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Incline Commemorative Tile
This John Gould tile is a keepsake you will enjoy for years
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Last Modified 09/04/07 

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The Incline Society will have a booth at each of the 2007 events below
where you can purchase our exciting variety of postcards,  tee shirts and other Incline paraphernalia!
 

The Incline will have a booth at Spirit of Beacon Day, Sept. 30....Look for us there!

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HIKE.....

The Incline is again participating in the Hudson River Valley Ramble. Hike is scheduled for Sat., Sept. 15 with rain date Sun., Sept. 16

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HIKE.....

Mount Beacon Incline Railway Restoration Soc.-Fall Hike
DATE: Sun., Oct. 21, TIME: 9:30 am

MEETING PLACE:
Scenic Hudson's Gateway to Mt. Beacon Park parking lot

DIRECTIONS: Take Rt.9D/Wolcott Ave. south to intersection of Howland Ave. Gateway to Mt. Beacon Park located across from Bob's Corner Store.
DESCRIPTION: about 2 miles round trip, Moderate-Difficult (steep uphill, some rocky surface), approximately, 3 hours with time spent along the way and at the top. The hike is to help raise awareness to our restoration project.

Please wear hiking boots/sturdy shoes, dress in layers. Bring water, snacks/lunch, insect repellent (ticks are out there!) For further information and/or questions please contact: Jim Bopp: 845-242-3074 or JMTBOP1@AOL.COM
or Sandy Piccone: 845-297-0677 or SANPICC@OPTONLINE.NET. We hope to see you there!

The main purpose of the hike is to give people a little history of the mountain and raise awareness of our restoration project. For those who haven't done it before, it's considered a moderate plus climb and generally takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. to reach the top of the mountain and the old trolley site. Any further questions please contact Sandy, sanpicc@aol.com or 845-297-0677 or call Jim, 845-831-2517. Hope to see you then.
 

Pumpkin Festival Sun., Oct. 14 Beacon Waterfront
 

Spring 2006

Important News:  January 05 we received a formal and accurate cost estimate from Europe's leading funicular manufacturer.
It is designed to resemble the historic incline cars and will include tracks and stations.
With this estimate the business plan will be complete by spring 06 and we will begin phase II of our efforts.
These funds will go directly into construction costs. 
 


 

May 2002 was the
100th Anniversary of the Incline Railway!

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May 20th, The Beacon City Council and Mayor Clara-Lou Gould
issued this proclamation declaring this year as
the Anniversary Year of the Mt. Beacon Incline Railway

PROCLAMATION

CENTENNIAL YEAR

1902—2002

 

MOUNT BEACON INCLINE RAILWAY

 

WHEREAS, the City of Beacon is situated at the northern gateway of the Hudson Highlands, with the Hudson River, an American Heritage River as its front porch and the historic Mount Beacon, from which it gets its name as its backdrop, and;

 

WHEREAS, Mount Beacon at 1,539 foot above sea level commands a view on clear days of distant mountain ridges in Pennsylvania and  the skyline of New York City and also displays its namesake city in its perspective to the area, a view the experts from the Countryside Exchange recommended that every school child should be required to see, and;

 

WHEREAS, 100 years ago Weldon Weston and Henry George of New Hampshire fulfilled their vision of a mountaintop resort where tourists and residents could view the vistas of our beautiful Hudson Valley, by constructing a railway, designed by Otis Elevator Co. of Yonkers, at a total cost of $165,000.00, and;

 

WHEREAS, that railway, called “the 8th Wonder of the World” and a “feat of engineering genius” opened on May 30, 1902 with more than 1,100 fares sold on that holiday, with a cost of $1.00 for a return trip excursion from New York City by steamboat, ferry, trolley and incline, and;

 

WHEREAS, 1,100 rode the incline during the first day, and an average of 60,000 riders per year with over 110,000 riders in 1927 the banner year, and;

 

WHEREAS, the Mount Beacon Incline Railway Society has a vision of restoring this important part of Beacon’s History, to allow present day visitors to enjoy the magnificent views,

 

NOW THEREFORE, I, Clara Lou Gould, Mayor, on behalf of the City of Beacon do hereby declare this the Centennial Year of the Mount Beacon Incline Railway and encourage all our residents and visitors to join in the events planned for the year, beginning with a hike on May 25th and a evening of reminiscences at an anniversary party on May 31, 2002 at the Howland Library to celebrate the importance of Mount Beacon to our history, its scenic beauty and the inspiration it has provided artists throughout the years.

 

There was enthusiastic applause from the audience and Council table.  Andy Chiusano accepted the honor.

 

December 4th 2002 the following was written by
the editorial staff of the Poughkeepsie Journal about the return of the Incline.
This link is to the article
(use your browsers back button to return to inclinerailway.org)
 

November 26th 2002 a long expected and eagerly anticipated management agreement was signed between the Incline Society and Scenic Hudson.  Scenic Hudson is the owner of the property where the incline is located.  This agreement makes us partners in the stewardship of the property. Importantly, the management agreement includes
provisional support of our efforts to restore the incline.
This link is to the article

(use your browsers back button to return to inclinerailway.org)
 

 

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