Skip to main content

The Curious Case of NY 990V

Image
By

 


One of the more curiously numbered routes in New York State is NY 990V, a reference route in the southern Schoharie County towns of Gilboa and Conesville. In New York State, a reference route is typically only displayed on small green markers, but a few of these reference routes are signed like a regular touring route. This sparked my curiosity when I first saw NY 990V signed around the year 1990 when I was just a boy growing up and going on family trips between Long Island and the Catskills, thinking "oh cool, a new route".

But NY 990V packs quite a punch of scenery and history in its 6 mile journey from NY 30 in Gilboa, along the Schoharie Reservoir and the Manor Kill to Schoharie County Routes 3 and 18 in Conesville. In past lives, NY 990V was numbered as NY 342 (now used as a number for a state route just north of Watertown), it was part of the Catskill Turnpike in the 19th Century and in prehistoric times, there was a forest in these parts and you can see the fossilized remains of the forest. That forest is now the Gilboa Fossil Forest and is considered to be the world's oldest forest at about 385 million years of age. So let's take a look...
NY 990V starts its journey east from NY 30 by descending towards the Schoharie Creek. You can start to see the hills on the other side of the creek pretty quickly.

NY 990V eastbound at Schoharie CR 13 (Stryker Road). Schoharie CR 13 was severed as a through route due to flood damage from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The Gilboa Museum, which features a collection of local fossils, can be reached by turning left here.
NY 990V crosses over the Schoharie Creek in Gilboa. This bridge was built in 2003, replacing a much narrower truss bridge at the same location. It was replaced as part of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's (NYCDEP) Upstate Bridge Reconstruction Program as this bridge crosses near the Gilboa Dam of the Schoharie Reservoir, which is part of the New York City watershed.
Just east of the bridge, there is a pull-off for the Gilboa Fossils. The fossils are from the Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era of geologic history and they are some of the oldest known fossils on the planet.
Fossilized tree stump, root system and all.
Gilboa Dam of the Schoharie Reservoir. There was a pull-off for an overlook at the dam from NY 990V at one time, but when reconstruction to modernize the dam took place, the pull-off was fenced off, obscuring views of the reservoir, dam and a few historic signs. I took this picture and the picture of the two cast irons signs when the overlook was publicly accessible.
The historic village of Gilboa was razed around 1917 when the construction of the Gilboa Dam took place. The land where the village was situated on now sits deep below the Schoharie Reservoir.
The Schoharie Reservoir is part of the New York City water supply, which provides water to residents of Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester Counties as well as to the City of New York.
NY 990V at Schoharie CR 39. The Schoharie Reservoir splits away from NY 990V here and the county road continues on to Greene County and NY 23 in Prattsville.
Just off of NY 990V at the Y intersection with Schoharie CR 39 is a bridge over the Manor Kill. From the bridge, you can see the upper part of Manor Kill Falls. It should also be noted that the Long Path, a hiking trail that runs north from New York City and through the Hudson Valley and Catskills, crosses the Manor Kill here and follows NY 990V for a few miles to the west.
Also at the Y intersection with NY 990V and Schoharie CR 39, this sign could be found for Route ^066.
It has since been corrected with a right side up NY 990V route shield.
NY 990V continues onto West Conesville and Conesville through the woods and alongside farms and homes. The Town of Conesville in the southeastern corner of Schoharie County features the highest elevations above sea level in the entire county. This is a westbound view of NY 990V just west of Conesville and is pretty consistent with how the road looks east of Gilboa.
NY 990V follows the route of the old Susquehanna Turnpike (or Catskill Turnpike) that went from Catskill to Wattle's Ferry (now Unadilla) through Greene, Schoharie and Delaware Counties. This stone mile marker from the turnpike's heyday in the first half of the 19th Century shows that this marker on NY 990V in Conesville is 33 miles away from Catskill.
NY 990V's eastern end is at an intersection at Schoharie CR 3, Schoharie CR 18 and Champlin Road in downtown Conesville. If you continue straight on NY 990V, it becomes Schoharie CR 3 and eventually meets with NY 81 and NY 145 near Potter Hollow in the far southwestern corner of Albany County.
Turning around and looking west at NY 990V in Conesville.
Looking far enough west will get you back to NY 30 and the western end of NY 990V.


How to Get There:


Sources and Links:
RootsWeb.com - The Catskill Turnpike
New York Routes - Reference Route 990V
Alps' Roads - NY 990V
Bridgehunter.com - Gilboa Bridge

Labels

Labels:
Location: NY-990V, New York 12076, USA

Comments

Frosty said…
It is an interesting road. I had never heard of its potential connection to Millwood.
If you’re riding with someone with any tendency for car sickness, you better be careful on the first 10 miles traveling south from 180
10:12 AM
Frosty said…
Ignore my previous comment to this post.
I meant to comment on a different post
10:31 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

By
A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...
Post a Comment
Read more