arr isons . ▁Sold iers ▁were ▁station ed ▁in ▁Mah op ac ▁F alls ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁Red ▁M ills , ▁an ▁important ▁center ▁for ▁gr inding ▁gra in ▁and ▁storing ▁fl our ▁for ▁the ▁American ▁troops . ▁ ▁Upon ▁Col onial ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Revolution , ▁the ▁T ory - sym path izing ▁Philip se ▁family ▁lost ▁its ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁land , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁res old ▁to ▁far mers ▁and ▁spec ul ators ▁by ▁New ▁York ▁State . ▁After ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁Put nam ▁County ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁the ▁Mah op ac ▁area ▁grew ▁stead ily . ▁By ▁the ▁middle - 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁ham let ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁summer ▁resort ▁community . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁Har lem ▁Rail road ▁brought ▁vac ation ers ▁north ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁to ▁Cro ton ▁F alls . ▁ ▁Hot els ▁would ▁often ▁have ▁compet ing ▁races ▁of ▁decor ated ▁horse - dra wn ▁coach es ▁bringing ▁passengers ▁from ▁the ▁train ▁to ▁Lake ▁Mah op ac . ▁After ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁a ▁direct ▁rail ▁sp ur ▁was ▁laid , ▁creating ▁bo om ▁times ▁for ▁the ▁village . ▁ ▁The ▁locale ▁remained ▁primarily ▁a ▁summer ▁resort ▁until ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁nearby ▁high ways ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Ta con ic ▁State ▁and ▁S aw ▁Mill ▁River ▁park ways ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁travel ▁by ▁autom obile ▁convenient . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁passing ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Central ▁Put nam ▁Division ’ s ▁last ▁passenger ▁service ▁to