Germantown 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 o ...
in
Columbia 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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. The population was 1,936 at the 2020 census,
down slightly from 1,954 in 2010.
Germantown is located in the South West part of the county along the East side of 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 Ne ...
.
History
Early indigenous history
The area currently known as Germantown was originally occupied by the
Mohicans. In the early eighteenth century,
Hendrick Aupaumut
Hendrick Aupaumut (1757-1830) was a Mohican historian and diplomat, born among the Stockbridge Indians in Massachusetts, United States, who were originally from the Hudson River Valley. He was educated by Moravians and converted to Protestantis ...
recorded the movement of his people that had earlier brought them to settle along the rivers that would later be named the
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...
and
Hudson. Those who had continued north settled in the valley of the river they named the Mahicannituck (today's Hudson River), meaning the Waters That Are Never Still. They named themselves the Muh-he-con-neok after the river, a name that eventually evolved to the present day Mohican or Mahican.
The Mohicans settled in the valley, building
wigwams
A wigwam, wickiup, wetu ( Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam ( Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wickiu ...
and
longhouses
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America.
Many were built from timber and often re ...
. The river and woodlands were abundant with life and food, which they supplemented with the
corn, beans, and squash they grew. Mohican women were usually in charge of this agriculture, along with the homes and children, while men traveled to fish, hunt, or serve as warriors.
Colonization and European-Mohican relations
In September 1609,
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States.
In 1607 and 16 ...
, a trader for the
Dutch, sailed up the Mahicannituck. The valley was rich with beavers and otters whose fur the Dutch coveted, and in 1614 a trading post was established. As the
fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
expanded, making desired furs harder to find, tensions arose between the Mohicans and the
Mohawk, who each sought to maintain their share in the fur trade and relations with European allies. Wars and their effects contributed to the loss of Mohican land to the point where territory in the Hudson Valley dwindled almost completely by the end of the seventeenth century. Mohicans were especially affected by European wars such as
King Philip’s War
King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England colon ...
where soldiers from
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
attacked Mohicans. In general after war, Mohicans sold land to the Dutch in exchange for needed resources lost in the destruction of indigenous farming and preserved resources. As more and more Europeans arrived and settled on the land, the Mohicans’ self-reliance and reliance on the land was eroded by increased dependency on the settlers and their provisions. Settlers began dividing the land, establishing fences and boundary lines. Eventually, the Mohicans were driven from their territory west of the Mahicannituck and continued to move further east in the early 1700s.
Robert Livingston, a
Scots immigrant, bought thousands of acres from the Native Americans. In 1683, Mohicans sold the first land parcel along the
Roeliff Jansen Kill
The Roeliff Jansen Kill is a major tributary to the Hudson River. Roeliff Jansen Kill was the traditional boundary between the Native American Mahican and Wappinger tribes.
Its source is in the town of Austerlitz, New York, and its mouth is at t ...
to Livingstone in exchange for goods as well as rights to hunting and fishing in the area. While Livingstone received a Mohican deed to the Tachkanick settlement in 1685, then built a house in 1689. These exchanges were the beginning of a trade relationship that lasted through 1768.
He owned a total of at what became
Livingston Manor
Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain.
History
Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the colonial Province of New York granted ...
.
Moravian-Mohican relations
In the summer of 1740, the first
Moravian mission was established in the Mohican village of
Shekomeko
Shekomeko (41°55'41"N 73°35'58"W) was a historic hamlet in the southwestern part of the town of North East, New York, United States) in present-day Dutchess County. It was a village of the Mahican people. They lived by a stream which Anglo-Am ...
. Before that, Moravian missionary Christian Henry Rauch approached two Mohican leaders, Maumauntissekun (AKA Shabash) and Wassamapah, who were sojourning in New York City. Rauch wanted them to help bring
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
to Mohican settlements. Maumauntissekun had a vision in 1739 where he and his Indian brethren laid dead in the woods. Because they suffered from
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, he believed in the need for religion and
temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
* Temperance (group), Canadian dan ...
. Maumauntissekun agreed to bring Rauch to his town, Shekomeko. Initially, many Mohicans were skeptical of Rauch's presence because Mohican land had been bought in such great quantities by Europeans. Nevertheless, Maumauntissekun was among the first three Shekomeko residents to be baptized on Feb 11, 1742. Maumauntissekun then became known as Abraham of Shekomeko.
The Moravians lived among Mohicans in Dutchess County and Connecticut's
Housatonic Valley
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United ...
. Many Moravians missionaries learned Mohican languages, while often in areas of strong English and German influence, they did not. Children of Mohican converts learned to read and write in Moravian schools. By the mid-eighteenth century, much of Mohican territory was divided by colonial powers, with the private property of others having displaced traditional communal lands. Although many Mohicans were divided on the new way of life, some adapted to it by converting to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
. Families often sent their children to be baptised and raised at Moravian headquarters in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 1 ...
, due to high mortality rates of children from European diseases and war.
In the 1740s there were regional Indian raids on European settlements in New York and Massachusetts. Settlers believed that the French in Canada supplied Indians with weapons. Moravian missionaries were perceived as both allies of Canada and Indians, and were accused of disloyalty for fomenting the uprisings. When Moravian missionaries refused to enter colonial militias in early 1744 the New York colonial government issued a September 1744 order that discontinued Moravian missionary activities in the province.
Mohican-settler land disputes
In the 1720s, white settlers began to survey Dutchess County land that they claimed according to exchanges originating from the
Great Nine Partners Patent
The Great Nine Partners Patent, also known as the "Lower Nine Partners Patent," was a land grant in Dutchess County, New York, made on May 27, 1697, by New York governor Benjamin Fletcher.
The parcel included about along the Hudson River and was ...
. The latter was a landholding of between 8 and 10 miles in width from east of the Hudson almost to Connecticut at
the Oblong
The Connecticut panhandle is the southwestern appendage of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State. It is contained entirely in Fairfield County and includes all of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, as well as parts of Norwal ...
. It was granted to white settlers in May 1697 and the result of negotiations with Indians in eight grants from the
Little Nine Partners Patent
The Little Nine Partners Patent was a land patent granted in 1706 in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It was the last of fourteen patents granted between 1685 and 1706 which came to cover the entirety of historic Dutchess County (which ...
signed in April 1706.
Abraham of Shekomeko (formerly known as Maumauntissekun or Shabash) protested the claims but was still willing to sell some land. His grievance was based on Mohican tradition: land that was not used is open for his people to continue hunting and fishing in the area. The Dutchess County territory being surveyed was unoccupied by white settlers for over four decades, making European claims ''de jure''. The Mohicans, on the other hand, had been hunting and farming on the land for over two decades. According to a missionary memorandum recorded in 1743, Abraham went to New York City in 1724 where the governor promised to pay for Mohican land and leave them with a square mile for Mohican settlement. In September 1743 that square mile was divided by white settlers. In response, Abraham wrote to the governor disputing the unlawful claims. He tried to prove Mohican ownership by producing witnesses to the Little Nine Partners and even sent a petition around Shekomeko. In the end, the land was divided, and Abraham moved from the village site while Shekomeko was claimed by a proprietor.
Founding of Germantown
In 1710, Robert Livingston sold of his property to
Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as ...
, for use as work camps and resettlement of
Palatine German refugees.
Some 1,200 persons were settled at work camps to manufacture
naval stores and pay off their passage as
indentured labor.
Known as "East Camp", the colony had four villages: Hunterstown, Queensbury, Annsbury, and Haysbury.
[Otternesss, Philip. ''Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York'', Chap. 5, Cornell University Press, 2013](_blank)
The area was later renamed "Germantown". In 1775 Germantown was formed as a "district".
/ref> Germantown was one of the seven original towns of Columbia County established by an act passed March 7, 1788. (The others were: Kinderhook, Canaan, Claverack, Hillsdale, Clermont, and Livingston).
In March 1845, a boat-load of people from East Camp, who had been to Hudson to make purchases, was run over first by a scow, and then by the steamboat ''South America''. All nine individuals were lost.
Removal
During the American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
the Mohicans
The Mohican ( or , alternate spelling: Mahican) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, who ...
supported the colonists but after the war concluded that they were not welcome in the area's villages. The Oneida
Oneida may refer to:
Native American/First Nations
* Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy
* Oneida language
* Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York
* Oneida ...
offered them a portion of land and in the mid-1780s they began to move to the prayer town of New Stockbridge. Although the community thrived and the population grew steadily, land companies, hoping to make a profit from the land inhabited by Indigenous communities, proposed that New York State remove all Native Americans from within its borders. In 1822 agents from New York, missionaries, and commissioners from the War Department negotiated with the Menominee and Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocągra or Winnebago (referred to as ''Hotúŋe'' in the neighboring indigenous Iowa-Otoe language), are a Siouan-speaking Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow ...
communities of Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
for a tract of land on which to relocate the indigenous tribes of New York. In the following years, members of the community were relocated to Shawano County, Wisconsin
Shawano County (pronounced SHAW-no) (originally Shawanaw County) is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,881. Its county seat is Shawano.
Shawano County is included in the Shawano, W ...
, and settled on the reservation land. The modern Stockbridge-Munsee Community comprises the descendants of these and other bands and tribes relocated people.
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 th ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 13.07%, is water. The western town line, marking the center of 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 Ne ...
, is the border of Greene and Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
counties.
Demographics
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 2,018 people, 831 households, and 546 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 RosenberPopu ...
was 166.0 people per square mile (64.1/km2). There were 984 housing units at an average density of 81.0 per square mile (31.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.93% 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 ...
, 1.14% 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 ha ...
or 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 ens ...
, 0.15% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 0.94% 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 for ...
or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
There were 831 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,195, and the median income for a family was $50,885. Males had a median income of $36,806 versus $26,250 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 $22,198. About 5.0% of families and 7.9% 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 ...
, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
Germantown Library
The library was first founded in 1948 by the Germantown Garden Club and Emily Finger Lappe in the town hall across from the current post office. It was run by volunteers for two years. In 1950, the town hired their first librarian, Bessie Muller-Babcock and she was paid $100 a year. When the town hall moved in 1980, the library moved with it until it became apparent that the library had outgrown the space.
In February 2008, the library moved to its new permanent space. This building included dedicated spaces for children, young adults, media, and adults. At the same time, the Hover Room opened to the public for library programs, classes, and town meetings. In 2015, a maker space area was added to the library, the first of its kind in Columbia County. Three years later, the maker space expanded to meet patron interest and needs. It moved to the lower level, where it occupies half of the floor.
When Covid hit and the library was forced to close its doors, all of their programs went online. Patrons were able to apply for and instantly get a library card online in order to access materials. Hoopla was added to the range of services the library offers to give patrons more online choices. In addition to Hoopla, the library also offers Kanopy, Overdrive, Libby, Mango Languages, RB Digital Magazines, online Newspapers, and many other things. Free wifi can be accessed 24/7 and special senior citizen hours are available on Tuesdays and Fridays.
File:Yarn Storming Coral Reef .jpg, The Germantown library's summer 2021 yarn storming focused on the importance of coral reefs to the planet's ecosystem.
National Register of Historic Properties listings
The Barringer–Overbaugh–Lasher House, Clermont State Historic Site, Clermont Estates Historic District
Clermont Estates Historic District is a national historic district located near Germantown in Columbia County, New York, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. When listed, it included 34 contributing buildings, i ...
, Charles H. Coons Farm, Dick House, German Reformed Sanctity Church Parsonage, Hudson River Heritage Historic District, Stone Jug, and Simeon Rockefeller House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
File:Barrington-Overbaugh-Lasher House, Germantown, NY.jpg, Barringer-Overbaugh-Lasher House
File:Clermont-manor.jpg, Livingston family mansion at the Clermont State Historic Site
File:German Reformed Sanctity Church and Parsonage, Germantown, NY.jpg, German Reformed Sanctity Church and Parsonage
File:Stone Jug, Clermont, NY.jpg, Stone Jug
List of local businesses
Gaskins
* Otto's Market
Tousey Winery + Clermont Cafe
* Boating + Fishing: two access points to the Hudson River: Cheviot Park off State Rt. 9G and Lasher Memorial Park in North Germantown
Germantown Library
* Palatine Park (playground, Little League + soccer fields, Kellner Community Activities Center, “Dog Bark” dog park)
Pop's Universe
Central House B&B
Gatherwild
Local news sources
Rural Intelligence
The Columbia Paper
Notable people
*Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series '' L.A. Law'', , actor
*Dow Hover
Dow B. Hover (November 16, 1900 – June 1, 1990) was an American executioner who was the last person to serve as a New York State Electrician, the state's executioner and operator of the electric chair. He was the last person to serve as an exec ...
, New York State executioner
* Amanda Pays, actor, interior designer (one of many homes)
*Sonny Rollins
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...
, saxophonist
*Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...
, film director
Communities and locations in Germantown
*Cheviot – A hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
near the Hudson River, south of Germantown hamlet.
*Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
United States
* Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County
* G ...
– The hamlet of Germantown is located near the Hudson River on Route 9G.
*North Germantown – A hamlet on Route 9G, north of Germantown hamlet.
*Palatine Park – A park northeast of Germantown hamlet.
*Viewmont – A hamlet on the southern town line.
Nearby attractions
* Bard College
Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark.
Founded in 1860, ...
Hudson
* Olana State Historic Site
Olana State Historic Site is a historic house museum and landscape in Greenport, New York, near the city of Hudson. The estate was home to Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900), one of the major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape pain ...
Catskill Hiking
Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, Inc
* Van Alen House, Kinderhook, NY
File:Olana WLM 06.jpg, The grounds of Olana are 7 miles north of Germantown
File:Fisher at Bard College.jpg, Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard
References
External links
Town of Germantown official website
Germantown Central School District
Germantown Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Germantown (Town), New York
Palatine German settlement in New York (state)
New York (state) populated places on the Hudson River
Towns in Columbia County, New York