More than a century ago, after years of exploitation by lumbermen, tanners, quarrymen, and settlers seeking to make a living in the Catskills, a new appreciation and respect for wilderness began to take root and has continued to the present. In addition to hemlocks, the Catskills contained hardwoods such as maple, birch, and cherry, and furniture makers, lumbermen, charcoal producers, hoop makers, and acid manufacturers relied on these forests and cleared vast areas of the region. After the trees were cleared, many settlers turned to farming and built stone walls to mark pastures, and the remaining walls testify to their determination and hard work. In the early 1800s, steamboats traveling up the Hudson River from New York City helped launch a strong tourism industry and led to the development of numerous hotels that became regional landmarks. Railroads sped the growth of tourism by opening the mountains to the masses, who developed a lasting appreciation for the wild Catskills. Created in 1885, the Catskill Forest Preserve initially protected 34,000 acres and grew to nearly 300,000 acres as support for a constitutionally protected park became an important part of New York's heritage.