Wicked Ulster County: Tales of Desperadoes, Gangs & More

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

Uncover Ulster County's hidden history of unsavory characters and stories of its wicked past.

Situated in the scenic Hudson Valley, Ulster County is a lovely location to make a home and raise a family, but it wasn't always so pleasant. Unsavory characters and immoral events have sullied its name. In the 1870s, the Shawangunk Mountains inspired fear rather than awe, as groups like the Lyman Freer and Shawangunk gangs robbed and terrorized locals, descending from the protection of the wooded peaks. Kingston was torched, arson blazed in Kerhonkson and even the Mohonk Mountain House was threatened by flames. In 1909, the Ashokan Slasher's bloody crimes and sensational trial captured headlines across the country. Discover these and other salacious stories buried in Ulster County's history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609497163
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	07/31/2012
Series:	Wicked
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Adam J. Schenkman is a New York-based writer. Since his start writing for local newspapers, Schenkman has branched out into writing for magazines, blogs, and academic journals, in both history and other subjects. Schenkman is also author of several books about local and regional history.

Table of Contents

Preface: All Things that are Wicked 9

Acknowledgements 11

1 Alligators in Ellenville 13

2 Rip Van Markle 19

3 The Craft Episode: Murder in Lattingtown 23

4 The Ashokan Slasher 29

5 Fannie Toth and a Slasher Named Robert Digs 33

6 The Shawangunk Gang and the Lyman Freer Gang 38

7 Big Bad Bill Monroe: The Gardiner Desperado 44

8 It is Your Money or Your Life 53

9 The Day Mohonk Almost Burned 59

10 Arson in Kerhonkson 64

11 The Day Kingston was Put to the Torch 71

12 Il Mano Nero: The Black Hand 83

13 Gyp the Blood and the Ulster County Connection 94

14 The Ulster County Sheriff's Department: Bringing the Wicked to Justice 109

References 117

About the Author 125

Editorial Reviews

Times Herald Record and Shawangunk Journal columnist Schenkman explores the seamier side of the Hudson Valley's colorful past with cheerful relish, tracking down tales of murder, gang robbery, the notorious burning of Kingston, wildfires started by blueberry pickers, the Sicilian Black Hand's influence in the work camps that built the Ashokan Reservoir, and even an alligator lassoed in the D&H Canal. —Chronogram Magazine January 2013

From the Publisher