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Port Jervis
Port Jervis, the gateway to the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, offers the convenience of city life combined with small town living. It is a city steeped in history.
In 1853, it was incorporated as a village taking its name from John B. Jervis, chief engineer of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The canal, built in the 1800’s, was the major source of transportation in the area. Port Jervis was one of the most important stops on the canal, which was responsible for a surge of development and population.
Stores, hotels, theaters and homes were built to accommodate the expanding population and the scores of travelers who came pouring into town.
The canal became obsolete with the coming of the New York and Erie Railroad to the valley, which became the major employer of residents of the city and surrounding towns.
New York’s 46th city is again on the upswing with storefronts being renewed and empty buildings being filled with new business and new life.
The restoration of the Erie Depot Complex as a health care center with physicians and shops, and the refurbishing of the Erie Hotel, a fine eatery next door, are two of the bright spots in Port Jervis’s business district on Front Street. Many fine antique stores have opened in recent years.
The city offers dining to satisfy a variety of tastes: From Italian cuisine at Gino’s and Len & Jo’s; German specialties at the Cornucopia Restaurant; down home cooking at Homer’s, Arlene & Tom’s, and The New Muller’s Port Jervis Diner; to donuts and coffee at Dunkin Donuts and fast food at Burger King and KFC. The renovated 104-room Comfort Inn ensures that guests have a relaxing stay.
Port Jervis spans an area of 2.5 square miles with 36 miles of roads and highways. The 8,860 residents dwell in a variety of homes from affordable apartments to single family houses. Port Jervis real estate is the least expensive in all of Orange County.
There are several major employers in Port Jervis, including Bon Secours Community Hospital, a full service institution with a nursing home; Kolmar Laboratories, a cosmetics firm; and OAS Swimwear. The city is known for its light industry and is home to companies such as A & W Products Co., Inc., Future Home Technology, Inc. and HGI Skydyne.
Gillinder Glass, one of the oldest glass companies in the United States, opened its factory to tours and has a gift shop on the premises. During the tour you will see glass made by the same technique used for more than a century. Port Jervis has a large public school system with over 3,500 students. There are three elementary schools, (one of which is located in the city), a middle school and high school. Many of the seniors graduating with a Regent’s diploma go on to higher education.
There is great community spirit in the city displayed by various service organizations and fraternal groups who provide funds for the needy, scholarships and assistance, as well as, an opportunity to make new friends through social functions. There is also an active youth sports program including Little League Baseball and Pop Warner Football. A youth and community center is located in the former Elks’ building on Pike Street, of which the city is very proud.
Residents of the town can often be found fishing the waters of the Delaware River from the bridge connecting Port Jervis to Pennsylvania.
Many residents are employed locally, but commuter trains from Port Jervis arrive in New York City in 2-1/2 hours and driving takes approximately 90 minutes.
As a gateway city, over 200,000 visitors pass through Port Jervis. It is poised to bloom and should be eagerly sought out by small businesses wanting to cash in on the tourist trade. Deerpark Deerpark is a rural town, one of two in Orange County to be classified as such, giving the area a completely different flavor than the rest of the busy county. The 69 square miles of the town are divided into four hamlets: Huguenot, Sparrow Bush, Cuddebackville and Godeffroy, whose boundaries blend so they are barely distinguishable from each other.Deerpark is rich in history. It is the site of the first white settlement in the area, at Peenpack, and was also the site of an aqueduct on the Delaware and Hudson Canal, a 108 mile waterway that ran from the Pennsylvania coal mines to Rondout, near the Hudson River. A section of the canal has been preserved by the Neversink Valley Area Museum at the D&H Canal Park, where the museum of canal artifacts is located and towpath walks are conducted. Deerpark history is kept alive through local museums and descendants of the town’s founders who still live here. These ancestors not only settled the town, but also fought in the Revolution, and the French & Indian War. Deerpark children attend Port Jervis schools, one of which, the Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School, is located in Cuddebackville.
Deerpark consists of forests, trout streams and dairy farms, with no downtown or busy streets, yet residents have easy access to all the modern conveniences with their proximity to the cities of Port Jervis, Middletown and even New York City.
Residents range in age from retirees to young families, and interest is strong in keeping the community, land and water clean and free of polluters. If they seem overprotective, they have good reason. Below the pristine forests lies the Neversink Aquifer, an underground body of water that could provide an endless supply of fresh drinking water for the entire town. Although water is primarily taken from wells, diligent patrolling ensures a clean water supply in the future.
Huguenot
If there is a hub of Deerpark, Huguenot is it. Here residents gather twice monthly at the town hall where not a meeting goes by without interesting discussions. This is where court takes place and senior citizens hold their meetings. It is the center of much community activity.
There is a variety of single family housing in Deerpark, including those built in subdivisions near wetlands where residents can look out their windows and watch great blue herons fishing in brackish waters.
The two largest employers are Summit Research Labs, which makes aluminum chlorohydrate, the active ingredient in deodorants that is also used in water purification; and C&D Technologies.
As in all of Deerpark, there is room for growth. Small business and clean industry are welcome and encouraged. The planning board will go out of its way to help get your business off the ground as they did for one resident intent on opening an ice cream stand on his property. It is now up and running and doing well.
Huguenot is home to New Hope Farms, one of the world’s premier horse show facilities, which attracts the most famous and well-bred equines from around the world.
This 60 acre site has a tremendous 18 acre outdoor riding field and an indoor arena and hosts world-class horse shows and events throughout the year. New Hope Farms is also the site for the Deerpark Family Festival, a heritage celebration put on by residents each July.
Recreational facilities include a large YMCA/YWCA camp providing educational activities and a day camp for youths, as well as, courses for adults. There is a baseball field and playground behind town building Number 2 where every sunny day finds children engaged in their important work of play.
Next door is the fire department whose many dedicated volunteers will say, without a doubt, they are the best around.
Despite the wide-open spaces, forests and wetlands that lie between secluded homes, this is a tight community, where everyone knows your name.
Goddefroy Ask a resident of Godeffroy what is important in life and you might get answers like talking to friends over hot tea, spotting coyotes in backyards or watching a bald eagle fly over the Neversink River.
The features that lured many people into building summer cottages in Godeffroy are the same that encouraged others to call it home.
An auto repair shop is the only business in town. Houses are spread out on fairly large tracts of land. There used to be a post office here, but it moved to Cuddebackville.
There is some development planned, however. The Nature Conservancy owns land along the Neversink River to protect the Dwarf Wedge Mussel, an endangered species whose population numbers are greater here than anywhere else in the world. Since it also happens to be a fabulous fishing spot, the conservancy is developing an old house on the property into a rest area for fishermen and visitors. Its miles of trails are open to the public who must obey posted signs for no flower picking and no dumping since the area is also used for research by members of the conservancy.
Sparrow Bush Sparrow Bush offers the only feeling of a “downtown” in Deerpark. Among farms, fields and forests that stretch to the horizon is a little main street with a church and a few shops. As one of the gateways to the Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, nearby locations have been the site of television commercials. The winding road of Hawks Nest is famous for its use in automobile advertisements and provides one of the most panoramic views of the Delaware River winding below. The acres of forested land surrounding Sparrow Bush are popular with hunters and fishermen and there are several sporting goods shops ready to accommodate them. Residents feel safe in this rural setting and have chosen Sparrow Bush as the ideal place to raise a family. Cuddebackville The old Delaware and Hudson Canal bed, which runs through Cuddebackville, was the reason for most of the development in Deerpark as portions of the area served as ports along the canal. Cuddebackville was also chosen by early silent filmmaker D.W. Griffith as a site for many of his movies. The house used in his film “Birth of a Nation,” is still standing here and silent movie greats like the Gish sisters and Mary Pickford were frequent visitors. The area is still used today as a backdrop for filming. In 1994, one of the general stores was used as a scene for a film starring Shelly Winters, with many local people acting as extras. Cuddebackville has the only traffic light in Deerpark and it is a blinking one. There is a feeling here of stepping back in time to a simpler way of life and residents would not have it any other way. There is one church, a few general stores, a post office, an ice cream stand and an auto repair shop. The one large industry is a blacktop plant, which makes asphalt and stone. The Delaware and Hudson Canal Park, run by Orange County, is located here along with the Neversink Valley Area Museum, an interesting place to spend an afternoon learning about area history and viewing a vast array of canal artifacts. Living here means quiet and seclusion; there are no subdivisions, but a mix of old stone farmhouses, cabins and neat and orderly mobile homes parks. Residents like solitude, but the space between houses does not diminish community spirit. Church dinners and flea markets are popular and every two weeks, the Red Barn Auction is filled to capacity. Races at a go-cart track are taken seriously but the impromptu softball games held behind the elementary school are much more relaxed. Opportunities for relaxation are endless here as the town lies along the Neversink River, one of the premier trout streams sustaining stocked, as well as wild trout. There are also miles of trails for hikers, bikers or horseback riding enthusiasts. Eldred Eldred is one of the hamlets in the town of Highland, whose resident population of 2,147 swells to over 10,000 on summer weekends. The rural setting that vacationers seek out is what residents enjoy all year long. Single-family homes dominate the landscape and most residents commute to jobs, as most industries are tourist-based. Eldred has a senior citizen center, which has a variety of activities including dancing, card games, nutritious lunches and Saturday night dances. The Eldred Central School district is small and reminiscent of the close-knit neighborhood schools of another era. There is a new elementary school in Glen Spey, named after Town of Highland citizen George Ross Mackenzie, of Singer sewing machine fame. One of Eldred’s special treasures is the Eldred Preserve. With 600 acres of hunting land, four stocked trout ponds, two bass lakes, boat rentals, nature trails, motel accommodations and a restaurant, the preserve is a sportsman’s paradise. That is exactly what Robert H. Abplanalp’s dream was when he bought the land. He wanted a place where anglers could fish in pristine waters without being lined up elbow to elbow with other fishermen. Pine trees and hemlocks loom above the cabins and cabin-like motel. The four-star restaurant awaits guests with fresh trout from its own hatchery served in a variety of styles, from crabmeat-stuffed to blackened Cajun-style. The preserve is home to the New York Audubon Society, which provides a host of outdoor activities and special programs for children during the summer. There is something for every sportsman, from hunting and fishing to hiking and shooting at the rifle range. Yulan Yulan hosts hundreds of visitors every year with accommodations such as the Lake View Farms Bed & Breakfast and the Maple Crest. Residents and tourists can relax at the beach clubs at Washington Lake, but when the vacation season ends, the wooded groves once again belong to those who call Yulan home. Each March, residents spend weeks building floats for the annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, an event well attended by people from far and wide. The early settlers of this area were of German descent; thus, every September brings the VonSteuben Day Parade, in celebration of the man who helped George Washington in the training of Revolutionary War troops. Barryville Barryville is a popular vacation spot lined with canoe liveries and restaurants. You can visit the famous Oelker’s General Store, a gift shop, fishing store, and luncheonettes. For those who find themselves wishing they could make the Barryville area their new home, there are several real estate offices ready to show you what is available. Young people are never at a loss for summer jobs, as the canoe liveries and restaurants are alive with activity all summer long and need lots of seasonal help. Located nearby at Minisink Ford is the Minisink Battleground where one of the last battles of the American Revolution was fought by half-breed Joseph Brant and his Indian raiders against the militia from Orange County. The battleground and interpretive display is maintained by the National Park Service. Despite the fact that residents must travel several miles to shop at a mall or supermarket, they love living here. Set in the Catskill Mountains, the view is always beautiful. Outdoor recreation is abundant, and Town of Highland taxes remain stable. Glen Spey Glen Spey still retains much of the charm, which attracted George Ross Mackenzie, of Singer sewing machine fame, to build mansions here for himself and each of his children, and to name the spot after the area he came from in Scotland. The majority of area residents are retired, but the number of young families is on the rise. One of the draws to this area is the spacious landscape and the opportunity to buy and build homes on as much or as little land as one desires. Nearby Mohican Lake provides an opportunity for lake community living, and a short distance away is Highland Lake with Sand Beach and the Catskill Actors’ Theater. Living here offers residents the option of keeping to oneself or mixing with neighbors at a variety of church and firehouse functions, as well as the men’s league Sunday morning softball games. The fire department’s ladies’ auxiliary is an active organization sponsoring, among other things, line dancing and chicken dinners. Glen Spey has a large Ukrainian population and the annual Ukrainian Festival draws over 10,000 people to the town for three days of fun, music, ethnic foods, dance and art. It is home to two architecturally significant Ukrainian churches. Glen Spey is also a fabulous place to watch bald eagles fish during the winter on area reservoirs. New York State bought several acres of land as an eagle habitat preserve for the wintering birds. The Mongaup River flows through the town. This is a wonderful fishing spot, used for kayaking as well. Pond Eddy A river-oriented town, Pond Eddy is especially suited to tourists. Residents not employed in the vacation business commute to jobs out of town. Shad fishing, canoeing and rafting are the popular warm weather activities here, and the Millbrook Inn and Nolan’s Riverview Inn are favorite stopping places for river users and motorists alike. Although children in Pond Eddy attend the Eldred Central School, there is also the option of sending them to the Homestead Montessori School. This school is highly respected in the community and reservations are frequently made for children who are not yet born. |
Pike County, PA One of the fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania, Pike County, nestled in the Pocono Mountains, is an area steeped in history and rural in nature. Of the entire county, 31 percent of the land, including 67,768 acres of Bureau of Forestry land, is owned by the state and federal governments. Gamelands encompass 21,543 acres and the National Park Service’s Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area holds 15,622 acres.
Housing in Pike County varies from modern townhouses to farmhouses, from old Victorian neighborhoods to secluded log cabins and is one of the last vestiges of affordable housing near the metropolitan areas of New York and New Jersey.
Residents enjoy country living with modern comforts near public transportation and well-planned business centers. Three highways, Interstates 84, 80 and 81, are easily accessible from each of Pike County’s 13 townships. Many of the highways are cut into mountainsides, ensuring scenic beauty for day trips or commutes.
The Delaware Valley School District, with seven schools, serves the communities of Matamoras, Milford, Dingman’s Ferry, Shohola and Delaware Township.
The Wallenpaupack School District, with five schools, serves the communities of Hawley and Lackawaxen, among others.
Matamoras/Westfall Matamoras, a Pike County bedroom community, is only one square mile in area, but over 2,000 people are happy to call it home. As a mostly residential borough, there are no major employers here, but its proximity to Port Jervis, Milford and Westfall Township provides residents with the services they need. The excitement of Broadway and employment opportunities in New York City and metropolitan New Jersey are approximately a 90 minute drive away.
Shopping centers in nearby Westfall Township include a large modern Price Chopper supermarket, Kmart, Wal-Mart, clothing shops, shoe stores, specialty shops, an Italian restaurant, Chinese restaurant, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Perkins Family Restaurants, and home improvement stores. The 108-room Best Western Inn boasts an indoor pool and sauna. Their Edgewater Restaurant is known for its fabulous food and Seafood Buffet.
Residents of this quiet little town are often asked what the appeal is. “When I open my door I see the mountains,” said one. “I live by the river, can drop a raft in at Westfall and float down to my house. And it’s nice to walk by neighbor’s houses and say hi to people you know. There are some great front porches here.”
Most homes in Matamoras are single family, two-story structures built near the turn of the century. Streets are tree-lined with maples and oaks, which have earned Matamoras the designation of a Tree City U.S.A.
Matamoras is also one of only three places in the county to have its own police department.
The community is tightly knit with many volunteers who band together for activities. A new addition to the borough hall was built entirely by volunteers who had fun getting the job done and volunteers turned the abandoned Matamoras Airport, built during the Depression, into a community recreation area called Airport Park. This 42 acre site has four lighted ball fields, two pavilions, an outdoor rink, a concession stand and a new playground along the Delaware River.
Senior citizens make up fifty percent of the population and keeping taxes low is a priority. Houses in Matamoras are less expensive than in nearby towns.
Although Matamoras is closely tied to Port Jervis, its New York neighbor across the river, it has its own unique shops. There are dance studios, a well stocked consignment shop, gifts and collectibles shop, full service print shop, service stations, a quaint corner store and the ever popular Polar Bear, an ice cream stand.
One of Matamoras’ best-kept secrets is Stewart’s Family Restaurant, a friendly hometown place to go for breakfast or lunch. You can’t beat the Burger of the Day special. Stop in just for the pleasure of good old-fashioned service and try a bowl of homemade soup or a slice of freshly baked pie.
Milford
Milford Township was created in 1832 from Upper Smithfield Township. The village was laid out in 1796 by John Biddis. There are two explanations for the town’s name. Some say it was named for Milford Haven in Wales, home of John Biddis’ father, William Biddis. Other people say that Well’s Mill and the spot where the Delaware was forded resulted in the name “mill-ford”.
The main streets in downtown Milford are lined with charming storefronts: antique shops, ice cream parlors, beauty shops, coffeehouses, bookstores and crafts. There are restaurants for every taste, from the nouveau cuisine of the Dimmick Inn to the more traditional fare at the Apple Valley Restaurant, a local favorite.
Behind the storefronts, restaurants, bank and attorneys’ offices lay the tree-lined streets of a quiet town that is the seat of Pike County.
Much of Milford’s riverfront land is owned and preserved by the federal government, providing not only scenic beauty, but habitat for wildlife, as well. More land is held by state and private interests as gamelands.
Milford is known as the birthplace of the conservation movement, started by Gifford Pinchot, two-time governor of Pennsylvania and the first chief of the US Forest Service, whose home, Grey Towers, just outside Milford, is now home to the Pinchot Institute for Conservation Studies. The house and grounds are available to visitors for guided tours and a host of year-round special programs.
The more than 2,000 people who live in Milford Borough and Township are a mix of young and old. The Delaware Valley School District system continues to expand to meet growing enrollment, and there a number of excellent daycare centers from which to choose.
Milford Township is headquarters to Altec-Lansing, an international stereo and electronics firm.
Milford residents are proud of their town’s history. An active historical society maintains Pike County’s museum, the Columns, where visitors can view the famous Lincoln flag, which cushioned the head of the dying President after he was shot by assassin John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater.
With all Milford has to offer, newcomers are encouraged to “join the community”.
Dingman Township
Dingman Township is home to many lake communities, which offer resort-style living in a secluded atmosphere in contemporary homes, A-frames and log cabins built on spacious lots.
The hamlet of Dingman’s Ferry became important in Pike County because of a ferry that crossed the Delaware River to New Jersey. A privately owned toll bridge now provides that service for hundreds of cars daily, which travel Routes 739 and 209.
Despite the rapid expansion in population Pike County has seen in recent years, Dingman Township has managed to retain a wealth of natural beauty, due mainly to a now defunct plan by the federal government to turn the area into a giant recreational lake.
The government bought up houses and land along the river, which eventually became the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The Water Gap Park has thousands of visitors each year who come to raft and canoe on the river and to visit the Pocono Environmental Education Center, which has nature programs available all year long.
Those residing in Dingman Township have the benefit of sending their children to the most modern school facility in the Delaware Valley, a new middle school built in 1995. There is also an elementary school and primary school. In anticipation of further growth in the county, the middle school was built with room to grow.
Aside from its historic importance, Dingman Township holds special appeal for residents as well as thousands of tourists who pass through each year. Bushkill Falls is one of the most famous sites in Pike County. Under the protection of the National Park Service, the falls are open to the public from May to September.
Three miles west of Dingman’s Ferry, on Silver Lake Road, is the George W. Childs State Park. This 154 acre site is breathtaking with its wooded glens and gorges. Three cascading waterfalls, Fulmer, Factory and Deer Leap Falls, decorate the park and it is a popular picnicking spot; however, swimming is not allowed.
Shohola
If you’re looking for wilderness, look no further. Peering through your window often provides a show of black bear, wild turkeys, pileated woodpeckers, evening grosbeaks and sometimes bobcats and mountain lions, located within its 46 square miles. Shohola is a Native American name, which means “slow waters where the geese rest.”
In the early days, Shohola was a bluestone excavation center. Bluestone from its quarries provided sidewalks for several major American cities.
Most of Shohola is undeveloped with one third of the land owned by the state including a portion of the Delaware State Forest and three gamelands. The Pennsylvania Game Commission owns 7,736 acres with an excellent population of deer, bear, turkey and grouse. State-owned Shohola Falls is known as one of the finest hunting, fishing and scenic spots in the state. Parking areas, boat ramps and picnic areas and trails near the falls makes the site very popular among both residents and vacationers.
Along Shohola Creek there are numerous cascades, deep holes and steep ledges where water rushes over a final set of falls onto the river flatland. It is so beautiful it inspired such names as: Whirlpool at Hell’s Gate and Grotto of the Wood Nymph.
There are several lake communities in Shohola and many single-family homes between large tracts of forested land. Although only seven miles up Route 6 from Milford, Shohola is much cooler in summer and receives more snow than its neighbors. Often times it will snow in Shohola while raining a few miles downhill. This makes snowmobiling a popular sport, and snow plowing a lucrative job.
Many of Shohola’s residents are retired but there are also young families with children who attend the Delaware Valley School district. One of the district’s elementary schools is located on Twin Lakes Road and was dedicated in 1991. Located on 63 acres, this modern school contains 12 classrooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and two computer rooms.
Village of Lackawaxen
This is the home of the Ross Rosenkrantz Memorial Park where the community convenes to watch and coach children in their games. It is also the last stop of the Stourbridge Line, which offers train excursions from Honesdale, PA. Aside from the park the other place where people gather is the firehouse, most popular during the Firemen’s Field Days, which have been taking place for the past 22 years.
Lackawaxen has some fine restaurants, a general store and a well-stocked sporting goods shop.
Rowlands The smallest of all four hamlets, Rowlands boasts of being home to the Lackawaxen Telephone Company. Although a number of residents are employed here, most people commute out of town for work, but as one resident said, “I never hear anyone complain.” That’s because they moved here for what the township has to offer: clean air, clean water, quiet, and freedom from the stresses of city living.
Rowlands lies along the Lackawaxen River and is home to a fishing and tackle store and a general store where the owner has known his customers for years. The pace of life is as slow as the river that runs through it. |
Sussex County, NJ Opinions vary as to when the first settlers arrived in the area where Sussex County is now located. The Dutch built the Old Mine Road through the county from their settlement in what is now Kingston, NY, to the Pahaquarry mines in Warren County around 1650.
The so-called Minisink settlement in what is now Montague Township was first settled by Johannes Westbrook and Simon Westfall. Situated on the route of the Old Mine Road, it was a stopping place for men and teams carting copper ore from Pahaquarry to the Hudson.
There were still no permanent settlers in the Sussex region in 1693 and it was not until 1697 that the first patent for 1,000 acres was received.
In the 1740’s a number of Germans settled on the Paulinskill near present day Stillwater. After the close of the French and Indian Wars, Sussex County was populated by large numbers of Puritans who had originally settled on Long Island and in Orange County, NY. For much of its early history, Sussex County remained a rural area populated predominantly by those engaged in agriculture. Through the years it became a popular summer resort area because of its many lakes, but by 1940 still had a year-round population of only 30,000. The standing joke by residents to outsiders was that the county had more cows than people. That was still true in 1950, when the county’s population had increased to only 34,423. From 1950 to 1960, there was a 43 percent increase in population. New retail shops and supermarkets opened their doors and new highways were built. People began buying existing housing and converting summer homes to year-round use. Lower housing prices and taxes began attracting more people from neighboring metropolitan areas.
By 1980 the county’s population reached 116,119. It climbed to more than 135,000 in 1986, a year that saw the start of a housing boom that leveled off years later.
The 1990 census showed Sussex County with a population of 130,943, making it the seventh fastest growing county in the state.
Although some 30,000 residents leave the county daily to commute to jobs, 98 percent of county jobs are filled by county residents.
Major employers include: Selective Insurance Co. of America, Newton Memorial Hospital, Ames Rubber Co., Dynapack Mfg. Inc. and Accurate Forming Inc.
Despite the breaking up of large farmland tracts by residential and commercial growth, farming remains big business in Sussex County.
Montague
Recognized for its beautiful landscape and excellent farmland, Montague was the earliest settled town in this part of the country, establishing America’s first commercial roadway now known as the Old Mine Road.
Although it was the first to be settled, Montague remains a small bedroom community. The state owns most of the land, which lies along the Delaware River and has wild and holdover trout streams running through it.
Much of the land is undeveloped, providing scenic drives through roads that wind and twist, wrapping around the rolling slopes of farms, fields and forests. There are many active farms providing residents with farm fresh food sold at market stands along Route 206.
Many people move here for the beauty and small community feel. The town’s little league is very active, as is the historical society and the local Grange.
The Tri-State Mall, located on Route 23 provides area residents with a Shop Rite supermarket, a pet store, liquor store, video rental and electronics store, Italian restaurant, bank and other stores. Motorists can choose from three gas station/convenience stores located within sight of each other, and benefit from the best gasoline prices in the tri-state area, as well as a Dairy Queen and McDonald’s for a quick snack or meal before hopping onto Interstate 84.
Though there are no major employers, Montague is approximately a 90 minute drive from New York City, and just a few miles from Milford, Pennsylvania and Port Jervis, New York.
Outdoor recreation is abundant, from canoeing and rafting on the Delaware to the lovely surroundings of High Point State Park. The 14,218 acre park was at one time a private game preserve and contained the mansion of Colonel Anthony Kuser. The High Point Monument marks the highest point in the State of New Jersey, and the park contains a lake for swimming and fishing, camping and picnic sites, nature trails and the Appalachian Trail, which runs though a portion of the park. Cross-country skiing and ice-skating are available during the winter. The High Point Country Inn provides guests with a charming, relaxed atmosphere where they can enjoy the spectacular views of the countryside and the close proximity to the park.
The majority of Montague’s 2,800 plus residents live at Highpoint Country Club. The 1,100 acre site features a clubhouse, swimming pool and 18-hole golf course.
Nearby the country club is the Montague Mini-Mall, with an assortment of small businesses that serve area residents with everything from their morning coffee and paper to pizza, a bank, and a Laundromat.
Children attend kindergarten through sixth grade at the Montague Elementary School, which has expanded to meet the needs of a growing population. Middle and high school students are bused to the Port Jervis schools, a short drive away.
Montague Day is an annual September event with games, contests, food and entertainment.
The Minisink Church pavilion is the site of many church activities and suppers. The church itself is historically significant and the congregation plays an active part in the community, providing auctions, plays and concerts.
The Delaware River Toll Bridge connects Montague to Milford, Pennsylvania, and all the services offered by that community. Except for the river, there is not much that separates people in these two states. Many people live in Montague and work in Milford or own a business there.
A few miles south in Branchville, New Jersey is the 200 acre YWCA/YMCA Camp Linwood, providing a day camp, as well as many educational programs for youth.
Montague has come a long way from its early days when residents joked that it had more cows than people.
*1990 Census Figure |
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Population: 8,860 (2000 Census) |
Milford Boro/Township Population: 1,104/1,292 |
Westfall Township Population: 2,430 |
Town of Deerpark Population: 7,858 |
Matamoras Population: 2,312 (2000 Census) |
Shohola Township Population: 2,088 |
Dingman Township Population: 8,788 |
Town of Montague Population: 3,412 |
