Place:Fishkill (town), Dutchess, New York, United States

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Fishkill is a town in the southwestern part of Dutchess County, New York, United States. It lies approximately north of New York City. The population was 22,107 at the 2010 census. Fishkill surrounds the city of Beacon, and contains a village, which is also named Fishkill.

The name Fishkill derives from the Dutch words vis kill, meaning "fish creek."^[1] The location of Fishkill was known as Tioranda by the Native American peoples. The name means "The place where two waters meet". Fishkill is one of the nine original towns in Dutchess County, and is best known today for its rich history dating to the American Revolutionary War period and scenic views of the Hudson Highlands.

History

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

In 1683 New York City merchants Francis Rombouts and Gulian Verplanck purchased in Dutchess County from the Wappinger confederacy of Native Americans for a quantity of goods including rum, powder, and tobacco. In 1685 it was granted as the royal Rombout Patent. Neither ever lived on the land, intending to use it only for fur trading. The first white settlers were Rombout's daughter, Catheryna, and her husband, Roger Brett, who built a mill at the mouth of Fishkill Creek as it flows into the Hudson River.

Originally, the boundaries of Fishkill extended far beyond the boundaries of the present-day Town of Fishkill. When the town was incorporated in 1788, Fishkill's land area included the present-day City of Beacon and Village of Fishkill, as well as the Town of Wappinger, Village of Wappingers Falls, Town of East Fishkill and a portion of the Town of LaGrange. During the 19th century, as other towns incorporated, Fishkill's area was reduced until the incorporation of the City of Beacon in 1913 resulted in Town boundaries approximate to modern town lines.

Fishkill lays claim to a strong Native American heritage, and a number of areas within the town retain their Native American names, including Matteawan Road and the hamlet of Wiccopee, which overlaps into the modern town of East Fishkill. Daniel Nimham, the final sachem of the Wappinger people, was born in the Wiccopee area in 1726. Nimham rose to prominence as both an advocate for Native American land rights and as a soldier, serving as both a spokesman arguing in England for the enforcement of land treaties, and the leader of the Stockbridge Militia, which fielded a force of approximately 300 Native American warriors of Wappinger and Mohican identity. The Stockbridge Militia fought on the side of the British in the French and Indian War, and then on the side of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Nimham and his Stockbridge soldiers were some of America's first combat veterans. Nimham was killed at the Battle of Kingsbridge in what is now the Bronx on August 31, 1778.

Fishkill played a pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War when a huge military encampment known as the Fishkill Supply Depot was established one mile (1.6 km) south of the village of Fishkill to guard the mountain pass to the south. Signal fires lay in readiness on tops of the surrounding mountains. The Fishkill encampment became the main supply depot for the northern department of the Continental Army. The first copies of the New York State Constitution were printed at Fishkill in 1777.^[2] Mount Beacon, located in the town, earned its name for the signal fires at the summit which were used for Continental Army communications during the war.

As commander of the Continental Army, George Washington spent considerable time in Fishkill, and in 1778, noted Fishkill silversmith John Bailey crafted a sword for Washington near present-day Maurer-Geering Park. The sword was a particular favorite of Washington's, and he carried it for the remainder of the war. Upon his death, Washington bequeathed a sword to each of his five nephews, and nephew Samuel Washington received the Bailey sword. He donated it to Congress in 1843. The sword is now lies in the Smithsonian Institution, as part of the National Museum of American History.

In the 19th century, mills and factories sprang up in Glenham and Matteawan, bringing an influx of skilled weavers from the British Isles. The healthy economy came to an end in the post–Civil War depression, and the once thriving factories fell into decay. In 1931, Texaco purchased the old woolen mill site and established a research center there. Today, the town's economy is diverse, comprising tourism, medical care, retail and restaurants, warehouses, recreation spots and a wealth of small businesses.

In 1996, the animal rights group PETA suggested the town change its name to something less suggestive of violence toward fish. The name derives from the Dutch vis kill, meaning "fish creek." For this reason, the town declined. Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra has indicated he will not entertain changing the name of the town.

In 2021, the Town commissioned an eight-foot bronze statue depicting Daniel Nimham from noted Hudson Valley sculptor Michael Keropian. The statue was installed at the Arrowhead intersection of NY-52 and NY-82 (41° 32.685′ N, 73° 52.16′ W.) in May of 2022 and dedicated on June 11, 2022. Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra hosted the ceremony which featured comments from elected officials, educators, the sculptor, and a number of special presentations by Native American community groups.

Research Tips

External Links

• Outstanding guide to Fishkill family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, town histories, cemeteries, churches, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.