Founded in 1798, Windham is nestled in a mountain valley 130 miles north of New York City in the Catskill Mountains. Hemlock trees, needed for tanning leather, and farming were the economic base for the first settlers. In 1819, Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" ignited the curiosity of the public, who would be drawn to Windham's enchanting valleys and mountain peaks. Later, in the mid-19th century, the Hudson River School of painting presented...