Before the opening of the railroad, there were no homes in Spring Valley.
In 1842, the New York & Erie Railroad called this part of the territory "Pascack", after a stream by the same name. The residents of the area decided to call the place Spring Valley – one certain large spring in the Valley Pond being responsible for the name. Before naming the territory Spring Valley, it was called Scotland, named after their homeland, by Scotsmen who had settled in the area.
In 1885, E. P. Lespenasse, of Spring Valley, walked from Haverstraw, New York to Washington, D.C. to settle an election bet. He carried a live pig and a rooster on his month-long journey. Lespenasse sold over 600 copies of picture post cards of himself and the animals he carried before the start of his walk and along the way as souvenirs and to support his journey.
In 1914, President Theodore Roosevelt, visited Spring Valley to discuss the political issues of the day, speaking at Lyceum.