Ulster, New York

Ulster is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 12,327 at the 2010 census.

Town of Ulster
Town
Location in Ulster County and the state of New York.
Town of Ulster
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 41°57′38″N 74°0′39″W
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyUlster
Town28 November 1879
Government
 • TypeCouncil
 • SupervisorJames E. Quigley III
Area
 • Total28.88 sq mi (74.81 km2)
 • Land26.81 sq mi (69.43 km2)
 • Water2.08 sq mi (5.38 km2)
Elevation
161 ft (49 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total12,327
 • Estimate 
(2018)
12,593
 • Density459.8/sq mi (177.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP
12449, 12487[3]
Area code(s)766, 921[3]
FIPS code36-75935
GNIS feature ID0979569
Websitehttps://townulster.digitaltowpath.org:10023/content

The Town of Ulster is in the northeast part of the county. The town is directly north of the City of Kingston. Ulster is partially inside Catskill Park.

The New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) and U.S. Route 9W pass through the western part of the town. U.S. Route 209 crosses the Hudson River from the east side of the town.

History

The Town of Ulster, youngest of the twenty towns in the county, was created by the Ulster County Board of Supervisors on 28 November 1879 with land taken from the Town of Kingston. Formed in protest to what was considered political misrule by the authorities of the Town of Kingston, the action of the supervisors was soon ratified by the state legislature. The first meeting of the Town of Ulster was held in the hotel of George A. Stoddard on 2 March 1880. James Myer Jr. was its first Supervisor. The new town contained approximately 27.5 square miles of land. It bordered the City of Kingston on three sides and was bordered by the Hudson River and the Towns of Kingston, Saugerties, Hurley, Woodstock, and Rosendale. Rondout Creek separated the Town of Ulster from the Town of Esopus to the south.

"While the establishment of Ulster solved the problem of political corruption in the parent Town of Kingston, another problem was inadvertently created. When the boundaries of Ulster were established, it was obvious just how severe the punishment of the Town of Kingston had been: the new town had Eddyville with the Delaware and Hudson Canal Terminus lock, the land bordering the Hudson with its icehouses and brickyards and all the advantages for trade and travel, the flat farm land of the Saugerties Road and the Brabant with its road leading into the interior. The Esopus Creek with all the potential for mills was locate within the new town. Finding a Centrum or hub around which the township could unite was virtually impossible as it was little more than a collection of hamlets bound together by only a legislative act." (Burgher manuscript)

Although the new town lacked a geographic center, Eddyville was its economic hub. Named for George Eddy, a mill owner whose family established a cotton mill and a sawmill on the Rondout, Eddyville became a thriving hamlet in large part due to the Delaware and Hudson Canal.

Present East Kingston was first called Flatbush. Originally named by the Esopus tribe of the Lenape, the Dutchlater called it "Vlakke Basch". It became the site of cement works, ice houses and brickyards, and became second only to Eddyville in significance in the newly-formed Town of Ulster. Present Rider Park and Post Park are on former brickyards.

The hamlet of Lake Katrine bears the name of the nearby lake. The lake was first called Auntrens Pond, and the area nearby was first called Pine Bush.

Bluestone quarrying was the main industry in Ruby, which was known as both Dutch Settlement and German Settlement in earlier times.

"The township remained primarily rural and agricultural until the post World War II years when so much happened so quickly and Ulster had to move into the 20th Century ready or not. A major corporation, IBM, opened its Kingston facility. The economy of Ulster, the City of Kingston and neighboring towns changed irreversibly as housing developments sprang up, schools were built and other businesses arrived." (Burgher manuscript)

The Town of Ulster is noted as being "The Business Hub" of Ulster County. Many historical sites dot the landscape.

In 1999, Lisa Groppuso was the first female Supervisor elected on the Democratic ticket. Prior, she served 4 two-year terms (1990-1998) as Town Clerk.

In 2005 Ulster elected Nicky B. Woerner as the youngest town supervisor in New York State history (age 21) and elected the first Democratic Town Board in the town's history.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.9 square miles (75 km2), of which, 26.8 square miles (69 km2) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it (7.20%) is water.

The east town line is formed by the Hudson River, and the west part of the town borders the City of Kingston.

Esopus Creek flows northward through the center of the town.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18802,806—
18903,22214.8%
19003,58211.2%
19103,554−0.8%
19202,622−26.2%
19303,59737.2%
19403,99311.0%
19504,41110.5%
19608,44891.5%
197011,71138.6%
198012,3195.2%
199012,3290.1%
200012,5401.7%
201012,327−1.7%
2018 (est.)12,593[4]2.2%
US Decennial Census[5]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 12,327 people. 90.2% were White, 3.1% were African American, 0.3% were Native American, 2.2% were Asian, 0.0% were Pacific Islander and 2.6% were of two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.4% of the population.[6]

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census,[7] there were 12,544 people, 4,850 households, and 3,278 families in the town. The population density was 467.9/sqmi (180.7/km2). There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of 195.4/sqmi (75.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.44% White, 2.89% African American, .17% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population.

There were 4,850 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.96.

The Town population contained 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,707, and the median income for a family was $51,095. Males had a median income of $38,655 versus $26,146 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,069. About 5.9% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Ulster

Government

The Town government consists of a supervisor, a deputy supervisor, four council members, a clerk, and two justices.

The following is a list of supervisors of the town:[8]

NameYears ServedYears LivedNotes
James Myer Jr.1880-18811811-1886[9]
Hezekiah S. Burhans1882-18831843-1884[10]
James Myer Jr.18841811-1886
Lorenzo Dunnegan18851840-1902
John H. Overbaugh18861831-1907[11]
Charles Marvin Streeter18871847-1927[12]
Lorenzo Dunnegan1888-18891840-1902
Henry McNamee1890-19041854-1934Longest-serving supervisor (15 years); Chairman of the Ulster County Board of Supervisors, 1898 to 1899
Joel Brink1904-19111868-1939Chairman of the Ulster County Board of Supervisors, 1908 to 1909
Frank M. Brink1912-19251875-1944[13]Cousin of Joel Brink
Hugh M. Ferguson1926-19291877-1955
Pratt Boice1930-19341889-1968[14]Resigned to become Ulster County Treasurer (1935 to 1939)
Hugh M. Ferguson1934-19381877-1955Named as Boice's successor, then elected to two terms
Auley Clarence Roosa1939-19461902-1977[15]
Horace Boice Jr.1947-19511891-1960[16]Resigned to become Ulster County Treasurer (1952 to 1955); 1st cousin of Pratt Boice
Percy Bush1952-19571910-1976[17]
Robert Pardee1958Resigned due to poor health
Alexander J. Banyo1958-19651921-2016[18]
Thaddeus A. Musialkiewicz1966-19691918-2005[19]
Carmine Sabino1970-19771921-2004[20]
Charles Granville Rider1978-19871923-2005[21]Charles Rider Park in East Kingston (hamlet of town) named for him
John Arthur DeGasperis Jr.1988-19911929-1991[22]Died while incumbent; Highway Complex in town is named for him
Frank Eugene Sottile1992-19951938-Frank E. Sottile Boulevard in the town is named for him; brother James Sottile was mayor of Kingston, New York
Andrus J. LaBarge1996-19991929-2018
Lisa Ann Groppuso2000-20011962-First female supervisor of Ulster
Frederick James "Fred" Wadnola Jr.2002-20051939-
Nicky B. Woerner2006-20091984-Youngest supervisor elected in New York State history
James Edward Quigley III2010-Present1956-Tied 4th-longest serving current supervisor in Ulster County (tied 3rd for consecutive years; Hardenburgh supervisor Jerry Fairbairn served from 2000-2011, then again 2014-present)

Notable people

References
  1. Ulster Town (accessed 19 July 2019)
  2. "2016 US Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  3. Area Codes for Ulster NY (accessed 19 July 2019)
  4. "U.S. Census website". Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. "U.S. Census website". Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  7. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  8. Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Ulster County. Kingston, New York: Freeman Publishing Company. 1923. p. 448.
  9. "James Myer at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  10. "Hezekiah S. Burhans at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  11. "John H. Overbaugh at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  12. "Charles M. Streeter at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  13. "Frank M. Brink at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  14. "Pratt Boice and Harriet Mae Stone". ourfamtree.org. Ray Gurganus. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  15. "Auley Clarence Roosa". ourfamtree.org. Ray Gurganus. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  16. "Horace Boice and Margaretta D. Kirchner". ourfamtree.org. Ray Gurganus. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  17. "Percy Bush at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  18. "Alexander Banyo at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  19. "Thaddeus Musialkiewicz at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  20. "Carmine Sabino at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  21. "Charles G. Rider at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  22. "John A. DeGasperis Jr. at Findagrave.com". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  23. Electrical World. 1914. A bill introduced in the New York Legislature by Senator A. J. Palmer, of Ulster ...
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