Sullivan County, New York
Encyclopedia
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Monticello
Monticello, New York
Monticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat of Sullivan County...
. The name is in honor of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
, who was a hero in 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...
. The county was the site of hundreds of Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
hotels and resorts, which had their heyday from the 1920s through the 1970s.
History
When the colony that is now New York State established its first twelve counties in 1683, the present Sullivan County was part of Ulster CountyUlster 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...
. In 1809, Sullivan County was split from Ulster County.
Government and politics
Sullivan County is generally considered a swing county as it has been won by both Democrats and Republicans. In 2004 Republican George Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry by a margin of 49.47% to 48.55% or a difference of 285 votes. http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2004&fips=36105&off=0&elect=0&f=0 In 2008 however it was won by Democrat Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
over Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
by a margin of 54% to 45%.http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2008&fips=36105&off=0&elect=0&f=0
There are thirty six town and village courts in Sullivan County.
Legislative authority is vested in the county legislature which consists of 9 members each elected from single member districts. Districts Map Currently, there are 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans.
- 01 - David Sager (R)
- 02 - Kathleen LaBuda (D), Majority Leader
- 03 - Elwin Wood (D), Vice Chairman
- 04 - Jonathan Rouis (D), Chairman
- 05 - Frank Armstrong (D)
- 06 - Jodi I. Goodman (R)
- 07 - Leni Binder (R), Minority Leader
- 08 - Ron Hiatt (D)
- 09 - Alan Sorensen (R)
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 73,966 people, 27,661 households, and 18,311 families residing in the county. 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 76 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 44,730 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.31% White
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...
, 8.51% Black
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...
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...
, 0.27% Native 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...
, 1.12% Asian
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...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
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...
, 2.89% 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 1.87% from two or more races. 9.25% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 16.6% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 13.9% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 12.5% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, 7.3% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 6.2% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 86.6% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 7.4% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and 1.0% German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as their first language. There is also a small population of Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
living in the villages.
There were 27,661 households out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% 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, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.90% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 103.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,998, and the median income for a family was $43,458. Males had a median income of $36,110 versus $25,754 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 county was $18,892. About 11.60% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 10.70% of those age 65 or over.
Geography
Sullivan County is in the southern part of New York State, southeast of BinghamtonBinghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
and southwest of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. It is separated by the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
The county, which starts about 75 miles northwest of New York City, is in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
. Its northeastern corner is within the Catskill Park.
The highest point in the county is a 3,118-foot (950 m) peak unofficially known as Beech Mountain, near Hodge Pond, a subsidiary summit to Mongaup Mountain across the Ulster County line. The lowest point is along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United 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 county has a total area of 997 square miles (2,582 km²), of which 970 square miles (2,512 km²) is land and 27 square miles (70 km²) (2.72%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Delaware CountyDelaware County, New YorkDelaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2010 the population was 47,980. The county seat is Delhi. It is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609.-History:When counties...
, New YorkNew YorkNew 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...
- north - Ulster CountyUlster County, New YorkUlster 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 YorkNew YorkNew 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...
- northeast - Orange CountyOrange County, New YorkOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New YorkNew YorkNew 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...
- southeast - Pike CountyPike County, Pennsylvania-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River * Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
- southwest - Wayne CountyWayne County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
- west
Towns, villages and hamlets
- BarryvilleBarryville, New YorkBarryville is a hamlet in Highland, Sullivan County, New York. It is named for William T. Barry, postmaster general under President Andrew Jackson. The community grew up around the D&H Canal, which opened in 1828 and operated until 1898...
(hamlet) - BethelBethel, New YorkBethel is a town in Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population has been estimated at 4,532 in 2007.The town received worldwide fame after it became the host of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, which was originally planned for Wallkill, New York, but was relocated to Bethel after Wallkill withdrew.-...
(town) - BloomingburgBloomingburg, New YorkBloomingburg, previously Bloomingburgh, is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 353 at the 2000 census.The Village of Bloomingburg is in the Town of Mamakating.- History :...
(village) - CallicoonCallicoon (CDP), New YorkCallicoon is a hamlet and census-designated place in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 216 at the 2000 census.Callicoon is in the western part of the county in the Town of Delaware.-History:...
(hamlet) - CallicoonCallicoon (town), New YorkCallicoon is a town in Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population was 3,052 at the 2000 census. The town is in the northwestern part of the county.- History :...
(town) - CochectonCochecton, New YorkCochecton is a town located in west-central Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population was 1,328 at the 2000 census. The name is an aboriginal word for "low land."...
(town) - DelawareDelaware, New YorkDelaware is a town in Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population was 2,719 at the 2000 census.The Town of Delaware is in the western part of the county.-Geography:...
(town) - Divine Corners (hamlet)
- Eldred (hamlet)
- FallsburgFallsburg, New YorkFallsburg is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The town is in the eastern part of the county. The population was 12,234 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from a waterfall on the Neversink River...
(town) - ForestburghForestburgh, New YorkForestburgh is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 833 at the 2000 census. It is where the Neversink River enters the Neversink Gorge and flows over High Falls....
(town) - FremontFremont, Sullivan County, New YorkFremont is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,391 at the 2000 census.The Town of Fremont is in the northwest part of the county.-History:The town was formed from part of the Town of Callicoon in 1851...
(town) - Glen Wild (hamlet)
- GrahamsvilleGrahamsville, New YorkGrahamsville is an unincorporated hamlet at the junction of NY 42 and 55 in the Town of Neversink, in Sullivan County, New York, USA. It is near the western end of Rondout Reservoir, and is the southernmost community in the Catskill Park...
(hamlet)
- HarrisHarris, New YorkHarris is a hamlet in the Town of Thompson in east-central Sullivan County, New York, United States. The zipcode for Harris is 12742.Harris is a small community located off New York State Route 17 off Exit 102 between Liberty and Monticello. In its heyday, during the 1950s, Harris was a thriving...
(hamlet) - Hasbrouck (hamlet)
- HighlandHighland, Sullivan County, New YorkHighland is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 2,404 at the 2000 census. The town's name notes its location on elevated ground north of the Delaware River. The town is in the southwest part of the county.- History :...
(town) - HurleyvilleHurleyville, New YorkHurleyville, New York is a hamlet in the Town of Fallsburg, New York in Sullivan County, New York. The town lies along County Road 104 and was originally developed because it was on the main route between the Villages of Liberty and Monticello...
(hamlet) - JeffersonvilleJeffersonville, New YorkJeffersonville is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 420 at the 2000 census. The name is derived indirectly from Thomas Jefferson....
(village) - Kenoza Lake (hamlet)
- LibertyLiberty (village), New YorkLiberty is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 3,975 at the 2000 census.The Village of Liberty is centrally located in the Town of Liberty and is adjacent to New York Route 17.- History :...
(village) - LibertyLiberty (town), New YorkLiberty is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 9,632 at the 2000 census.The Town of Liberty contains a village of Liberty. The village is bisected by state route 52 and 55, and is crossed by New York State Route 17....
(town) - Livingston ManorLivingston Manor, New YorkLivingston Manor is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,355 at the 2000 census.Livingston Manor is in the south part of the Town of Rockland, adjacent to New York State Route 17.-History:...
(hamlet) - Loch SheldrakeLoch Sheldrake, New YorkLoch Sheldrake is a hamlet in the Town of Fallsburg, New York in Sullivan County, New York. The zipcode for Loch Sheldrake is 12759.The community was originally named Sheldrake Pond after a deep glacially formed pond which forms the center of town...
(hamlet) - LumberlandLumberland, New YorkLumberland is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,939 at the 2000 census.The Town of Lumberland is in the southwest part of the county.- History :...
(town) - MamakatingMamakating, New YorkMamakating is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2000 census.The Town of Mamakating is in the southeast part of the county.- History :...
(town) - MonticelloMonticello, New YorkMonticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat of Sullivan County...
(village) - MountaindaleMountaindale, New YorkMountaindale is a hamlet in the town of Fallsburg in Sullivan County, New York, United States. Situated at an altitude of 1,010 feet ....
(hamlet)
- North Branch (hamlet)
- NarrowsburgNarrowsburg, New YorkNarrowsburg is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 414 at the 2000 census.Narrowsburg is in the western part of the Town of Tusten at the junction of Routes 52 and 97...
(hamlet) - NeversinkNeversink, New YorkNeversink is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 3,553 at the 2000 census.The Town of Neversink is in the northeast corner of the county...
(town) - Rock HillRock Hill, New YorkRock Hill is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,056.Rock Hill is in the Town of Thompson by New York Route 17.-Geography:Rock Hill is located at ....
(hamlet) - RocklandRockland, New YorkRockland is a town in the northern part of Sullivan County, New York, United States. At the 2000 census, the population was 3,913.- History :The town, like most of this part of New York, was part of the Hardenburgh Patent...
(town) - RoscoeRoscoe, New YorkRoscoe is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 597 at the 2000 census.Roscoe is in the southwest part of the Town of Rockland, adjacent to New York State Route 17....
(hamlet) - SmallwoodSmallwood, New YorkSmallwood is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 566 at the 2000 census.Smallwood is in the southeast part of the Town of Bethel. It is a hamlet within the town of Bethel, originally founded as the vacation community "Mountain Lakes," but later renamed after...
(hamlet) - South FallsburgSouth Fallsburg, New YorkSouth Fallsburg is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 2,061 at the 2000 census and 2,121 according to a 2007 estimate.South Fallsburg is located within the town of Fallsburg on Route 42....
(hamlet) - ThompsonThompson, New YorkThompson is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 14,189 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Thompson, an early settler.The Town of Thompson is in the southeast part of the county....
(town) - TustenTusten, New YorkTusten is a town in Sullivan County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 1,415 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Benjamin Tusten, a military leader killed at the Battle of Minisink....
(town) - WoodbourneWoodbourne, New YorkWoodbourne is a hamlet in the town of Fallsburg in Sullivan County, New York, United States.Woodbourne is bordered by the town of Neversink, the hamlet of Grahamsville, the hamlet of Loch Sheldrake, the hamlet of Old Falls, and the hamlet of Hasbrouck. The major thoroughfares of Woodbourne are New...
(hamlet) - WoodridgeWoodridge, New YorkWoodridge is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 902 at the 2000 census.The Village of Woodridge is in the Town of Fallsburg at the junction of Routes 53, 54, 58, and 158. The postal code is 12789.- History :...
(village) - WurtsboroWurtsboro, New YorkWurtsboro is a village located on U.S. Route 209 in the town of Mamakating in Sullivan County, New York, United States, near its junction with New York State Route 17...
(village) - Youngsville (village)
- Labels in parentheses are official political level.
Public school districts
- Eldred Central Schools
- Fallsburg Central Schools
- Liberty Central School DistrictLiberty Central School DistrictThe Liberty Central School District is located in Sullivan County, New York. The school consists of a High School and a Middle School, which are part of the same complex, and an Elementary School which is a separate building less than a mile away....
- Livingston Manor Central School DistrictLivingston Manor Central School DistrictLivingston Manor Central School is a school district in Livingston Manor, New York, USA. The superintendent is Deborah L. Fox.The School was built in 1938....
- Monticello Central Schools
- Pine Bush Central School DistrictPine Bush Central School DistrictThe Pine Bush Central School District is in Pine Bush, New York, United States, and spans all of the Town of Crawford and includes part of six other townships in Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. The student enrollment for the district is over 6,200. The district was established in 1938...
- Roscoe Central Schools
- Sullivan West Central SchoolSullivan West Central SchoolThe Sullivan West Central School district is located in Western Sullivan County, New York.-Overview:The Sullivan West Central School district consists of two campuses: the High School is located in Lake Huntington, New York, and the elementary is located in Jeffersonville, New York...
- Tri-Valley Central SchoolTri-Valley Central SchoolTri-Valley Central School is located on NY 55, near Rondout Reservoir, east of the hamlet of Grahamsville in the town of Neversink, Sullivan County, New York, USA. It educates students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade in the Tri-Valley Central School District, which serves not only the town...
Higher education
- Sullivan County Community CollegeSullivan County Community CollegeFounded in 1962, Sullivan County Community College ' is a two-year public community college sponsored by the State University of New York SUNY and Sullivan County, New York. It is also fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
is located in the hamlet of Loch SheldrakeLoch Sheldrake, New YorkLoch Sheldrake is a hamlet in the Town of Fallsburg, New York in Sullivan County, New York. The zipcode for Loch Sheldrake is 12759.The community was originally named Sheldrake Pond after a deep glacially formed pond which forms the center of town...
in the town of Fallsburg.
Travel and tourism
Sullivan County has been a popular vacation spot since the 19th Century, with mountain climbing, boating, and other outdoor activities, and the Monticello RacewayMonticello Raceway
Monticello Gaming and Raceway is a harness racing track, and home to a relatively new racino, in Monticello, Sullivan County, New York. It is off Exit 104 of Route 17 , on New York State Route 17B....
being among the attractions. It was the site of the hundreds of resort complexes of the Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
(with their golf courses, social events, and entertainers), between the 1920s and 1970s. It was the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Many famous comedians tested their material and performed regularly at Borscht Belt hotels, including Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
and Henny Youngman
Henny Youngman
Henry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist famous for "one-liners", short, simple jokes usually delivered rapid-fire...
. Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
performed often at Grossinger's
Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel
Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel was a resort in the Catskill Mountains in the Town of Liberty, near the village of Liberty, New York. It is part of the Borscht Belt. After decades of activity and notable guests, it closed its doors in 1986.-History:...
, where in 1955 he married Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
.
During the period August 15–17, 1969, some 500,000 people gathered in Sullivan County's Town of Bethel at Max Yasgur
Max Yasgur
Max B. Yasgur was an American farmer, best known as the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York at which the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held between August 15 and August 18, 1969....
's farm to attend the Woodstock Festival. The entertainers included The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
, The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, Canned Heat
Canned Heat
Canned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash is a folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, also known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young...
, Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
, Sly and the Family Stone, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
.
Today the site of the original Woodstock concert is the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts center and museum located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York which took place on a parcel of the original Max Yasgur's Dairy Farm....
, which includes a museum of the sixties and holds many concerts and other events.
See also
- Borscht BeltBorscht BeltBorscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
- Catskill MountainsCatskill MountainsThe Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
- List of counties in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sullivan County, New York
- Upstate New YorkUpstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...