Monroe Historical Society to host lecture on 'The Chain that Saved the Colonies'

MONROE — The Monroe Historical Society will host special program presented by Donald "Doc" Bayne entitled "The Chain that Saved the Colonies."
The program will be on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. in theater six at the Town of Monroe Arts & Civic Center, 34 Millpond Parkway.
The program is free; reservations are not necessary.
To stop the British invasion of the New England colonies during the American Revolution, Peter Townsend manufactured a Great Chain for the Continental Army at Sterling Forest.
It was placed across the Hudson River at West Point because the river narrowed there which, combined with other factors such as winds, tides and current, forced ships to slowly navigate the passage and therefore made them better targets for the colonial shore batteries.
Bayne is the assistant park and recreation supervisor and acting environmental education director at Sterling Forest State Park. He is also the president of the Friends of Sterling Forest.
During his presentation, Bayne will discuss how he discovered the forge that made the Great Chain in the Sterling Forest.
He also will share the history of the iron industry that started in 1736 at Sterling Forest and how the Sterling Forge was used to create the Great Chain that was placed across the Hudson River at West Point.