Today the Catskills are best known for their recreational opportunities available such as fly fishing, hiking, bicycling, and camping, among others. Some have known the Catskills as a place where water is procured for millions of thirsty New York City residents. The Catskills has meant different things to different people at different times. Fifty years ago, the springs and streams of these mountains were not only quenching the thirst of city residents, but also thousands of dairy cows – helping them to provide healthy, mountain milk to the rest of the state’s residents. One-hundred fifty years ago, the Catskills were exporting another product during this time of year when the sap is running in the trees and leaves are beginning to leaf out. Although maple syrup is more familiar when sap is mentioned, bark-tanning in the Catskills was widely known back then. The season occurred later than the maple season – May through August.
Go for a hike on land that the State of New York now designates as Wild Forest and Wilderness areas and you can still see the remains of this industry. Narrow and shoddy roads found both inside and outside the Forest Preserve (on private land) are oftentimes old tan-bark roads. These roads were used in the mid 19th century for hauling peeled hemlock bark out of the woods.
The Catskill Mountains contained an abundance of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Hemlock contains tannins. Although almost every plant contains some tannin, some like hemlock have higher concentrations. Tannins are used in treating animal hides for making leather for some of the same reasons the parent plant uses them. Tannins are astringent. Substances that are astringent tighten the pores and draw liquids out. Tannins also function as a barrier against microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. It then makes sense that trees contain some tannin in their bark in order to form a protective barrier from pathogens, fungi and harmful pests. It is this property that the leather-maker capitalizes on when turning animal hides into long-lasting, durable leathers.
There are two types of tannins – catechols and pyrogallols. Catechols tan hides quickly and make pink, red or dark brown leather. Hemlock contains this type of tannin. Pyrogallols make leather that is pale in color to creamy brown and is more resistant to water. Oaks contain both pyrogallols and catechols. Chestnut oak, which is mostly located near the Catskill escarpment area is said to make the finest leathers. Other sources of tannins include fir, certain willows, chestnut, sumac leaves, birch, alder, and bearberry (leaves). In ascertaining the tannin from these plant materials, a tea must first be made. Catskill bark peelers would haul out peeled hemlock bark by the wagon-full. Once at the tannery, the bark was soaked in vats and the tannins were extracted in a tea and later applied to animal hides for processing.
The tanning industry had generally ended in the Catskills by the early 20th century as synthetic chemical tanning agents became more available and cheaper to use. However, the impacts and signs can still be seen if you know what to look for. Many of the places where hemlock was previously abundant and harvested for its bark were reforested by other tree species that have lighter seeds and are faster growing in sunnier conditions. However, hemlock is a patient tree. It is extremely shade-tolerant and can grow under the shadiest canopies where others cannot. Hemlock can also tolerate fairly wet conditions as well. In Samsonville, Ulster County where Zadock Pratt’s son (19th century tanner) set up shop more than 100 years ago, hemlock is now regenerating in the understory of oak, hickory, birch, ash, and maple. Many parts of this region are also poorly drained and contain swampy areas which are probably why hemlock was so abundant in the first place. Barring hemlock woolly adelgid and other disturbances, this area may once again come to be dominated by the eastern hemlock tree. www.catskillforest.org
Below: Recently peeled hemlock. This scene was common in the Catskills’ forest of the nineteenth century.
