Minisink Ford, New York
Encyclopedia
Minisink Ford is a hamlet on the Delaware River
fifteen miles northwest of Port Jervis
. It is in the town of Highland, Sullivan County, New York
, in the United States
.
. In 1800, the Town of Minisink
was given its present boundaries, thirty miles southwest of Minisink Ford.
During the American Revolution
in 1779 Minisink Ford was the site of the Battle of Minisink
in which 40–50 settlers were killed in an engagement with a band of Indians and Loyalists
under English Colonel Joseph Brant
.
In 1827, the Delaware and Hudson Canal
began operating between Honesdale, Pennsylvania
and Kingston, New York
. In its time, the canal company was the largest private commercial enterprise in the nation. Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct
was constructed in 1848 as part of the canal, between Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania and Minisink Ford. It was designed by and built under the supervision of John A. Roebling
, who would design the Brooklyn Bridge
twenty years later. Portions of the Canal, including the Delaware Aqueduct, were designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1968. The aqueduct has been restored and is now preserved by the National Park Service
.
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
fifteen miles northwest of Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
. It is in the town of Highland, Sullivan County, New York
Highland, Sullivan County, New York
Highland is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 2,404 at the 2000 census. The town's name notes its location on elevated ground north of the Delaware River. The town is in the southwest part of the county.- History :...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
"Minisink" once referred to a vast area stretching all the way from Minisink Ford to the Delaware Water GapDelaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...
. In 1800, the Town of Minisink
Minisink, New York
Minisink is a town located in southwest Orange County, New York northeast of the New Jersey border between the Town of Greenville and the Town of Warwick...
was given its present boundaries, thirty miles southwest of Minisink Ford.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in 1779 Minisink Ford was the site of the Battle of Minisink
Battle of Minisink
The Battle of Minisink was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought at Minisink Ford, New York, on July 22, 1779. It was the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley...
in which 40–50 settlers were killed in an engagement with a band of Indians and Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
under English Colonel Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
.
In 1827, the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
began operating between Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....
and Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
. In its time, the canal company was the largest private commercial enterprise in the nation. Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct
Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct
-External links:...
was constructed in 1848 as part of the canal, between Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania and Minisink Ford. It was designed by and built under the supervision of John A. Roebling
John A. Roebling
John Augustus Roebling was a German-born American civil engineer. He is famous for his wire rope suspension bridge designs, in particular, the design of the Brooklyn Bridge.-Early life:...
, who would design the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
twenty years later. Portions of the Canal, including the Delaware Aqueduct, were designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1968. The aqueduct has been restored and is now preserved by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.