The Neversink Valley Museum Wednesday Night History Talks with STEPHEN SKYE @7pm

The Neversink Valley Museum of History and Innovation presents a History Talk by Stephen Skye, Neversink Valley Museum Historian and Board President on “The Cornell Family: Master D&H Capitalists”, focusing on the history of Thomas Cornell and his son in law Samuel Decker Coykendall, two figures that loom large in the making of Rondout NY and their connection to the D&H Canal! The Cornell company is mainly known today for the work it did ferrying D&H coal down the Hudson. Members of the family also owned the Rosendale cement plants, were on the D&H Canal Board of Directors, were also senior D&H executives, built a railroad through the Catskills with money made in transporting D&H coal, owned a grand hotel (also built with D&H coal money), and even owned a creamery. Three generations of the Cornell family controlled commerce in the Hudson River Valley and provide us with an example of how business was conducted in 19th century America and how family life was entangled with commercial life during that era.
Photo: Cornell Steamship Co. Building, Rondout NY

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