Editing Congers, New York (section)

==History==
[[File:Lake DeForest High Tor.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Lake DeForest]] is a reservoir that was built in 1956, and can hold over 5 billion gallons of fresh water]]

Congers was settled in the late 17th century by Dutch, German and English settlers. It was known as '''Cedar Grove Corner''' and then '''Waldberg''', which in German means "forest mountain".  It is named after New York State Senator Abraham Bogart Conger (1814 - 1887).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/pr/sc18698.pdf |title=Congers Family Papers 1772–1911 SC18698 |access-date=2011-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512170818/http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/pr/sc18698.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the 19th century the Congers railroad station, three churches, a school, the firehouse and the Central and Globe hotels were built. The first floor of the then Globe hotel on the southeastern corner of Congers Road is presently the Last Chance Saloon. The Clarktown Dutch Reformed Church still stands at the corner of Congers Road and Kings Highway.

Kings Highway was the first major road in the county and for many years the only road from New York to [[Albany, New York|Albany]].

Nine structures in Congers have recognized historical markers dating back to the 18th century, including the DeBaum House on Kings Highway, the Smith House on Gilchrest Road and the Snedeker House, where the [[George Washington]] is believed to have spent a night in his role as commander-in-chief of Colonial forces during the [[American Revolution]].

The Swartout estate, which was occupied by George Swartout, was part of a large tract of land confiscated by the government about 1777. It was purchased by General [[Jacobus Swartwout]], who was a top ally of Washington, and member of a family who traced their residence in Rockland County to 1660.

[[Lake DeForest]], a reservoir with a capacity of over 5 billion gallons, was built in 1955-1956.  It is named after Henry L. Deforest, President of the Spring Valley Works and Supply Company.

Several roads are named after Union Civil War generals, including [[Ulysses S Grant|Grant]], [[Ambrose Burnside|Burnside]], [[Philip Sheridan|Sheridan]], [[William Tecumseh Sherman|Sherman]], and [[William Rosecrans|Rosecrans]] avenues.

A memorial in honor of 1st Lieutenant Raymond B. Jauss is located at the park adjacent to the railroad crossing at the center of town. Jauss received a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in World War I, and was killed on July 15, 1918 near [[Crezancy|Crezancy, France]]. He was a graduate of Columbia University and his family had a summer home in Congers. Jauss was married to a childhood sweetheart - and fellow Congers resident - Harriet James; their wedding occurred two days before he sailed for Europe.

Congers had regular passenger train service along the [[New York Central Railroad]]'s [[West Shore Railroad]] from [[Weehawken, New Jersey]] (opposite Midtown Manhattan) north to Newburgh, Kingston and Albany until 1958. A shortened commuter service continued to [[West Haverstraw]] until 1959.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nyc.railfan.net/ws-jk.html|title=Comments On The West Shore from James Knecht|website=Nyc.railfan.net|access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=New York Central Railroad, Table 50|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=92 |issue=7 |date=December 1959}}</ref>

===St Paul's Church===
Catholics in Congers initially attended St. Peter's Church in Haverstraw. Rev. Thomas McGare of St. Peter's built St Paul's Church, Clarkstown's first [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] church, on Lake Road in the early 1890s. In 1901 Rev. John A. Nageleisen built mission stations in [[St. Michael's Church (Rockland Lake, New York)|Rockland Lake]], Bardonia, and New City.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KL4YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA428 Lafort, Remigius. ''The Catholic Church in the United States of America'', Vol. 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg]''. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.400</ref>

===Gilchrest Road crossing accident===
{{Main|Gilchrest Road, New York crossing accident}}