This book tells the story of the women who lived on, and oftentimes, ran the estates that line the eastern shore of the Hudson. Their lives give the reader an insight into the changing roles of women in New York from the early Dutch settlement through the Victorian Era, and on to the Gilded Age, and the World Wars. The narratives tell of the resilience and strength of these women, born to great privilege, as they adapted to their changing worlds. It includes:

• Alida Schuyler Livingston of the Manor

• Margaret Beekman Livingston of Clermont

• Janet Livingston Montgomery of Montgomery Place

• Margaret Armstrong Astor of Rokeby

• Ruth Livingston Mills of Staatsburgh

• Louise Vanderbilt of Hyde Park

• Sara Delano Roosevelt of Springwood

• Mary Livingston Ludlow Hall of Oak Terrace

• Eleanor Roosevelt of Oak Terrace and Val-Kill

• Daisy Suckley of Wilderstein

These women, deeply connected to their family lands, had a lasting impact on the history, society, and even the geography of the Hudson Valley.