What resources did the Pine Bush provide?
Water: Halfway through the 19th century, the Patroon Creek was dammed to create Rensselaer Lake. It could hold 1.5 million gallons of fresh drinking water and supplied Albany residents for 25 years. Animal pelts: The Mohawks and Mahicans sold the furs they harvested from the Pine Bush to Europeans at Fort Orange, present day Albany. Both settlers and Native Americans used the “Mohawk Path” later named the Kings Highway, as a travel corridor through the Pine Bush. Berries: Local families used to go berry picking in the Pine Bush. They could enjoy huckleberries, blueberries, and elderberries. Trees: Trees of the Pine Bush were used for a wide variety of things, including firewood, engine fuel, roof shingles, fences and stockades, and canoes.
