Editing Nyack, New York (section)

== History ==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2012}}
Native American [[Relic|stone relic]]s and [[Midden|oyster middens]]s found along the Hudson River shoreline indicate that present-day Nyack was a popular pre-Colonial [[fishing]] location. The first Europeans settled there in 1675, calling the general area "Tappan".

'''Harman Douwenszen''' is believed to be the first white settler. He came to America as a [[toddler]] and grew up in [[Bergen Township, New Jersey (1661–1862)|Bergen, New Jersey]], which became New Jersey after the British assumed control and divided New Netherland in 1664. <!-- He settled his father's rough land that is today Nyack. Comment: This appears contradictory as stated, unless his father never occupied his own land --> A letter from 1687 is on file in the State Archives in [[Albany, New York|Albany]] petitioning [[Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick|Governor Dongan]] to buy a strip of land in the west hills of Tappan (today Nyack), where he had lived for 12 years. His petition was granted, and he bought the land from the Native Americans. He called his farm New Orania (''Oranje'' in Dutch). This section of Nyack became known as Orangetown in 1683. The Tappan Register of 1707 claimed it was pronounced Nay-ack. Nyack became part of [[Rockland County]] in 1798. Harman's younger brother Theius changed the family name from Douwse ([[Frisian languages|Frisian]] for first son) to Talma ([[Dutch language|Dutch]] for first son). His children became Talman and eventually Tallmans. The New Orania farm became the Tallman [[Homestead (buildings)|homestead]], at the northeast corner of what is now Broadway and Tallman Place. The building was demolished in 1914.

Letter dated 31 August 1687 on file at [[New York State Archives]] at Albany:
<blockquote>The humble Peticon of Harman Dowse of Tappan Neare Ye River Side, Alias New Orania farm ... your peticonr is a farmer that hath nothing wot comes by his hard labour but by God's Blessing out ye Produce and ye ground, and hath a family to provide for.</blockquote>
A [[Commemorative plaque|plaque]] installed in 1938 on the north wall of the Key Bank building at South Broadway and Burd Street in Nyack reads:
<blockquote>The [[Tappan Indians]], from time immemorial, occupied these lands fronting the river shore. Here, in summer they lived upon fish and oysters. In [[Algonquian languages|Algonkian dialect]] spoken by them they called this location NAY-ACK which means the fishing place. The first settlement of [[white people]] within the limits of the present Rockland County, New York, took place in 1675 when Harmen Dowesen (Tallman), a young [[Dutch people|Dutchman]] of [[Bergen Township, New Jersey (1661–1862)|Bergen, New Jersey]] relocated here.</blockquote>

The Tallmans erected a [[Watermill|mill]] on a stream still known as Mill Brook. Abraham Lydecker purchased land from the Tallmans when there were only seven homes in Nyack in 1813. Nyack became an [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] village in 1872, according to the same plaque on the Midland Trust Building.

[[File:2ND ANNUAL DINNER COMMEMORATING THE FIRST CENTENNIAL OF ROCKLAND COUNTY (held by) NYACK BOARD OF TRADE (at) ST. GEORGE HOTEL (HOT;) (NYPL Hades-271176-4000004784).jpg|thumb|300px|View of Nyack, ca. 1898]]

Three major industries once thrived in Nyack: [[sandstone]] [[quarrying]] for [[New York City]] buildings ({{circa|1800}}–1840); boat building—[[sloops]], [[steamboats]], then [[pleasure craft]] and [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] [[submarine chasers]] (ca. 1915–1948); and [[Shoe manufacture|shoe manufacturing]] (ca. 1828–1900). 
<!-- Nyack was incorporated as a village in 1782. {{Fact|date=June 2009|This statement appears to be contradictory to the source provided.}}-->
Following the extension of the [[Northern Branch]] into the community in the mid-19th century, rapid growth ensued. As town government was no longer seen as an effective way to deal with the community's needs, village incorporation was discussed. Fearing higher [[taxes]], those in what would have become the northern part of Nyack village formed their own [[municipal corporation]] first, named Upper Nyack. Nyack village was incorporated, although without this northern portion. Residents in the southern part of Nyack village, however, soon became dissatisfied with the notion of paying taxes that more heavily benefited the rest of the village. After succeeding in dissolving Nyack's corporation, the southern portion of the former village incorporated as the village of South Nyack. The area between Upper Nyack and South Nyack was reincorporated thereafter, again as Nyack.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nyack to be Incorporated |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1883/02/28/102803803.pdf |access-date=December 25, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 28, 1883}}</ref>

The [[Nyack Rocklands]] were a [[minor league baseball]] team based in Nyack, New York. Unofficially nicknamed the "Rockies", the Rocklands played as members of the [[Class D (baseball)|Class D]] level [[North Atlantic League]] from 1946 to 1948 and were an affiliate of the [[Philadelphia Athletics]] in 1947.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Nyack was known for its [[shipbuilding]] and was the commercial center of Rockland County. In the 19th century, a number of factories manufactured shoes. The [[Erie Railroad]] connected with [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], where [[ferries]] took passengers to [[Chambers Street (Manhattan)|Chambers Street, New York City]], until service was discontinued in 1966. With the completion of the [[Tappan Zee Bridge (1955–2017)|Tappan Zee Bridge]] in December 1955, connecting South Nyack with [[Tarrytown, New York|Tarrytown]] in [[Westchester County]], the population increased and Nyack's commercial sector expanded.

In the 1980s, the village underwent a major [[urban revitalization]] project to commercialize the [[Downtown|downtown area]] and to expand its economy. The [[Helen Hayes]] Theatre was built, and the downtown area became home to many new business establishments.

In 1991, the landmark court case ''[[Stambovsky v. Ackley]]'' ruled that a house at 1 LaVeta Place on the Hudson River was a [[Haunted house|legally haunted]] and that the owner (but not the [[real estate agent]]) was required to disclose that to prospective buyers. The owner, Helen Ackley, had earlier organized [[haunted house]] tours and was party to an article about it in ''[[Reader's Digest]]''. After Ackley sold the house to another buyer, there were no subsequent reports of hauntings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DE1F39F933A15750C0A966958260 |title=Phones Ringing (Eerily?) For Nyack Spook Home |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 20, 1990 |access-date=May 7, 2012 |first=James |last=Barron}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kavanagh |first1=Mark |title=Ghost of Nyack: Update |url=http://ktransit.com/Kavanagh/Ghost/ghost-update.htm |website=ktransit.com |access-date=December 25, 2020 |date=March 25, 2017}}</ref>

On August 10, 2010, Highland Hose Company No. 5, a two-story brick [[firehouse]] located at 288 Main Street, celebrated 100 years at the firehouse, which was built in 1910 – fifteen years after Highland Hose was founded. The company's 1949 [[Ahrens-Fox]] fire engine was polished to bright, gleaming red and is still in use after more than 50 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lohud.com/article/20100802/NEWS03/8020344/Highland-Hose-Company-No-5-of-Nyack-celebrates-100-years-at-the-firehouse |title=Highland Hose Company No. 5 of Nyack celebrates 100 years at the firehouse – Retrieved August 4, 2010 |publisher=Lohud.com |access-date=May 7, 2012 |archive-date=August 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805064215/http://www.lohud.com/article/20100802/NEWS03/8020344/Highland-Hose-Company-No-5-of-Nyack-celebrates-100-years-at-the-firehouse |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Foster |first1=Doug |title=Highland Hose #5 turns 100! |url=https://nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/08/highland-hose-5-turns-100/ |access-date=December 25, 2020 |work=[[Nyack News and Views]] |date=August 1, 2010}}</ref>

===Frederick Douglass at Nyack===
On August 3, 1865, [[Frederick Douglass]] delivered a lecture on [[Abraham Lincoln|Abraham]] and [[Emancipation Proclamation|Emancipation]]. Douglass advocated for black suffrage and equality, emphasizing the role of [[Slavery in the United States|slavery]] in causing the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref>[https://nyacknewsandviews.com/blog/2024/03/unveiling-nyacks-union-hall-a-chronicle-of-history-resilience-change/ Frederick Douglass Speaks]</ref> Frederick Douglass addressed the people of Nyack on September 23, 1872 <ref>[https://news.hrvh.org/veridian/?a=d&d=rocklandctyjournal18720928.2.12&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- Frederick Douglass at Nyack]</ref> at Smithsonian Hall, which opened on April 2, 1872.<ref>[https://nyacknewsandviews.com/blog/2023/11/smithsonian-hall-destroyed-by-fire/ Smithsonian Hall Destroyed by Fire]</ref>