Place:Ulster, New York, United States

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Founding and formation

When part of the New Netherland colony, Dutch traders first called the area of present-day Ulster County "Esopus", a name borrowed for convenience from a locality on the opposite side of the Hudson. The local Lenape indigenous people called themselves Waranawanka, but soon came to be known to the Dutch as the "Esopus Indians" because they were encountered around the settlement known as Esopus. In 1652, Thomas Chambers, a freeholder from the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, purchased land at Esopus. He and several others actually settled and began farming by June, 1653. The settlements grew into the village of Wiltwijck, which the English later named Kingston. In 1683, the Duke of York created 12 counties in his province, one of which was Ulster County, named for Ulster, the northern part of Ireland, which had only recently been brought under English rule following a series of wars and rebellions, and then the Plantation of Ulster. Its boundaries at that time included the present Sullivan County and parts of the present Delaware, Orange, and Greene Counties.

In 1777, the first state capital of the independent New York State was established at Kingston. The official records of Ulster County were removed to safety to a stone house in Kerhonkson when it became evident that the British would burn Kingston.

In 1797, parts of Otsego and Ulster Counties were split off to create Delaware County.

In 1798, Ulster County's southernmost towns were moved into Orange County to compensate Orange for breaking away its southernmost part to form Rockland County.

In 1800, portions of Albany and Ulster Counties were split off to create Greene County.

In 1809, Sullivan County was split off from Ulster County.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, volunteers were recruited from the county and formed the majority of the following regiments:

• 80th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• 120th New York Volunteer Infantry
• 156th New York Volunteer Infantry

Other regiments with at least one company from the county included:

• 1st Battalion New York Volunteer Sharpshooters
• 1st New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment
• 7th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry
• 7th New York Veteran Infantry Regiment
• 15th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry
• 20th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• 25th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry
• 25th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• 56th New York Volunteer Infantry
• 65th New York Volunteer Infantry
• 71st New York Infantry
• 102nd New York Volunteer Infantry
• 132nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• 168th New York Volunteer Infantry
• 176th New York Volunteer Infantry
• 178th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• 192nd New York Volunteer Infantry

Twentieth century

The Lake Mohonk Mountain House on Shawangunk Ridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Timeline

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Ulster County, New York, United States

Research Tips

External links

• Outstanding guide to Ulster County family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, censuses, wills, deeds, county and town histories, cemeteries, churches, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.
• www.hopefarm.com/geneatop.htm

Image Gallery