Bitter Farewell: The Esopus Indian Experience in the American Revolution
Sat, May 02
|Shinhopple Memorial Center
The American Revolution was a time of major upheaval for Native communities in the Catskills. Join Justin Wexler of Wild Hudson Valley for an in-person lecture hosted by the Colchester Historical Society to hear the dramatic story of the Catskill Mountains' Esopus Indians during this turbulent time.
Time & Location
May 02, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Shinhopple Memorial Center, 1406 Trout Brook Rd, Downsville, NY 13755, USA
About the Event
Date & Time: May 2, 2026 from 2:00-3:30 PM
Location: The Shinhopple Memorial Center, a historic converted log chapel in Delaware County NY.
Address: 1406 Trout Brook Rd, Downsville, NY 13755, USA
Free to the public, no registration needed!
Event Description: The American Revolution was a time of major upheaval for Native communities in the Catskills. The destruction of war would ultimately force them out of their ancestral homelands. This presentation tells the dramatic story of the Catskill Mountains' Esopus Indian residents and their neighbors during this turbulent period by weaving together an array of archival sources and little-known oral histories.
About the presenter:
A life-long resident of the Hudson Valley and Catskills, Justin Wexler has dedicated his life to learning everything he can about the lives, land management practices and ethnoecology of the region's original human inhabitants. He has a BA in history and anthropology from Marlboro College and an MA in teaching history from Bard College. Through his organization, Wild Hudson Valley, he works tirelessly to connect the area’s current residents to regional natural history through guided walks, boat tours, presentations and workshops.