Family & Friends of Callicoon

Callicoon got its name from Dutch hunters who settled the location in the 1600s. Because of the population of wild turkeys in the area, they named the community Kollikoonkill which translates into Wild Turkey Creek. In addition to animal abundance, the area was a source for lumber and a transport center with the Delaware River offering access to coastal cities to the south and east. In the 1840s, the Erie Railroad added to transportation by passing through along the banks of the Delaware River to link the Great Lakes with the East Coast. Because of the train station's vital central location, the community was renamed Callicoon Depot.

In 1888, a major fire destroyed much of Callicoon's business district. The town quickly rebuilt, but lost much of its architectural history prior to the late 1800s. The community's economy also became badly damaged when railroad travel gave way to the automobile. By the late 1960s, tourism took over as the main industry as campgrounds and canoes drew a new generation of visitors. Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center also opened, increasing the number of vacationers to the area. Additionally, the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River was created in 1978 to protect the land of the scenic valley, maintain quality of the Delaware River, and enforce environmental sensitivity in the area.^[1]