Haunted High Falls: Tales from the Canal -The Haunted Telegraph, all new for 2025!

Siren Theatre and the D&H Canal Historical Society once again welcome you to Haunted High Falls: Tales from the Canal — this year presenting an entirely new play The Haunted Telegraph. In this newly written show, the audience will experience a spooky, theatrical tour through time. The Haunted Telegraph is based off a true story, discovered by C. G. Hine in a local newspaper clipping and published in his 1909 book, The Old Mine Road. The story sends us back to 1866, a time when telegraph machines were used to communicate across long distances, women were finding a footing in independent careers, and murders were much more difficult to solve…

Come watch the characters lives unfold right before your eyes and take a short walk through a series of connected scenes… you will unravel the mystery of the canal and learn the terrible secrets of those who worked and lived by it. Inspired by true tales of hauntings and horrors from High Falls and its surrounding towns, this is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Tickets are $28

Haunted High Falls: Tales from the Canal -The Haunted Telegraph, all new for 2025!

Siren Theatre and the D&H Canal Historical Society once again welcome you to Haunted High Falls: Tales from the Canal — this year presenting an entirely new play The Haunted Telegraph. In this newly written show, the audience will experience a spooky, theatrical tour through time. The Haunted Telegraph is based off a true story, discovered by C. G. Hine in a local newspaper clipping and published in his 1909 book, The Old Mine Road. The story sends us back to 1866, a time when telegraph machines were used to communicate across long distances, women were finding a footing in independent careers, and murders were much more difficult to solve…

Come watch the characters lives unfold right before your eyes and take a short walk through a series of connected scenes… you will unravel the mystery of the canal and learn the terrible secrets of those who worked and lived by it. Inspired by true tales of hauntings and horrors from High Falls and its surrounding towns, this is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Tickets are $28

Screening: A 20-minute preview of THE BRIDGE ACROSS TIME will be introduced by the filmmakers, Neville Bean and Robert Vandeweghe.

Discussion & Q&A: After the screening, Historian Bill Merchant, Curator of the D&H Canal Historical Society, will be in conversation with Roebling scholar Professor Paul King, R.A., AIA, SARA, ASCE, Professor of architecture and engineering at New York City College of Technology. They will explore the impact that the D&H Canal, and the waves of immigration it brought, had on the Rondout Waterfront. They will explain the crucial role John Roebling, famed for his design of the Brooklyn Bridge, played in the Wurts Street Bridge engineering and design and its significance in suspension bridge history.

THE BRIDGE ACROSS TIME is an upcoming documentary film which demystifies the art and science of suspension bridge construction with a then-and-now exploration of the original building of the Wurts Street Bridge and the challenging renovation undertaken a century later. The film chronicles the entire project, giving the viewer an astounding bird’s-eye view of the work, explained with engaging expert commentary. Voices from local historians, engineers, workers, politicians and community members help tell a broader story of the Hudson Valley and the Rondout waterfront; its pivotal role in America’s founding, its natural beauty, and its vibrant immigrant history. The documentary celebrates the transformative power of human ingenuity and the creative spirit.

Meet at 2:00pm at the D&H Canal Museum & Mid-Hudson Visitor Center (1315 Route 213, 12440) in the center of High Falls, in Ulster County, NY for a conversation about the exciting and important history of the Delaware & Hudson Canal. D&H Canal Historical Society Historian & Curator Bill Merchant will guide you along the National Historic Landmark Five Locks Walk, five extant D&H Canal Locks from the 1850 enlargement of the Canal, restored in 2000. Learn the stories of the immigrants who built and operated this important American transportation waterway that supplied Pennsylvania anthracite coal to NYC, fueling its rise as an international center of commerce and the nation’s Industrial Revolution. Bring your friends and your questions! (No advance registration necessary.)

Professor Kevin Lerner, Chair of the Department of Communication at Marist University on The Crisis in American Journalism. He has written extensively on American journalism in the NY Times, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Slate and professional journals.

Meet at 2:00pm at the D&H Canal Museum & Mid-Hudson Visitor Center (1315 Route 213, 12440) in the center of High Falls, in Ulster County, NY for a conversation about the exciting and important history of the Delaware & Hudson Canal. D&H Canal Historical Society Historian & Curator Bill Merchant will guide you along the National Historic Landmark Five Locks Walk, five extant D&H Canal Locks from the 1850 enlargement of the Canal, restored in 2000. Learn the stories of the immigrants who built and operated this important American transportation waterway that supplied Pennsylvania anthracite coal to NYC, fueling its rise as an international center of commerce and the nation’s Industrial Revolution. Bring your friends and your questions! (No advance registration necessary.)

"I must apologize profusely: I was recently selected for a temporary duty assignment in Eastern Europe and will be out of the country at the end of this month.  It is my fault that I did not catch the conflict earlier."

 Professor Robert Person of the US Military Academy on Russia and the West. Dr. Person is Director of Curriculum, for the International Affairs Program at USMA. He has published numerous articles on international affairs, with a specialty on Russia. He is the recipient of the Army Civilian Service Achievement Medal and is a consultant to the Department of Defense and other US Government agencies.

Famed immigrant engineer John Augustus Roebling made his mark on civil engineering in 19th century America. In this well illustrated presentation, Historian Bill Merchant discusses the many innovations Roebling employed for the D&H Canal Company. One of the DHTHC 200th anniversary celebrations.

Meet at 2:00pm at the D&H Canal Museum & Mid-Hudson Visitor Center (1315 Route 213, 12440) in the center of High Falls, in Ulster County, NY for a conversation about the exciting and important history of the Delaware & Hudson Canal. D&H Canal Historical Society Historian & Curator Bill Merchant will guide you along the National Historic Landmark Five Locks Walk, five extant D&H Canal Locks from the 1850 enlargement of the Canal, restored in 2000. Learn the stories of the immigrants who built and operated this important American transportation waterway that supplied Pennsylvania anthracite coal to NYC, fueling its rise as an international center of commerce and the nation’s Industrial Revolution. Bring your friends and your questions! (No advance registration necessary.)

Ulster County Clerk and Kingston Historian Taylor Bruck presents on on Henry Abbey, the Bard of Kingston .

Born in 1842 in Rondout, Henry Abbey was a prolific poet and among the first published authors from Ulster County. Known for his charming and accessible poetry, Abbey was celebrated in his time as one of the best minor poets in the country, even attracting visits from literary luminaries like Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain. Though his works never gained recognition as truly great, Abbey’s ability to capture the spirit of his era remains invaluable. His poems often addressed significant events, such as the Battle of Gettysburg, offering unique historical insights through an artist's lens. Join us to delve into the life and legacy of this 19th-century poet and explore how art helps shape our understanding of history.

The Delaware & Hudson Canal was an important industrial enterprise in 19th century America, marketing Pennsylvania anthracite coal through its Canal and, later, its extensive railroad network. It relied on the labor of marginalized peoples- immigrants, women, children and people of color- to construct and operate its Canal. Historian Bill Merchant has conducted extensive research on the plight of the many marginalized peoples who comprised the vast majority of this workforce. This presentation relates how the labor of immigrants contributed to its immense success, using stories from primary sources along with many period images.

D&H Canal Historical Society Concierge Nancy Bachana on The D&H Canal Made the Sullivan County Tanning Industry Possible.

2025 marks the 200th Anniversary of the initiation of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The Delaware and Hudson Transportation Heritage Council (DHTHC) is sponsoring a series of events, through 2029, in celebration. D&HCHS Historian and DHTHC President Bill Merchant will give an illustrated lecture on its important history and will discuss the many features that enthusiasts can visit today. This is part of a weekend’s worth of celebrations of the D&H Canal and Gravity Railroad.

2025 marks the 200th Anniversary of the initiation of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The Delaware and Hudson Transportation Heritage Council (DHTHC) is sponsoring a series of events, through 2029, in celebration. D&HCHS Historian and DHTHC President Bill Merchant will give a lecture on its important history, illustrated entirely with post card images. This is part of a weekend’s worth of celebrations of the D&H Canal and Gravity Railroad.

Robert Rebelein is an Associate Professor of Economics. He received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1997. His teaching and research interests focus on macroeconomic issues in the United States, including the national debt, individual income tax issues, and selected health care topics. He will discuss “How We Pay For Healthcare: Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, & Private Insurance”

Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran on Entries of Note in the Account Book of Louis Bevier Jr.

Chris Silva will speak on My Life in the Performing Arts. Chris has been associated with some of the finest theaters in the nation and the most outstanding actors, playwrights, producers and directors. From 1994 until his retirement last year, he ran New York State's oldest continuously operating theater, the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, as well as the Ulster Performing Arts Center. During his tenure twenty-two million dollars in capital improvements were made to the two theaters, and artists as diverse as Itzhak Perlman, Al Pacion, Patti LaBelle and Bob Dylan performed in them.

Sally Cross and Peter Bienstock will discuss Philanthropy: Raising Money for Nonprofits. Sally J. Cross is a development professional with more than thirty-five years’ experience. She recently retired after nine years at the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, where she served most recently as President & CEO. She has also taught planned giving, major gifts, and capital campaigns in Bay Path University's graduate Nonprofit Fundraising program. She is presently a consultant in development for nonprofit institutions. Peter Bienstock is President of the D&H Canal Historical Society. He has chaired or co-chaired capital and other fundraising campaigns for Harvard University, the Arts Council of Princeton (NJ) and Storm King Art Center which have raised over $100 million.

Ulster County Archivist and Greene County Historian Jon Palmer on The Catskill Mountain House.

Join Devin Lander, NY State Historian, and an expert panel for a discussion of Innovations in New York History. He will moderate a symposium of leading regional history for a broad discussion of challenges and opportunities for historians and historic sites in New York. The panel includes Prof. of Thomas Wermuth of Marist College, D&H Canal Historical Society Historian/Curator Bill Merchant,  Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran, and Sean Sawyer, President of the Olana Partnership. This event is co-hosted by the Hudson River Valley Institute of Marist College.

Join us Saturday April 19 at 10am for NY Parks & Trails Canal Clean Sweep. Sponsored by the NYS Canal Corporation, Canal Clean Sweep is an annual statewide event that occurs along New York’s historic canalways and greenways on Earth Day weekend. This spring, from April 18-20, 2025, thousands of volunteers will clean up more more than a hundred locations along historic canals in New York State. Join us at 10am at the Mid-Hudson Visitor Center and help us get the Five Locks Walk ready for the spring. We will have coffee and donuts- you bring gloves and gear to clean up the Walk! To register click here!

"Perrine’s Covered Bridge: Celebrating 200 Years Across the Wallkill River: Then & Now" is an illustrated talk that draws on archival and field research. While the talk focuses on Perrine's Bridge, it will also mention two other bridges build across the Wallkill River in the 1820s in the then larger Town of New Paltz--New Paltz Main Street Bridge 1820/1821; Perrine's Bridge 1821/1822; and Phillies Bridge 1826/1827--and then brings the stories forward into the 21st century. The talk will highlight why two dates are shown here.