By Bob Gildersleeve

Years back, lamenting the passing of the large world-renowned mountain resorts that graced the Mountain Top in the 19th and early 20th Century, we realized that one large resort still operated just an hour south of us in the Shawangunk Mountains. We decided that a visit there would give a feeling of what a trip to the Mountain House or Hotel Kaaterskill might have been like in the 1800s. Since that first visit, MTHS has sponsored several luncheon hikes at the fabulous Mohonk Mountain House near New Paltz, NY. On one visit many years ago, we noticed a walking stick from the Hotel Kaaterskill displayed in the Mohonk Barn Museum. Wouldn't it be nice if we could return that souvenir of the Victorian Age to the area where it was originally purchased and used.

On an overnight visit to Mohonk with my wife in October 2014 I approached Jim Clark (on the right in the photo), the curator of the Barn Museum, and talked with him about the walking stick. He too felt that the Mountain Top Historical Society would be a more appropriate home for the staff and graciously donated it to MTHS. Our thanks to Mr. Clark and the Mohonk Mountain House for this unique gift.

If you have never visited Mohonk, you may want to take a look at the history page on their web site: mohonk.com