The Story of Marlborough: The History Behind a Town Landmark: Marlboro's Nature Trail & Two Creeks

Envisioned by Marlboro’s Nature Trail Committee, the Marlboro Nature Trail was completed in the late Fall of 2020. Spanning two miles, beginning at St. Mary’s Church’s parking lot and continuing down to the Hudson River, many local individuals and businesses helped in the construction of this trail. As each person and local business who donated their time, funds, and hard work deserves recognition, please read the following articles from The Times Hudson Valley and The Town of Marlborough.

At the bottom of the trail, Old Man’s Kill and Jew’s Creek come together. Located along the northern edge of town, reference to Old Man’s Kill can be found dating back to the 1600s. The creek is believed to be named after Dennis Relje, (also known as “Old Man Dennis”), who was the first known settler of Marlboro on record. It is believed that his residence was located somewhere along the creek. During the 1800s, the creek was noted to be the only source of power for the town and became home to numerous factories and mills, including the Rink Building (present-day The Falcon), Greaves Dye Works, and Sutcliff Mill. At one point, it was noted that the creek had over "ten mills of different kinds operating on its banks." Today, remnants of the many mills and factories can still be seen along the trail.

Jew’s Creek runs along the southern edge of town, and received its name, from Luis Moses Gomez, a Jewish community leader from New York City, who built a blockhouse on the creek in the early 1700s. Today, the site of this blockhouse is the Gomez Mill House, a historical site sitting on the Ulster and Orange County line. According to historical records, “the original landings for vessels at Marlborough were in Jew’s creek,” and many ships made their way up to Marlborough taking this route. Records are unclear at what time ships stopped coming up the creek, but by 1887, a newspaper article reports that only a small boat could navigate it. One angry resident in 1888, wrote into the Cold Spring Recorder, that the construction of the West Shore Railroad through Marlborough ruined his property and obstructed the navigation of ships up the creek. A judge had ordered the West Shore Line to correct this issue, although further reports regarding whether the issue was resolved have not been uncovered.

The two creeks meet right before flowing into the Hudson River and are known today, as Lattintown Creek North and South Branch.

Today, the Nature Trail is enjoyed by many locals and future plans for the trail remain in the works.

Sources:

Argiro, P. (1977). "Branching." The Southern Ulster Pioneer.

"Old Mill Wheel Begins to Show its Form." (1970). Southern Ulster Pioneer.

Plank, W. (1959). History of the Town of Marlborough. Marlborough, N.Y.: The Fifty-Niner.

"Verdict Against The West Shore Railroad." (1888). The Cold Spring Recorder.