Catskill is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an or ...

in the southeastern section of Greene County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

, United States. The population was 11,298 at the 2020 census, the largest town in the county. The western part of the town is in the

Catskill Park The Catskill Park is in the Catskill Mountains in New York in the United States. It consists of of land inside a Blue Line in four counties: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster. As of 2005, or 41 percent of the land within, is owned by ...

. The town contains a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

, also called Catskill. The village of Catskill has a well-defined Main Street. There is a public boat launch on the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between New ...

called Dutchman's Landing.

History

The area of the town was purchased from the indigenous peoples in 1678, and the first settler was Derrick Teunis van Vechten, who built a house here in 1680. The town was established on March 7, 1788, as part of Albany County. When Greene County was formed on March 25, 1800, Catskill became part of the new county. The town was increased by an addition from the town of

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aquar ...

in 1800, but was later decreased upon the formation of the towns of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

(1803) and Athens (1815). Catskill is the location of the story "Rip Van Winkle" by

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories " Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legen ...

. On July 23, 2003, an F2 tornado ripped across the town. The worst of the damage occurred at the Kiskatom flats. The tornado crossed over New York Route 32 and went past the Friar Tuck Inn, causing two mobile homes to flip over. Image:Cole Thomas View on the Catskill Early Autumn 1837.jpg,

Thomas Cole Thomas Cole was an English-born American artist and the founder of the Hudson River School art movement. Cole is widely regarded as the first significant American landscape painter. He was known for his romantic landscape and history paintin ...

, ''View on the Catskill, Early Autumn'', 1837 File:Morning, Looking East over the Hudson Valley from Catskill Mountains.jpg,

Frederic Edwin Church Frederic Edwin Church (May 4, 1826 – April 7, 1900) was an American landscape painter born in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a central figure in the Hudson River School of American landscape painters, best known for painting large landscapes, ...

, ''Morning, Looking East over the Hudson Valley from

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

'', 1848 File:Catskill, N.Y. LOC 75694756.jpg, Perspective map of Catskill from 1889 by L. R. Burleigh with list of landmarks

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 64.2 square miles (166.2 km²), of which 60.5 square miles (156.8 km²) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.5 km², or 5.69%) is water. The eastern town line is defined by the

, forming the border with Columbia County. The southern town line is the border of

Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

. The Town is bordered by the town of Athens on the north, Cairo to the northwest,

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

to the west, and Saugerties to the south.

Communities and locations in the town

* Alsen – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Den ...

in the southeast part of the town on Route 9W. * Cairo Junction – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town. * Catskill – A village that is the primary settlement in the town, located in the northeast on both sides of Catskill Creek. * Cauterskill – A hamlet west of Catskill village. CatskillNYtown

* Hamburg – A hamlet north of Catskill village on the Hudson River. * High Falls – A hamlet by the south town line. * Jefferson Heights – A hamlet and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

northwest of Catskill village. * Kiskatom – A hamlet southwest of Catskill village. * Lawrenceville – A hamlet in the western part of the town. *

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

– A hamlet and census-designated place by the north town line. * Palenville – A hamlet and

in the southwest corner of the town. * Smith's Landing – A hamlet south of Alsen on Route 9W.

Transportation

The

New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...

( Interstate 87) and

U.S. Route 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...

pass north–south through the town.

New York State Route 23 New York State Route 23 (NY 23) is an east–west state highway in the eastern portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 26 in the Central New York town of Cincinnatus in Cortland Count ...

passes east–west through the town and heads east across the Hudson River to Columbia County. Until 1958 the

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...

operated twice daily, in each direction, passenger trains between

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City. ...

and

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

on the NYC's

West Shore Railroad The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad that ran from Weehawken, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River opposite New York City, north to Albany, New York, and then west to Buffalo. It was organized as a competitor ...

. The rail line continues today as the CSX's River Subdivision, serving freight operations.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,849 people, 4,780 households, and 3,035 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPop ...

was 195.8 people per square mile (75.6/km²). There were 5,700 housing units at an average density of 94.2 per square mile (36.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.84%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 6.03%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

, 0.32% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 0.86% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.32% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 4.03% of the population. There were 4,780 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.7% were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,531, and the median income for a family was $42,807. Males had a median income of $33,832 versus $25,058 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $18,563. About 11.2% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Charles W. Berry (1871–1941) was a physician, soldier, and

New York City Comptroller The Office of Comptroller of New York City, a position established in 1801, is the chief financial officer and chief auditor of the city agencies and their performance and spending. The comptroller also reviews all city contracts, handles the s ...

. * Jedediah Berry, (b 1977) is an American writer. *

James Bogardus James Bogardus (March 14, 1800 – April 13, 1874) was an American inventor and architect, the pioneer of American cast-iron architecture, for which he took out a patent in 1850. Early life Bogardus was born in the town of Catskill (town), New Yo ...

, (1800–1874) was a inventor and architect, the pioneer of American * Mickey Brantley, (b 1961) is a former professional baseball player and hitting coach. * Robert Charels, (b 1958) is a blues singer. *

, (1826–1900) was a landscape painter. *

, (1801–1848) was an English-American landscape painter and founder of the

Hudson River School The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism. The paintings typically depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area, ...

of painting. *

Cus D'Amato Constantine "Cus" D'Amato (January 17, 1908 – November 4, 1985) was an Italian-American boxing manager and trainer who handled the careers of Mike Tyson, Floyd Patterson, and José Torres, all of whom went on to be inducted into the Internation ...

, (1908–1985) was an Italian-American boxing manager and trainer * Edward W. Dwight, (1827–1904) was a farmer and politician. * Matthew Florio, guitarist of indie rock bands

Candy Hearts ''Candy Hearts'' is an American pop rock band from New Jersey and New York, formed in 2009. Background The band was formed by singer/guitarist Mariel Loveland and guitarist Kris Hayes in 2009. As the band’s primary songwriter, Loveland was the ...

and Foxy Dads * John Hill, (1821–1884) was a clerk, bookkeeper, merchant and Republican Party politician * Tom Judson, (b 1960) is a musical theatre actor and composer, particularly for off-Broadway plays, and a retired pornographic film actor. * Sheba Karim, author who writes

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and

young adult fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

. * George W. Lay (1798–1860), U.S. congressman *

Sybil Ludington Sybil (or Sibbell) Ludington (April 5, 1761 – February 26, 1839) is recognized as a heroine of the American Revolutionary War; the accuracy of these accounts is questioned by modern scholars. On April 26, 1777, the 16-year-old daughter of a c ...

, (1761–1839) Revolutionary War hero * Hugh Malone, (1944–2001) was an American surveyor and politician.Alaska state legislator, born in Catskill * Charles Palmetier, (1834 - ?) was a businessman and politician. * Jaap Penraat, (1918–2006) was a Dutch resistance fighter during the Second World War. * Robert Seaman, (1822–1904) was an American industrialist * Zachary Cole Smith, (b 1984) is a musician, model and music video director and frontman of indie rock band DIIV * Bill Stafford, (1938–2001) was a professional baseball player known for his time with

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

* Jeremy Transue, (b 1983) Alpine skier *

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...

, (b 1966) is a former world professional boxing champion Nicknamed "Iron Mike" *

Abraham Van Vechten Abraham Van Vechten (December 5, 1762 – January 6, 1837) was an American lawyer and a Federalist politician who served twice as New York State Attorney General. Early life Abraham Van Vechten was born on December 5, 1762, in Catskill, Albany ...

, (1762–1837) was a

New York State Attorney General The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government o ...

References

External links

Town of Catskill official website

Cedar Grove – Thomas Cole Historic site
* {{Authority control 1788 establishments in New York (state) Catskills New York (state) populated places on the Hudson River Populated places established in 1788 Towns in Greene County, New York