Mountain Dale in Sullivan County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Borscht Belt - Mountain Dale
Borscht Belt - Mountain Dale
The arrival of the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad in 1871 opened Mountain Dale to tourism and influx of Jewish immigrants. This transformed the rural farming hamlet, originally known as Sandburg, into a vacation destination. In 1880, the hamlet officially changed its name to Mountain Dale and the railroad became known as the O & W Railway. At its peak during the 1920s through the 1960s, Mountain Dale was to host about 34 hotels and 75 bungalow communities. Passenger travel on the railroad ended in 1953, however visitors still arrived by car and bus via Route 17 to destinations such as the Evergreen Hotel and Rashkinds Little Falls Hotel, which billed its waterfalls as "The Niagara of Sullivan County." Bungalow colonies such as the Regal Wankref Countries Colonies, Paradise Colonies, Crystal Lake Bungalows, Hymie Gordon's, and Camp Eva hosted summer summer visitors of all ages.
Borscht Belt
From the 1920s through the early 1970s, the Borscht Belt was the preeminent summer resort destination for hundreds of thousands of predominantly east coast American Jews. The exclusion of the Jewish community from existing establishments in the 1920s drove Jewish entrepreneurs to create over 500 resorts, 50,000 bungalows and 1,000 rooming houses in Sullivan County and parts of Ulster County. The Borscht Belt provided a sense of community for working and vacationing Jews. The era exerted a strong influence on American culture, particularly in the realm of entertainment, music, and sports. Some of the most well-known and influential people of the 20th century worked and vacationed in the areas. Beginning around 1960, the Borscht Belt began a gradual demise due to many factors including the growth of suburbia, inexpensive airfare and generation changes.
Erected 2023 by Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project, Sullivan County Historian.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project, and the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. series lists.
Location. 41° 41.4′ N, 74° 31.853′ W. Marker is in Mountain Dale, New York, in Sullivan County. Marker is on Post Hill Road, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mountain Dale NY 12763, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Methodist Church (approx. 2.4 miles away); Borscht Belt - Fallsburg (approx. 4.7 miles away); Town of Thompson (approx. 5.1 miles away); Dry Docks (approx. 5.6 miles away); Life on the Canal (approx. 5.6 miles away); Demise of the Canal (approx. 5.6 miles away); Canal Basin & Sluiceway (approx. 5.7 miles away); Ending at Rondout (approx. 5.7 miles away).
More about this marker. The marker is located across the street from the post office.
Regarding Borscht Belt - Mountain Dale. The Mountain Dale marker is the second marker of the twenty Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project series to be sited.
Also see . . .
1. New Historical Markers Project Seeks to Reanimate the History of the Borscht Belt.
Comprising over 500 resorts spread across Sullivan, Greene, Orange, and Ulster counties, the Borscht Belt was a cultural phenomenon—a safe vacation destination for Jewish families away from the rampant antisemitism of the first half of the 20th century. Though the Borscht Belt’s comedy, culinary, and cultural legacy endures, most of the buildings and campuses that were its backdrop have fallen into ruin.(Submitted on August 15, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
2. Borscht Belt markers trace Catskills history of era (VIDEO). (Submitted on August 15, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
3. This Jewish Mom Is Keeping the Memory of the Borscht Belt Alive in the Catskills.
“I think what’s going on in the Catskills is a renaissance. And when a renaissance happens, people are more likely to look at the past,” Scheinfeld explains. “In the case of the Borscht Belt, it had a demise, it failed, it crashed and burned. So now with this wonderful future ahead, to look back at the past, we can celebrate it. It’s not a symbol of failure. We don’t see the county stagnating with these ruins anymore. We see new buildings, new structures, new boutique hotels, new restaurants, and then, well, look at these markers. Look at this history. Look at these places we can remember.”(Submitted on August 15, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 107 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 15, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.