The History of Shandaken, Bushnellsville & Allaben

The History of Shandaken, Bushnellsville and Allaben. . Shandaken town was established in 1804, though some tombstones date back to the 1700s. The Native American name means either "rapid water" or "place of the hemlocks" depending on who you talk to. The first industries were hemlock bark peeling for the tanneries, bluestone quarrying, and hardscrabble subsistence farming. In the late 1800s it was a densely populated bustling mix of lumber milling and furniture manufacturing, including the very large Whitney Chair Factory (below.) Around 1900, the New York City reservoir system was begun, and many workers moved here to build the Shandaken tunnel. Today it is “a natural” for city folks who need to get away from it all, providing a haven for second home owners, trout anglers, hikers, and rugged outdoorsmen. , Originally called Fox Hollow, sister hamlet Allaben was named after Dr. Orson Allaben, one of the early settlers of this narrow valley through the Catskill Mountains. It is now home to the Shandaken Town Hall and Highway Department., Louisville Slugger used a bat factory on Fox Hollow Road in Allaben. Native Shandaken ash trees had just the right CLONK for pro baseball. It’s possible that Babe Ruth clobbered some home runs with one of these bats. Babe spent a lot of time at the Phoenicia Hotel., Bushnellsville on Route 42 was named for the Bushnell family, who settled the valley in the mid-1800s. By the early 1900s, there were many farms in the area; most families kept at least one cow and many shipped apples and sold maple syrup. At that time, the hamlet had its own post office, several general stores, a cider mill, ice houses, and even a bowling alley. , Thanks to Robert Stanley Sr. for his research on Shandaken History. , Learn more about our town history at the Town of Shandaken Historical Museum in Pine Hill and the Empire State Railway Museum in Phoenicia. Or visit the Town of Shandaken website www.Shandaken.us. .