Hudson River Historian Lectures in Wysquaqua, er, Dobbs Ferry

Nearly everyone in the Rivertowns appreciates the Hudson River for its vastness and beauty, but how much do you know about its history?

Steve Ruff, a Hudson River historian who holds a Master's degree in museum education and has previously worked for the Hudson River Museum, came to the Dobbs Ferry Public Library Tuesday to share historical anecdotes and contemporary environmental issues with locals.

 "The Hudson River is my favorite river of all time," Ruff said. "It's the most beautiful in the world; everything is so diverse about it."

Ruff's described key aspects of the 315-mile river, noting certain geographical points--such as its source at Lake Tear of the Clouds on Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks--and sharing historical anecdotes, like how Henry Hudson and the Europeans discovered the Hudson Valley in 1609.

While learning about Native American settlerswho gave the river a name meaning "the river that flows both ways," Dobbs Ferry residents also learned that their village was once called Wysquaqua, a name assigned four thousand years ago by a large group of settlers called Weckquasgeek.

Although a good portion of the presentation dealt with history and physical features of the river, Ruff also discussed current environmental issues that have threatened the river since the Industrial Revolution, creating a schism between development and preservation.

"The Hudson Valley became the setting for the nation's first environmental battle," Ruff said,  describing a legal battle fought in the early 1960s.

Con Edison proposed in 1962 to build a hydroelectric generating plant at Storm King Mountain to meet the power demand building up in the metropolitan area. This proposal, however, sparked strong opposition from environmentalists, eventually leading to the dismissal of the electric company's plans.

Since then organization and celebrities have worked to preserve the river, such as Pete Seeger's Clearwater Festival, organized to raise money for the Clearwater, a boat launched in 1969 used to teach residents and tourists about the river.

Aside from the Storm King battle, there are other pressing environmental issues, such as waterfront and watershed development.

"The first and most significant issue is waterfront development," Ruff said. "Pressure on the waterfront has been increased in the past five to six years."

Construction along the waterfront has brought along automobile exhaust, pesticides and run-off of oil, which all seep into the river , threatening its water quality and variation of species.

"Unfortunately the powers that be are swayed toward the oil companies," Ruff said, when questioned about how things might change. "We're almost on the brink of alternative energy's making a change in the environment."

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), a toxic chemical used by General Electric in the 1950s, is another concern Ruff said has affected fish and other living creatures in the river. Although GE has begun its government-mandated clean-up effort, Ruff estimates it will take at least 10 years to complete.

"It'd be great if people were more conscious of what people do to the environment," Ruff said. "I try to educate the public so they can be more aware of their community."

Ruff hopes to lecture at other Rivertowns libraries in the next month, and can be reached at: steveruff@optonline.net.