ARCHIVE
David and Wanda Dorpfeld discuss their recently published book "Legendary Locals of Greene County." (Audio)
Nov 14, 2014
Interviewed by Tom Roe. (26:34)
David and Wanda Dorpfeld discuss their recently published book "Legendary Locals of Greene County" (Arcadia Publishing: 2014, just released Oct. 26). David Dorpfeld is the Greene County Historian. He had a 40-year career with the state and federal governments as a management analyst and investigator. Born in Catskill, he spent more than half of his life learning about the countys notables. Wanda Dorpfeld is a retired teacher from the Catskill School District. She serves on the boards of the Greene County Historical Society and the Heermance Memorial Library in Coxsackie. A blurb about the book: "Greene County was created in 1800 from parts of Albany and Ulster Counties, and it is named after Gen. Nathanael Greene of Revolutionary War fame. Early on, the economy of the county was primarily agricultural with a few small mills and most of the settlements located along the Hudson River and its tributaries. In the early 19th century, the economy took off: people from New England began settling the mountains to the west, the Susquehanna Turnpike opened, leather tanning and brick- and pottery-making became prominent, ice was harvested and shipped to New York City, ship-building gained importance, and tourism started to be popular. Today, tourism is still important to the area, and the county features two major ski resorts. Much of Greene County is also part of the Catskill Mountain Park, which attracts many nature-lovers all year round. Over the years, county natives and transplants have made many contributions to industry, entertainment, government, military, recreation, and the arts."