Book excerpt: Putnam County, located fifty miles north of New York City and one hundred miles south of Albany, was an important site during the American Revolution and the Civil War. With the advent of the railroad, the county became an important hub for travelers heading to Boston and points north. By the mid-1800s, thousands of workers immigrated here to undertake the enormous task of building dams and reservoirs for New York City's drinking water. A popular vacation destination of past decades, Putnam County today retains much of its original charm and rural flavor.