The old brick building looming up ahead was decorated with graffiti inside and out, its windows broken long ago. A rusty metal drum rested on its side on the ground outside, and the remains of what looked like a railroad track ran from the high ground where we stood, then ended abruptly in mid-air. It would have been a good setting for a horror movie.
The Power House, as it is known, once helped Amsterdam’s Mohawk Carpets become a leader in its industry. Now it’s a fascinating stop on the city’s Chuctanunda Creek Trail.
Like so many cities in the Northeast, the city of Amsterdam cut itself off from its best natural resource — the Mohawk River — building railways and highways between its main residential and business districts and the water. A bridge and walkway now connect the downtown on the north side of the river with a riverside park and with the south side, where the Empire State Trail passes through.
But Amsterdam has another waterway besides the Mohawk — Chuctanunda Creek. The creek runs south all the way from Galway Lake, passing through Amsterdam before emptying into the Mohawk River. At one time, industries thrived along the Chuctanunda, with carpet factories dumping waste into the water and power companies using its flow for energy.
You can find a trail map and information on the city’s history online at https://www.amsterdamny.gov/246/Chuctanunda-Creek-Trail
Many of those industries have since faded, and the city in recent years created a recreational trail along the creek. The Chuctanunda Creek Trail is an easy walk, but a little advance research and patience will make a trip more rewarding. Signs for “The Chuck” (which feature a cute depiction of a woodchuck) are not always easy to find.
When we set out to explore the trail on a recent weekend, I wasn’t sure what to…
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