Putnam County History
You Are Here:
Putnam farms were “bread basket” for New York City
Most of the area comprising Putnam County was purchased from the Wappinger Indians by two Dutch speculators in 1691 for a “competent” sum of money. Six years later they sold it to Adolph Philipse, the son of an extremely wealthy merchant, and the land became known as Philipse Patent.
Until 1812, the area now known as Putnam County was part of Dutchess County. The land was occupied by the Dutch and English farmers. On June12th of that year the New York State Legislature separated what was as the Philipse Patent and the Southeast Precinct, from Dutchess County and erected it as Putnam County.
At this time, the 235 square miles of the present Putnam County were largely put to agrarian uses and were recognized as the principal “bread basket” supplying dairy products, meat and other foodstuffs to New York City and its environs.
Putnam County was named for Israel Putnam, it was General Putnam who shouted the famous warning, “Don’t shoot till you see the whites of their eyes.” at Breed’s Hill in 1775.
Putnam County’s first means of travel was the Hudson River, the only navigable waterway in the area. Unfortunately for river travel and trade, the Hudson used to freeze over every winter, and river traffic stopped until the spring thaws.
Early Dutch and English settlers in the Highland Patent took advantage of the Native Americans’ traditional trails, which usually paralleled streams, for their horse-and-wagon travel. The Albany Post Road, begun in 1703 and completed in 1785, was the first “improved” road in the county, built for mail delivery, commerce and the stagecoach between Albany and New York City. This road is a national landmark today.
In 1849, Hudson Railroad’s tracks reached Cold Spring. Running along the east bank of the Hudson from New York City to Rensselaer, the Hudson line permitted year round transportation, even when river traffic was closed by ice. By mid-century, two major railroads were serving Putnam County. Towns that were served by the railroads thrived while those were not declined and lost population. The once thriving iron mining industry of Hudson Highlands collapsed because no railroad reached the mines. Today the Hudson and Harlem lines are part of the Metro-North and serve commuting population north of New York City.
The West Point Foundry in Cold Spring produced nearly a fourth of the heavy armaments and projectiles used by the North. Its importance to the Union was recognized by Abraham Lincoln’s inspection of the Foundry in 1862. The huge demand for iron brought the Putnam Valley mines back to life. Gail Borden’s condensed milk provided a safe product for the army and a consistent market for dairy farmers. Declining sheep farming received a boost by a renewed demand for woolen clothing when southern cotton was not available. The produce of Putnam’s farms and the products of its mills were all required by the military and civilian population and could be shipped on Putnam’s two railroad lines.
In the 1880’s the Putnam Division of the Harlem Railroad was built, greatly enhancing the business of the area. The Putnam Division also provided local transportation between Danbury and Putnam, and into Westchester County, serving the needs of rural communities.
Believing that good roads were the key to a prosperous future, Putnam County’s leaders embarked on an ambitious programs in the early 1930’s. Dirt roads throughout our county were transformed into hard surface all-weather roads more capable of handling automobile traffic.
After World War II, it became evident that a faster, more direct means of delivering cargo to its final destination was necessary. The need was answered by the trucking industry and the creation of modern efficient interstate highways. The impact of the interstate highways has resulted in Putnam County being a conduit in the flow of traffic between New England, the Northeast and the Midwest.
Putnam County is steeped in history and blessed with a beautiful landscape: good safe roads allow visitors to enjoy our county’s natural and cultural assets.