New York K 244: Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Village of Margaretville, New York

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 - This bill is not active in this session.

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
K00244 Summary:

BILL NOK00244 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORMaher

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

&nbsp

Go to top K00244 Actions:

BILL NOK00244 

&nbsp

03/20/2025introduced

03/20/2025adopted

Go to topK00244 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topK00244 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topK00244 Text:

Assembly Resolution No. 244

BY: M. of A. Maher

 COMMEMORATING the 150th Anniversary of the Village
 of Margaretville, New York

 WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate the distinguished histories of the communities which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

 WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Village of Margaretville, New
York; and

 WHEREAS, The Village of Margaretville is located on the East Branch
of the Delaware River in the south-central part of the Town of
Middletown which is located in a mountainous area of the Western
Catskill Mountains; and

 WHEREAS, The earliest European settlers in Margaretville arrived
just after the Revolution; once known as Pakataghkan, or "the meeting of
three rivers," the early village was named Middletown Center; in 1850 it
was re-named Margaretville in honor of Margaret Lewis, the granddaughter
of Robert Livingston, whose family once owned large portions of the
Hardenburgh Patent, including the site of the village; and

 WHEREAS, Margaretville began to develop as a village in the early
1840s; among the village's earliest and most influential citizens was
Dr. Orson M. Allaben; in 1843 he acquired land in what became the core
of the Village of Margaretville; two years later he built a Main Street
residence and office, which also served as the location of the first
village store; and

 WHEREAS, In addition, Dr. Orson M. Allaben ran a printing press and
established the village's first newspaper, the "Utilitarian," in 1863;
he also held several public offices, serving as a supervisor for seven
terms and as a member of the New York State Assembly (1840; 1870) and
Senate (1864-65); and

 WHEREAS, Between 1843 and 1869, the village experienced rapid
growth; the Beers map from that period shows approximately 80 buildings,
primarily along Main Street, with additional structures on parallel and
intersecting streets; Main Street was positioned on the north side of
the East Branch of the Delaware River, while a small channel, the
Binnekill, was diverted from the river near Main Street to support the
village's industrial activities; and

 WHEREAS, The development included a mix of industrial, residential,
and civic buildings; early industries featured tanneries, foundries, and
sawmills, along with businesses such as a cobbler's shop, wagon shop,
harness shop, cooperage, cabinet and paint shop, and blacksmith shop;
social and civic institutions included a post office, school, several
doctors' offices, the Methodist Church (constructed in 1851), and both
the Margaretville Masonic Lodge and Odd Fellow's Pakatakan Lodge, which

were established in 1855; the area still had several farms, along with a
few hotels and a cemetery; and

 WHEREAS, Like much of the Catskills, the growth of Margaretville was
shaped by the arrival of the railroad; in the 1870s, the Ulster and
Delaware Railroad, a major transportation route linking the Hudson River
(and New York City) to Delaware County, ran northwest from Kingston to
Phoenicia, then through Fleischmanns, Arkville, Kelly's Corners,
Halcottsville, Roxbury, and further on toward Oneonta; and

 WHEREAS, Although Margaretville was located just off the U&D line, a
few miles west of Arkville, the Delaware and Eastern Railroad (later
known as the Delaware and Northern) was established in 1905 to extend
the U&D line from Arkville westward along the East Branch of the
Delaware River, with key stops in Margaretville, Dunraven, Andes,
Downsville, and East Branch, where it connected with the Ontario and
Western main line; and

 WHEREAS, This new railroad link connected Margaretville to two major
railroads serving the Catskills; the D&N established its terminal yards
and shops in Margaretville, providing signifi