In the late 1800s, Rosendale was a thriving mining town and a crossroads of industrial transportation. The Wallkill Valley Railroad ran through this area, carrying coal, manufactured goods, agricultural products, and passengers. The D&H Canal and its towpath also followed this route, with barges transporting coal and goods from Pennsylvania and area industries to New York City. Up to 15 cement mines and limestone processing plants covered these hills, and Rosendale included at least one casino, now its nonprofit theater. Although trees and vegetation have regrown, disused buildings and kilns along the trail still show the region's cement industry.