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Lake Huntington - March 30

Eileen Hennessy - Community Correspondent
Posted 3/29/21

I had no clue what to write about for this week's column, so I thought I would do a history lesson, lol I googled it.

The Town of Cochecton is situated on the Delaware River, directly across …

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Lake Huntington - March 30

Posted

I had no clue what to write about for this week's column, so I thought I would do a history lesson, lol I googled it.

The Town of Cochecton is situated on the Delaware River, directly across from Damascus, Pennsylvania, to which a bridge over the river provides access. The Town has four communities located within its boundaries — the village of Cochecton, Cochecton Center, Fosterdale and Lake Huntington. Cochecton was reportedly the home of Tammany, a Native American sage of the Lenape.

In the original charter of 1664, Cochecton marked the border between New York and New Jersey. After a long dispute — the New York-New Jersey Line War — the final border was set further South, near Port Jervis. The town was formed from the Town of Bethel in 1828. The Town of Delaware was formed from part of Cochecton in 1869.

The town once had a station on the Binghamton branch of the Erie Lackawanna Railway, but passenger service on this branch ceased in 1971; the branch has since been taken over by Conrail.

The Leni-Lenape Indians were the first inhabitants. In 1754, Connecticut Yankees established Cushetunk as the first white settlement in the region and contended the west bank of the Delaware belonged to the Colony of Connecticut.

The name “Delaware's” was the name European settlers called the Leni-Lenape Indians. The correct pronunciation of the town's name is “cuh-SHEK-ton,” a local Native American word meaning “low land” (alluding to the town's location in the upper Delaware Valley).

This rich and fertile low land or “flats” were full of fish and game which became important for trade. The Cochecton Erie Railroad Station is at one-story Greek Revival station built around 1850, a the time the railroad pioneers built the first major trunk lines.

The building was located on the property of Cochecton Mills until 1993, when a group of interested residents, hearing the station was about to be demolished, formed the Cochecton Preservation Society for the major purpose of saving the station.

With money from many fundraisers and donations, the group had been able to dismantle the station, move it to another location along the old Erie tracks and rebuild it. It is now a historic site and museum. Cochecton Preservation Society, Inc., 377 New Turnpike Road, Cochecton, NY 12726, (845) 932-8487, donations always welcomed.

Cochecton Youth Commission is really trying to keep the kids busy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow them on Facebook for upcoming events.

2021 tax season. If you are waiting till the last minute to mail in your tax payment, please MAKE SURE that you get your stamp canceled at the post office. If it is postmarked after March 31, I cannot take it. I cannot believe tax season is over. I love being the tax collector. I do miss seeing all of you coming into the office to have a chat.

Have a great week, you can e-mail me at leeniebeans@

citlink.net or call (845) 252-3568. Sorry my answering machine has not been working if you have any news.

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