A Walk through Peekskill – Whiskey River

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I was by now very, very thirsty. I could have maybe staggered a bit farther to get to my eventual destination, but I found myself passing this place. It’s called Whiskey River, and it specializes in a variety of whiskeys and, more importantly CRAFT BEERS. How could I resist?

A Westchester Magazine review (A Curated Menu of Epic Eats Is Blowing up in Peekskill) from May 2020 described it as follows (note that this is a very short extract from a much longer review):

All in all, Whiskey River has hit the ground running despite some serious hurdles in the market. They’ve partnered with local all-stars Blithe Bagels for a Mother’s Day gift basket and are already working on more team-ups and limited-time menu options. The food is outstanding, the drink options are copious (and quality), and for all that the prices are shockingly reasonable — only $12-$16 for most entrées in large portions, and $15-$20 for jumbo cocktails (though you can snag an 8oz happy hour margarita until 5 p.m. for just $5).

Local foodies will definitely want to check out this rising star in Peekskill’s downtown scene by putting in a take-out order now. By the time restaurants reopen, we’re not sure you’ll be able to get a reservation.

I didn’t have anything to eat (I was going to another restaurant after all), but I did have one of the craft beers. I don’t remember what it was called, but it certainly tasted good. But then again, by that point probably anything would have tasted good. Maybe even pumpkin beer (my all-time worst beer).

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A Walk through Peekskill – Bruised Apple Books

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At the end of my uphill trek, I ended up outside one of my favorite bookstores: Bruised Apple Books. I was tired and very thirsty, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go in and look around. Thankfully it was air-conditioned.

The store describes itself as follows:

The Bruised Apple is as far from the big corporate bookstores as you can get. From the hand painted sign above the front door to the numerous hidden (and not so hidden) clippings and letters that decorate the store, everything is personalized by the family and friends of the Bruised Apple. Since 1993 we have been buying selling and trading all sorts of used, out of print and sometimes truly rare books, records and now also CDs and movies. We also carry an interesting selection of new books and maps about history and the outdoors in the Hudson Valley. We have about 50,000 titles organized into about 200 subject headings that are comfortably nestled along aisles wide enough to avoid the dreaded claustrophobia…

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I ended up coming out with two books in used but decent condition: Magnum Landscape and Photography: Essays and Images.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A Walk through Peekskill – Murals

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Peekskill has quite a lot of murals. In this particular location (Central Ave) there were several more. I only photographed these two. I’ve not yet been able to find any information about them (e.g. who created them, what they represent, why they’re there etc.), but while looking for such information I came across a person who described such murals as “putting lipstick on a pig”.

I don’t agree. I like the bright colors; they brighten up the place a lot.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A Walk through Peekskill – Lincoln Depot Museum

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According to the museum’s website:

Located by Peekskill Bay on the east bank of the Hudson River, The Lincoln Depot Museum is a 3,000 square foot freight and passenger rail depot where President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped to greet New Yorkers on February 19, 1861 during his inaugural train ride between Springfield, IL and Washington, DC.

New York State Governor George Pataki aided the City of Peekskill with a grant to restore the old rail depot as a museum. County Legislator John G. Testa, then the Mayor of Peekskill, steered a volunteer board of directors to incorporate The Lincoln Depot Foundation, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to restore the Depot as a museum that would illuminate and celebrate Lincoln’s relationship to New York and to New Yorkers before and during the Civil War. Remembering and recounting Lincoln’s ties to Peekskill has special resonance for those who treasure the history of the Hudson Valley as well as lovers of Civil War history.

The mission of The Lincoln Depot Museum is to explore, remember, and educate audiences about the place that our local history played on the national stage.

HISTORY

The Hudson River Railroad finally reached Peekskill in 1849. Early City Historian Carlton B. Scofield described the original station as a “grimy, wooden shack measuring twelve by fourteen feet.” Due to a fire and the expansion of the railroad line to Poughkeepsie in 1850 and then to Albany in 1851, it was clear a new and larger station was needed. The combination Greek and Gothic Revival station visited by Lincoln in 1861 is one of only two surviving original locations visited by Lincoln on his Inaugural Journey. The other is located in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln’s trip began. The depot originally served as a combination passenger station and freight depot. The depot was eventually abandoned for passenger use in 1874 when the present Romanesque Style station was opened on Railroad Avenue. Although there are no known records showing the exact date the depot was constructed, the earliest known map depicting the depot is from 1852. An original copy of this map is on display in the museum.

Abraham Lincoln left Springfield, Illinois on February 11, 1861 and arrived in Washington DC on February 23rd for his upcoming Inauguration as President of the United States. His stop in Peekskill on February 19th was his only stop in Westchester County. He stopped at the invitation of one of Peekskill’s most prominent citizens, William Nelson, a local lawyer and former Congressman serving with Lincoln from 1847-49. Two village residents attending Lincoln’s visit were Chauncey M. Depew (26 years old) and James W. Husted (27 years old). Both men were recent graduates of Yale and these local lawyers led the local supporters of Lincoln. Together, they formed the Highland Wide Awakes and led pro-Lincoln parades through the streets of Peekskill. Both would go on to prominence of their own. Depew was a NY State Assembly member, NY Secretary of State, Westchester County Clerk, US Senator and President of the NY Central Railroad; he played an important role in Lincoln’s reelection obtaining the votes of NY soldiers in the field. Husted served 22 years as a member of the NY State Assembly spending time as Speaker and Minority Leader and he became a Major General for the Fifth Division of the NY National Guard. Additionally, he spent time as Superintendent of Peekskill Public Schools and Harbor Master of NY.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV