
Esopus ( ) is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
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. The count ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States. The population was 9,548 at the
2020 census.
The town was named after the
local indigenous tribe and previously thought to mean "small river" in English. However, in the Lenape language, the word translates to "Wellspring of Creation". The Esopus people were one of the
Lenape
The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada.
The Lenape's historica ...
(Delaware) bands, belonging to a people who ranged from western Connecticut through lower New York, western Long Island, and parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. The town is on the west bank of the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
south of the city of
Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
. Its center is in Port Ewen.
US Route 9W passes along the eastern side of the town.
History
The town was founded in 1811 from territory taken from
Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
,
["About Esopus", Town of Esopus]
/ref> which also was called "Esopus" at one time. It was officially formed on April 5, 1811. In 1818, a part of it was set off to Kingston, and a portion of Hurley was annexed. On April 12, 1842, a portion of New Paltz was annexed, making up what is mostly present-day Esopus.
The first known European to settle in the area was a trapper by the name of Christoffel "Kit" Davits, who bartered with the Esopus people, a branch of the Lenape. Around 1652 or 1653 many settlers moved south from the Manor of Rensselaerswyck
Rensselaerswyck was a Dutch colonial patroonship and later an England, English Proprietary colony, manor owned by the Van Rensselaer (family), van Rensselaer family located in the present-day Capital District, New York, Capital District of New Yor ...
where they had worked the patroon's land.
During the American Revolution, a colonial prison was established there in the fall of 1777 to house overcrowding of a prison ship anchored offshore. The British army attacked this settlement in the same year and burned it to the ground.
The Cumming-Parker House, Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, Col. Oliver Hazard Payne Estate, Poppletown Farmhouse, and Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Klyne Esopus Holy Cross Monastery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. Other noteworthy structures in Esopus include the Mount Academy.
Notable people
In the early 19th century, Esopus was a popular summer residence for wealthy American families such as the Astors, Durkees, Paynes, Rockefellers, Smiths, Tiffanys and Whitneys, who built architecturally significant mansions and hunting lodges on the west bank of the Hudson River, across from the Vanderbilt and Roosevelt estates on the east bank.
Historical figures and celebrated people who have lived in Esopus include naturalist John Burroughs
John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and nature essayist, active in the conservation movement in the United States. The first of his essay collections was ''Wake-Robin'' in 1871.
In the words of his bi ...
; financier Harry Payne Bingham; abolitionist Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth (; born Isabella Bomefree; November 26, 1883) was an American Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist and activist for African-American civil rights, women's rights, and Temperance movement, alcohol temperance. Truth was ...
; 19th-century U.S. politician George W. Pratt; Standard Oil
Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...
treasurer Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne; business leader and president of Avco Corporation Raymond Rich; the Smith Brothers, who invented the first cough drops in America; Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
Frances Xavier Cabrini (; born Maria Francesca Cabrini; 15 July 1850 – 22 December 1917), also known as Mother Cabrini, was a prominent Italian-American religious sister in the Roman Catholic Church. She was the first American to be reco ...
(patron saint of immigrants); Major Gen. Daniel Butterfield
Daniel Adams Butterfield (October 31, 1831 – July 17, 1901) was a New York businessman, a Union general in the American Civil War, and Assistant Treasurer of the United States.
After working for American Express, co-founded by his father ...
, who founded the American Express Company and wrote "Taps" in 1862; Eugene R. Durkee, who made a fortune in spices and salad dressings and whose West Park summer mansion became part of the Christian Brothers monastery; John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III (June 10, 1822 – February 22, 1890) was an American financier, philanthropist and a soldier during the American Civil War. He was a prominent member of the Astor family, becoming the wealthiest member in his generation.
Ea ...
; boxing champion Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in his ...
who attended Wiltwyck School for Boys in West Park; and Alton Brooks Parker, a lawyer and judge who ran for U.S president as the 1904 Democratic party nominee, losing to incumbent Theodore Roosevelt.
In the early part of the 21st century, Esopus became known as a haven for artists and performers, including Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-, Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
- and Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-winning actress Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
, singer and Broadway actress Kelli O'Hara
Kelli Christine O'Hara (born April 16, 1976) is an American actress and singer, most known for her work on the Broadway and opera stages.
An eight-time Tony Award nominee, O'Hara won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her perfor ...
, actor Sebastian Roché, director Joel Coen
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) is an American filmmaker. Working alongside his brother Ethan, the duo have directed, written, edited and produced many feature films, the most acclaimed of which include '' Blood Simple'' (1984), '' ...
, choreographer/director Joe Langworth, actress Blair Ross, Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
-winning actor Peter Dinklage, actress Connie Ray, and reality television personality Luann de Lesseps.
United Nations
In 1946, Esopus was under consideration for the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
headquarters. The community was not alone: no fewer than 248 towns in New York State were among the possible locations, along with cities in other parts of the United States and in nearly every European country. On January 9, 1946, a photo appeared in the '' Kingston Daily Freeman'', with a caption reading, "The local UNO Committee mapping a tentative itinerary for the Sub-Committee of the United Nations Organization (UNO) was impressed with the view shown above from Camp Chi-Wan-Da on the River road between Port Ewen and Ulster Park."
Many local property owners organized to oppose the proposed UN headquarters, however, fearing eminent domain
Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...
. Ultimately, a donation of more than eight million dollars by John D. Rockefeller Jr. for 16 acres of land in Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
provided the UN with its current headquarters in 1948.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (11.08%) is water.
The eastern town line, marked by the Hudson River, is the border of Dutchess County
Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later org ...
. The Rondout Creek marks the northern town line, while the Wallkill River defines the western border.
The lowest point in the town is the shore of the Hudson River, which is at sea level. The highest point is the summit of Hussey Hill, at 906 feet (276 m). Hussey Hill is part of the Marlboro Mountains, which run roughly north to south through the central and eastern sections of Esopus.[
Esopus also has three lakes: Esopus Lake and Mirror Lake, which are in Ulster Park, and Louisa Pond, which is located to the west of the hamlet of Esopus. Louisa Pond is located in Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area.
]
Government
The town's government is made up of a supervisor, four council members, two justices, a highway superintendent, a clerk, and a tax collector. Since 1811, three women have served as supervisor.
Town Supervisor: Danielle Freer (R)
Town Council: Evelyn Clarke (D)
Town Council: Jared Geuss (R)
Town Council: Kathy Quick (D)
Town Council: Laura Robinson (D)
Demographics
2000 census
As of the 2000 census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
there were 9,331 people, 3,439 households and 2,235 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 3,724 housing units at an average density of 100 per square mile (38.6/km. The racial makeup of the town was 94.57% white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
; 2.18% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
; .24% Native American; .94% Asian; .49% from other races; and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.
There were 3,439 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 51.7% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together; 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present; and 35% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.
The population in town was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18; 6.9% from 18 to 24; 29.3% from 25 to 44; 25.9% from 45 to 64; and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,915, and the median income for a family was $55,442. Males had a median income of $38,016 versus $31,010 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $21,174.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,041. The racial makeup was 89.1% white, 5% African American, .4% Native American and 1.4% Asian. Hispanic or Latino people were 5.4% of the population.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,548. The racial makeup of the town was 84.50% White, 4.58% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 2.40% from other races, and 7.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.32% of the population.
Emergency services
The town has five fire districts: Connelly, Esopus, Rifton, St. Remy, and Port Ewen. Emergency medical services are provided by a volunteer ambulance corps.
Transportation
The main thoroughfare, north-south, is U.S. 9W.
Into the early 1950s, 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 Midw ...
was running three trains a day six days a week through the town, with stops, heading north: West Park, Esopus, Ulster Park and Port Ewen, from 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 on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...
to either Kingston or Albany.['Official Guide of the Railways,' December 1951, New York Central section, Table 80] Since 1958, this line has been freight only.
Hamlets in Esopus
*Connelly – 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. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
in the northeastern part of the town and suburb of Kingston. It is on the south bank of Rondout Creek.
*Dashville – a hamlet south of Rifton.
* Esopus – a hamlet by the Hudson River and located on Route 9W.
*New Salem – a hamlet at the northern town line by Rondout Creek.
* Port Ewen – a hamlet and census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...
in the northeastern part of the town; it is considered a suburb of Kingston.
* Rifton – a hamlet and census designated place in the western part of the town, on Route 213.
*St. Remy – a hamlet south of New Salem.
*Sleightsburgh – a hamlet at the northeastern corner of the town and suburb of Kingston. The community is at the mouth of Rondout Creek.
* Ulster Park – a hamlet north of Esopus hamlet on Route 9W.
*Union Center – a hamlet west of Ulster Park.
* West Park – a hamlet south of Esopus hamlet on Route 9W.
Notable people
* Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth (; born Isabella Bomefree; November 26, 1883) was an American Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist and activist for African-American civil rights, women's rights, and Temperance movement, alcohol temperance. Truth was ...
* John Burroughs
John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and nature essayist, active in the conservation movement in the United States. The first of his essay collections was ''Wake-Robin'' in 1871.
In the words of his bi ...
* Harry Payne Bingham
* George W. Pratt
* Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne
* Smith Brothers
* Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
Frances Xavier Cabrini (; born Maria Francesca Cabrini; 15 July 1850 – 22 December 1917), also known as Mother Cabrini, was a prominent Italian-American religious sister in the Roman Catholic Church. She was the first American to be reco ...
* Major Gen. Daniel Butterfield
Daniel Adams Butterfield (October 31, 1831 – July 17, 1901) was a New York businessman, a Union general in the American Civil War, and Assistant Treasurer of the United States.
After working for American Express, co-founded by his father ...
* John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III (June 10, 1822 – February 22, 1890) was an American financier, philanthropist and a soldier during the American Civil War. He was a prominent member of the Astor family, becoming the wealthiest member in his generation.
Ea ...
* Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in his ...
* Alton Brooks Parker
* Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
* Kelli O'Hara
Kelli Christine O'Hara (born April 16, 1976) is an American actress and singer, most known for her work on the Broadway and opera stages.
An eight-time Tony Award nominee, O'Hara won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her perfor ...
* Sebastian Roche
* James Matthew Jones
* Joel Coen
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) is an American filmmaker. Working alongside his brother Ethan, the duo have directed, written, edited and produced many feature films, the most acclaimed of which include '' Blood Simple'' (1984), '' ...
* Joe Langworth
* Blair Ross
* Peter Dinklage
* Luann de Lesseps
See also
* Esopus Wars
* Esopus Spitzenburg
References
External links
Town of Esopus, New York
Town of Esopus Library
{{Coord, 41, 49, 40, N, 73, 57, 54, W, type:city_region:US-NY, display=title
Towns in Ulster County, New York
Towns in New York (state)
1811 establishments in New York (state)