From a strategic location in the American Revolution to a resort town for New York City elite, this collection highlights the successes and daily life of Mahopac's bygone eras.

Mahopac's first known colonial settlement was founded near the large lake bearing the Algonquian name Macookpack around 1740. During the American Revolution, the area served as an important logistical center and supply depot for the American cause, despite not seeing any battles. Following the war, the hamlet developed into an early kind of farmer's market, supplying goods and produce¬--especially dairy items--region-wide. By the mid-19th century, Mahopac became a resort destination with many large hotels and boardinghouses, largely thanks to its beautiful lakes. Arrival of the railroad to Mahopac in 1872 further supported tourism in the lakeside resorts as travelers from New York City could now reach Lake Mahopac within a few hours. Drawing from the archives of the Carmel Historical Society, Putnam County Historian's Office, and the collections of the authors and others, Mahopac isn't just a history of a small town in New York State, but a history of the value that the United States is able to produce.