Small Towns in New York's Hudson Valley: Valatie (Cycle 01)

My good friend and former coworker lives in Valtie, New York. He suggested we participate on the Cycle the Hudson Valley 5-day bike tour along the Empire State Trail from Troy to New York City. That sounded fantastic! After some training, I shipped one of my bicycles to Valatie, booked a flight to Albany, and joined him in mid-August (2025). 

Valatie is a village a short distance southeast of Albany in Columbia County. This is classic rural upstate New York, near the home of President Martin Van Buren and near the setting of Washington Irving's popular short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This is beautiful country, with rolling hills, hollows, winding roads, farms, traditional barns, and forest. 

Here are some scenes in and near Valatie (no bicycling yet)

Shop local, drink coffee local

Fred and Peter patiently waiting for me to take some pictures

Beaver Mill Falls, Kinderhook River

Harry Houdini filmed scenes from Haldane of the Secret Service on the waterfall. 

Barn (or house?), 2098 River Road (Hwy. 9J), Schodack Landing

Old house with partial asphalt shingles, 601 River Road (Hwy 9J), Schodack

Note how the original (or at least old) wood clapboards are now exposed on the front. But at some stage in its history, this house was clad with asphalt shingles. We think of them as a cover for low-grade housing, but in reality, they are durable, colorfast, moisture-proof, and resist bugs.

Barn on County Rte 2, Schodack, NY

Stuyvesant Landing Depot, Stuyvesant, built in 1880

Former State Farm for Women Prisoners

We drove on State Farm Road and came across several derelect multi-floor buildings. My friend said the county had used it for office space, but he did know its original use. To me, they had the appearance of early-20th century hospitals or asylums. With some searching, I found a reference that these buildings were intended to be the State Farm for Women Misdemeanants. More detail is in the appendix below.

I took these photographs on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Canonet GIII QL17 camera. It has a superb 40mm ƒ/1.7 fully coated lens. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, processed the film, and I scanned it with a Nikon Coolscan 5000ED film scanner.

Appendix: History of the State Farm

 

From the New York History of Medicine and Public Health:

By 1908, the Women’s Prison Association had successfully lobbied for 315 public acres for such a place, the State Farm for Women Misdemeanants, in Valatie, New York.8 The site was planned in accordance with the early 20th-century trend of cottage-designed prisons, which placed inmates in small cottages scattered across a rural setting. The cottages were set up like small homes, with a dining room, kitchen, and sitting room. Household tasks were divided among the women. The idea was to engender self-esteem in the inmates, who then might be better positioned to take on these roles once released.9

“Cottage on State Farm for Women.” In “The Modern Way,” 1913, page 14.

Bordered by the foothills of the Adirondacks, the Berkshires, the Matteawan Mountains, and the Catskills and Helderbergs, State Farm in Valatie offered tillable land, ample space, and a healthy environment. At completion, the farm was projected to have 27 buildings on the cottage plan, and would stress rehabilitation and careful supervision by an all-female staff (except for typically male roles, i.e. leadership roles like warden). Prisoners over 30 who had been convicted five times in two years qualified for accommodation.10

“Inmates’ Room, State Farm for Women.” In “The Modern Way,” 1913, page 17.

When “The Modern Way” went to print, two cottages were ready for occupancy. Fifteen hundred New York women were eligible. According to the pamphlet’s writers, every farm implement had been purchased, and the grounds were populated with horses, cattle, and poultry.11 And yet, the pamphlet’s frustrated authors argued, the land remained vacant. Appeals to two different governors and the Senate Finance Committee to fund the opening of the cottages all stalled.12 At the close of “The Modern Way” we are left wondering what happened to State Farm. Was it ever operational?

“Cattle on State Farm for Women.” In “The Modern Way,” 1913, page 20.

The answer was yes. State Farm at Valatie was completed in 1914. But in total, the Columbia County facility accommodated only 146 inmates. These were mostly white women between the ages of 30 and 60, accused of public drunkenness. Funding was always scarce. By 1918, all the inmates had been paroled, and the grounds were turned over to a treatment center for women suffering from venereal disease.13 The efforts of the Women’s Prisoners’ Association to install State Farm as a viable alternative to the Workhouse model appears to have been only successful in the short term. Nevertheless, “The Modern Way” captures an important moment in the history of the Women’s Prison Association of New York, an organization still very active in lobbying for the rights of women prisoners today.

Good things in Small Packages: the 25mm ƒ/4 SnapShot Skopar lens in Tacoma, Washington (Tac 04)

Dear Readers, another confession: Once again, I suffered from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). It is hard to resist, like trying to avoid chocolate or bacon. Just before the de minimis exemptions ended in August 2025, I ordered a Voigtländer 25mm ƒ/4 SnapShot Skopar lens from a Japanese vendor. The lens arrived at my door in three days! *

Cosina in Japan makes these modern Voigtländer lenses. The company has licensed the famous name since 1999, but the current production has no tangible relationship with the venerable German company from the early 20th century. Voigtländer (Cosina) is one of the few companies that offers some of their new lenses in Leica thread mount (LTM).** 

Cosina introduced this little lens in thread mount around 2000. It is zone focus only, meaning it is not connected to the camera's rangefinder. I originally bought it to use with my Leica IIIC but am using it more often on my Leica M2 with a M-LTM adapter. The lens is tiny and convenient to toss into the camera bag. For framing, I use a 25mm Voigtländer auxiliary viewfinder that mounts on the camera's flash shoe.

* I plan to not order any more photo equipment from Japan or China until the confusion around the tariffs is cleared up. 

**  Other modern LTM lenses, all discontinued:

• Around 2022 or 2023, TTArtisan in China sold a version of their little 28mm ƒ/5.6 lens in Leica thread mount. It is discontinued, and if you can find one: $$$.
• In 1999, Leica issued their superb 50mm ƒ/2 modern Summicron lens in a thread-mount version. Gorgeous. It is now a serious $$$ collectors' item.
• In 2000, Pentax issued their SMC Pentax-L ƒ/1.9 43mm Special in LTM. This is also now a collectors' item. 
• Ricoh remounted their 28mm ƒ/2.8 lens from their GR camera in a barrel with thread mount.
• Avenon (manufacturer unknown) offered a 28mm ƒ/3.5 lens in the 1980s. 
• MS-Optical remounted some Contax 28mm ƒ/2.8 lenses in LTM. Availability unknown. 
• Light Lens Lab made a 35mm f/2 Collapsible Eight Element lens in 2019.

---

Tacoma

I first tested my SnapShot lens on my Leica IIIC in Olympia. Later, I mounted it on my M2 body using a M-LTM adapter and went to Tacoma. The light was subdued, perfect to show colors on an unused wood warehouse on East D Street.

East D Street view north

Murray Morgan (11th Street) Bridge over the Foss Waterway

 This historic warehouse was built in 1900. It suffered a fire in July of 2025. I could not find much information on the building's origins or original purpose. One comment in redditt (always of dubious authenticity) claims it was the Western Iron and Wire Works in the 1920s. It has become a canvas for graffiti artists, with some surprisingly skillful creations.

This building is an interesting canvas. I may return with my 4×5 camera and black and white film.

Steel warehouse, 701 East F Street

There are many other warehouses and industrial sites in the harbor area, but most are just modern commercial sheds. 

Geek Stuff

25mm ƒ/4 SnapShot lens mounted on my Leica IIIC camera

This is a well-engineered little optic. The markings are legible, and it feels good. Some reviewers complain of mis-alignment (decentered elements) in some samples, but mine appears to be correct. I think this lens shines with close-up and mid-distance topics. Highly recommended!

I took the photographs above on Kodak Portra 160 film. Glazer's Camera in Seattle, Washington, developed it in C-41 chemicals.

2025 E. Washington Road Trip 06 - Fading Small Town: Mabton

Mabton is a small town in Yakima County, Washington, a few miles southeast of Yakima on Hwy. 22. Most travelers rush by on Interstate 22 just to the north, but I took the local road to see the small towns in the region. Mabton has had a rough recent history, with a deputy city clerk being arrested for stealing $22,000 in a fake robbery scheme, along with other small-town graft exercises. Hmmm, sounds like small towns in the Mississippi Delta - or Jackson.

Approaching Mabton on Hwy 22

A block north of Hwy 22, B Street was the former commercial strip, complete with square-front shops of the type typical in small towns. Most are now closed. It was rather sad.

Proceeding west, we reached Yakima and stopped for a coffee. The downtown looks prosperous, but there may be possibilities in the outskirts. The famous teriyaki burger joint was too tempting to resist (for a photograph, not lunch).

I took these photographs on Kodak Portra 160 film with my Pentax MG camera and various lenses. The lab that processed the film made some major chemical or timing error, and the film was very thin. This resulted in exaggerated grain and odd colors. 

The old barber shop and unused grocery were behind dirty glass. I attached a rubber hood on my 28mm ƒ/2.8 Vivitar lens and pressed it against the glass. The Pentax MG camera has aperture priority exposure measurement, so I set the lens at ƒ/11 and let the camera calculate the exposure. The rubber hood shielded the lens from external light. This was much easier than trying to point a hand-held meter at the scene through the reflective glass.  

2025 E. Washington Road Trip 04 - In Decline: the Saint Ignatius Hospital of Colfax

St. Ignatius Hospital, Colfax, Washington (28mm ƒ/2.8 Vivitar lens)

Colfax is a small city in the beautiful Palouse terrain of eastern Washington. The Palouse is known for its gentle rolling hills, which consist of wind-blown silt and dust (loess) deposits. Farmers grow wheat over much of this area. Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County. 

One of the city's notable architectural structures is the unused and long-neglected Saint Ignatius Hospital. Mother Joseph Pariseau and the Sisters of Providence built the hospital in 1893. It served central and northern Whitman County until 1968. The hospital relocated to the new Whitman Community Hospital in 1968, and a nursing home occupied the old building until it was abandoned in 2002 after a water main broke in winter. The building was neglected for years, and the city tried to condemn it. In 2015, the former hospital opened for public tours, based on claims that the site is haunted. You can book paranormal tours. Landlock Holding LLC bought the building in 2021.

When I visited the site in May of 2025, I met a workman who said he was on duty full time to do renovations. He was in process of replacing windows and making other repairs. I could not enter but could walk around the grounds.

Cornerstone (28mm Vivitar lens)

Former power plant

Nurses' residence building

All of the buildings that were once part of the hospital complex are in poor shape. 

St Patrick's Church and the former St. John's Academy occupy a lot just west of the former hospital. 

St. Johns Academy - unused?

St. John's Academy opened on June 6, 1915. The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration operated a grade and high school in the building. The Parish closed the building in 1966. It looks like it has received some maintenance since then because it looks sound and secure. 

Abandoned apartment building

I took these photographs on May 9, 2025, on Kodak Portra 160 film with my Pentax MG camera. Most were with an inexpensive Vivitar SMS 28mm f/2.8 lens in Pentax K mount. $25 for a totally functional 28mm lens?? One day, these photographic bargains will disappear.  For some frames, I used Photoshop CS6 to correct converging verticals. The right way to do this would be to use a shift lens, but no more photo purchases - I promise......

2025 E. Washington Road Trip 03 - Palouse Falls and Washtucna

Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site

Palouse Falls is a geologic wonder in east central Washington. The rock here is part of the Columbia River Basalt Group, which covers over 81,000 square miles of the earth's surface in eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, western Idaho, and part of northern Nevada. Most of the basalt erupted between 14 and 17 million years ago, or the middle-late Miocene epoch. We do not need to delve deeper into the volcanic history of the region, but consider that you see these remarkable basalt outcrops in many parts of the state east of the Cascades. 

Map of the Columbia River Basalt Group, from the Volcano Hazards Program, US Geological Survey

The spectacular canyon and the waterfall at the state park are a result of immense floods that burst from Glacial Lake Missoula. Near the end of the last continental glacial era, about 15,000 years ago, a lobe of ice blocked the drainage of what is now the Clark Fork River. The water that backed up created Glacial Lake Missoula, a major body of water that may have included as much volume as the combined present Lakes Erie and Ontario. As the water level rose, pressure against the ice dam increased and caused the ice to float. The dam failed and a mass of water rushed westwards (see the figure below). Peak flow may have been as high as 386 million cubic feet per second (cfs). As a comparison, the flow of the Mississippi River at Old River Control during the record 2011 flood was 2 million cfs.

Floodwaters rushed across east central Washington towards the Columbia River valley and on to the Pacific. The waters carved an immense network of channels, canyons, and valleys, creating what we now call the Channeled Scablands. These included Grand Coulee, where the dam is now located, Dry Falls, and Palouse Falls. Flood waters even reached south deep into the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where they deposited masses of sediment. Geologists now estimated that there were at least 40 of these pulses of water that occurred over a period of about 2,500 years.

Consider the time scale. The earth is about 4.5 to 5 billion years old. The Missoula Floods occurred about 15,000 years ago, only a is a tiny fraction of earth's history. Humans may have come to North America during the last glacial maximum between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago (based on footprints found at White sands National Park). Therefore, predecessors of our present native Americans saw these floods. 

The Washington Department of Natural Resources has an excellent interactive presentation of Washington's Ice Age floods. 

Areas affected by floods (teal color), from the Montana Natural History Center, Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter. Note the ice lobe that extended south into the Puget Lowlands.

Palouse Falls from the visitor's center (Samsung phone digital file)

These amazing columns of basalt show lava flows of different ages. When the basalt cools quickly, it forms hexagonal columnar formations. Devil's Tower in Wyoming (where the UFOs land) and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland are other well-known examples. A Wikipedia article lists other examples around the world.

View southwest (downstream) of the Palouse River.
The terraces outline successive basalt flows. (50mm ƒ/2 Rikenon lens)

Do visit Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site. It is an impressive example of geology and the amazing effects of flowing water. 

Washtucna

Washtucna is a small town in Adams County about 17 miles north of Palouse Falls and about a hour from Spokane, Walla-Walla, and Pullman. The town is at the head of the Washtucna Coulee (again, one of the remnants of the Missoula Floods) and is therefore lower than some of the surrounding terrain. 

The town looked like it had gone through a rough time economically. I saw some interesting subject material along Main Street (Route 261).

El Camino (28mm ƒ/2.8 Vivitar lens)

I took most of these photographs on Kodak Portra 160 film using a Pentax MG camera and Pentax, Vivitar, and Rikenon lenses. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine developed the film. I scanned it with a Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanner.

References

Camp, V.E., Reidel, S.P., Ross, M.E., Brown, R.J., and Self, S., 2017. Field-trip guide to the vents, dikes, stratigraphy, and structure of the Columbia River Basalt Group, eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5022-N, U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175022N

Waltham, T., 2010. Lake Missoula and the Scablands, Washington, USA. Geology Today, pp 152-159DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2451.2010.00763.x

2025 E. Washington Road Trip 02 - Murdock, Wishram Heights, and Kahlotus, Washington

Heading east through Eastern Washington on our May 2025 road trip, we passed through some picturesque small towns. Here are some examples.

Murdock

Murdock is a hamlet on the north (right) bank of the Columbia River just north of Dallesport. We drove through en route to the bridge that crosses to the Oregon side of the river. Murdock looked a bit tired, with some good motor transport parked on the grass and in driveways. 

Wishram Heights

Continuing east on the Lewis and Clark Highway (Washington State Route 14) and you reach Wishram Heights. The main part of town is down the hill next to the Columbia River, but the Heights is along Route 14. The impressive Oregon Trunk Rail Bridge crosses the Columbia about a mile downstream (west) of Wishram. 

The Heights was not too inspiring. The dead cars and rather beat-up cottages/houses were interesting.    

The Road North, Pasco-Kahlotus Highway

This is lonely open terrain, with an occasional barn and crossroad. In May, the temperature was comfortable, but it gets hot here in summer.

Kodak T400CN film, Leica IIIC camera, 50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens, yellow filter

Kahlotus

Kahlotus is in Franklin County at the northern end of the Pasco-Kahlotus Highway. The population is 147? The town is in the Palouse terrain, with its gently rolling hills. 

Eastern Washington offers a wealth of interesting topics to photograph and explore. To be continued...

I took the color photographs with Kodak Portra 160 film using a Pentax MG camera and various Pentax K-mount lenses. These are still inexpensive and totally capable. Eventually, the inventory of these cheap 1980s and 1990s lenses will run out. Please click any photo to expand it and see details.

The black and white photograph of the highway is on Kodak T400CN film with my 1962 Soviet Jupiter-8 lens.