North East 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 ori ...

in Dutchess 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 3,031 at the 2020 census. The town is in the northeastern corner of the county.

U.S. Route 44 U.S. Route 44 (US 44) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for through four states in the Northeastern United States. The western terminus is at US 209 and New York State Route 55 (NY 55) in Kerhonkson, ...

crosses the town.

History

The town of North East takes its name from its position in the county.Smith, James H. ''The History of Dutchess County with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches'', Chap. XXI, D. Mason & Co.
Syracuse, 1882 Part of the town was 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 ...

of 1697, and part was from the Little Nine Partners Patent of 1706. The town was first settled by people from

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 to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, who located here from 1725–30,Smith, Philip H. ''General History of Dutchess County from 1609 to 1876''
Pawling, 1877 in a separate area called "The Oblong", which was not part of the Patent. The Town of Northeast was formed in 1788. Parts of the town were taken to form the towns of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

(1818) and Pine Plains (1823). In 1807, and for some time thereafter, a traveling

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister would preach once a fortnight. A

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

company was formed in the town in 1812. During the Revolutionary War,

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

was taken former the former Maltby ore bed (then known as the Dakin ore bed) to cast cannon for the irregular forces.

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 , of which is land and , or 1.28%, is water. The northern town line is the border of Columbia County, but a small part of the northern town line borders

Mount Washington Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934 ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The eastern town line is the border of

Brace Mountain Brace Mountain is the peak of a ridge in the southern Taconic Mountains, near the tripoint of the U.S. states of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Its main summit is located in New York; it is the highest point in that state's Dutchess ...

's summit, near the Connecticut state line in the northeastern corner of town, is the highest point in Dutchess County. The lowest elevation is , along

Shekomeko Creek Shekomeko (41°55'41"N 73°35'58"W) was a historic Hamlet_(place), hamlet in the southwestern part of the town of North East, New York, United States) in present-day Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County. It was a village of the Mahican peop ...

at the Pine Plains town line.

Demographics

At the 2000

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 incl ...

, there were 3,002 people, 1,146 households and 778 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 RosenberPopul ...

was 69.2 per square mile (26.7/km²). There were 1,366 housing units at an average density of 31.5 per square mile (12.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.60%

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 ...

, 2.10%

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.57%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.70% 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 0.90% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.26% of the population. There were 1,146 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% 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 t ...

living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. 23.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $42,038 and the median family income was $48,179. Males had a median income of $30,659 compared with $26,346 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 $24,650. About 7.0% of families and 12.3% 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 17.1% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Timothy T. Lockwood, former mayor of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

* Heman Lowry, U.S. Marshal for Vermont

Communities and locations in North East

* Boston Corner – a hamlet at the northern town line; portions of the hamlet are in Ancram in Columbia County. * Coleman Station – a hamlet in the southern part of the town. *Irondale – a hamlet northwest of Millerton village. The oldest mill in the town of Northeast was built by James Winchell, which stood at what is now called Irondale. * Millerton – the Village of Millerton is on Route 44 near the Connecticut border. *Mount Riga – a hamlet in the northern part of the town. *Northeast – a location southwest of Northeast Center. *Northeast Center – a hamlet southwest of Millerton on Route 44. *Oblong – a former community in the town. *Perry Corners – a location in the southern part of the town. *Sharon Station – a hamlet on the southern town line. *

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-Ame ...

– a hamlet in the southwestern part of the town. *Spencer's Corners – a hamlet named after early settler Philip Spencer, northeast of Millerton. *State Line – a hamlet east of Millerton village on the New York–Connecticut border. *

Taconic State Park Taconic State Park is located in Columbia and Dutchess County, New York abutting Massachusetts and Connecticut within the Taconic Mountains. The state park is located off New York State Route 344 south of Interstate 90 and north of New York City. I ...

– a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the northern part of the town. *Whitehouse Crossing – a hamlet in the northern part of the town.

References

External links

Town of North East official website

NorthEast-Millerton Library

North East Community Center
{{authority control North East, New York Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area Towns in Dutchess County, New York Towns in the New York metropolitan area 1788 establishments in New York (state)