Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

Peace In The Valley

The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, finally brought peace to the beleaguered people of the Mohawk Valley. In Tryon County, hundreds of buildings had been burned and thousands of farms lay abandoned, and, at one time during the war, it appeared as though Schenectady were once again the westernmost outpost.

If the American Revolution brought hardship to the Mohawk Valley, it also laid the foundation for a new era of growth and prosperity. In the years that followed, a remarkable expansion ensued. Today the Valley demonstrates physical reminders of its glorious past. Historic properties, such as Herkimer Home and Johnson Hall, bear witness to the graciousness of an earlier way of life. Much of the Valley still retains an agricultural and rural character, but there is also marked evidence of new forces of industrialism and urbanization. The Valley is still the best level pass through the Appalachian Mountain chain, and turnpike, canal, railroad and highway have followed that route. It is, in addition, a geological region that invites wonder.

For those gifted with historical imagination, the Mohawk Valley offers boundless opportunities. For those who are primarily concerned with natural beauty, the Valley offers equal benefits. Van Curler's description of 1642 is still appropriate: "The most beautiful land that the eyes of man ever beheld."

Mohawk Valley in The Revolution