Local historian Charles William Cullen will be giving a slide show presentation in historic High Falls. The highlight of the presentation will be the now-defunct 135-foot-long suspension bridge/aqueduct that once spanned the Rondout at a location locally known as "The Ledges". The Suspension aqueduct was a fundamental component of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, more commonly known as the D&H Canal.

Ground, on the D&H Canal was officially broken on July 13th 1825. After three long years of construction by a team of over 2,500 men, the canal was opened for use in October 1828. The Canal began in High Falls, New York on the Rondout Creek at an area later referred to as Creeklocks, located between Kingston and Rosendale. From High Falls, the canal proceeded southwesterly along the Rondout Creek to Ellenville New York, continuing through the valley of the Sandburg Creek (about one mile south of Napanoch), Homowack Kill, Basher Kill and Neversink River to Port Jervis on the Delaware River. From the Deleware River the Canal moved there the Canal Moved northwest on the New York side of the Delaware River. Due to a flaw in Roebling's design, the aqueduct's wooden portion of the aqueduct's suspension cables burned in 1917. The remaining metal was taken for scrap shortly after.

The presentation will be 10 am directly after a 9:30 am coffee hour, Saturday June 14th at the Bevier House Museum, located at 2682 Route 209, Stone Ridge. Tickets are just $5. For more information: Contact Charles William Cullen at 845-687-4869 or ccullen@hvc.rr.com