Voices of the Hudson
The audio clips featured below give a voice to the history, culture, and natural beauty of the Hudson Valley. The stories provide a sampling of what it’s was like to live and work in the Hudson Valley over many different eras, including the present.
All 37 of these stories are part of the Hudson Train Tour app. Part travel guide, part audio tour, the app not only identifies these waterside wonders-it helps you plan visits to the historic, natural, and cultural attractions located near Hudson Valley train stations between New York City and Albany.
These clips are organized by the Themes of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
New Content!
The following 8 audio clips were released on May 29, 2024! These new clips cover the American Revolutionary Period, including stories about enslaved peoples, indigenous tribes, food of the period, British loyalists, and more!
The Battle of Stony Point (Released May 29, 2024)
It’s 1779, the fourth year of the war. The conflict is at a stalemate. Stony Point Fort sits at a narrow stretch of the river, the site of the King’s ferry, a major crossing point used to move troops and supplies across the Hudson River. It’s also the first line of defense for the fort at West Point, making it a very strategic target for the British. Listen to hear about the Battle of Stony Point.
The Burning of Kingston (Released May 29, 2024)
It’s 1777, the British hold New York City and their strategy is to take possession of the Hudson Valley and isolate the rebel colonies with the hope of quickly squelching the revolution. British General John Vaughn leads a fleet up the Hudson River to meet other Royal forces at Albany, with a detour in Kingston, now the capitol of the new State of New York and a testing ground for the young revolutionary government. It’s also a hotbed of rebels.
Feeding a Revolution (Released May 29, 2024)
The Revolutionary War lasted over seven years, with more than a third of the battles fought in New York State. As the fighting continued, it impacted the availability of food. At the time, New York produced so much wheat it was considered the breadbasket of Colonial America. Listen to learn about how the American's fed their new army and what people ate during the period.
Freedom Seekers of Schuyler Mansion (Released May 29, 2024)
Many people are often surprised to discover just how prevalent slavery was in New York. Roughly one in five households in Albany included at least one or more enslaved people. The Schuyler's were one of the largest slave holding families in the area in this period and there is evidence that they enslaved roughly 8 to 14 people here in any given year. Listen to hear about some of those people who resided at Schuyler Mansion.
Loyalists of Boscobel (Released May 29, 2024)
For seven years during the American Revolution, loyalists and rebels opposed each other. Even family members were on different sides. Now these same people had to build a new nation together. So how does a community torn apart by different allegiances work together? Learn about States Dyckman, the son of a tavern owner and a British loyalist who built one of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful homes after the war.
Mount Gulian (Released May 29, 2024)
There are more than 1,400 Hudson River Valley treasures on the National Register of Historic Places, From stately mansions of well known figures to modest homes of everyday folk. And each one is filled with their unique stories. One is Mount Gulian in Beacon, New York and is the historic home of the Verplank family. Learn about this small site with a lot of history.
The Munsee People During the Revolution (Released May 29, 2024)
In 1609 when Henry Hudson sailed up the river we now call the Hudson, over 15,000 indigenous Munsee lived on this land. By the time of the Revolutionary War in 1776, that number had been reduced to 1,500. Thousand died or were forced to move due to smallpox epidemics, warfare, and disbursement. Listen to learn about David Nimham, a leader of the Wappinger people, a subgroup of the Munsee, and their activities during the war.
Supply Routes of the Revolution (Released May 29, 2024)
When the Revolutionary War began, General George Washington understood that winning the battle for American Independence would depend on training an amateur army to fight a highly trained British force. He also knew that keeping his troops fed, clothed and armed would be his other great challenge. Food and supplies were available. The problem was how to get them to an army that was constantly on the move.
Corridor of Commerce
Bannerman's Castle
Just north of Cold Spring, is a site that piques everyone's curiosity – a medieval looking castle sitting on an island in the middle of the Hudson River. It’s not a castle made for a king. This Hudson River chateau was built by a teetotaling Presbyterian Scottish immigrant, Francis Bannerman, who used the island for a rather interesting purpose at the turn of the 20th century. Listen to learn what that use was.
Brickmaking in the Hudson Valley
New York City’s skyrocketing need for bricks, the abundance of clay nearby on the shores of the Hudson, and the inexpensive transportation provided by the river were key elements powering the brick industry in the Hudson Valley. Immigrants and African Americans provided a steady stream of men to perform the hard low-paying manual labor. Listen to hear about how a devasting fire in Manhattan led to a booming industry along the Hudson River.
Bridges of the Hudson
Kathryn Burke is the author of Hudson River Bridges and the Director of Historic Bridges of the Hudson Valley. And although she might not have a favorite bridge there is one that she thinks is pretty special. The Bear Mountain Bridge became the first vehicle crossing of the Hudson River south of Albany. So it really fits perfectly with the scenery. And it's a beautiful structure. Listen to learn about the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Commercial Fishing
In 1976, New York State closed the Hudson River fishery for eels, striped bass, and sturgeon. Herring and Blue Crabs are the only fish allowed to be caught commercially on the Hudson River today. John Mylod is one of the only fishermen on the river who still sells their catch. But that was not always the case. Listen to hear about the past, present, and future of commercial fishing on the Hudson River.
Hudson River Pilots
When a foreign vessel enters the mouth of the Hudson River, the captain must move aside and a licensed river pilot takes the wheel. The pilot knows the local traffic and weather conditions. But the pilot doesn’t actually steer the ship. He gives orders to the ships personnel to keep the vessel safe within the narrow river channel. Before GPS pilots had to know the river like the back of their hands. Listen to learn about the world of Hudson River Pilots.
Ice Harvesting
In the days before refrigeration, large chunks of ice were carved from the Hudson River and stored in icehouses until summer when it was needed to keep food cool. In earlier years horse drawn plows used to score the ice for cutting, by the early 1940’s they used gasoline powered equipment to create a grid and the first cuts in the ice. Listen to learn about this bygone era.
Ice Yachts of the Hudson
Most of the year the Hudson is in constant motion with the ebb and flow of tides and waves. Sometimes in mid-winter when temperatures have sunk below freezing for days and weeks, the river is still. A solid sheet of ice shimmering in the sunlight. That's when the iceboats appear. Listen to hear the story of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club and the Vixen, a century old ice boat with an illustrious history.
Pirates on the Hudson
When you think about swashbuckling tales of colorful pirates on the high seas, you probably don’t think about them cruising the waters around Manhattan Island. But in the late 1800’s when notorious gangs roamed the streets of lower Manhattan, some pirates found raiding boats in New York’s harbor quite profitable. Most of them operated on the East River. Except for one – Sadie Farrel, who saw an opportunity waiting on the peaceful Hudson River.
Rondout Lighthouse
The Rondout Lighthouse on the Hudson River near Kingston, NY is one of 7 remaining lighthouses on the Hudson River. You might imagine a lonely lighthouse keeper working day and night to keep the light burning and ships safe. Many lighthouses were called family lights because they would house not only the keeper, but his entire family. And it was not unusual for the lighthouse keeper to be a woman. Listen to learn more about this bygone era.
Sing Sing Prison
Just 25 miles north of Manhattan and along the Hudson River, the train goes right through one of the most famous prisons in America. If you’re on the train and look out the window, you’ll see a long stretch of concrete wall and if you gaze up, the razor wire that surrounds Sing Sing prison. The prison was built in 1825 and was the filming site of many early films. Listen for the history of this famous prison.
Freedom & Dignity
The American Revolution
By 1778 British troops occupied Manhattan and the lower Hudson Valley. Their goal was to control the Hudson River - split the colonies in two and stop supplies coming down the river. George Washington knows he needs to keep the British navy from sailing up the Hudson and knows the best place to do it. Listen to hear the story of West Point and how the Hudson Valley played a pivotal role in the American Revolution.
Clermont and the American Revolution
In her day, Margaret Beekman Livingston was known as a strong and capable woman. But no one really knew how courageous she was until she had to rebuild her family estate - literally - from the ground up. Margaret Beekman was the only heir to Henry Beekman who in the 1700s owned much of Dutchess County and defied British law and left everything to Margaret. Listen to the audio for Margaret’s story.
The Dutch and Enslaved Peoples in the Hudson Valley
Henry Hudson sailed his ship the Half Moon up the Hudson in 1609 looking for a new route to China for the Dutch East India Company. He didn't find it but did find a new land for the Netherlands. Known for their tolerance of ideas and religion, they also brought the first enslaved people to the region. Listen to learn about the Dutch influence and their role in bringing slavery to the Hudson Valley.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt loved the Hudson Valley. For them it was home. A place they could work, entertain friends and dignitaries and meet with locals to learn what was really on people’s minds. After FDR's death in 1945, Eleanor thought she was done with public life, but President Truman had other ideas in mind. Listen to learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt.
FDR in the Hudson Valley
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was our 32nd president and the only president elected to four terms. He led us through the Great Depression and World War II. He brought us the New Deal and Social Security. He grew up in Hyde Park, NY and loved the Hudson Valley. Listen to learn about FDR and his legacy on the nation and the Hudson Valley.
Hamilton and the Schuylers
Alexander Hamilton has become one of our best-known founding fathers – with a little help from Broadway. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury and the mastermind of our financial system. His likeness is on the ten-dollar bill. And of course, there’s that famous duel. If not for his wife, Elizabeth Schulyler-Hamilton, his legacy might have been lost. Listen to learn how Elizabeth preserved Alexander's legacy.
Mahicanituck
Listen to a Native American origin story handed down for generations and presented here by renowned storyteller Jonathan Kruk. At the time of Henry Hudson's voyage up the river in 1609, it is believed that over 17,000 indigenous people lived along the river they called the Mahicanituck, “the river that flows both ways”, due to it being a tidal estuary.
Race and Immigration in Newburgh
If you travel past the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, gaze across the river to the Newburgh skyline. It's a beautiful mix of old and new that can tell a lot about the city's past and future. Europeans who first landed in New York City travelled up the Hudson River Valley to find a new home here. It was a thriving industrial town with a bustling downtown business district. Listen to learn about Newburgh.
The Underground Railroad
On a quiet side street not far from the New York State Capital in Albany there’s a three-story brick building that looks like the other houses on the block except there’s a small gold sign in front. It tells us this house was once the home of abolitionists Stephen and Harriet Myers who welcomed hundreds of people escaping enslavement in the mid 1800’s. Listen to learn about the Underground Railroad in the Hudson Valley.
Nature & Culture
Birds of the Hudson Valley
The Hudson River Valley is home to a diverse population of birds. Many of which live along the shores of the river. Spotting them from the train though, can be tricky, so we’ve asked Kathy Schneider, author of Birding the Hudson Valley, for some pointers. Listen to learn about some of the birds that can be seen in the Hudson River Valley.
Geology of the Catskill Mountains
Imagine that it’s the beginning of the Ice Age. Over the coming centuries, the Hudson Valley Glacier will continue heading south until it reaches Long Island. There it will grind to a halt. It's too warm for that glacier to keep going. So what happened to that 4000-foot thick glacier? Listen to find out and to learn how ancient events still shape the geology, and culture of today's Hudson Valley.
Hudson River Greenway Water Trail
A 256-mile paddler's dream, extending from the bucolic Champlain Canal in northern Saratoga County in the Adirondack Park and northern Washington County at the head of Lake Champlain, to the turbulent white water of the upper Hudson River, and ending up in the majesty of the Hudson River Estuary at Battery Park in Manhattan. Listen to learn about the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail.
John Burroughs and Slabsides
A trail in the town of Esopus takes you through an enchanted forest with an unexpected treat at the end. A small cabin rests in a sunlit clearing. The one room home feels as though the owner just stepped out and will return shortly for a chat and cup of tea. Welcome to Slabsides - the rustic retreat of writer and naturalist John Burroughs. Learn about this magical place from a descendant of its builder.
Mythic Creatures
Right now underneath the murky water of the Hudson River you’ll find bass, flounder, minnows. Even blue crabs and monster-sized eels as big as your leg. But also swimming closer to the bottom, you’ll find a creature that looks like it escaped from Jurassic park. The Atlantic Sturgeon - the 250-pound prehistoric gentle giant of the river.
The Palisades
Just a little south of Tarrytown you’ll get your first glimpse of the immense black wall of jagged rock that skyrockets up from the river’s edge - the Palisades. They're called the Palisades because they have these vertical fractures in them, that reminded early explorers who came up the Hudson of a palisade, a fence or fortification made by tree trunks.
Storm King Mountain
Learn how an image of an iconic mountain overlooking the Hudson River began an 18-year legal battle and ignited a grass roots movement still alive today. The Hudson River once more gave birth once more to a new era in American history. Citizen groups that formed in response to the Storm King case continue today. Listen to hear about Storm King’s integral role in the modern Environmental Movement.
Thomas Cole
Thomas Cole’s work brought to the American public a new appreciation for the vast beauty of our nations wilderness. Laying the groundwork for the conservation movement and the National Park System. Visit the Thomas Cole house and experience the surroundings that inspired this great American Artist. Walk in his path on the Hudson River School Art Trail and see the natural settings he painted.
Underwater Museum
Looking out over the Hudson – do you ever wonder what is in the murky water? Down where the eels swim and giant sturgeon feed - is there evidence of human life too? Scientists from the Columbia University Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory used sonar equipment to explore the bottom of river. What they found was like an underwater museum with over 300 anomalies – things that shouldn’t have been there amongst the fish and plants.
Washington Irving and Sleepy Hollow
Every year around Halloween hundreds of people young and old gather in a tiny church just outside of Tarrytown to hear one of the first American ghost stories. But although we’re very familiar with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, we know less about the man who wrote it. Listen to learn about Washington Irving and his home, Sunnyside.