Big Indian, New York
Encyclopedia
Big Indian is a hamlet within the Town of Shandaken
in Ulster County
, New York
, United States
, located along State Route 28
, within the Catskill Park 17 miles west of Woodstock
. The Esopus Creek
runs through the area, as Birch Creek feeds in from the north. Big Indian Hollow is located slightly to the west, while Big Indian Mountain
sits to the southwest. The community is located at 42°10′25"N 74°44′37"W.
; because of his height of about seven feet, he was also called Big Indian. He was in love with a local woman, Gertrude Molyneux, who eventually loved him as well; because her parents opposed the match, they arranged a marriage with one Joseph Bundy. Disliking Bundy, Gertrude eloped with Winneesook into the wilderness. Some years later, a party of people searching for a missing cow was led by Bundy; still seeking revenge, he accused "that big Indian" of stealing the cow. When they finally found Winneesook, Bundy shot him with his rifle and injured him severely; after being left alone, Winneesook crawled to a pine tree where Gertrude found him later dying. After Winneesook's death and burial, Gertrude and her children moved to the site; the hamlet of Big Indian later developed at that location. Local lore holds that the pine tree stood until the railroad through Big Indian was built in the 1880s.
Shandaken, New York
Shandaken is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,235. The name is from a native phrase for "land of rapid waters."...
in Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
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. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located along State Route 28
New York State Route 28
New York State Route 28 is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major routes, including Interstate 88 , U.S. Route 20 , and the...
, within the Catskill Park 17 miles west of Woodstock
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
. The Esopus Creek
Esopus Creek
Esopus Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River that drains the east-central Catskill Mountains of the U.S. state of New York. From its source at Winnisook Lake on the slopes of Slide Mountain, the Catskills' highest peak, it flows across Ulster County to the Hudson at Saugerties. Many tributaries...
runs through the area, as Birch Creek feeds in from the north. Big Indian Hollow is located slightly to the west, while Big Indian Mountain
Big Indian Mountain (New York)
Big Indian Mountain is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York.The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains.It is flanked to the northwest by Eagle Mountain, to the southeast by Fir Mountain, and to the southwest by Doubletop Mountain....
sits to the southwest. The community is located at 42°10′25"N 74°44′37"W.
Origin of name
Once a Munsee named Winneesook (the name means "snowfall") lived near Marbletown, New YorkMarbletown, New York
Marbletown is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,854 at the 2000 census.The Town of Marbletown is near the center of Ulster County, southwest of the City of Kingston. US 209 and NY 213 pass through the town...
; because of his height of about seven feet, he was also called Big Indian. He was in love with a local woman, Gertrude Molyneux, who eventually loved him as well; because her parents opposed the match, they arranged a marriage with one Joseph Bundy. Disliking Bundy, Gertrude eloped with Winneesook into the wilderness. Some years later, a party of people searching for a missing cow was led by Bundy; still seeking revenge, he accused "that big Indian" of stealing the cow. When they finally found Winneesook, Bundy shot him with his rifle and injured him severely; after being left alone, Winneesook crawled to a pine tree where Gertrude found him later dying. After Winneesook's death and burial, Gertrude and her children moved to the site; the hamlet of Big Indian later developed at that location. Local lore holds that the pine tree stood until the railroad through Big Indian was built in the 1880s.
Notable people
- Lhasa de SelaLhasa de SelaLhasa de Sela , also known by the mononym Lhasa, was an American-born singer-songwriter who was raised in Mexico and the United States, and divided her adult life between Canada and France...
, singer - Albert RudolphAlbert RudolphAlbert Rudolph was born in Brooklyn, New York. Rudi was an entrepreneur and spiritual teacher in New York City.-Early years:...
, spiritual teacher - Dean GitterDean GitterDean L. Gitter, , is an entrepreneur and a real estate developer in the Catskills in New York State.Gitter is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Harvard College, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the Harvard Business School....
, entrepreneur - Don Gomo, writer, motorcycle enthusiast