Poestenkill (town), New York
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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 Poesten Kill, an important stream in the area.[1] The name Poesten Kill means "muddy, gushing, foamy water" in the local Indian dialect or "Cat at Creek" in Dutch.[citation needed]
The Town of Poestenkill is southeast of Troy, New York and is centrally located in the county.
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[edit] History
The area was first settled around 1770.[1] The town was created from part of the Town of Sand Lake in 1848.[2] Future president James A. Garfield considered a job as high school principal in Poestenkill in 1856, though lost it to another applicant.[3]
When the American Revolutionary War occurred, six men served from the area. One, named Benjamin Cotterel, is said to have carried the first wheelbarrow of earth to Bunker Hill.[1] A small skirmish in the area known as East Poestenkill is evidenced by graves and gravemarkers there.[citation needed]
Five men from Poestenkill served in the War of 1812, all joining the Eddy expedition.[1]
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.[1]
The first regular church in Poestenkill was the First Baptist church, organized in 1814 and located in East Poestenkill.[1]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, 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.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] 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/sq mi (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.
[edit] Communities and locations in Poestenkill
- Barberville -- A hamlet southeast of Poestenkill village.
- East Poestenkill (formerly "Columbia") -- A hamlet in the southeast part of the town. It is considered a sub-town by the residents. An old school house was built here in 1788, and is considered a historical site by the state.[citation needed]
- Ives Corner -- A hamlet east of Poestenkill village.
- Poestenkill -- The hamlet of Poestenkill at the junction of Routes 68 and 351.
- Rensselaer County Airport (5B7) -- 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.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Anderson, George Baker [1897]. "XXXII", Landmarks of Rensselaer County: Town of Poestenkill. Syracuse NY: D. Mason. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
- ^ Sullivan, James (1927). Chapter VI. Rensselaer County. The History of New York State, Book III. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
- ^ Peskin, Allan (1978). Garfield. Kent State University Press, p. 45. ISBN 0873382102.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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