Where in the Hudson Valley Contest: “Sign Language” Riverside Signpost

Forget the GPS: This signpost marks the spot of a small — but historic — Valley town

Unless you’re a real whiz at local geography, you might have your hands full trying to figure out the location of this signpost. We will tell you — in case you couldn’t guess — that the body of water behind it is the Hudson. The sign is situated on the grounds of a 96-acre nature preserve, which is a popular stop along the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail. Which leads us to wonder: Are those nautical miles?

The building in the background should be a helpful clue. Nicknamed “the Maid of the Meadows,” it has been guarding this section of the river since 1871 — having replaced a similar structure built in 1839 — and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The “meadows” in its name refers to the shallow tidal flats, now underwater, which at one time teemed with plants and grasses — so much so that farmers in the 19th century actually brought their cows to graze here.

The preserve is part of a small town that was home to two nationally prominent 19th-century figures. Identifying them by name would give the game away; we’ll just say that one was a famous naturalist and writer who played host to Theodore Roosevelt, among other bigwigs, in the log cabin where he lived (now a National Historic Landmark). The other, born Isabella Baumfree but known by a much more descriptive name, was the first black woman to have a bust of her likeness on view in the U.S. Capitol.

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Do you know in what town this multiple mile marker is located? (Extra credit if you can name the building, the nature preserve, and both influential residents.) Submit your answer in the form below; the first reader with the correct response wins a prize. Good luck!

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