Great Swamp (New York) - History

History

In and around Patterson, layers of underground clay suggest the swamp was once a large and shallow lake. While it is unknown exactly when man first inhabited the region, it is estimated that Archaic people existed there for about 8,000 years. Artifacts found at the Rosebud Site off of New York State Route 311 suggest occupations in the swamp date back to the Woodland period. Archaic hunters were drawn to the wetland because of its vast array of plants and vegetables, as well as migratory waterfowl and fish. According to Horace Hillery in an article entitled The Great Swamp, "The Indian-Dutch treaty of 1617 said furs from The Great Swamp in Patterson were most desirable. The Indian Cemetery at the mouth of Haviland Hollow was probably near the Indian winter trapping camp." The Great Swamp was sold to Lt. Gov. Nathan Gold of Connecticut in 1707, and thereafter, the first white settlers fought over ownership of the eastern side of the wetland. This tract of land is known as The Oblong, and until 1731, was part of Connecticut. In consideration of a separate piece of land further south, Connecticut surrendered to New York, and the state gained ownership. Between 1744 and 1757, Pine Island, a ledge in the middle of the swamp, served as a camp for a set of counterfeiters who printed thousands of 20 Shilling Rhode Island notes.

Local farmers were disappointed at the loss of potential farm land to the swamp. In 1797, a petition was sent to the New York State Legislature for the swamp to be drained. Another similar proposal arose in 1840, though the idea was never implemented. New York City sought the region as a potential reservoir in the early 1900s. The swamp had an effect on the local region. Children in Patterson were often deemed "swamp rats" by school students in nearby Carmel.

In March 1936, a "great and unusual ice flood" caused local water levels to rise. The bridge carrying New York State Route 311 over the Great Swamp received cracks in its foundation due to the pressure of the water and melting ice, and was lifted off its foundation and swept into the swamp.