Montgomery is a

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

Orange County, New York Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen. This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798. Orange ...

, United States. Located roughly northwest of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, the town of Montgomery is an historical and cultural hub of the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

region and has been a steadily growing outer-ring commuter suburb, in the last 30 years, within the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was listed as 23,322. The town was named in the honor of

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and he is most famous for ...

, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

general killed in 1775 at the Battle of Quebec. The northern town line is contiguous with the

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 F ...

border. Montgomery is immediately west of the town of

Newburgh Newburgh (''"new"'' + the English/Scots word ''"burgh"'') may refer to: Places Scotland *Newburgh, Fife, a former royal burgh *Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, a village England *Newburgh, Lancashire, a village *Newburgh, North Yorkshire, a village * ...

. Within its borders are three villages, one

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

, as well as

Walden ''Walden'' (; first published in 1854 as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part ...

and most of

Maybrook Maybrook is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York&ndas ...

History

The early town began as a patent to Henry Wileman in 1710, who was the first settler. He was the first of a group of

Palatine Germans Palatines (german: Pfälzer), also known as the Palatine Dutch, are the people and princes of Palatinates (Holy Roman principalities) of the Holy Roman Empire. The Palatine diaspora includes the Pennsylvania Dutch and New York Dutch. In 1709 ...

to emigrate and settle land around what is now the village of Montgomery. The town was originally established as Hanover in 1772, but became the town of Montgomery in 1782. The community of Montgomery was set off by

incorporation Incorporation may refer to: * Incorporation (business), the creation of a corporation * Incorporation of a place, creation of municipal corporation such as a city or county * Incorporation (academic), awarding a degree based on the student having ...

as a village in 1810, and in 1855, the community of Walden was incorporated as well. Maybrook was the last village to be incorporated, in 1926.

Geography

Montgomery is bordered on the east by the town of

and on the north by the town of Shawangunk in Ulster County. The town of Crawford is to the west. The towns of Wallkill, Hamptonburgh and New Windsor, from west to east, border on the south. The village of Walden is located in the north central portion of town. Montgomery is close to the center, and Maybrook is in the southeast corner. There are few significant year-round settlements outside of the villages; there is a

summer colony The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean or mountains of New England or the Great Lakes. In Canada, the term cottage count ...

around Lake Osiris in the northern section of town. Some inhabitants of Lake Osiris have made it their permanent residence. Fox Hill Bruderhof is located on the southern edge of Walden and has about 250 residents who work in their furniture factory and the

Plough Publishing House The (; 'place of brothers') is an Anabaptist Christian movement that was founded in Germany in 1920 by Eberhard Arnold. The movement has communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Paraguay, and Australia. The Brud ...

. The town's

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary s ...

is generally level and low, except along parts of its eastern and western boundaries, reflecting the passage of the

Wallkill River The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson River, Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk (New Jersey), Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset h ...

through it from north to west. There are large swamps in the south portion of town, some of them draining into the

Otter Kill Otter Kill is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of Moodna Creek that flows through central Orange County, New York, in the United States. Via the ...

. Further north, the land becomes drier and more arable. It is mostly farmed, used for small residential

subdivisions Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...

or left as undeveloped open space. There are a few exceptions: the

business park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typicall ...

s along Bracken, Neelytown and Stone Castle roads and NY 208, several of the Valley Central schools, the large Shop Rite plaza on Goodwill Road and

Orange County Airport John Wayne Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport that serves Orange County, California, and the Greater Los Angeles area. The airport is located in an unincorporated area of Orange County, and it is owned and operated by the cou ...

. Two areas along the river have been set aside as parks. The county's

Winding Hills Park Winding Hills Park is located off NY 17K in the Comfort Hills west of the village of Montgomery, New York, United States, straddling the Montgomery-Crawford town line. It is a area centered on Diamond Lake that is primarily used for outdoor re ...

is partially within Montgomery, as are portions of two larger state-level

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

Highland Lakes State Park Highland Lakes State Park is a undeveloped state park in the towns of Wallkill and Crawford in Orange County, New York, United States. The park is located northeast of the city of Middletown, west of Route 211. It is the largest undeveloped ...

and

Stewart State Forest Stewart State Forest is a state forest in Orange County, New York, United States. It is located West of Stewart International Airport and North of Rock Tavern. It comprises a mix of wetlands, fields and forest. It offers of gravel roads and of ...

. The Thomas Bull Memorial Park, which expands over 719 acres and is the second largest developed park in Orange County, is named after a sympathizer to the British 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 Revolu ...

. The

is the town's major watercourse, flowing through it from south to north past both the villages Montgomery and Walden, also partially serving as its border with Hamptonburgh. Two of its

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

flow through Montgomery as well. The

Muddy Kill Muddy Kill is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of the Wallkill River that runs entirely through the town of Montgomery in Orange County, New Yor ...

, located entirely within the town, drains the area below the Comfort Hills in west central Montgomery.

Tin Brook Tin Brook is a tributary of the Wallkill River almost entirely located in the town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States, where it drains . Near its mouth it flows through the village of Walden. It is one of the few named tri ...

, the Wallkill's only major eastern tributary, rises just southeast of the town and flows north, then west, through Walden to drain into the river just north of the village. 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of 51.1 square miles (132.3 km²), of which, 50.4 square miles (130.6 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.7 km²) of it (1.25%) is water. The highest point in the town is the

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...

's Garrison

benchmark Benchmark may refer to: Business and economics * Benchmarking, evaluating performance within organizations * Benchmark price * Benchmark (crude oil), oil-specific practices Science and technology * Benchmark (surveying), a point of known elevati ...

at a corner of the Ulster County line on Kings Hill, at above sea level; this is also the highest point in the neighboring Town of Newburgh as well. The lowest elevation is , where the

flows across the northern town and county line.

Climate

Transportation

Montgomery is referred to as the "transportation hub of the northeast" from the days prior to the 1940s. The

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake ...

(later part of

Erie Lackawanna The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route ...

) had the Goshen-Montgomery branch that went from Montgomery southward to Campbell Hall, Campbell Hall Junction, to the Erie Railroad's main line at Goshen. The

Wallkill Valley Railroad The Wallkill Valley Railroad is a defunct railroad which once operated in Ulster and Orange counties in upstate New York. Its corridor was from Kingston in the north to Montgomery in the south, with a leased extension to Campbell Hall. It cros ...

(later absorbed into the

New York Central 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 Mid ...

) ran north from Montgomery, to New Paltz, to Kingston, connecting there to the New York Central'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 ...

. Both railroads discontinued passenger operations on those lines by 1938. As of the late 20th century the rail lines have been reduced to freight spurs and

rail trails A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetca ...

, and roads have taken over that role.

, a small airport located in Montgomery, opened in 1943.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 20,891 people, 7,273 households, and 5,447 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 7,643 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.28%

white White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 3.69%

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 ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, .25% Native American, .68% Asian, .01%

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 Ocea ...

, 2.35% 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 1.73% 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 7.75% of the population. There were 7,273 households, out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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 t ...

living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 25.1% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.28. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $49,422, and the median income for a family was $56,376. Males had a median income of $40,881 versus $29,163 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 $20,222. About 4.6% of families and 7.7% 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 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

As in all New York towns, Montgomery is governed by a five-member town council, which in this case consists of the full-time

town supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only boro ...

, in whom executive and financial power is vested, and four council members. The

town clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a To ...

, highway superintendent, and receiver of taxes are also elected. A ll officials serve four-year terms except the supervisor, who is elected every two years. Elections are held in odd-numbered years. Representation in the

state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United ...

is split between Republicans and Democrats in the town of Montgomery. It is at the southern end of the 101st

Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

district, currently represented by Brian Miller.

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 ...

James Skoufis James Skoufis (born October 18, 1987) is an American politician of the Democratic Party currently representing the 42nd District of the New York State Senate since 2023. Skoufis previously represented the 39th District prior to redistricting fr ...

represents the town as part of the 39th district. Montgomery residents live in

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

districts held by Democrats. It is part of the state's 18th congressional district, represented by

Sean Patrick Maloney Sean Patrick Maloney (born July 30, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative from from 2013 to 2023. The district includes Newburgh, Beacon, and Poughkeepsie. A member of the Democratic Party, Maloney ...

, and was previously one of three towns in the county to be part of what was then the 22nd district, represented by

Maurice Hinchey Maurice Dunlea Hinchey (October 27, 1938 – November 22, 2017) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York and was a member of the Democratic Party. He retired at the end of his term in January 2013 after 20 y ...

. Senators

Charles Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...

and

Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of ...

represent the town and all of New York in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Communities and locations in the town of Montgomery

*Allards (formerly "Allards Corners") – 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 depi ...

near the northern town line. *Berea – a hamlet east of Montgomery village along NY-17K, west of Coldenham. *Coldenham – a hamlet east of Montgomery village along NY-17K. *

– village is partially composed of the southern part of the town on NY-208. *

Montgomery Montgomery refers to: People For people with the name Montgomery, see Montgomery (name) Places Belgium * Montgomery Square, Brussels * Montgomery metro station, Brussels Pakistan * Montgomery (town), British India, former name of Sahiwal, Punja ...

– this village is located near the center of the town at the intersection of NY-17K and NY-211. *Morrison Heights – a hamlet north of Maybrook by interstate 84, along 208 into Montgomery. * Scotts Corner – a hamlet two miles east of Montgomery village, located at the intersection of NY-17K and NY-208. *

– this village is in the northern part of the town, by the Wallkill River and NY-208.

Notable People

David Bernsley David Scott Bernsley (דייוויד ברנסלי; born May 6, 1969) is an American-Israeli former basketball player. He played the forward and center positions. He played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and for the Israeli national bas ...

(born 1969), American-Israeli basketball player *

Andrew H. Embler Andrew Henry Embler (June 29, 1834 – July 28, 1918) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He received the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Battle of ...

, Medal of Honor recipient and officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War * John D. Lawson, US Congressman from New York's 8th District (1873-1875) *

John L. Senior John Lawson Senior (March 31, 1879 in Montgomery, New York – 1946) was a sports administrator and the founder of Slope Day at Cornell University. Senior graduated from Cornell University in 1901 and was a member of the Sphinx Head Society. ...

, sports administrator at Cornell University and founder of Slope Day *

Nathaniel P. Hill Nathaniel Peter Hill (February 18, 1832 – May 22, 1900) was a professor at Brown University, a mining executive and engineer, and a politician, including serving in the United States Senate. Originally from the state of New York, he came to ...

, US Senator from Colorado (1879-1885) * Levi S. Backus, first deaf editor of an American newspaper *

P. J. Jacobsen Patrick "PJ" Jacobsen (born August 7, 1993 in Montgomery, New York State) is an American motorcycle racer. For most of the season he raced in the Superbike World Championship aboard a Honda CBR1000RR before parting company with his Triple M ...

, motorcycle racer * Wesley Wait, inventor, author, and dental surgeon

References

External links

Official site
{{authority control Towns in Orange County, New York Towns in New York (state) Wallkill River Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area Towns in the New York metropolitan area