Dutchess County, New York

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Dutchess County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York
New York's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	1683
Seat	Poughkeepsie
Area - Total - Land - Water	825 sq mi (2,137 km²) 802 sq mi (2,077 km²) 24 sq mi (62 km²), 2.88%
Population - (2000) - Density	295,146 350/sq mi (135/km²)
Website: www.co.dutchess.ny.us

Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2000 census, the population was 280,150. However, recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1, 2007 are at 292,706 residents. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. The county seat is Poughkeepsie. The county was named in honor of Mary of Modena, Duchess of York, second wife of the future King James II.

[edit] History

Prior to the Anglo-Dutch incursion, what is today Dutchess County was a leading center for the Wappani. They had their council-fire at Fishkill Hook and also held gatherings along the Danskammer.^[1]

In 1683, the Province of New York established its first twelve counties, with Dutchess County being one of them. Its boundaries at that time included the present Putnam County, and a small portion of the present Columbia County (the towns of Clermont and Germantown).

The current county courthouse, built in 1903, stands on the same site as the original 1720 building.

Until 1713, Dutchess was administered by Ulster County.

In 1812, Putnam County was detached from Dutchess.

[edit] The patents

In the twelve years 1685-1697 lawful patents had been granted securing for their purchasers every foot of Hudson River shoreline in the original county. Three additional patents, to 1706, laid claim to the remaining interior lands.

1685 Rombout (Beacon/ Fishkill Area)
1686 Minisink
1686 Kip
1688 Schuyler (Poughkeepsie)
1688 Schuyler (Red Hook)
1688 Ærtsen-Roosa-Elton
1696 Pawling-Staats
1697 Rhinebeck
1697 (Great) Nine Partners
1697 Philipse
1697 Cuyler
1703 Fanconnier
1703 Beekman (Back Lots)
1706 (Little) Nine Partners

[edit] Early Settlement

From 1683-1725 most of the settlers in Dutchess County were Dutch. Many of these moved in from Albany and Ulster Counties. They settled along the Fishkill River and in the areas that are now Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck.^[2]

From 1715-1730 most of the new settlers in Dutchess county Germans. From 1730 until 1775 New Englanders were the main new settlers in Dutchess County.^[3]

[edit] 20th century

Franklin D. Roosevelt lived in his family home in Hyde Park, overlooking the Hudson River.

In the 1960s G. Gordon Liddy (now a radio talk show host and who went to prison for crimes committed during the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal), was an assistant Dutchess County district attorney when he repeatedly tried to have Timothy Leary arrested on drug charges. By the 1980s, the two ex-cons went on a speaking tour together.

Prior to the 1960s Dutchess county was primarily agricultural. Since then the southern part (from Fishkill south) of the county has developed into a largely residential area suburban in character with many of its residents commuting to jobs in New York City. The northern region of the county at the same time developed many residences used during the summer and or on weekends by people living in the New York City urban area.^[4]

[edit] Geography

Dutchess County is located in eastern New York State, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east, about halfway between the cities of Albany and New York. It contains two cities: Beacon and Poughkeepsie.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 825 square miles (2,138 km²), of which, 802 square miles (2,076 km²) of it is land and 24 square miles (62 km²) of it (2.88%) is water.

The terrain of the county is mostly hilly, especially in the Hudson Highlands in the southwestern corner and the Taconic Mountains to the northeast. Some areas nearer the river are flatter.

The highest point in the county is the summit of Brace Mountain, in the Taconics, at 704 m (2,311 feet) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level, along the Hudson.

[edit] Adjacent counties

Columbia County, New York, north
Berkshire County, Massachusetts, northeast
Litchfield County, Connecticut, east
Fairfield County, Connecticut, southeast
Putnam County, New York, south
Orange County, New York, southwest
Ulster County, New York, west

[edit] National protected areas

[edit] Demographics

In 1990 Dutchess County had a population of 259,462.^[5]

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 280,150 people, 99,536 households, and 69,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 350 people per square mile (135/km²). There were 106,103 housing units at an average density of 132 per square mile (51/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.66% White (80.3% non-Hispanic whites)^[7], 9.32% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 2.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.37% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. 6.45% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.0% were of Italian, 16.9% Irish, 11.3% German and 6.7% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 88.3% spoke English, 4.8% Spanish and 1.3% Italian as their first language.

Based on the Census Ancestry tallies, including people who listed more than one ancestry, Italians were the largest group in Dutchess County with 60,645. Irish came in a very close second at 59,991. In third place were the 44,915 Germans who barely exceeded the 44,078 people not in the 105 specifically delineated ancestry groups.^[8]

6.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Puerto Ricans made up the largest portion of Latinos, with 2.9% of the total county population. 2.1% of the county population was in the category "other Hispanic or Latino".^[9] The other Hispanics and Latinos were a varied group. About 700 were born in the Dominican Rebuplic, while people born in Colombia or Ecuador slightly exceeded 800. Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama all had more than 100 natives in Dutchess County. There were 1,685 people in the county born in Mexico but they were exceeded by the total 1,894 born in South America.^[10]

There were 99,536 households out of which 34.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,086, and the median income for a family was $63,254. Males had a median income of $45,576 versus $30,706 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,940. About 5.00% of families and 7.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.

The per capita income and average home values have increased noticeably in recent years mainly due to affluent residents relocating from nearby and expensive Westchester County, NY.

[edit] 2006 Census Estimates

By 2006 the population of Dutchess County was estimated at 295,146. 80.3% of the population was White (non-Hispanic whites being about 77% of the population), 8.0% Black (if Hispanic Blacks are excluded the namber falls at most to 7.8% of the population), 8.4% Latino and 3.4% of the population was Asian. Chinese and Asian Indians were by far the largest Asian groups, both numbering over 3000 people while the next largest group, Koreans, numbered just over 1000 people.^[11]^[12]

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Highways

Interstate 84 traverses the county in an east-west route cutting through the southern quadrant of the county. It is the only interstate highway in the county.
US 9, the Taconic State Parkway, and NY 22 are the main north-south roads in the county.
US 44, NY 55, and NY 199 are the other main east-west roads in the county

[edit] Railroads

Amtrak has stations in Rhinecliff, a small hamlet in the Town of Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie, with both stations being served by Empire Service trains as well as other trains that run along the line . The latter station is the terminus of the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad. The Hudson Line also has station stops in New Hamburg (a hamlet of the town of Poughkeepsie) and Beacon.

The Harlem Line, on the eastern side of the county, has station stops in Pawling, Wingdale, Dover Plains, and two stops in Wassaic (one along the Tenmile River and the other the namesake terminus of that line).

[edit] Buses

Dutchess County LOOP bus

Public transportation in Dutchess County is handled by the Dutchess County Department of Mass Transit, branded publicly as the LOOP system. Outside of the urbanized area of the county, most service is limited. The City of Poughkeepsie operates its own limited system as well. Privately run lines connect Poughkeepsie to New Paltz and Beacon to Newburgh.

For intercity bus service, Adirondack Trailways and ShortLine also operate some service through Poughkeepsie and the southern part of the county. The last time service ran outside that area was in the late-1990s when Peter Pan/Bonanza ran service to New York City in the eastern part of the county.

[edit] Air

The Dutchess County Airport, located in the town of Wappinger, is a general aviation facility which once had commercial service. The closest commercial airport, Stewart International Airport, is located across the Hudson River in Newburgh.

[edit] Communities

[edit] Hamlets

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Defined by the State of New York

Cities, Towns and Villages are official political designations.

	North: Columbia County
West: Hudson River Orange and Ulster Counties	Dutchess County	East: Fairfield and Litchfield Counties in Connecticut*
	South: Putnam County

*: There is also a northern border of about 1 km (1 mi) in length with Berkshire County, Massachusetts, however this is in a forested area in Taconic State Park and there is no direct road access from Dutchess County to Berkshire County.

[edit] Colleges, universities, etc.

[edit] Public School Districts

Arlington Central School District
Beacon City School District
Dover Union Free School District
Hyde Park Central School District
Millbrook Central School District
Pawling Central School District
Pine Plains Central School District
Poughkeepsie City School District
Red Hook Central School District
Rhinebeck Central School District
Spackenkill Union Free School District
Wappingers Central School District
Webutuck Central School District
Dutchess County BOCES

[edit] See also

New York Portal

[edit] References

^ MacCraken, Henry Noble, Old Dutchess Forever! The Story of An American County. (New York: Hastings House, 1956) p. 3
^ Pucher, J. Wilson and Helen Wilkinson Reynolds, Old Gravestones of Dutchess County, New York (Poughkeepsie: Dutchess County Historical Society, 1924) p. xi
^ Pulcher and Reynolds. Old Gravestones. p. xi
^ Hobson, Archie, ed., The Cambridge Gazeteer of the United States and Canada (New York:Cambridge University Press, 1995) p. 183-184
^ Census Population Finder: Dutchess County
^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ Census fact sheet, Dutchess County, 2000 census data
^ American fact finder chart on Ancesties for Dutchess County, New York
^ Census fact sheet, Dutchess County, 2000 census data
^ Census table on immigrant origins
^ Census fact sheet with percetage data
^ census fact sheet for Dutchess County, New York with specific counts for non-Hispanic populations, Asian groups etc.

[edit] External links

[edit] Further reading

Smith, James H. History of Dutchess County, New York, Syracuse, New York: 1882. Reprinted: Interlaken, New York: Heart of the Lakes Publishing. ISBN 0-932334-35-0

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Dutchess County, New York

County seat: Poughkeepsie

Cities	Beacon \| Poughkeepsie

Towns	Amenia \| Beekman \| Clinton \| Dover \| East Fishkill \| Fishkill \| Hyde Park \| LaGrange \| Milan \| North East \| Pawling \| Pine Plains \| Pleasant Valley \| Poughkeepsie \| Red Hook \| Rhinebeck \| Stanford \| Union Vale \| Wappinger \| Washington

Villages	Fishkill \| Millbrook \| Millerton \| Pawling \| Red Hook \| Rhinebeck \| Tivoli \| Wappingers Falls

CDPs	Amenia \| Arlington \| Brinckerhoff \| Crown Heights \| Dover Plains \| Fairview \| Haviland \| Hillside Lake \| Hopewell Junction \| Myers Corner \| Pine Plains \| Pleasant Valley \| Red Oaks Mill \| Spackenkill \| Staatsburg \|

Other hamlets	Annadale-on-Hudson \| Linden Acres \| New Hamburg \| Rhinecliff \| Salt Point \| Shekomeko \| Wassaic