570 Agricultural Manual 



Although during the Revolution Putnam County was regarded 

 as a point of vital military importance, no battle took place within 

 its limits. It was. however, the scene of many events of minor 

 importance, as well as the principal scene of the consummation 

 of A mold's treason. 



On Constitution Island, which lies on the northwest, horde, 

 was attached one end of the great chain stretched across the 

 river from West Point. At the end of the war it was on this 

 same island that Washington's body guard was mustered out of 

 service. In modern times Constitution Island lias been famous 

 as the residence of the well-known authoresses, Susan B. ind 

 Anna B. Warner. " The Wide, Wide World " has had a popu- 

 larity exceeded by few works written in America. 



DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY 



The Revolution changed the whole of Putnam County from a 

 manorial grant, occupied and cultivated by tenants to an owner- 

 ship in fee by those, tenants and others who had bought at con- 

 fiscation sale. Proximity to New York and facilities for water 

 transportation by the river led the farmers of Putnam into general 

 or mixed farming. This condition continued until about 1830, 

 when the opening of the Erie Canal brought into competition the 

 richer and more easily cultivated lands of the Mohawk valley 

 and of the western counties of this state. That change forced 

 Putnam County farmers into dairying, which they carried on 

 successfully until about 1850, when the opening of the Hudson 

 River Railroad and its connection with the New York Central 

 at Albany had a damaging effect on the dairy business in Putnam. 

 Many of the farmers then followed the destructive practice of 

 selling off their cattle and cropping their lands year after year 

 without restoring anything to them, until there came to be in 

 many parts of the county a deplorable condition of abandoned 

 farms, much as there is throughout a large part of New England. 

 Of late years, however, there has been an improvement in that 

 condition. 



The principal industry is dairying and the production of milk, 

 especially in the eastern part. Other products include hay, 

 grain, potatoes, and poultry products. The western part of the 

 county is largely a residential section. 



