Hunter 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 ...

located in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 3,035 at the time of the 2020 census.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census results. https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Hunter%20town,%20Greene%20County,%20New%20York The town contains two

villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

, one named

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

on the west, and the second called Tannersville, as well as a number of hamlets such as Haines Falls, Platte Clove, Lanesville and Edgewood. Additionally, there are three residential parks location within town limits: Onteora Park, Twilight Park and Elka Park. The town is on the southern border of Greene County and abuts the towns of Woodstock and Saugerties, located in Ulster County.

History

The town was formed on January 27, 1813, from the town of Windham, but was then called "Edwardsville". The name of "Hunter" was assumed in 1814, named after John Hunter. Afterwards, the town lost some territory to Saugerties in 1814 and to Jewett in 1849. The area became a popular tourism destination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was served by the Ulster and Delaware Railroad, which brought tourists to resort towns throughout the

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

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 90.7 square miles (235.0 km²), of which 90.4 square miles (234.3 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km², or 0.31%) is water. The southern town line and part of the eastern town boundary are 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. The count ...

. The town is in the

and the Catskill Park. Many of the Catskill High Peaks, including Hunter Mountain, a 4040-foot mountain that is the highest in the county and the second-highest in the Catskills (after Slide Mountain), are in the town.

Demographics

As of the

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 ...

of 2000, there were 2,721 people, 1,074 households, and 644 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,840 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.95%

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 ...

, 0.59%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.11% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.33% from other races, and 1.84% 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 2.09% of the population. There were 1,074 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.88. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,382, and the median income for a family was $42,200. Males had a median income of $35,532 versus $22,188 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 $18,496. About 11.1% of families and 19.5% 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 24.0% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the town of Hunter

* Edgewood – 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 southern part of the town on New York State Route 214. * Elka Park (12427) – a hamlet south of Tannersville. * Haines Falls (ZIP Code 12436) – a hamlet east of Tannersville and west of Palenville *

(ZIP Code 12442) – village in the western part of the town on New York State Route 23A. *

Kaaterskill Falls Kaaterskill Falls is a two-stage waterfall on Spruce Creek (Kaaterskill Creek tributary), Spruce Creek in the eastern Catskill Mountains of New York (state), New York, between the Hamlet (place)#New York, hamlets of Haines Falls, New York, Haines ...

– a location east of Haines Falls. * Lanesville (12450) – a hamlet in the southern part of the town, south of Edgewood on Route 214. * Onteora Park – a private park north of Tannersville * Platte Clove (12427) – a hamlet in the eastern part of the town. * Tannersville (12485) – a village east of Hunter village. * Twilight Park – a private park in Haines Falls.

Points of interest

* The village of Hunter has been home to a

summer camp A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...

going by the name of Camp Loyaltown. Dedicated in July 1949, the camp specializes in caring for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, including

autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

emotional and behavioral disorders Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD; also known as behavioral and emotional disorders) refer to a disability classification used in educational settings that allows educational institutions to provide special education and related services to ...

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...

and Down syndrome. Every year, more than 650 campers/guests come to Camp Loyaltown to enjoy the scenic locale and traditional summer camp activities. The camp attracts staff (counselors, admin personnel etc.) from all over the world, who become a major presence and contributor to the village's economy each summer. * Camp Jened, a summer camp for disabled people with a broader range of physical and cognitive disabilities than Camp Loyaltown, was located on Ski Bowl Road in the second half of the 20th century. It was a major focal point for the

disability rights movement The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all disabled people. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocates, around ...

and independent living movement. * Hunter Mountain is the highest peak in the county and the second highest in the Catskills. The mountain is the site of the Hunter Mountain ski area which is open for skiing and tubing in the winter and biking, sightseeing, zip lining and hiking in the summer. The ski resort is the largest employer in the village, which is run by Vail Resorts in the heart of Hunter. The seasonal nature of the mountain regulates the economic activity of the town.

Notable people

* Robert O. Tyler (1831–1874), U.S. Civil War general * John Francis Hylan (1868–1936), 96th mayor of New York City

References

External links

* {{authority control Catskills Towns in Greene County, New York Towns in New York (state)