Hi, I’m Alex, and “In A Woodbury Minute,” I’ll take you on a brief guided tour of our community here in the Hudson Valley. These five-minute videos cover aspects of history in the town of Woodbury, New York: the gateway to Orange County. Sit back and relax as we tour some local, under-appreciated landmarks.
A subscriber asked how I was able to superimpose myself within a photograph of the Central Valley railroad station. Watch as we go behind the scenes to discuss how I use my green screen as a special effect to make discussions of local history more educational and entertaining in Episode Six: Behind the Scenes with Green Screens. I enjoy reading your comments and feedback, so make sure to like this video and subscribe for more tours of our local history!
When the Erie Railroad entered the town of Woodbury in 1869, it greatly influenced local developments of industry and tourism. Companies such as J. M. Barnes Coal & Feed as well as the Hall Fishing Line plant all did benefit from the railroad’s service while passengers flocked to Woodbury to stay at local hotels and bungalow colonies. The Central Valley passenger and freight stations are the final two remaining railroad structures in Woodbury that reveal this crucial history in Episode Five: Central Valley’s Railroad Station.
Spanning nearly two hundred years, the hamlets of Woodbury Falls, Highland Mills, Central Valley, and Twin Lakes (also known as Baileytown which is now part of Harriman State Park) all have a long, interesting, and at times, confusing history. Each had its own one-room schoolhouses that would either grow or later merge with other hamlets. Learn how it all began in this Episode Four: Our Public Schools.
In Episode Three of “In A Woodbury Minute,” I explore some remnants of our disappearing history. These are only two of a growing list of relics that have been lost to time and their historical impacts, both locally and regionally, are astounding.
In Episode Two of “In A Woodbury Minute,” I share a little-known fact about a very special resident who at one time had more patents than Thomas Edison, and if you ever held an electric circular saw or read under a fluorescent light, you already know about his work.
Episode One of “In a Woodbury Minute” shows you the Rushmore Memorial Library, donated by the very same Rushmore whose iconic name conjures the image of the four presidents carved in stone. The Rushmore family had their home in Woodbury in the hamlet of Highland Mills. Today, the library serves as the home for the Woodbury Historical Society.
Hello. I'm Alex. 