The extent to which the Native Americans were present in the John Boyd Thacher Park region of the Helderberg Escarpment is a question for many who visit there. It is believed that the first humans to set foot in this region were North Americans, migrating east.

The origins of these people is still debated. The Algonquians and tribes of the Iroquois Nation both inhabited the Helderbergs, at different times, over many years. When Eurpoeans began to arrive, almost 400 years ago, in the vicinity of the “Hellebergh”, the Iroquois dominated this area, west of the “Great River.”

Control of this wilderness was often contentious. The Iroquois were considered by the Dutch to be a superior people and were held with high regard above other North American tribes. The members of the Iroquois Nation were notably intelligent, eloquent, enduring and fierce.

Their existence is evidenced by the various Indian artifacts found with fair abundance on the present-day farms of the Helderberg area. The artifacts of stone and flint tools show a presence of Native Americans in this region for thousands of years, even pre-dating the birth of Christ. These tools are representative of many different native peoples and tribes who visited and lived here. So we are talking about a minimum period of occupation spanning over 8,000 years and in larger numbers of population than were generally educated to believe. These artifacts are the only remaining testament to early man and his life here before written history.

A New York State Museum bulletin of October 1920, entitled The Archeological History of New York states in reference to the Thacher Park area, “A trail known as ‘the bear path’ leads around the cliff just above the hill. It is on a hard projecting stratum of limestone. There are evidences of Indian occupation, and broken bands of Mohicans camped there in comparatively recent times.”

When an arrowhead or broken fragment of a flint tool is found, the lucky treasure hunter cannot help but wonder about the human hand that held it before it was lost or discarded. Depending on its particular design, it could be a couple of hundred years old or thousands of years old.

This really sparks the imagination to speculate about what life was like then and what our countryside looked like. At the time Europeans began arriving here in the New World, the Algonquins and Iroquois were still battling for territory in areas of present-day New York State.

Indian lore tells us that the Helderbergs and Hudson Valley nearby were rich hunting and fishing grounds. Hunting and gathering parties from tribes in the West made annual excursions to this area, to reap the natural resources that were abundant here. At one time, they may have passed through the Schoharie Valley on the Charlotte Trail and over the Helderberg escarpment by way of the first Indian Ladder Trail and to the “Great River.”

Hudson arrives

Upon arriving at the shores of the New World in 1609, it is recorded that Henry Hudson may have met with hostile Native Americans in the lower river valley while later encountering the friendlier Iroquois in the northern sections. The Algonquins still much further to the north had an alliance with the French and access to guns and powder as well as other trade goods.

      So later, as the Dutch followed in Hudson’s footsteps, they were welcomes by the Iroquois as trade partners. This partnership allowed the Iroquois an opportunity to now compete with the Algonquins in battle.

Of note at this time in history, it must be mentioned that an Italian Florentine navigator named Giovanni Da Verrazano was commanding a French crew when he discover the mouth of the “Grande River” in 1594. It seems that he did not venture further up the river and, upon reporting it to the French, felt it was not of vital consequence.

Henry Hudson, an Englishman, working on behalf of the Dutch, did explore the river north and declared all he had surveyed to be the domain of Holland. This included all lands and future settlements from the Atlantic north to the Mohawk River on both sides of the “Grande River.” He and his shipmates were employed by the Dutch East India Co., which sought to profit by his discoveries.

Hudson reported that he was welcomed by the Native Americans in a friendly manner that was dominated by a sense of curiosity. These New World Indians were justifiably inquisitive about the origin of the visitors, their culture, and intent.

The Dutch were excited by the reports Hudson brought back to them. The natural resources in the New World were abundant and the Iroquois were potentially good trade partners to be taken advantage of.

IN 1610, a second vessel was sent to the “Mauritius,” which is what the Dutch now called river.

This new territory was named the “New Netherlands: with a trading post and fort eventually built at both New Amsterdam (now New York City) and Beverwyck (now Albany). A profitable fur trade was negotiated with the native people over the next four years.

Wildlife was plentiful and that translated to a successful fur trade in the European markets. This was the beginning of the settlers working relationship with the Native Americans. Although hunters and trappers arrived from Europe, the Indians had the advantage of home ground and became necessary trading partners.

The French claim fur trading with the Mohawks many years before the Dutch appeared on the “Grande River: and called them “Maquaas,”

The first merchants from Holland to recognize the potential of this new fur-trading proposition charted a business called the New Netherland Co. and were granted a monopoly on fur trade in this region from 1614 to 1618. In 1617, a fort was built at the mouth of the Normanskill on the west bank of the Hudson.

It is believed that this is where the first treaty of friendship was enacted between the Indians and Dutch in 1618. The Dutch wanted to retain control of the New Netherlands and so they needed to populate a wilderness and bargain with the Native Americans for land. To accomplish this task, the Dutch West India Co. was created in 1621 to colonize and populate wherever possible.

Patroon system

A patron system of governance was enacted and called for a wealthy Dutchman to sponsor 50 adults over the age of 15 to voyage to and settle in the region of Beverwyck. Each time a settlement was successful, the patron was granted approximately 10 square miles of land.

The Patroon would finance the trip from Holland and provide farms or land under a conditional agreement. A feudal type of rent system was placed upon the settlers. They were helped with starting anew life here, but were beholden to the Patroon.

The rent agreements varied depending on each new family’s situation. for example, some times rent was given annually in the form of livestock, bushels of grain or fruit and a number of days of service with horse and wagon.

The fir patron to invest in families settling the area surrounding Beverwyck and the Hudson River was merchant in Amsterdam, Holland named Kilianen Van Rensselaer. He accepted the title of patron in 1629.

Not including early fur traders and hunters, the first ship sent with designated settlers for the Dutch West India Co. was called the Unity and arrived at Beverwyck in 1623. The company later sent colonists and their families over on a ship called the Endrocht on behalf of the new patron in  1630. The vessel carried livestock, implements and vital goods.

The Atlantic crossing took 64 days from Holland to New Amsterdam. Van Rensselaer himself was said to never have traveled to the New Netherlands although an unconfirmed sighting was reported in 1637.

His son and business directors did arrive here on his behalf and began to negotiate with Native Americans for land on both sides of the Great River. Eventually, the Van Rensselaer family and the colonists created settlements and farms throughout what is now Albany and Rensselaer counties and beyond.

The boundaries of this area were defined generally as 24 miles north and south on both sides of the Hudson River with Beverwyck near the center and 48 miles east and west. This tract of land was called the “Manor of Rensselaerwyck.”

The “Hellebergh” as the mountains were called by the Dutch, appear on very early maps of the Manor. Each successive descendent of the Van Rensselaer family was referred to as “Lord of the Manor” and retained all rights of property ownership, including hunting and trapping, lumber and mineral resources, water rights, and so on.

The patroon and lord were authorized by the government to judge and jury over most situations arising in Rensselaerwyck. Much to their dismay, it seems sometimes the patron exceeded his authority, acting in opposition to their demands.

Two land transactions of exception occurred within the Manor of Rensselaerwyck — between Indians, and Jan Hendrickse Van Bael in 1672, and also between Indians and Teunis Slingerlands about 1660.

Fur trade and mining

Some examples of the extent of fur trade with the Indians are pronounced in early ship logs. In 1626, the ship Arms of Amsterdam recorded the ship leaving this area with 7,246 beaver skins, 853 otter, 81 mink, 36 wildcat, and 34 muskrat skins; also grains such as oat, rye, wheat, barley, beans, buckwheat, canary seed and flax. During earlier years of trade, the seasonal export of beaver skins was about 1,500, while, by 1633, almost 16,000 beaver skins were shipped annually.

Even more amazing, it was written that in 1656, 34,480 beaver skins were harvested. And, unbelievably, 57,640 beaver pelts were exported in 1658. Obviously these numbers of furs were brought from great distances to the Hudson River where they could be exported to Europe.

Beverwyck was a hub for fur trading. Some fur traders ventured deep into Indian country and sometimes secured furs by any means, including plying Native Americans with alcohol and cheating them. In  1655, a written testimonial was recorded of an Indian conference assembled 10 years earlier at Beverwyck.

It spoke of a meeting between a representative of the patron, Kilianen Van Rensselaer, and a Dutch-speaking Indian. The Indian wore gold-toned ceremonial face paint. Its origin was of great interest to the Dutchman.

The Indian reported that it was from the “bergh”.  The patron director decided to have the area of what is now Thacher Park surveyed and called it “Mine-Lot.” On early farm surveys of the escarpment area, including above and behind Mine-Lot falls, are evenly proportioned section of land entitled “Mine Lot.”

Indians, and later, settlers, were mining resources below and behind Mine-Lot Falls for an indeterminable amount of time. The use of these resources was not extensive.

Flint was an important commodity for the Native American. Thacher Park has impressive quantities of flint available.

Whether these natural resources were used by traveling seasonal Indians or resident Native Americans depends on the different Indian cultures that existed here at varied times, over thousands of years. While Native Americans obviously inhabited the Helderbergs and enjoyed the rewards of its natural bounty, settlement by Europeans continued to advance upon them, during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Indian Ladder Trail

The presence of Indians was of great note to the settlers who also used and recognized the legendary Indian Ladder Trail. This was a foot trail used by Indians, and later hunters and trappers, to cross the cliffs now in Thacher Park.

The trail affords a gradual ascent of the southeast side of the horseshoe formation between Indian Ladder Gulf and Cave Gulf. The difference in elevation between the immediate valley floor and the Indian Ladder of legend is about 800 feet.

The trail comes to a corner in the cliff, between “Thacher Point” and Battlements,” where the cliff is only about 25 feet in height.

This is because the takis slope in that corner covers the cliff face above the upper bear path. So the original tree ladder did not need to be very tall here.

With the introduction of the horse and wagon, this trail was not an option for a path to the Helderberg. Settlers were forced to transport their belongings, livestock, and supplies either north or south around the approximately seven-mile cliff range.

War and retreat

There were occasions of conflict and massacre between Indians and settlers for various reasons, mostly motivated by the warring English and French who stirred the pot to suit their desires, even promoting the taking of scalps. They attacked families in Schenectady in 1690 and the Dietz family in Berne in 1780.

Indian raids on colonists and patriots increased at the time of the American Revolution. As a result of their allegiance with the English king, many became outcasts after the war, having gained no advantage and losing much.

The Indians had lost their power, prestige, land, and best warriors. They slowly retreated westward.

Lost culture

Small groups of Native Americans were known to remain in the Helderbergs, producing utilitarian items by carving wood and weaving basketry for farms and local businesses. These Native Americans of the Helderberg called this place home and were known to help settlers and farmers by teaching them survival skills including wilderness traveling, hunting, tracking, and foraging, as well as winter survival.

The Indians also related their native North American history including philosophy of life and love, great hunts and wars, along with hopes and dreams, just as any two honorable humans might do in conversation

In Guilderland, Native Americans were employed in making baskets for bottles at the glassworks, during the early 1899s; they camped along a creak nearby.

As a boy, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft of Guilderland was known to sit beside campfires and was often captivated by their stories and later in life became one of American’s most prominent authorities on Indian history and lore.

His first wife was an educated Indian princess and, during the 1820s, he was asked to write a history of the American Indian for the government.

Indians were reportedly seen still living in the Helderbergs near Warners and Thompsons lakes during the early 1800s. Professor Jonathan Tenney, PPH.D. gave a disturbing account in the 1880s of the state of the Native American in the township of New Scotland, Albany County, stating: “They had camping grounds in the valley along the Helderberg. After 1800, they broke up and lived in small companies, building crude huts, which they would abandon, and then wander to some other locality, erect huts in the neighborhood of farmers, from whom they expected to live by begging or the sale of their handiwork, the proceeds of which were only to often squandered for whiskey.

“Civilization is incongenial to their natures, and their intermixture with the resources lost to them their ethological characteristics; they assumed habits and names of the whites. The last time the writer saw any of these half-breeds was in 1841.”

The Legend of Indian Ladder has been passed from the earliest European inhabitants of the Helderberg to the next and then from generation to generation. The first fur traders must have followed their Indian business partners into the wilderness west of Beverwyck to what is now Thacher Park.

If you look at a topographical map of the Hudson River and Helderberg escarpment, you will notice that the original site of the tree ladder in Thacher Park is exactly due west of Beverwyck (Albany).

This Indian Ladder Tail from Albany west to the Helderberg escarpment has been lost except for the section closest to Thacher Park and the original ladder site. Some people question the validity of this trail to save time by going over the cliffs on the way to the Schoharie Valley instead of going north or south by way of what is now Altamont or New Salem.

The answer to that question depends on what time period you are talking about and where in the Helderbergs or the Schoharie Valley is your final destination.

Still others question the actual existence of the tree ladder. As stated earlier, we know by the abundance of found evidence — like arrowheads, spearheads, and tools — that Indians occupied the lands above and below the cliffs at John Boyd Thacher Park.

They possibly use tree ladders at multiple sites along the escarpment to ease access to the Helderberg Plateau and its natural resources. This continued for as long as they were here, and the use of the trail was recognized right up until the farmers blasted the cliff away.

The Indian trail, like so many others, eventually became a road, a mountain road, dangerous and steep with a deep valley on one side and cliffs on the other. The work began in 1820 and the road was opened in 1821. Now it was officially called the Indian Ladder Road.

It was closed in 1921, one-hundred years later, because of increased automobile accidents but remained in use by locals up to the 1960s with limited access.

Enduring symbol

The Indian Ladder came to represent more than just itself. It symbolizes the whole region where it stood and the natural beauty of the place that is unique to Albany County.

In the days of old, all you need mention is “Indian Ladder” and everyone knew where you were talking about. Even after the naming of Thacher Park, the old-timers called the place “Indian Ladder.”

It included the cliffs and trails along the ledge, the upper and lower bear paths below the cliffs, the large and small waterfalls, the caves, the panoramic views of the Mohawk and Hudson  valleys, and much more.

By the time the road was build in 1821, another wooden-rung ladder had been erected at a place called “Craigs Court” halfway up the cliff at the east end of what is currently called the Indian Ladder Trail.

When the original trail became a road, the lower bear path along the base of the cliffs and behind the waterfalls was now the new Indian Ladder Trail.

This wooden-rung ladder was now the symbol for the old tree ladder and was thought by many to be the original. The trail to it has been used by animals and mankind as long as this area has been inhabited.

We have the early farmers and settlers to thank for the perpetuation of the oral history of the Indian Ladder and the continuation and repeated construction of the wooden ladder at Craigs Court.

This was for the dual purpose of accessing water from the springs below the cliff, and entertaining the imagination of the visitor to the “Indian Ladder”.

Alexander C. Flick, New York State historian of the 1930s, wrote in an official report of the state’s history: “There are oral traditions which have been handed down from generation to generation and never recorded. Still they contain information found nowhere else and are worth preserving.”

Go to the Indian Ladder, go to Thacher Park!

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of columns by Timothy Albright that The Enterprise will run leading up to Thacher Park’s centennial celebration in September.