THE IMPORTANCE OF (LOCAL) HISTORY

From Hillsdale’s earliest days, farming was a major occupation, although not an easy one to pursue. The rocky, thin soil and the hilly contours of the land made Hillsdale a less-than-perfect spot to grow crops. In fact, the steep population decline Hillsdale experienced in the latter years of the 19th century and early 20th century was in some part due […]

By Howard Blue

For decades starting in 1934 Carroll Rheinstrom and his wife Irene had a huge farm in Craryville. Actually it wasn’t a farm because most of it was woods. It started with just a dozen acres, but over the decades, thanks partly to Irene’s work as a real estate agent, they expanded it to nearly […]

For over forty years the Roe Jan Historical Society has made its mission to preserve and celebrate the stories and traditions of our local area. After being founded in 1974, the society has successfully kept the community connected with its past through exhibitions featuring historic pieces from the towns of Hillsdale, Copake, Ancram, Taghkanic, and Gallatin. Members of the society […]