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Macdonald DeWitt Library at SUNY Ulster

Local History Collection: Local History

Focusing on the history of Ulster County, the collection has a unique variety of primary and secondary resources from earliest times to the present.

Mohonk

Burgess, Larry E. Mohonk, Its People and Spirit : A History of One Hundred Years of Growth and Service. [New Paltz, N.Y.]: Mohonk Mountain House, [1980] SPECIAL COLL. 974.734 B87

Partington, Frederick E. The Story of Mohonk. [3d ed.] [Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Lansing-Broas Print. Co.] [1950]
SPECIAL COLL. 974.734 P27 1950

Smiley, Ruth H. Reflections of Mohonk : An Essay in Color of Mohonk and Surrounding Nature. [New Paltz? N.Y.]: Mohonk Mountain House,
[1984] 974.734 S641r

 

LINKS:

Mohonk Mountain House

Mohonk Preserve

 

Special Collections at Macdonald DeWitt Library

Special Collections at Macdonald DeWitt Library consist primarily of items related to local history.

The Local History Collection was formally established in 1972 in order to offer students and faculty opportunity for historical research as well as to meet the need for local history information in the community.  The collection emphasizes material relating to Ulster County but also includes history of neighboring counties, the Hudson Valley and the Catskills Region and selected materials which treat the general history of the state.  Materials collected include books, maps, postcards, and a large file of pamphlets, articles and newspaper clippings.  Many unique items such as early census surveys, celebration publications, and documents relating to the Ashokan Reservoir, brochures from Lake Minnewaska and the Mohonk Mountain House, as well as unusual books are among the collection.

Special Collections at Macdonald DeWitt Library also has a small number of items related to the history of Ulster County Community College itself.

Click the link below to view several special collections, such as the Herrick Marionettes, a local-based troupe performing in the 50's through the 70's.

The tabs feature samples from our collection.

Ulster County History resources

Clearwater, Alphonso T., The History of Ulster County, New York. Kingston, N.Y., W. J. Van Deusen, [1907]. Special Coll. 974.734 C53

Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894. History of Ulster County, New York: with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, [1880] Special Coll. 974.734 S95

Historians of Ulster County. The History of Ulster County, with emphasis upon the last 100 years, 1883-1983. [Kingston, N.Y.]: Ulster County Historians, [1984] Special Coll. 974.734 H48

         

Explore the history of the local watershed

Steuding, Bob. The Last of the Handmade Dams : The Story of the Ashokan Reservoir. Fleischmanns, N.Y.: Purple Mountain Press, [1985] 628.13 S842

Hall, Edward Hagaman. Water for New York City : A 300 Year History of Water Sources for New York City Culminating in the Construction of the Ashokan Reservoir and the Catskill Aqueduct; edited and with a prologue by Richard Frisbie. Saugerties, NY: Hope Farm Press, [1993] 628.13 H175

New York City's Water Supply: Acid Deposition, Inorganic Pollution, and the Catskill Reservoirs. New York, N.Y.: Environmental Defense Fund, [1986] 363.7394 N532

Galusha, Diane. Liquid Assets : A History of New York City's Water System. Fleischmanns, N.Y.: Purple Mountain Press, [1999] OVERSIZE 363.61 G181 1999

Book an Appointment

Access to the collection is supervised and appointments are encouraged to guarantee access.  Appointments can be made online or by calling the Information Desk at 845-687-5208.

Special Collections Use Policy

The materials in the collection have been gathered in an attempt to preserve the records of the community and to make them available to students, faculty, staff and county residents for historical research.  While not every item in the collection is a rare or valuable one, many are irreplaceable.  The loss or destruction of any item would greatly reduce the research value of the collection as a whole.  Please regard every item as a valuable one and exercise care in using the collection and handling the materials.

  • Access to the collection is supervised and appointments are encouraged to guarantee access.  Selected individuals who have been identified by the librarian responsible for the collection will be permitted walk-in privileges.  All individuals using the collection are expected to sign in upon each visit. 
  • Materials from the collection do not circulate except with special permission. 
  • Photocopying of materials is possible only with permission.  Certain items cannot be photocopied.
  • Reprints and newly published materials relating to local history may also be found in the Library’s General Collection.
  • Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the Director of Library Services.

Contact Information

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Tess Hartman-Cullen
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Contact:
Macdonald DeWitt Library - DEW103
845-687-5216