Casperkill Watershed Oral History Project

Emily Vail next to the Trees for Tribs sign on Fran and Frank Hartenfels’ property. The Trees for Tribs initiative is run by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of the Hudson River Estuary Program. Groups conducting streamside plantings and other riparian buffer restoration projects within the Hudson River Estuary watershed […]

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Check out this 2004 Hudson Valley Magazine article.  Reed Sparling describes his attempt to trace the path of the Casperkill.  Although he ends up locating the headwaters a bit south of where they actually are, his story still demonstrates how much fun can be had along the creek. Vassar followers, to view a pdf version […]

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Frank Hartenfels’s hammock hangs right on the stream bank. Fran and Frank Hartenfels are members of the Casperkill Watershed Alliance. They live in Hagan Town (also known as the Spackenkill area) and, like their neighbor, Ron Lipp, they have taken steps to prevent erosion and protect the creek. When the Hartenfelses first thought of buying […]

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The following post was adopted from the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve website In 1895, the first 200 acres of the Vassar Farm were purchased from Vassar Brothers Hospital to solve a problem. Up until then, Vassar had been pumping its sewage into the Casperkill creek but another plan was needed.  About the same time, […]

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At one time, the 36 acre property located at 275 Van Wagner Road was the final resting place for around 90% of the industrial and commercial waste generated by the city and town of Poughkeepsie.  The history of the site is marked by repeated violations of health and environmental codes. A current aerial image of […]

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On the left, mobster “Matty the Horse” was affiliated with the  FICA landfill.  On the right, operations at the landfill cease when the Health Department steps in. By mid-July of 1977, a temporary injunction against further dumping at the Van Wagner Road property was finally granted.  A few weeks later it was discovered that portions […]

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Arlington firefighters pour water on a fire that broke out at the FICA landfill.  Firefighters had to unearth about 15-feet of garbage to get at smoldering embers, and an estimated 4.5 million gallons of water washed refuse into the Casperkill. It was not until April 1980—three years after the Van Wagner Road landfill began operating—that […]

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The FICA landfill today. On October 5, 1987 New York State filed a Federal lawsuit to force the clean-up of the FICA landfill.  ”Our suit,” State Attorney General Robert Abrams said, ”alleges that waste generated by industry and dumped at the site over the years is responsible for serious contamination…the dump’s current and past owners […]

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Harvey Flad is Professor Emeritus of Geography at Vassar College. Appointed to the faculty in 1972, he played an important role in the development of multidisciplinary programs in American Culture, Environmental Studies and Urban Studies. He has lived in the City of Poughkeepsie for 30 years. On June 21st, Professor Harvey Flad joined us for […]

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Ron Lipp is a dedicated member of The Casperkill Watershed Alliance and longtime resident of Hagan Town.  We talked with him on June 18th about his experience living in the watershed and working with the CWA. Liz Jones: How long have you lived in the watershed? Ron Lipp: I’ve lived here for 22 years. LJ: In […]

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