As the Native Americans were driven from the area, the ‘Hill People’ moved into the valleys and foothills. Who were these people? Where did they come from? Why did they come here? How did they live? What did they do for a living? Where did they go? Fast forward to the 19th and 20th centuries. We know something about West Grove, Stony Lonesome, Forest of Dean Mine and other enclaves outside the Village of Highland Falls, the Hamlet of Fort Montgomery, West Point and Bear Mountain.

Do you or someone you know have stories of what life was like in the Hills of the Hudson Highlands in days of yore? How did the expansion of the military reservation and the Interstate Park system impact them? You are cordially invited to join in an evening of sharing reminiscences of the outlying settlements and lakeside cabins that were an important part of our community. The next meeting of the Highlands Sit ‘n Chat Local History Group will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 134 Old State Rd., Highland Falls. Come with your stories and pictures for our “show and tell,” organizer Agnes Saffoury said.