April 19, 2008: I decided to start from Coeyman's landing and do the 7 or 8 mile trip down to the bottom of Hotaling Island and back.
 The trees don't have any leaves yet so I was able to spot this stack -- I've marked the location on the map. Everyone knows about the stack and powerhouse across from Coxsacki but I've never noticed this one.
It's a relic from the ice harvesting days on the Hudson. Almost every level area along this stretch shows the foundations of old ice warehouses, and these stacks were for the steam engines that ran the conveyor belts that loaded the ice into the buildings. |
 This stack appears to be listing slightly -- it would be a shame if it fell down. It's quite nicely made and worth protecting. You can also see the foundation of the powerhouse where the steam engine was enclosed, and the outlines of the warehouses are clear.
After a little web research, it turns out that this is the remains of the Miller and Whitbeck Ice House, Schodack-Houghtaling Island, formerly Mull's Island, which I see is still noted on the USGS map.
The ice harvesting trade thrived from 1850 to 1915. The area between Catskill and Albany was the hot spot, with over a hundred ice businesses located here. At one time there were thirteen ice houses on Houghtaling island alone.
Must have been quite a sight, the ice barns were enormous and painted bright white.
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