Pratt built a tannery larger than any other in the world at the time, helping it become a major town in upstate New York.

His life is depicted through a series of stone carvings called Pratt Rock which he commissioned during his lifetime.

When Pratt built his tannery, it created a vast number of jobs, and the population grew to 1,989 by 1850.

However, by 1845 all of the hemlock bark had been non-sustainably extracted from the forests for 10 miles (16 km) around, and Pratt was forced to close the tannery.

Every structure on the strip that comprises Main Street was partly or fully destroyed, including all 22 of the town's businesses.

Eleven houses collapsed in the flood, fifteen were condemned and torn down, and more than 100 homes were so damaged that the residents couldn't return to them, but there were no fatalities.

Andrew M. Cuomo labeled Prattsville as the place in New York State hardest hit by the storm.

Schoharie Creek, a tributary of the Mohawk River, flows northward through the town past the hamlet of Prattsville.