Introduction...Mountaindale NY-Almost Woodstock

If there is one thing to be found here in Mountaindale in abundant quantity, and quality it is history of the most rich and unique kinds. that woven together into a tapestry, tell a most beautiful tale that is uniquely ours here in our tiny hamlet, shared with the larger area that is Sullivan County and the Hudson River Valley. Barb Schmitt has resurrected a blog, "Mountaindale Living History" where residents, former residents, and visitors alike can share and thus preserve a part of that rich heritage/history from so long ago. Even the creation of this new blog of hers is a resurrection of sorts, history repeating itself as an old project once lost is found again, brought back to life using new means of communication available on the internet to once again bring forward a online vehicle for our Living History here in Mountaindale too be told, retold and preserved for future generations while those still alive to remember it can pass it down.

Though I am sure there are more, there seem to be three major parts to our local history and lore here in the Mountaindale area that are deserving of their own blogs, subsets if you will of Barb's "Mountaindale Living History" where people can go into more in-depth sharing about them...these from my perspective would be A) train history, and more specifically our involvements with the O&W Railway, B) Tourism, and more specifically our great ties into the rich history of the Bungalow Colonies (The Borscht Belt [Jewish Alps] was not all resorts.) the slowly decaying skeletons of which can easily be spotted as you are out driving around in your cars, and lastly, albeit brief, that summer of 1970 when Mountaindale almost became (if you will) a second Woodstock, our own concert, our own significant claim to fame halted by order of the court.

Seems everyone I meet has stories about each of these three segments of our history, told from first hand experience, or learned from the stories shared to them from family or close friends who were there (as Walter Chronkite would say). Perhaps because of who I am, my age, and own affinity (and love) for/with the original Woodstock, I find myself drawn to this third subject, have enjoyed searching for those small tangible pieces of hard data that lend truth to the stories shared over a glass of wine while dining with friends. This is not to say I will not launch additional projects for those other detailed histories (did you know Mountaindale had a very strong tie in to the Pullman Palace Car Company?) but rather, Mountaindale's chance at being another Woodstock like community dazzle's most for me, catches my eye and spirit, is the bauble most immediately capturing and demanding my attention.

If you were there in the summer of 1970, if you have first hand, second hand or any story of those events, perhaps even pictures, and would like to share them on this blog, please email me directly at secondtimearoundmountainny@gmail.com or leave a message for me at (845) 693-4513 and perhaps together we can both share and preserve that time from so long ago when Mountaindale NY flirted with music fame with Bach to Rock scheduled for our hamlet.