A Few Short History Stories About Nyack

Garrett Snediker operated his vineyards at the foot of Hook Mountain and was selling locally in the July 21, 1860 issue of the Nyack Evening Journal. His vineyards reportedly reached from the river to the mountain top. To the south
lay the vineyards of Mr. Gruenenthal and further south the vineyards of Issac
Voorhis who had 2,000 vines. George Green also operated vineyards in the same era. 

From 1901 through 1917 my great grandfather William Hegner offered billiards and pool along with spiritual libations at Hegner’s Café at 87 Main Street. He also owned the Nyack Hotel in the rear at 80 Burd Street, and featured a Christmas Dinner in 1907 for $1.50 with all pies, pastries and cooking done on the premises. Also in 1907 he ordered 8,500 special homemade cigars for his business from the Moss and Murphy Cigar Company at 131 Main Street in the village. The cigar company employed four men who could turn out a thousand hand-rolled cigars a day. Moss and Murphy manufactured Golden Rod, Bijou, M&M and the Crème de la Crème brand of cigars. 

Dog Racing was halted at the Bernard Sports complex in Central Nyack on September 14, 1936 after New York State would not issue a license for wagering.

“Jake the fender bender” would sit on the curb outside of the Broadway Theater in the 1920’s and for a few bucks he would bang out the dents in your fliver while you and enjoyed the movie. 

The first night football game in Rockland County was held at Nyack  High School’s field on the evening of October 26, 1944. The light towers and lights were moved from “Doc” Bernard’s Stadium in Central Nyack. The field would later be named
McCallman Field after the school districts superintendent who arranged for the
new lights.

The “Junior Order of United American Mechanics” held their state convention at the Valley View Hall in Nyack in September of 1945. They were welcomed by Mayor Sal. J. Ciacimino at their dinner in the St. George Hotel. (Now if we could only find out where the Valley View was in town)

Robert Hagman was captured trying to use one of Helen Hayes credit cards after he robbed the star’s home on North Broadway. Pretty Penny was robbed of more that $20,000 in January of 1972 while Mrs. McArthur vacationed in Mexico with her son James.

The Nyack Boys School on North Broadway in Upper Nyack closed on February 1, 1972 for lack of financing. There were only 55 students enrolled at the time The school was founded in 1934 by Jack Karkas on the 50 acres of the former J. DuPratt White estate.

Kilby Street is a short road that runs between Rte 59 up to Upper Depew  Avenue.  It was slightly refigured during the construction of the thruway and before the work it was called by the name, “Froze-to-death-road.”   But I have no idea why?

The Village of Nyack flooded the tennis courts in Memorial park in the winter of 1968 to form an ice skating rink. For summer fun, two portable swimming pools, borrowed from Rockland Community College were placed on the west end of the Liberty Street School playground in June of 1969.

Sonny Oliver’s “Serenades” were the featured band at the USO club on North Broadway on October 1, 1945. 

The Rockland County census of 1770 showed that there were 662 slaves in the county.  One of those slaves from a farm in the Nyack area was freed, and Thomas Jackson went into business delivering ice and coal to the few homes in Nyack.  

Many freed slaves from the south came to the Nyack area after the Civil War to work in the shoe factories and ship building yards. They also found employment in the many hotels along the river. St. Phillips was the first African-American church in Nyack founded in 1856.

In one of the first civil rights cases in Rockland County, local African-Americans won the right to sit wherever they pleased at the Broadway Theater in 1915.

David Pye from West Nyack was a leading patriot during the Revolutionary War. His land was used as a headquarters for troops while he assisted the Continental Army with surveying for maps. In 1798, Pye became the first country clerk of the newly formed Rockland County. His Grandson Edward Pye, a mayor in the Village of Warren (Later Haverstraw), commanded the 95th New York Volunteer Regiment
in the Civil War and was killed at the battle of Cold Spring in 1864. The Pye
family plot in Oak Hill Cemetery overlooks the old entrance off of upper High
Avenue.