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NATURAL FEATURES GREENPORT, COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK By Captain Franklin Ellis196 1878 The surface of the town is broken and hilly. Below the city of Hudson on the river is a range of hills, commencing with the bold elevation of Mount Merino, two hundred and fifty feet above the river, and a little farther south rising to seven hundred feet. This point has been used as a signal-station by the government surveyors. Upon the southern slopes of this range the artist [Frederic Edwin] Church has his residence and studio. A more beautiful spot, with more enchanting views, can scarcely be found in the valley of the Hudson. Farther east, and nearly parallel to the range of the river-hills, is Becraft's mountain. This is precipitous on the west side. Between these ranges is a broad and fertile valley, widening in the lower part nearly to the entire breadth of the town. The Claverack creek, forming the eastern boundary line, drains a considerable portion of the town, and its valley is not only productive, yielding abundant returns to the farmer, but is also full of pleasant scenery, having many delightful locations for rural homes. The small portion of the town north of Hudson has no very striking features. It is narrow, lying between the Hudson river and Claverack creek. the heights separating the valleys are only slight, yet sufficient to render the country pleasantly diversified. Through the broad southern valley flows a small creek, its remote branches rising south of the ranges of hills on the border of Livingston. One of these flows from a spring near the residence of Mr. Church, before alluded to. The main stream is mentioned in the gazetteers as Kahseway creek, and empties into South bay. There is also a small tributary of Claverack creek in the southeastern part of Greenport. An unimportant rivulet along the northern limits of the city of Hudson, and flowing into North bay, drains a small portion of the surface of Greenport.
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