Peebles Island State Park

Introduction

Peebles Island State Park is located in Saratoga County, New York at the junction between the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. The park is 190 acres of walking trails, forests, and breathtaking views of the Mohawk from the high cliffs. A small part of Van Schaick Island, known as the Matton Shipyard, is also considered part of the park. Among the nature scenes is the headquarters for the New York State’s Bureau of Historical Sites and the Bureau of Historical Prevention Field Services. The staff are in charge of all 35 historic sites maintained by the State parks, and are responsible for recording maintenance, analyzing artifacts found, and creating exhibits.

History of the Island

Early history to 17th Century

From the historical evidence gathered, Native Americans likely made their homes on the island. Hammerstones, arrow points, and hearths for drying fish were discovered there. Additionally, a map from 1630 shows the island as the location of Menomine’s Castle. This was a village named after an important Mohican leader. It is likely that the first European explorers to reach the island were from Henry Hudson’s expedition and left their ship to travel further up the river in early September 1609. The first known instance of a name for the island came from a 1656 map of New Netherland. The island was called Hoppe Eyland (Hop Island), because it was owned by Goosen Gerritsen Van Schaick, who was a brewer and grew hops on the island. In 1677, a deed between two Dutch men provides the first written name of the island, which was now called Hoever (Haver) Island until the early 1860s.

18th Century

During the Revolutionary War, nearby Van Schaick Island was used as a headquarters for the Northern Department of the Continental Army and Generals Horatio Gates and Philip Schuyler for a time. Peebles Island itself was very important strategically and was heavily fortified with large earthen mounds, trenches, and three batteries of cannons. These were designed by famed polish engineer Thaddeus Kosciuszko. The British, coming from the North, wanted to capture the city of Albany, but a few defenses stood in their way [6]. Notably, the town of Saratoga was a key location in the British's plans, but with the revolutionaries grinding out the victory at the Battle of Saratoga, the British were forced to fall back. Peeble's Island was the fall back point for a final stand before Albany against the British and General John Burgoyne if the Battle of Saratoga was lost.

19th Century

Gerrit Peebles attempted to have Haver Island added to the Town of Lansingburgh from the years of 1829 to 1831. Gerrit Peebles, for whom the island was later named, had inherited an interest of the island through his wife, Maria Van Schaick. She inherited the island in 1822 from her brother, Anthony Van Schaick. She continued to inherit the interests of her other siblings on the island in the following years. Peebles's attempt to add Haver Island to Lansingburgh was unsuccessful. Instead, in 1888 the island was transferred from Albany county to Saratoga county.

References

1. Fischer, William. “Native American & 17th-Century History of Peebles Island Historical Marker.” The Historical Marker Database, March 24, 2018. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=115382.

2. “Peebles Island.” Revolutionary Day, n.d. http://revolutionaryday.com/usroute4/peebles/default.htm.

3. “Peebles Island State Park.” New York State Parks, and Recreation and Historic Preservation, n.d. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/peeblesisland/maps.aspx.

4. “Peebles Island State Park.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, January 12, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peebles_Island_State_Park.

5. “Peebles Island.” The Lansingburgh Historical Society, n.d. https://lansingburghhistoricalsocietyarchives.org/islands/peebles-island/.

6. New York Department of Economic Development. (n.d.). Peebles Island State Park. ILOVENY. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.iloveny.com/listing/peebles-island-state-park/3080/#:~:text=Peebles%20Island%20State%20Park%20is,who%20intended%20to%20capture%20Albany.