Wappinger, New York

For the Native American tribe, see Wappinger. For the village, see Wappingers Falls, New York.
Wappinger, New York
Town
Town of Wappinger

Village of Wappingers Falls, downtown

Seal

Location of the Town of Wappinger, New York
Coordinates: 41°35′20″N 73°53′59″W / 41.58889°N 73.89972°W / 41.58889; -73.89972
Country United States
State New York
County Dutchess
Town of Wappinger May 20, 1875
Government
  Type Town Council
  Town Supervisor Lori A. Sucich Jiava (R)
  Town Council
Area
  Total 28.5 sq mi (73.9 km2)
  Land 27.1 sq mi (70.1 km2)
  Water 1.5 sq mi (3.8 km2)
Elevation 197 ft (60 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 27,048
  Density 1,000/sq mi (386.0/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 12590
Area code(s) 845
FIPS code 36-78157[1]
GNIS feature ID 0979595[2]
Website www.townofwappinger.us

Wappinger is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is in the Hudson Valley region, 70 miles (110 km) north of New York City, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. The population was 27,048 at the 2010 census.[3] The name is derived from the Wappinger Indians who inhabited the area.

History

The Wappinger were a confederacy of Native Americans whose territory, in the 17th century, was spread along the eastern shore of the Hudson River. Primarily based in what is now Dutchess County, their territory bordered Manhattan Island to the south, the Mahican territory bounded by the Roeliff Jansen Kill to the north,[4] and extended east into parts of Connecticut.[5]

They spoke an eastern-Algonkian language. Culturally they were closely related to the Lenape people (Delaware Indians) to the west and south of Wappinger lands, and also related to the Mahican people to their immediate north and to the Metoac peoples of Long Island. Wappinger means "easterner" in most Algonkian languages.[6]

The town of Wappinger, originally a part of the town of Fishkill, was formed on May 20, 1875, and lies wholly within the limits of the historic Rombout Patent, granted in 1685. Among the first settlers were the VanBenschotens of New Hackensack.[7] The town of Wappinger was primarily agricultural, while mills lined the creek in the village of Wappingers Falls.

On the night of February 6, 1871, at the drawbridge in New Hamburg that crosses Wappinger Creek – where northbound trains pass from Wappinger into the town of Poughkeepsie – the Hudson River Pacific Express crashed into a passing freight train, which had broken an axle. There were 22 confirmed deaths, but while some bodies were taken to Poughkeepsie for identification, others were never recovered. On September 1, 1892, at the same location, a mail train on the Hudson River Railroad derailed. The draw had been opened to let the small steamer Young America pass through, and was being closed when the train came northward. A gap of several feet remained when the engine reached the draw. The engine jumped the gap, but the rear end of the tender dropped enough to stop the progress of the train; then, the mail car, crashing into the tender, pushed it against the locomotive. The engineer, fireman, and mail clerk were all killed.

Historic districts

Hamlets

Downtown Chelsea

Toponyms

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.5 square miles (73.9 km2), of which 27.1 square miles (70.1 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.8 km2), or 5.18%, is water.[3] Part of the west town line is located at the Hudson River and borders Orange County.

Wappinger's boundaries are Fishkill to the south, East Fishkill across Sprout Creek to the east, the Hudson River to the west, Wappinger Creek to the northwest, and LaGrange to the northeast. The town of Wappinger contains part of the village of Wappingers Falls, the other section of which is across Wappinger Creek in the town of Poughkeepsie.

The highest point in Wappinger is 545 feet (166 m) above sea level on a hilltop between Smithtown Road and Cedar Hill Road in the southern part of the town, and the lowest point is sea level, along the Hudson River.[16]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
18804,961
18904,575−7.8%
19004,319−5.6%
19103,813−11.7%
19203,467−9.1%
19304,08317.8%
19404,3456.4%
19505,09017.1%
19609,57788.2%
197022,040130.1%
198026,77621.5%
199026,008−2.9%
200026,2741.0%
201027,0482.9%
Est. 201427,137[17]0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 26,274 people, 9,793 households, and 6,992 families residing in the town. The population density was 963.3 people per square mile (372.0/km²). There were 10,144 housing units at an average density of 371.9 per square mile (143.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.18% White, 4.96% African American, 0.24% Native American, 4.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.44% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.87% of the population.

There were 9,793 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,079, and the median income for a family was $66,273. Males had a median income of $49,007 versus $31,444 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,817. About 3.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Wappingers Central School District was formed in 1937 and is the second largest school district in the state. It was decided to close all of the one room school houses in the area and condense them in to one centralized school. The first school in the Wappingers Central School District was the Wappingers Falls Junior High School, which was a K-12 school with students from the towns of Wappinger, Fishkill, Philipstown, Kent, East Fishkill, Lagrange, and Poughkeepsie. There are now 14 schools under the district's control: 9 primary, 2 junior high, and 3 high schools.

Transportation

U.S. Route 9, NY 9D, New York State Route 82 and NY 376 pass through the town. Dutchess County Airport is located in Wappinger's New Hackensack hamlet. The Dutchess County Bus Transit "Loop" also runs through the town. Metro-North's Hudson Line tracks go through Wappinger, with the nearest stop being at New Hamburg.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Wappinger town, Dutchess County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  4. Ruttenber, E.M. (1906). "Footprints of the Red Men –- Indian Geographical Names in the Valley of Hudson's River, the Valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: Their location and the probable meaning of some of them". Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association - The Annual Meeting, with Constitution, By-Laws and List of Members (New York State Historical Association). 7th Annual: 40 (RA1-PA38). Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  5. Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. p. 256.
  6. "History of the Town of Wappinger". Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Clapp, Clinton W., "The Town of Wappinger" in Hasbrouck's History of Dutchess County
  8. "Historic Carnwath Farms", Town of Wappinger
  9. 1 2 3 Turner, David. Wappinger, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 9780738575599
  10. Hasbrouck, Frank. "Medical Profession", The History of Dutchess County, p. 543, Higginson Book Company, 1909
  11. 1 2 3 Smith, James Hadden, History of Dutchess County with Illustrations and Biographical Sketch, Syracuse, D. Mason & Co., 1882
  12. Turner, David Wappingers, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2011, ISBN 978-0-7385-7559-9
  13. Wappingers Historical Society
  14. Clapp, Clinton W. "The Town of Wappinger" in Hasbrouck's History of Dutchess County p. 466
  15. A Brief History of All Angels Church
  16. U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic map series, Wappinger, NY
  17. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  18. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

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Coordinates: 41°35′10″N 73°55′01″W / 41.58611°N 73.91694°W / 41.58611; -73.91694

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