New Paltz (town), New York
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New Paltz is a town in Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 12,830 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from Palz the German dialect name of the Rhenish Palatinate, now a region of Germany called "Pfalz".
The Town of New Paltz contains a village also with the name New Paltz. The town is located in the northern part of the county and is south of Kingston, New York.
The Mohonk Preserve and Mohonk Mountain House resort hotel are located in the western part of New Paltz.
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[edit] History
New Paltz was founded in 1678 by French Huguenots who had taken refuge in Mannheim, Germany, for a few years before coming to America. Mannheim was, at that time, capital of the area called the Rhenish Palatinate or, in German, the Rhein Pfalz.
The people of Mannheim leave out the "f" in the name Pfalz, pronouncing it "Paltz." Records of the New Paltz Reformed Church, which was formed in 1683, show the name of the settlement was first expressed not in German, nor in English, but in French: Nouveau Palatinat
The community was governed by a kind of corporation called the Duzine, referring to the twelve partners who acquired the royal patent. That form of government continued well past the time of the American Revolution, by special action of the New York State legislature.
The 33,000 or so acres of the patent, stretching all the way to the Hudson River and augmented soon by the other patents on the south, were eventually divided among those twelve partners, their relatives, and a few friends into large plots--part wilderness, and part farm. The farms were grouped principally around the heights west and east of the Wallkill River.The commerical center serving this agricultural base was located on the east shore of the Wallkill River, in the area where the first settlers had huddled, on the street now known as Huguenot Street.
There, the church, schools, blacksmith, seamstresses,and stores flourished for the benefit of farmers who required things like seed, tools, worship, education, clothing, and food not available on all farms, including alcoholic beverages. Many of the buildings still stand today, a museum community.
Population slowly spread from the Wallkill up along the street now known as North Front Street and then along what is now Chestnut Street, and, in the nineteenth century, along what is now Main Street. The secession of the Town of Lloyd and parts of Shawangunk, Esopus, and Gardiner, between 1843 and 1853, reduced New Paltz to its present size. In 1887, the Village of New Paltz was incorporated within a town of the same name.
Higher education has been one of the main concerns of the community since the 1830's, centering first on North Front Street, then moving late in the nineteenth century to the area of Plattekill Avenue and Manheim Boulevard (notice the French spelling), where the State University College of New York at New Paltz now stands.
New Paltz farmers looked early on to surrounding communities and even to New York City for markets. Establishment of the Wallkill Valley Railroad in 1870 gave a great boost to that concern. After fifty years or so, the motor car began to replace the train, and finally, in the early 1950's, the opening of the New York State Thruway brought this community even more fully into the network of business we know in the late twentiety century.
The names of those Duzine members (Bevier, Deyo, Crispell, DuBois, Hasbrouck, LeFevre) still persist, but they have long shared the limelight with names less French: all the varied pronunciations we in America know well. One of the most famous people associated with New Paltz is Sojourner Truth.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 88.8 km² (34.3 mi²). 87.8 km² (33.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (1.14%) is water.
The Wallkill River flows northward through the town, passing west of New Paltz village.
The New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) passes through the eastern part of the town.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 12,830 people, 4,455 households, and 2,347 families residing in the town. The population density was 146.1/km² (378.4/mi²). There were 4,679 housing units at an average density of 53.3/km² (138.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.16% White, 5.99% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.93% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.22% of the population.
There were 4,455 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,542, and the median income for a family was $55,537. Males had a median income of $38,250 versus $26,629 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,436. About 6.8% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities and locations in the Town of New Paltz
- Butterville -- A hamlet west of New Paltz village.
- New Paltz -- The Village of New Paltz.
- Ohioville -- A hamlet east of New Paltz village and Putt Corners on Route 299.
- Putt Corners -- A hamlet east of New Paltz village off Route 299.
- Springtown -- A hamlet north of New Paltz village.
- Libertyville -- A hamlet west of New Paltz village.
- State University of New York at New Paltz -- A SUNY college south of New Paltz village.
[edit] External links
- SUNY New Paltz
- Town of New Paltz, NY
- New Paltz Huguenots
- New Paltz information
- The New Paltz Wiki
- Elting Memorial Library Digital Collections
- newpaltzjournal.com
| Municipalities and Communities of Ulster County, New York (County seat: Kingston) |
|
|---|---|
| Cities | Kingston |
| Villages | Ellenville | New Paltz | Saugerties |
| Towns | Denning | Esopus | Gardiner | Hardenburgh | Hurley | Kingston | Lloyd | Marbletown | Marlborough | New Paltz | Olive | Plattekill | Rochester | Rosendale | Saugerties | Shandaken | Shawangunk | Ulster | Wawarsing | Woodstock |
| Communities/CDPs | Accord | Bearsville | Big Indian | Boiceville | Centerville | Chichester | Clintondale | Cragsmoor | East Kingston | Gardiner | Glasco | High Falls | Highland | Highmount | Hillside | Kerhonkson | Lake Katrine | Lincoln Park | Malden | Marlboro | Milton | Mount Pleasant | Mount Tremper | Napanoch | Olive Bridge | Oliverea | Phoenicia | Pine Hill | Port Ewen | Rifton | Rosendale Village | Saugerties South | Seager | Shady | Shokan | Spring Glen | Stone Ridge | Sundown | Tillson | Veteran | Walker Valley | Wallkill | West Hurley | West Park | West Shokan | Willow | Woodstock | Zena |
