Just west of Pawling Avenue, Mt. Ida Falls, a remnant of the last glacial episode that covered the Valley some 15,000 years ago, smashes its water among the ancient rocks. The Falls is part of the mighty Poestenkill (Dutch for "Foaming Water") that flows west from the hills and tumbles some 220 feet above the city carving its way through bedrock as it discharges its water into the Hudson below. This beautiful stream and valley played an important part in the industrial development of Troy during the 19th century.

It also has been a source of scientific study, legend and lore, and a favorite recreational site for Trojans for hundreds of years.

Not far from the stream was the Dutch homestead of Richard Vaughn who had a beautiful daughter Elsie. It was quite common in the early settlement years for Mohawk Indians to visit the Dutch settlers in the area. It was a time of mutual respect and cooperation.

One young Mohawk warrior named Dekanisora fell in love with Elsie, but the love was not returned. One night, as the story goes, when Richard Vaughn was away on business, the young Mohawk broke into the home to carry Elsie away as a bride. His better judgement prevailed, but a few days later, he followed Elsie as she wandered along the stream and climbed on top of a ledge next to the falls.

Elsie fell asleep on the ledge, no doubt from the hypnotic effect of the falls, but was awakened quickly just in time to see the young Dekanisora save her life by killing a snake that had coiled and poised to strike. Dekanisora then fell to his knees and professed his love for Elsie.

Elsie made it clear to the love struck warrior that she did not love him, but he was determined to take her. Not wanting to live a life in captivity, Elsie jumped from the ledge to her death. Dekanisora carried her lifeless body to "Robbers' Cave" (see if you can find it) for burial.

Upon returning from New York, Richard Vaughn died of a broken heart shortly after, never recovering from loosing his only daughter. Years later when constructing improvements on the stream, young men found the cave and a few bones inside it. On one of the bones was the inscription, "Elsie."

The natural history of the gorge would soon change as early Trojans began to look for a source of water power.

As early as 1667 a small saw mill was located on the west end of the gorge and probably owned by Jan Barentsen Wemp. The power of the stream and its falls soon gave way to the building of several industries. By 1830, there were saw mills, grist mills, paper and cotton mills all situated along the north bank of the stream.

In 1840, Benjamin Marshall harnessed the power of the stream by drilling a 600 foot tunnel through the solid rock to provide power to his cotton factory and other mills along the stream.

Above the falls, a dam created the large Bleach Works (now Belden's) Pond to furnish water power for the Excelsior knitting Mill on the north bank, just east of the dam. Under various names, the mill lasted until 1909.

It seems like poetic justice today that a hurricane - another part of Mother Nature - destroyed the dams and many of the mills in 1932 marking the end of the use of the valley as an industrial site. The harnessed power of the Poestenkill came to a final end when the last factory, Manning Paper Mill, burned in 1962.

The "gorge" as it is known was a favorite place to picnic during the 19th century. A small unimpressive bridge crossed the gorge just below the falls so people could explore both sides of the stream. Fishing and swimming and picnicking were favorite past times and continue to be today.

To the 19th century geologist, the gorge became the type locality for the discovery of the famous rock thrust, first known as the Logan Fault. This thrust slope begins in Canada and runs down to Alabama. Here in the gorge you can see older rock deposits of the Cambrian period (500 million years ago) resting on top of earlier ones of Ordovician age (350 mya). It's suppose to be the other way around. It's now called the Emmons Thrust, after Ebenezer Emmons, graduate of RPI's first class and first junior professor.

As a kid, I use to roam the Poestenkill and explore the ruins of the old mills and admire the falls. Today there is virtually no trace of this part of Troy's early industrial history. Next week we will explore what has happened to the gorge over the last 20 years.