On Sunday, September 14th at 2pm "Hudson River Brick Makers" 1870-1920 boom The Hudson River Valley was the largest brick making center in the world. The Peekskill Museum http://peekskillmuseum.org/ 124 Union Avenue, Peekskill, New York 10566 914-736-0473 Guest Speaker: Jim Ormond will host a program titled with guest speaker Jim Ormond, who said in a recent interview, "In the boom years, there were more than 130 brick yards along the Hudson. The last yard closed quietly in 2002. I hope people understand how the 12 hour days of the brick workers contributed to the growth of New York City and the Hudson River Valley. In the early years especially, before automation, it was back breaking labor. The brick yards are gone, but the many brick buildings in metropolitan New York stand as silent witnesses to this important industry. " Of the thousands of brickyard employees, an inordinate number were Irish immigrants to Verplanck, Kings Ferry, Buchanan, Montrose, Croton, and the Peekskill areas of Westchester County, as well as town along the Hudson River in Rockland County. The collateral industries which benefitted from the brickmaking days involved river dayliners, shipping, amusement parks, shipping, railroad and even churches.