Portal:Hudson Valley

The Port of Albany–Rensselaer, widely known as the Port of Albany, is a port of entry with facilities on both sides of the Hudson River in Albany and Rensselaer, New York. Private and public port facilities have existed in both cities since the 17th century; shipping increased after the Albany Basin and Erie Canal were built with public funds in 1825. The port's modern name didn't come into widespread use until 1925; the current port was constructed in 1932 under the governorship of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The port has rail connections with the Albany Port Railroad, and is near several interstates and the New York State Canal System. The port features several tourist attractions, such as the USS Slater (DE-766), the only destroyer escort still afloat in the United States.

• ... that the 1872 main building (pictured) at the Brandreth Pill Factory in Ossining, New York, was one of the first to have an Otis elevator installed?
• ... that the crown prince and princess of Denmark and Iceland helped lay the cornerstone for the post office in Rhinebeck, New York?
• ... that New York Assemblyman Gregory R. Ball proposed a measure offering free education for United States military veterans?

Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works include biographies of George Washington, Oliver Goldsmith and Muhammad, and several histories of 15th-century Spain dealing with subjects such as Christopher Columbus, the Moors, and the Alhambra. Irving also served as the U.S. minister to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

He made his literary debut in 1802 with a series of observational letters to the Morning Chronicle, written under the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle. After moving to England for the family business in 1815, he achieved international fame with the publication of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. in 1819. He continued to publish regularly—and almost always successfully—throughout his life, and completed a five-volume biography of George Washington just eight months before his death, at age 76, in Tarrytown, New York. The village of Irvington, New York, is named after Irving.