Poestenkill (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Poestenkill is a town
in Rensselaer County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 4,054 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the Poesten Kill
, an important stream in the area. The words "poesten kil" (with only one l) are traditionally supposed to signify "foaming water" or "foaming creek" in Dutch
. While kil indeed means water or creek in Dutch, the etymology
of foam for poest is not supported by Dutch dictionaries.
It seems more likely that the creek was named after the nickname Poest for the 17th century local farmer and miller Jan Barentsen Wemp, who had a pimple (poest) or had difficulty breathing (poesten = to breath); he owned a farm and a mill on the Poestenkil creek. The town is southeast of Troy
and is centrally located in the county.
on March 2, 1848.
When the American Revolutionary War
broke out, six men served from the area. One, named Benjamin Cotterel, is said to have carried the first wheelbarrow of earth to Bunker Hill
.
The first school in the area was established in or soon after 1788 on land set aside for that purpose by Stephen Van Rensselaer III
. Five men from Poestenkill served in the War of 1812
, all joining the Eddy expedition.
The first regular church in Poestenkill was the First Baptist church, organized in 1814 and located in East Poestenkill.
During the American Civil War
, many of Poestenkill's men served with the Union's forces; twelve who died in action were Daniel M. Horton, Philip Amidon, Daniel Morrison, John Wagoner, George Bradt, Dexter Randall, William H. H. Wood, Martin Larabee, Willard Bailey, W. L. Robbins, George Simmons, and William H. Mason.
Future president James A. Garfield considered a job as high school principal in Poestenkill in 1856, though lost it to another applicant.
, the town has a total area of 32.6 square miles (84.4 km²), of which, 32.5 square miles (84.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.43%) is water.
The town is serviced in part by Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
and by Averill Park Central School District
.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 4,054 people, 1,527 households, and 1,137 families residing in the town. The population density
was 124.9 people per square mile (48.2/km²). There were 1,628 housing units at an average density of 50.2 per square mile (19.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.35% White, 0.17% Blacks and or African American
, 0.30% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.57% from two or more races. Latino or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 1,527 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,945, and the median income for a family was $63,819. Males had a median income of $40,128 versus $29,486 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,143. About 0.5% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% 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 Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
, 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...
. The population was 4,054 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the Poesten Kill
Poesten Kill
The Poesten Kill is a creek in upstate New York located entirely in Rensselaer County, which flows westerly from its source at Dyken Pond in the town of Berlin to its mouth at the Hudson River in the city of Troy...
, an important stream in the area. The words "poesten kil" (with only one l) are traditionally supposed to signify "foaming water" or "foaming creek" in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
. While kil indeed means water or creek in Dutch, the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of foam for poest is not supported by Dutch dictionaries.
It seems more likely that the creek was named after the nickname Poest for the 17th century local farmer and miller Jan Barentsen Wemp, who had a pimple (poest) or had difficulty breathing (poesten = to breath); he owned a farm and a mill on the Poestenkil creek. The town is southeast of Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
and is centrally located in the county.
History
The area was first settled around 1770, and the town of Poestenkill was created from part of the Town of Sand LakeSand Lake, New York
Sand Lake is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 7,987. The Capital District Regional Planning Commission indicates it to be 8,336 as of September 2010. The town is in the south-central part of the county...
on March 2, 1848.
When the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
broke out, six men served from the area. One, named Benjamin Cotterel, is said to have carried the first wheelbarrow of earth to Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
.
The first school in the area was established in or soon after 1788 on land set aside for that purpose by Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III was Lieutenant Governor of New York as well as a statesman, soldier, and land-owner, the heir to one of the largest estates in the New York region at the time, which made him the tenth richest American of all time, based on the ratio of his fortune to contemporary GDP...
. Five men from Poestenkill served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, all joining the Eddy expedition.
The first regular church in Poestenkill was the First Baptist church, organized in 1814 and located in East Poestenkill.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, many of Poestenkill's men served with the Union's forces; twelve who died in action were Daniel M. Horton, Philip Amidon, Daniel Morrison, John Wagoner, George Bradt, Dexter Randall, William H. H. Wood, Martin Larabee, Willard Bailey, W. L. Robbins, George Simmons, and William H. Mason.
Future president James A. Garfield considered a job as high school principal in Poestenkill in 1856, though lost it to another applicant.
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 32.6 square miles (84.4 km²), of which, 32.5 square miles (84.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.43%) is water.
The town is serviced in part by Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
Brunswick Central School District is a rural fringe central school district located east of the city of Troy whose main campus resides in the town of Brunswick in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The district has two operating school buildings: Tamarac Elementary School and Tamarac...
and by Averill Park Central School District
Averill Park Central School District
Averill Park Central School District is a rural fringe public school district located east of the city of Rensselaer in south central Rensselaer County, New York. The district has five operating school buildings: three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school...
.
Demographics
Census
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 4,054 people, 1,527 households, and 1,137 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 124.9 people per square mile (48.2/km²). There were 1,628 housing units at an average density of 50.2 per square mile (19.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.35% White, 0.17% Blacks and 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...
, 0.30% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.27% 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 0.57% from two or more races. Latino or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 1,527 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,945, and the median income for a family was $63,819. Males had a median income of $40,128 versus $29,486 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 $22,143. About 0.5% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Poestenkill
- Barberville – A hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
southeast of Poestenkill village. - East Poestenkill (formerly "Columbia") – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town.
- Ives Corner – A hamlet east of Poestenkill village.
- PoestenkillPoestenkill (CDP), New YorkPoestenkill is a hamlet in Rensselaer County, New York, USA. The population was 1,024 at the 2000 census. The name is from Poesten Kill, a stream in the area.Poestenkill is in the south part of the Town of Poestenkill....
– The hamlet of Poestenkill at the junction of Routes 68 and 351. - Rensselaer County Airport (5B7) – An airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in the northwest part of the town. The airport is not large enough to take on any large commercial airplanes, only small privately owned planes.