Mystery of Money Island Program

Posted by Bob Foley, Program Director, Van Cortlandtville Historical Society

The Mystery of Money Island will be the topic of an intriguing presentation on Saturday, October 17th, at 2 p.m., at The Little Red Schoolhouse, 297 Locust Avenue, Cortlandt Manor, New York.  Sponsored by the Van Cortlandtville Historical Society, the event is open free to the public.

Marc Cheshire, a board member of Croton Friends of History, will present an original Keynote program using rare maps, photographs and art to tell the story of this mysterious island which once existed in the marsh on Croton Point. “Some say Money Island was the place where the infamous pirate, Captain Kidd, buried his fabled treasure. Some say it was a huge funeral mound for Native Americans slain in a terrible battle. And, some are reluctant to even whisper the name because they say the place was haunted—a favorite retreat for witches from all the country ‘round,” says Mr. Cheshire, a marketing and art director with an expertise in rare historic documents.

So, what and where was Money Island? The presentation will tell the tales of this fabled little place on the Hudson River shoreline…and why it sadly no longer exists. Mr. Cheshire publishes a blog, Croton: History & Mysteries (www.crotonhistory.org), where he shares his research and passion for the the history of Croton-on-Hudson and the lower Hudson Valley.

A Croton resident for 20 years, Mr. Cheshire has served on the board of the Croton Free Library and is currently the vice president of the Croton Arboretum. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in Graphic Arts, he worked for 30 years as an editor and art director of children’s books. He is currently the marketing director of Seth Kaller, Inc., one of the top dealers in rare historic documents.

The Little Red Schoolhouse is located at the north end of Locust Avenue, next to Old Saint Peter’s Church and cemetery, on the hill just south of Oregon Road in the Town of Cortlandt.  

For more information, visit: www.vancort.net; or, call (914 ) 736-7868.