to Piermont