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Port Jervis, New York, is located on the scenic upper
Delaware river where the states of New
York, Pennsylvania, and
New Jersey meet (see maps here).
Claiming a population of about 9,000, this small city is further
situated on the western border of Orange
County, one
of New York's original counties and whose founding dates back to
1683.
It
is said that prior to the arrival of the first Europeans in the late
17th and early 18th centuries, Port Jervis was known as "Magagkamack,"
which is a Lenni-Lenape
(Delaware Indian) phrase that has been interpreted as
"pumpkin field" or "land covered in
grass." It was in the general vicinity of Port Jervis
that a sub-group of the Lenape, the Munsee, made their traditional
seat of government.
Because
of its location and waterways, which also includes the mouth of the Neversink river,
Port Jervis has long been a transportation hub.
Begun in 1825, the Delaware and
Hudson Canal was the nation's first million dollar private
venture and it crossed Port Jervis as did what is sometimes
described as the oldest
100 mile commercial road in America. It is after John B.
Jervis, the D & H Canal's principal engineer, that the city
is named.
About
a 90 minute drive from New York City,
Port Jervis was once an important
railroad center and still has one of the region's few remaining steam engine
turntables. Today, commuter rail service to points
east and south, including New York City, is provided by New Jersey
Transit. Additional connections can be made by Amtrak
in Manhattan's Penn Station and through the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, of which Metro-North
Railroad is part. Transportation by Shortline Bus
is available with connections at the Port
Authority Bus Terminal. Interstate 84
and New Jersey's Route 23 are found at
the city's southeastern border. Likewise, both Stewart
International Airport and the New York State
Thruway can be reached by a convenient 45 minute drive via the
Interstate. New York Route 17
(future I-86) also connects with the Interstate and lies about a
half-hour distant from Port Jervis.
Although
not far from one of the world's largest metropolitan areas and
within a day's ride of Philadephia,
PA, Atlantic City, NJ,
Washington, D.C., Boston,
MA, and Montreal, Canada,
Port Jervis retains its rural quality. Attracted by the area's
natural beauty, including the scenic "Hawk's
Nest" section of New York Route 97, every year hundreds of
thousands of visitors canoe and raft
down the Delaware river. This same region is a popular
fishing spot and is graced with American Bald Eagles
that can be observed from public viewing areas, particularly during
the winter months.
Questions? Comments?
Contact webmaster@PortJervisNY.com
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