Hurley (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Hurley is a town
in Ulster County
, New York
, USA. The population was 6,314 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Hurley is in the northeast part of the county, west of the City of Kingston
. Much of the town is inside the Catskill Park.
, Dutch Governor of Niew Amsterdam, established the village of Niew Dorp on the site of an earlier Native American Settlement. On June 7, 1663, during the Esopus Wars
the Esopus Indians attacked and destroyed the village, and took captives who were later released. England took over the Dutch Colony on September 6, 1664. On September 17, 1669, the village, abandoned since the Esopus Indian attack, was resettled and renamed Hurley. It was named after Francis Lovelace, Baron Hurley of Ireland. In 1708 two large land patents from the New York Colonial government expanded the bounds of Hurley northward to near the present boundary with the Town of Woodstock and southward to the old boundary of the Town of New Paltz.
The southern section was quickly settled by farmers and the villages of Bloomingdale and Wagondale (now Creeklocks) were established. The discovery of limestone suitable for cement made this a valuable economic area and the village of Rosendale became its center. These villages and the surrounding area became the core of the Town of Rosendale, established in 1844.
Old Hurley, the central part of the Town, remained an agricultural community of close-knit families. Farming the Esopus Valley they supplied grain to the growing colony, New England, and the American Revolutionary forces. In October, November, and December of 1777, Old Hurley was the military headquarters for General George Clinton's Continental forces and the temporary capital of New York State.
Old Hurley's Main Street is part of the National Register of Historic Sites due to its well-preserved stone houses which have served as residences for more than 300 years. Some are open to the public once a year in July on Stone House Day and one contains the Hurley Heritage Society's museum.
The northern section of the Town was a forested wilderness until the discovery, in the 1830s, of a fine quality shale. Known as Blue Stone, it was used in the construction of road curbing, sidewalks and building facades. West Hurley, Glenford, and Ashton were villages established by the quarry industry. In 1917, New York City's need for a dependable water supply resulted in land condemnation and the flooding of the valley to create the Ashokan reservoir. The flooded villages of Glenford and West Hurley were resettled on the shores of the reservoir, but Ashton was never relocated.
Parts of Hurley have been used to form the Towns of New Paltz (1809), Esopus
(1818), Olive
(1823), Rosendale
(1844), and Woodstock
(1853).
The construction of the Ashokan Reservoir
inundated many communities in 1912.
In 1982, parts of the movie Tootsie
were filmed at the historic Wynkoop Farm and the Hurley Mountain Inn
, both in Hurley.
, the town has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.2 km²), of which, 30.0 square miles (77.6 km²) of it is land and 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²) of it (16.74%) is water.
Esopus Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River
, flows through the town. The eastern part of the reservoir is in the northern part of the town.
US Route 209 passes through the eastern part of the town. NY 28
crosses it east to west.
of 2000, there were 6,564 people, 2,694 households, and 1,872 families residing in the town. The population density
was 219.2 people per square mile (84.6/km²). There were 2,946 housing units at an average density of 98.4 per square mile (38.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.64% White, 1.40% Black or African American
, 0.12% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population.
There were 2,694 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,055, and the median income for a family was $59,487. Males had a median income of $39,565 versus $27,238 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $25,864. About 4.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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...
, USA. The population was 6,314 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Hurley is in the northeast part of the county, west of the City of Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
. Much of the town is inside the Catskill Park.
History
In the Spring of 1662, Peter StuyvesantPeter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
, Dutch Governor of Niew Amsterdam, established the village of Niew Dorp on the site of an earlier Native American Settlement. On June 7, 1663, during the Esopus Wars
Esopus Wars
The Esopus Wars were two localized conflicts between Dutch settlers and the Esopus tribe of Lenape Indians during the latter half of the 17th century in what is now Ulster County, New York. Like many other wars during the colonial period, at bottom they were the result of competition between...
the Esopus Indians attacked and destroyed the village, and took captives who were later released. England took over the Dutch Colony on September 6, 1664. On September 17, 1669, the village, abandoned since the Esopus Indian attack, was resettled and renamed Hurley. It was named after Francis Lovelace, Baron Hurley of Ireland. In 1708 two large land patents from the New York Colonial government expanded the bounds of Hurley northward to near the present boundary with the Town of Woodstock and southward to the old boundary of the Town of New Paltz.
The southern section was quickly settled by farmers and the villages of Bloomingdale and Wagondale (now Creeklocks) were established. The discovery of limestone suitable for cement made this a valuable economic area and the village of Rosendale became its center. These villages and the surrounding area became the core of the Town of Rosendale, established in 1844.
Old Hurley, the central part of the Town, remained an agricultural community of close-knit families. Farming the Esopus Valley they supplied grain to the growing colony, New England, and the American Revolutionary forces. In October, November, and December of 1777, Old Hurley was the military headquarters for General George Clinton's Continental forces and the temporary capital of New York State.
Old Hurley's Main Street is part of the National Register of Historic Sites due to its well-preserved stone houses which have served as residences for more than 300 years. Some are open to the public once a year in July on Stone House Day and one contains the Hurley Heritage Society's museum.
The northern section of the Town was a forested wilderness until the discovery, in the 1830s, of a fine quality shale. Known as Blue Stone, it was used in the construction of road curbing, sidewalks and building facades. West Hurley, Glenford, and Ashton were villages established by the quarry industry. In 1917, New York City's need for a dependable water supply resulted in land condemnation and the flooding of the valley to create the Ashokan reservoir. The flooded villages of Glenford and West Hurley were resettled on the shores of the reservoir, but Ashton was never relocated.
Parts of Hurley have been used to form the Towns of New Paltz (1809), Esopus
Esopus, New York
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,331 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."...
(1818), Olive
Olive, New York
Olive is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 4,579 at the 2000 census.The Town of Olive is an interior town of Ulster County. The town is west of Kingston, New York and is inside the Catskill Park.- History :...
(1823), Rosendale
Rosendale, New York
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
(1844), and 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...
(1853).
The construction of the Ashokan Reservoir
Ashokan Reservoir
The Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in Ulster County, New York, USA. The reservoir is in the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several reservoirs created to provide the City of New York with water. However, it is one of only two reservoirs in the Catskill Watershed. It is also New...
inundated many communities in 1912.
In 1982, parts of the movie Tootsie
Tootsie
Tootsie is a 1982 American comedy film that tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, with a supporting cast that includes Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman,...
were filmed at the historic Wynkoop Farm and the Hurley Mountain Inn
Hurley Mountain Inn
Hurley Mountain Inn is a restaurant/sports bar in historic Hurley, New York. It was the setting for an upstate bar scene in the movie Tootsie...
, both in Hurley.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.2 km²), of which, 30.0 square miles (77.6 km²) of it is land and 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²) of it (16.74%) is water.
Esopus Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, flows through the town. The eastern part of the reservoir is in the northern part of the town.
US Route 209 passes through the eastern part of the town. NY 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...
crosses it east to west.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,564 people, 2,694 households, and 1,872 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 219.2 people per square mile (84.6/km²). There were 2,946 housing units at an average density of 98.4 per square mile (38.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.64% White, 1.40% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.12% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population.
There were 2,694 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,055, and the median income for a family was $59,487. Males had a median income of $39,565 versus $27,238 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $25,864. About 4.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Hurley
- Ashton – A former community, lost by the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir.
- Ashokan ReservoirAshokan ReservoirThe Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in Ulster County, New York, USA. The reservoir is in the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several reservoirs created to provide the City of New York with water. However, it is one of only two reservoirs in the Catskill Watershed. It is also New...
– A reservoir formed in 1917 within the Catskill Park. It is partly within the northwest part of the town. - HurleyHurley (CDP), New YorkHurley is a hamlet in the Town of Hurley, Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 3,458 at the 2010 census....
– The hamlet of Hurley is in the eastern part of the town. It was temporarily the capital of New York. - Creeklocks – A location formerly called "Wagondale."
- Glenford – A hamlet on the north shore of the Ashokan Reservoir, on Route 28 west of West Hurley.
- Morgan Hill – A hamlet inside the Catskill State Park, northwest of Hurley village.
- Old Hurley – A location in the central part of the town.
- Riverside Park – A hamlet south of Hurley village.
- Rolling Meadows – A suburban community bordering Kingston.
- Southside – A location in the town.
- West HurleyWest Hurley, New YorkWest Hurley is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 2,105 at the 2000 census.West Hurley is located in the Town of Hurley and is inside the Catskill Park. The community is northwest of Kingston, New York on Route 28.It was one of many villages that were flooded...
– A hamlet on the north shore of the reservoir, on Route 28.