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- source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- 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:
Other regiments with at least one company from the county included:
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
Census Year | Population
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1790 | 29,397
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1800 | 24,855
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1810 | 26,576
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1820 | 30,934
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1830 | 36,550
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1840 | 45,822
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1850 | 59,384
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1860 | 76,381
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1870 | 84,075
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1880 | 85,838
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1890 | 87,062
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1900 | 88,422
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1910 | 91,769
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1920 | 74,979
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1930 | 80,155
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1940 | 87,017
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1950 | 92,621
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1960 | 118,804
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1970 | 141,241
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1980 | 158,158
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1990 | 165,304
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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
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