New Podcast Available Now: The Inspirations Behind the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane
This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website.
In the third episode of our series: Legends and Lore of the Empire State, A New York Minute In History explores the inspirations behind Washington Irving’s “Headless Horseman” and “Ichabod Crane.”
The Village of Sleepy Hollow lies along the eastern banks of the Hudson River about 25 miles north of New York City. If you know anything about this village, chances are it has something to do with Washington Irving’s early 19th century classic tale, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The story follows a lanky, superstitious school teacher in his unsuccessful attempt to woo the daughter of a wealthy Dutchmen and his subsequent disappearance. Placed along Broadway in the Village of Sleepy Hollow on the edge of a beautiful cemetery, where the author himself rests eternal, a red and gold marker depicts another longtime resident of the burial ground. Read more...