The ruins of an unwavering monument to patriotism, the American industrial spirit, and the rebellious daring-do of the fledgling nation may be seen along the fall-tinted beautiful route.
Under General George Washington’s command, Continental soldiers constructed an iron chain that crossed the Hudson River close to West Point. It was reported by several sources to weigh between 65 and 75 tons.
ROSH HASHANAH INSISTS THAT THE OLDEST JEWISH BOOK IN THE WORLD BE DISPLAYED IN THE BIBLE MUSEUM
The iron barrier was built to block the almighty British navy from controlling the crucial canal and dividing rebellious New England from the rest of the American colonies.
According to Dan Davis, senior education manager of the American Battlefield Trust in Washington, D.C., “I would call the chain an engineering marvel for its time,” News said.
The Albany Institute of History and Art states that “the massive chain [was] made of 1,200 links of wrought iron, stretched 1,700 feet in length… and took forty men a total of four days to install.”
There are still traces of the local iron foundries and the chain. They are tucked away among charming riverfront villages that sparkle in the natural marvel of the fire-hued Hudson River in fall, as well as surrounding the commanding cliffs and citadel towers of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
