Rockland’s Own Ghost Town

By Susan Hodara October 10, 2007

Hikers trekking a certain scenic six-square-mile area of Bear Mountain State Park might happen upon some mysterious sights: a broken chimney flue by the side of a trail, the wrinkly green fruit of an Osage orange tree normally found in the Southwest, a one-time well now capped with cement, a clothesline pulley embedded in a tree. They might also see portions of stone walls obscured by untamed overgrowth, or a set of stone steps that lead to nowhere. That’s because they’re walking through a ghost town, teeming with traces of what once was.
   It was the hamlet of Doodletown — a vital, working class community founded just prior to the Revolutionary War, and which flourished until its gradual acquisition and demolition in 1965. Today, visitors to Doodletown can explore the relics of its past by following a self-guided tour of 32 interpretive signs and five “You are here” maps. In addition to disembodied stone walls, steps and cellar foundations that were once the homes of Doodletown’s residents, they will encounter two privately owned and still active cemeteries where gravestones dating from the 1800s are etched with the names of those same families. They can spend the day hiking through a setting that includes streams that still meander into surging waterfalls; woodlands still inhabited by coyotes, red foxes and snakes; skies still dotted with hawks and turkey vultures; and glorious vistas of Iona Island (now a bird sanctuary where eagles nest), the Bear Mountain Bridge, and the Hudson River. A day spent at Doodletown can include a customized mix of history, hiking and nature, depending on personal preference and the season.
   “If you have a romantic, historic eye, you can erase what Mother Nature has done over the last 50 years,” says Mark Jelléy, Doodletown’s volunteer and only land steward. “You can erase the mass of barberry bushes and see just the 150-year-old maple.”
   Jelléy, 48, grew up not far from the park and worked there during his summer vacations from college, where he studied forestry. He is responsible for those 32 signs, and for keeping Doodletown’s historic sites cleared of overgrowth. “In the summer, Doodletown is transformed into a lush woodland,” he says. “When the foliage is down, it’s easier to see the history.”
   The full route encompasses approximately six miles of often hilly terrain, which can be strenuous for those not prepared. In addition to self-guided tours, Jelléy offers two annual tours for groups of 20-25 people. The first is part of the Hudson Valley Ramble, on September 23-24; the second is on October 20. A nominal fee is charged. Jelléy also conducts private tours by appointment for a slightly higher fee.
   According to Elizabeth “Perk” Stalter, a Doodletown resident in the 1950s and author of the 1996 book, Doodletown: Hiking Through History in a Vanished Hamlet on the Hudson, the settlement was known by several names — Montville, Mountville, Clarksville —but Doodletown, she writes, “Has always been far and away the favorite and most accepted moniker.” Some claim it evolved from the English version of the Dutch words for “dead dell”, but romantic lore has the British troops, on their way through the area to do bloody battle with the Colonial militia at Forts Clinton and Montgomery, mocking the townspeople by singing “Yankee Doodle Dandy”. The trails used by the British are the same dirt roads that Doodletown’s visitors follow today.
   In addition to foundations of buildings, those roads reveal other traces of the past. Crocus, forsythia and daffodils, probably planted 100 years ago, still bloom each spring; bittersweet and grapevines explode in summer; non-native trees purchased by one homeowner continue to thrive. One of Mark Jelléy’s favorites is an imposing oak tree he estimates to be over 200 years old. “If you look closely, you’ll see that it is covered by hundreds of rusty nails and nail holes,” he says. “It must have been the town billboard, where people posted messages. Can you imagine — notices for a square dance, a mule for sale, or a pie contest?”
   While Doodletown today holds only minimal relics of its past, for those who spend the time among its ruins, it offers both beauty and mystery. “I come here all the time and always find something new,” says Jelléy. Last spring, he uncovered two additional cellar foundations.
   For another perspective on Doodletown, visitors can take a drive up the winding Perkins Memorial Drive to the top of Bear Mountain. From an elevation of nearly 1300 feet, there are breathtaking, 360-degree views of the surrounding region, including the Hudson River, the Bear Mountain Bridge, Iona Island, West Point, Storm King and Fort Montgomery. If the weather is clear, the panorama takes in four states: New York (including the New York City skyline), New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania; and four mountain ranges: the Taconics, Ramapos, Shawangunks and Catskills.
   At the end of the drive is the 40-foot tall, stone Perkins Memorial Tower, built as a weather station and fire lookout in the early 1930s. The Drive and Tower were inaugurated in 1934, and the tower remained functional until the 1950s. It is currently closed for renovation.
   Doodletown is accessible year-round from a trail that was once Old Doodletown Road, located on the west side of Route 9W just south of Bear Mountain State Park’s southern entrance, and just north of the entrance to Iona Island. There are parking areas on either side of the road. The entrance is indicated by a blue sign, a brown historical marker, and a “You are here” map.
   For further information about Doodletown and Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower, call Bear Mountain State Park at (845) 786-2701, or contact Mark Jelléy at [email protected].

Welcome, Friends

   Taking his personal goals to the non-profit level, Mark Jelléy, along with several former Doodletown residents, has recently established Friends of Doodletown. The organization, which is recognized by Bear Mountain State Park, will continue his work of identifying further historical and natural features of Doodletown; protecting, preserving and maintaining the area; and educating the public while promoting healthy exercise and fun.
   Jelléy hopes to accomplish several goals in the near future, including building a kiosk near the reservoir depicting the town’s history; cutting a trail to the original 1851 church/school; searching for the parsonage; creating new interpretive signs for the newly discovered homes of Alonzo Herbert and William Greenfield, Fred Green’s barn and the site of the Edison Mine; as well as ongoing maintenance of the cemeteries and other historical sites, and clearing the relentless overgrowth of all invasive species.
   To help, Jelléy is seeking two types of volunteers. One is a Special Friend, who would attend occasional Board meetings and contribute to ongoing projects. The second would help spread the word about the organization.
   Those who are interested can contact Jelléy at (914) 556-8524 or via his website at www.hudson
valleydaytrips.com.