In Washington Irving’s short story The Storm-Ship, this small island marks the northern end of the domain of The Heer of Dunderberg, a Dutch goblin king who vexed many a sailing ship on its passage through the Hudson Highlands. Back then it was known as Pollepel, and still is, on navigational charts.  The island was the site of a small fortification during the American Revolution (nothing remains today) and was the eastern terminus of a a chévaux-de-frise that the Americans intended to obstruct the river. It turned out the muddy bottom and tides were a bit more complicated than anticipated, and the first British ships to attempt the passage sailed over the…