NARROWSBURG, NY — Four Upper Delaware regional history books chronicling the spectacular New York State Route 97 Hawk’s Nest section, the 1779 Revolutionary War Battle of Minisink, the 18th-century Fort Decker in Port Jervis and the fictionalized tale of real-life local legend Lucy Ann Lobdell are available for sale at reduced prices by the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc.

Proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization’s mission to enhance and promote the state-designated byway along NYS Route 97, which travels through three counties from Hancock to Port Jervis along the nationally-designated Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.

The books may be ordered online via the www.upper
delawarescenicbyway.org store page with credit card payment or picked up at the Upper Delaware Council office, located at 211 Bridge St. (across from the Tusten Town Hall). Cash or checks payable to “Upper Delaware Scenic Byway” will be accepted.

Contact Laurie Ramie at info@upperdelawarescenic byway.org or 845/252-3022 with any inquiries.

“Hawk’s Nest: Newspaper History of the Road” was published by historian Norma Schadt from the Town of Deerpark and a former UDSB alternate representative for the town under the imprint of The 1863 Schoolhouse Press.

It includes a compilation of newspaper articles, dating back to the mid-1800s, that tell the story of this 1.5-mile stretch of Route 97 from its time as a single-lane dirt track between Sparrowbush and Mongaup, through completion of this engineering marvel on August 30, 1939, to its 2002 dedication as an important feature of the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. Many of the photos have never appeared in print.

The Hawk’s Nest, situated between a rock cliff and the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, has been featured in national television commercials and on the cover of magazines for the thrilling ride and sweeping vistas offered by its twisting curves. Thousands of visitors stop at the pull-offs to enjoy the view throughout the year, with each season exhibiting its own individual character and beauty.

The soft-cover, illustrated book is 150 pages long. It originally retailed for $15 but is now available for the reduced price of $10. Add $2.50 for shipping and handling if mailed.

“So Many Brave Men: A History of the Battle at Minisink Ford” was written by Mark Hendrickson, Jon Inners and Peter Osborne, and published by Pienpack Publishing. The 828-page, soft-cover tome tells the complete story of one of the Revolutionary War’s bloodiest battles, documented by 43 authenticated pension records of participants with five maps and 15 period illustrations.

The battle took place on a hill above Minisink Ford, NY along the Upper Delaware River. It was a disaster for the American militia units; more than one-third of their men perished.

This first major work written on the battle in 30 years normally retails for $42.99 but is available through UDSB, Inc. for $35, including shipping and handling.

“Perseverance & Vigilance: The History of the Old Decker Stone House” was published under the imprint of Minisink Press by Peter Osborne, former executive director of the Minisink Valley Historical Society. Osborne previously represented the City of Port Jervis on the UDSB board.

The story traces the history of the 1793 Fort Decker building from early in the Revolutionary War, to the raids of the infamous Mohawk warrior-statesman Joseph Brant, to the era of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, when the stone structure served as a hotel for the canal’s founders and engineers.

It also includes genealogies of people who have lived in and owned the building over the last 200 years, and speculates on the identity of the mysterious spirit that regularly turns on the building’s lights.

Today, the Fort Decker building located at 127 West Main St. in Port Jervis is operated by the Minisink Valley Historical Society as a museum of history.

The soft-cover book is 224 pages long, with 84 illustrations. It sells for $19.95. Please add $4.80 for shipping and handling.

“The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell”, written by William Klaber of Long Eddy, NY, tells the story of a scandalous woman who lived 160 years ago, growing up as a “Modern Diana” hunting in the Basket Creek backwoods, traveling through Wayne County, PA, and out to the western frontier of Minnesota, before being the subject of a remarkable 1,500-word obituary in the New York Times in 1879.

Lucy Ann/Joseph Lobdell left behind a memoir of her courageous adventures and the risky consequences of dressing in male attire to provide for her family, gain equality of wages and experience the freedom to love whom she wanted.

Published by Greenleaf Book Group, LLC, the 292-page book originally retailed for $24.95 but is available in hard-cover format for $20 (only one left as of press time) or in soft-cover for $10, both inclusive of shipping costs, from the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc.