Town of Delaware

Town of Delaware. Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. , The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (New York State Route 97) follows the Upper Delaware River through the western parts of Delaware, Sullivan, and Orange Counties. This unique highway connects the rafting and bluestone village of Hancock to the historic railroad city of Port Jervis, some 70 miles downstream., [Balance of text on left is informational, not historic, and is not transcribed, except for] , The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway was added to the New York State Byways System on August 6, 2002., Town of Delaware , Located in the Town of Delaware, Callicoon was first visited by Dutch hunters traveling west from the Hudson Valley in the 1600's. They named the watershed of the creek "Kollikonkill", which translated from the Dutch means "cackling hen", a reference to the enormous number of turkeys living in the forests at that time. The first settlers arrived about 1756. The area became a prime source for fresh-cut timber and the Delaware River served as a natural access to the populated coastal centers of the east. During the 1760's, timber rafting began, tree trunks were lashed together and floated to sawmills downstream., In the 1840's the Erie Railroad opened up the area, laying tracks along the banks of the Delaware River to link the Great Lakes with the Eastern Seaboard, and the town was named Callicoon Depot. In 1906 this name was changed to Callicoon. Summer vacationers arrived aboard the railroad through the 1960's and stayed in boarding houses in and around Callicoon. When the railroad stopped running the number of vacationers dwindled, the boarding houses became private residences and B&B's. Today Callicoon remains a favorite destination for river enthusiasts, weekend visitors and second home owners.