HISTORY & CULTURE

Skóhare (the Schoharie Valley) is the the ancestral homeland of the Kanien’kehá:ka (People of the Flint), also known as the Mohawk People. The name means, the place of cleaning or cleansing. It is the Eastern Door of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Kanien’kehá:ka are the keepers of that door.

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European colonists arrived in the valley in the early 1700’s. The first were the Palantine Germans in 1710, most settling just south of the Schoharie Valley, who were given permission to farm there by the Kanien’kehá:ka. Upon settling the valley, the Palatines proved to be good farmers, practicing more careful and advanced farming techniques.  One of the earliest colonists to establish a farm in the area was Adam Vroman, namesake of what we now know as Vroman’s Nose, a notable geologic lookout point over the valley.

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Vroman’s Nose was also a test site in the military’s production of the M1 smoke generator during World War II. In 1942 the secretive projects’ debut test was viewed by scientists and military officials from Vroman’s Nose. Overlooking the test site, officials watched as the smoke generator filled the Schoharie Valley with smoke. The device proved successful overseas, obstructing the view of fighter pilots and thereby foiling German air attacks.

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The Schoharie Creek begins in the southeast corner of Greene County near the Village of Tannersville. Tannersville grew from the local tanning industry, and was duly named in 1895. The creek was used for its power to run mills for the tanneries.

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The Schoharie Valley has a long history of farming. Many families still farm the land and can trace their ancestry back to the colonialist farmers. Logging also took place in the valley. While these industries may have had positive effects on the local economy, they often adversely affected the local environment. None however match the impact that the tanning industry had. It was not until after the devastation of the forests that people began to consider the industry’s environmental ramifications. Over time, the forests were allowed to re-grow. The effects of the tanning industry can still be seen today in the mountains’ young second-growth forests. 

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The clearing of land for farms and local industry can often worsen flood issues and cause receiving waters to become polluted. The Schoharie’s industrial history caused periods of intense pollution from sediment laden runoff and the toxic pollutants that accompanied the tanning industry. However, water quality improved with the reforestation of the basin. Despite this, challenges still remain from increased development and reverberations from the watershed’s industrial past. 

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The Schoharie Reservoir, located at the intersection of Schoharie, Delaware and Greene Counties, was formed by the construction of the Gilboa Dam. Construction of the dam began in 1920, with completion in 1927. The reservoir contributes approximately 15% of NYC water annually.
 

SOURCE: History of the Schoharie Valley