Ulster County, New York

Ulster County, New York
Seal
Location in the state of New York
New York's location in the U.S.
Founded	1683
Seat	Kingston
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,161 sq mi (3,007 km²) 1,126 sq mi (2,916 km²) 34 sq mi (88 km²), 2.95%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	182,493 162/sq mi (62.5/km²)
Website	www.co.ulster.ny.us

Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. In the 2010, the population was 182,493. The county seat is the city of Kingston. A part of the New York metropolitan area, the county is named for the Irish province of Ulster.

History

Ulster County in 1875

The area of present day Ulster County was called Esopus by the first European settlers. In 1652 Thomas Chambers a freeholder from Rensselearwyck purchased land at Esopus and began trading there. In 1683, the Duke of York created twelve counties in his province. Ulster County was one of them. Its boundaries at that time included the present Sullivan County, and portions of the present Delaware, Orange, and Greene Counties.

In 1777, the capital of New York State (the first state capital of independent New York) was established at Kingston, though it was subsequently moved to Wawarsing when the British burned that city.

In 1797, portions of Otsego and Ulster Counties were split off to create Delaware County.

In 1798, the southernmost towns in Ulster County were moved into Orange County, to compensate Orange for breaking away the southernmost portion of that county in order to form Rockland County.

In 1800, portions of Albany and Ulster Counties were split off to create Greene County.

In 1809, Sullivan County was split off from Ulster County.

During the American Civil War volunteers were recruited from the more affluent families of the County to form the 139th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Geography

Mohonk Mountain House on Shawangunk Ridge

Lake Minnewaska

Ulster County is in the southeast part of New York State, south of Albany, immediately west of the Hudson River. Much of the county is within the Catskill Mountains and the Shawangunk Ridge. Ulster County has Minnewaska State Park, Mohonk Preserve, Sundown State Park, VerNooykill State Forest, Witches Hole State Forest, and Shawangunk Ridge State Forest and Sam's Point Preserve, which includes rare dwarf pine trees and VerKeerderkill falls.

The highest point is Slide Mountain, at approximately 4,180 feet (1,270 m) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson River.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,161 square miles (3,010 km²), of which, 1,126 square miles (2,920 km²) of it is land and 34 square miles (88 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.95% water.

The New York State Thruway Interstate 87 runs north-south through the county, carrying traffic to and from New York City and its surroundings.

Cities, towns and villages

See also: Timeline of town creation in the Hudson Valley

Denning (town) Ellenville (village in Wawarsing) Esopus (town) Gardiner (town) Hardenburgh (town) Hurley (town) Kingston (city)

Kingston (town) Lloyd (town) Marbletown (town) Marlborough (town) Milton (hamlet) New Paltz (town) New Paltz (village)

Olive (town) Plattekill (town) Rochester (town) Rosendale (town) Saugerties (town) Saugerties (village) Shandaken (town)

Shawangunk (town) Ulster (town) Wawarsing (town) Woodstock (town)

Ulster County, New York
Woodstock Saugerties Shandaken Hardenburgh Denning Olive Rochester Wawarsing Shawangunk Plattekill 5 New Paltz Gardiner Marbletown Esopus Hurley 1 3 2 4 Lloyd 1 - Kingston (city) 2 - Kingston (town) 3 - Ulster 4 - Rosendale 5 - Marlborough Sullivan County Delaware County Greene County Orange County Dutchess County Col. County

There are several hamlets located within each town.

Adjacent counties

• Greene County - north
• Columbia County - northeast
• Dutchess County - southeast
• Orange County - south
• Sullivan County - southwest
• Delaware County - northwest

National protected area

• Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	29,370		—
1800	24,855		−15.4%
1810	26,576		6.9%
1820	30,934		16.4%
1830	36,550		18.2%
1840	45,822		25.4%
1850	59,384		29.6%
1860	76,381		28.6%
1870	84,075		10.1%
1880	85,838		2.1%
1890	87,062		1.4%
1900	88,422		1.6%
1910	91,769		3.8%
1920	74,979		−18.3%
1930	80,155		6.9%
1940	87,017		8.6%
1950	92,621		6.4%
1960	118,804		28.3%
1970	141,241		18.9%
1980	158,158		12.0%
1990	165,304		4.5%
2000	177,749		7.5%
2010	182,493		2.7%

As of the census of 2009, there were 181,440 people, 67,499 households, and 43,536 families residing in the county. The population density was 158 people per square mile (61/km²). There were 77,656 housing units at an average density of 69 per square mile (27/km²). The racial makeup of the county, as of 2008, was 83.2% White, 6.50% Black or African American,0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.2% were of Italian, 16.8% Irish, 15.5% German, 6.8% English and 4.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.3% spoke English, 4.5% Spanish, 1.2% Italian and 1.0% German as their first language.

There were 67,499 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.50% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,551, and the median income for a family was $51,708. Males had a median income of $36,808 versus $27,086 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,846. About 7.20% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

In recent history, Ulster County has voted Democratic. In 2004 John Kerry defeated George W. Bush 54-43%, and in 2008 Barack Obama defeated John McCain by 61-38%. That gave the county a Cook PVI of D+7. The County is represented by Democrat Maurice Hinchey in Congress, and is located in the 22nd district.

Ulster had long had a county-scale version of a council-manager government, with the county legislature hiring a county administrator to handle executive functions. The chair of the legislature had a great deal of power and was only accountable to the voters of his own district. The only countywide elected officials were the district attorney, Holley Carnright, 2008 to present and sheriff, Paul Vanblarcum, 2007 to present.

In 2006, voters approved the first-ever county charter, changing to an elected executive branch. Two years later, Mike Hein, the last appointed county administrator, became Ulster's first elected county executive.

Ulster County Executives

Name	Party	Term
Michael P. Hein	Democrat	January 1, 2009 – present

Legislative authority is vested in the County Legislature, which consists of 23 members elected from individual districts, as directed by a county charter reapportionment mandate starting in late 2010. ref name="reapportionment">http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/01/17/news/doc4d3366fada7e1324007403.txt?viewmode=fullstory</ref> The current composition of the Legislature is as follows (11 Republicans, 11 Democrats and 1 Conservative who caucuses with the Republicans):

Ulster County Legislature

District	Legislator	Party	Residence
1	Mary Wawro	Conservative	Saugerties
2	Robert T. Aiello	Republican	Saugerties
3	Dean Fabiano	Republican	Glasco
4	James F. Maloney vice chair	Republican	Kingston
5	Peter M. Loughran	Democrat	Kingston
6	David B. Donaldson minority leader	Democrat	Kingston
7	Jeanette Provenzano	Democrat	Kingston
8	Carl Belfiglio	Republican	Port Ewen
9	Wayne Harris	Republican	Clintondale
10	Mary Beth Maio	Republican	Highland
11	Richard A. Gerentine	Republican	Marlboro
12	Kevin A. Roberts	Republican	Plattekill
13	Kenneth J. Ronk majority leader	Republican	Wallkill
14	Craig V. Lopez	Republican	Pine Bush
15	Thomas J. Briggs	Democrat	Ellenville
16	Tracey A. Bartels	Democrat	Gardiner
17	Kenneth Wishnick	Democrat	New Paltz
18	Richard A. Parete	Democrat	Accord
19	Robert S. Parete	Democrat	Stone Ridge
20	Hector S. Rodriguez	Democrat	New Paltz
21	Terry L. Bernardo chair	Republican	Accord
22	John R. Parete	Democrat	Boiceville
23	Donald J. Gregorius	Democrat	Woodstock

Recreation

Ashokan Reservoir from Wittenberg

A cow at the Ulster County Fair

Ulster County contains a large part of Catskill Park and the Catskill Forest Preserve. The former Delaware and Hudson Canal brought Pennsylvania coal to Kingston on the Hudson. Former Orleans band member John Hall served in the Ulster County legislature before moving to the 19th Congressional District to run for Congress.

The former Ulster and Delaware Railroad runs through Ulster County. There are three railroad attractions in the county on this corridor: Trolley Museum of New York, Catskill Mountain Railroad, and Empire State Railway Museum.

The Ulster County Fair has been held in New Paltz for many years and is promoted as "The Best Six Days of Summer." County run recreation areas include the Ulster County Pool in New Paltz and the Ulster Landing Park in Saugerties.

Transportation

Public transportation in Ulster County is provided by Trailways of New York to and from New York City and Albany, and along Routes 28 and 23, Ulster County Area Transit on major state and US road corridors in the county, and by Kingston Citibus in Kingston.

See also

• List of counties in New York
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ulster County, New York

Bibliography

• Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett (1880). History of Ulster County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers: Part Second: History of the Towns of Ulster County. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck. OCLC 2385957. 
• Ulster County Historians (1984). The History of Ulster County, With Emphasis upon the Last 100 Years, 1883–1983. Kingston, NY: Ulster County Historians. OCLC 11345209. 
• Van Buren, Augustus H. (1923). A History of Ulster County Under the Dominion of the Dutch. Kingston, NY. OCLC 1131828. 

External links

• Ulster County web site
• Summary early history of Ulster County
• Ulster County at the Open Directory Project
• Ulster County Alive