The Minisink Bull was a periodic newsletter circulated in the area of Pennsylvania and New Jersey that would have been impacted by the proposed Tocks Island Dam construction. It was published by Joan Transue Matheson, a resident of Dingman’s Ferry, PA, with the assistance of unpaid local writers and supporters. The effort was aligned with the Delaware Valley Conservation Association, an organization created in 1965 to formally coordinate the opposition to the dam and to express local beliefs regarding the subsequent Delaware River National Recreation Area operated by the National Park Service.
There were 23 issues from Nov. 23, 1966 to Dec. 12, 1970, typically 8 pages long. It used techniques of criticism, rage, exposure and sarcasm as it endeavored to spread emerging facts regarding the activities of the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, Congress, and State and local governments, as well as focusing on the political and economic forces involved in promoting the project. Cartoons and hand-illustrations were often employed.
The newsletter was prepared and printed using locally available, non-commercial resources.