Location:
Park on Yonkers or Garrett Ave and make your way to the staired entrance of the park on Tuckahoe Road. At the based on the stairs look for a well-camouflaged cache blending in the flora. Pencil and log included.
About the Bronx River:
The Bronx River was navigable and important to Native American life before colonization. The river played a role in the Revolutionary War, the Underground Railroad, and commerce before construction of the Kensico Dam limited the free flow of water. The Bronx River provided ice production for a time, sporting several ice houses on its Tuckahoe shores. The marsh areas contributed to yellow fever and malaria outbreaks. It is believed that ornithologist Oliver Austin, Jr.’s passion for birds was inspired by his forays along the Bronx River. During the depression, Italian grandmothers could be seen picking dandelion greens along the river for dinner. Big thanks to Rob Farella for digging through the archives for the historical illustrations.
Thanks to historian Stephen DeVillo for providing this quote for us:
“Tuckahoe is one of the most interesting and historic places along the Bronx River. It was an important spot for the Native Americans, who gathered tuckah roots from the fresh water marshes and moist woodlands along the river. The river here still flows through fresh water marshes, making Tuckahoe a good place to observe migratory waterfowl. Later it became an industrial town, with a water-powered cotton mill (which still stands), and, more famously, quarries for Tuckahoe Marble, which for over a century went to build such landmark buildings as the Washington Monument. Many local residents today are descendants of Italian quarrymen, and the Westchester Italian Cultural Center continues this legacy.” Stephen DeVillo, author of The Bronx River in History & Folklore
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