News

Nyack Brook Revisited

by Joseph Mitlof

Recently a question arose on these pages regarding the history of the Nyack Brook. The issue was whether the brook may have been used as  a geographic marker for African American slaves escaping North along the Underground Railroad.  There was a suggestion that the brook was man made and not available as a marker during the years that the UGRR functioned.

With our library somewhat inaccessible it took a little extra searching to find the following. Two maps were reviewed, one dated 1854 and one 1859. The ‘Dripps’ map and the ‘O’Connor’ map respectively, which are on display at the Rockland County archives center. In both cases the Nyack Brook appears to be shown. The period of the 1850’s was the peak period for the UGRR.

Click on the images to the left to enlarge each map. If closer examination by younger eyes reaches a different conclusion, please let me know.

Joseph Mitlof is founder of the Historic Underground Railroad Society.

You May Also Like

Arts

Our roundup of events this week includes The Dip; GraceMusic’s Ivalas Quartet, the first annual Rockland County polka dance, a night-time cemetery tour, the...

Arts

Our roundup of events this week includes contemporary dance, the return of the Flash Sketch Mob, fairy magic, the last street fair of the...

Arts

This special edition of the Weekly Rec includes rescheduled dates for events postponed by this weekend’s Nor’easter and three new community events.

Exit mobile version