The Poesten Kill: Waterfalls to Waterworks in the Capital District

The Poesten Kill has sustained Rensselaer County communities for generations. Native Americans first gained sustenance from the stream’s waters and hunted and gathered on its shores. Its wild places, large waterfalls and natural springs served as healthful inspiration to artists and adventurers. And during the nineteenth century, urban industrialists tapped its power to provide work opportunities for Irish, German, French and Italian immigrants. John Warren paints a vivid picture of the kill, highlighting the force and wonder that has stirred naturalists and entrepreneurs for centuries.