Skunk Hollow Historical Marker Repair
Palisades is not a Levittown, conceived on a developer’s drawing board. We see that in such aspects as our roads that don’t always take a direct route to where we need to go - many designed for horses rather than SUVs. Our town is blessed with a rich and diverse history that has sculpted a unique and irreplaceable setting. Native Americans who lived for thousands of years in the area watched Henry Hudson sail up the river 167 years before George Washington spent time hiding at a Palisades blockhouse as he led the Revolutionary War.
Unfortunately, much of our history is hidden inside books and websites. When something is significant enough to motivate a group or an individual to make the public aware of the past, the options are limited. One way is to employ a simple sign or marker that condenses a battle, family history or even a catastrophic event into a few sentences that we slow down to read as we travel past it, its brevity unfortunate but necessary to engage us.
A sign memorializing Skunk Hollow, a local African American community established by freed slaves in 1806, was commissioned by the African American Historical Society of Rockland County and erected on 9W near the site, but for the last year it has sat in a culvert next to the road with its concrete base severely damaged. An estimated $500 is needed to repair it. We are all caretakers in preserving our local history. Anybody interested can help by donating to have the sign repaired.
Please visit- www.gofundme. com/skunk-hollow-marker-repair
FOR MORE HISTORY ON SKUNK HOLLOW see the 10964 March 2006 (Issue 192) at our website, www.palisadesny.com