Origins of Tourism in the Catskill Mountains

Abstract

This study explores the development of tourism in the Catskill region of New York from the late 18th century to the end of the 19th century. The proximity of the Catskill Mountains to the development of major population centers of the East Coast stimulated interest in this region. At the same time, the rise of the Romantic Movement in art, literature, and landscape design led intellectuals to portray the Catskills as a region of picturesque landscapes. The Romantic image and the relatively pristine environment facilitated in the high peaks of the northern Catskills the development of numerous, grand Victorian resorts patronized primarily by the wealthy elite from the large cities of the East. By the beginning of the 20th century, blatant anti- Semitism was common at the great hotels and resorts. This would eventually help undermine the economic base of the great resorts and stimulate the rise of the "Borscht Belt" in the southern part of the Catskill region.