Reporting by Quinn Humphrey from his temporary home in Hillsdale, New York.

The town of Hillsdale, from the outside, appears to be nothing more than a minuscule hamlet buried within the Berkshire Mountains that can be seen in its entirety within five minutes. To those on the inside, however, the town is full of life, populated by colorful mountain folk and littered with cultural touchstones unique to Columbia County. 

Situated at the crossroads of Route 22 and Route 23, Hillsdale resembles a postcard from small-town America. There’s the First United Methodist Church, a small yet beautiful chapel with a towering white spire that was built in 1870. Nearby are O’s Hillsdale Diner, known for farm-fresh produce and meats, and a Gulf gas station that usually has at least one broken-down car or patron to keep them busy. To a visitor, these three destinations wouldn’t draw much attention, but for the people who live in Hillsdale, these buildings signal home.

Small businesses give Hillsdale its unique character, but a nearby ski resort, Catamount Mountain, has been the attraction that brought in visitors by the thousands from southern New York and beyond. Lately, changes in ownership have caused the resort to fall on hard times, especially with growing competition from other regional resorts such as Windham and Butternut. Like many small towns, Hillsdale was hurting, even before the pandemic arrived.

Year-round residents depend on locally owned businesses like the Hillsdale Supermarket and Crossroads Food Shop on the road to Craryville, who are struggling to remain open despite public health concerns. Hidden from passing motorists, Crossroads has been a popular gathering place for dairy farmers and townsfolk, where scores of locals and visiting families sat around large wooden tables, sharing stories. Today, things are quiet.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the normal day-to-day routines of its people and small businesses have been disrupted. With each passing day of isolation, the future of Hillsdale becomes less certain.