Old Albany Post Road History

Old Albany Post Road History The history of Old Albany Post Road - focus on historic Dutchess County, from Garrison to Red Hook. The rich history of this road is amazing.

Thanks to Dr. Benjamin Franklin, the post road presently known as Old Albany Post Road, began at City Hall Park and ended in Albany. The focus of this page is Putnam and Dutchess County - unique not only because of native plants and geologically with woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife, but where they meet, a virtual city arose from 1776 to 1783: the Fishkill Supply Depot was the premier military supply, hospital, barracks, and burial ground for hundreds America’s first veterans. Native Indians lived, hunted, and traded and traveled through; settlers cleared land for lumber, firewood, to farm and raise beef and dairy cattle. On Monday, September 25, 1780, General George Washington awoke in Fishkill and rode south on Old Albany Post Road to have breakfast with his friend and newly appointed Commander of West Point, Benedict Arnold. Joining him on the 9 mile ride to Garrison was the Marquis de Lafayette and aides Majors Samuel Shaw and James McHenry. They rode south, passing through the bustling Fishkill Supply Depot and the meadow holding the unmarked graves at the base of Round Mountain.

09/17/2026

REV250 Hudson Highlands History Festival
Putnam History Museum
Saturday, Oct. 10
2:00 to 5:00 pm
Free

Join PHM for a family-friendly event with a reenactment, Colonial toys and games, the Hudson Highlands Pipe Band, storytelling, an exhibit depicting General Washington from the collection of George Whipple III, and more!

Sponsored by: Putnam County REV250

09/13/2026

On September 12, 1609, Henry Hudson began his exploration of the Hudson River while aboard the Halve Maen. Sailing on behalf of the Dutch East Indies Company, he was commissioned to find a passage through the arctic to Asia. However, upon heading north he was blocked by ice. Refusing to give up on the mission, he recalled rumors of a passage through North America, and so broke with instructions and headed westward.
His first arrival was along the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. There he had his first of several encounters with the Native population. Having to replace a mast, he ordered a drop of the anchor for repairs but the interactions with the natives went sour and Hudson sacked a village presumably to steal some food and trade goods.
Through the month of August, he sailed as far south as the Chesapeake Bay and found the Delaware River but nether were explored in any great detail. In September, sailing north, he came upon the “North River” which must have looked inviting. At the entrance it boasts a width of approximately a mile and the nature of it being an estuary must have also been intriguing with the lure of salt water so far up the river valley.
Over the following week and a half, he would sail up what became the Hudson River to modern Albany. Yet as he progressed more and more northward, it became clearer and clearer this was not the Northwest Passage as the river became too shallow to continue. He set about returning to Europe on the 23rd of September, getting detained in England along the way. Yet the voyage was still used by the Dutch as a claim to establish their colony in the region. From this the New Netherlands would have a short but interesting run.
Suggested Reading
Robert Juet’s Journal, the primary source for the voyages is available at the New Netherland’s Museum website:http://halfmoon.mus.ny.us/Juets-journal.pdf
The Three Ships of Henry Hudson by Daniel Calandro https://www.hudsonrivervalley.org/.../89789e52-6f82-41a0...
The Island at the Center of the World by Russel Shorto
Image: 19th-century illustration Halve Maen in the Hudson River in 1609

09/12/2026

Although some readers may be familiar with the Civil War’s Invalid Corps, which wrought value and service from even grievously wounded men during that conflict, few probably know that America’s first such organization appeared during the Revolutionary War. Like its later counterpart, Washington....

Fabulous to see! Huzzah! NY State post!
09/08/2026

Fabulous to see! Huzzah! NY State post!

09/07/2026

He spent a lot of time on OAPR!

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