Wurtsboro, New York
| Wurtsboro, New York | |
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| Village | |
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 Wurtsboro, New York
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| Coordinates: 41°34′38″N 74°29′4″W / 41.57722°N 74.48444°WCoordinates: 41°34′38″N 74°29′4″W / 41.57722°N 74.48444°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Sullivan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Land | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 577 ft (176 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,246 |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 12790 |
| Area code(s) | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-83272 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0971765 |
Wurtsboro 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 (which is being upgraded to Interstate standards and will be renumbered as Interstate 86). The population was 1,246 at the 2010 census. Since 1927 the area has been served by Wurtsboro-Sullivan County Airport. From Spring through the Fall, the area provides a scenic backdrop and destination for motorcyclists in conjunction with events sponsored by the Wurtsboro NY Chapter of the Harley Owners Group.
Before Europeans, Wurtsboro was inhabited by Native Americans known as the Leni Lenape. Called Delaware by the Europeans, the Leni Lenape are known to other tribes, in their tongues, as "the old people" and are considered to be one of the oldest tribes in North America. Many anthropologists believe the Leni Lenape are the ancestors of the original people who crossed the Bering Strait to first populate North American. Within the Leni Lenape, different villages dotted the valleys between the Delaware and Hudson rivers. The group that resided in the Wurtsboro area was known as the Mamacottin.
As the Dutch settled along the Hudson and searched inland for furs and minerals, they engineered and built the oldest road in America. This roadway, little more than a cart path along the trails of the Leni Lenape, became known as the Old Mine Road. Present day US Rte. 209 follows much of the original course. It is thought that these Dutch settlers were the first to name the area Mamakating.
As other Europeans settled the area, the treaties and land grants for a great deal of the northeast were benchmarked from the Hardenburgh tract. That survey benchmark, still annotated and utilized, can be found in the village near Rte. 209.
The original name for the village of Wurtsboro was Rome. It is said that when the ‘Yankees’ obtained a foothold in the hollow (Mamakating valley), they counted all the mountain peaks they could see and with an ambitious view, called the place Rome. This name was retained until as late as 1812. That same year, the area’s first church was built. This Dutch Reformed church was named The Church Of Rome. Somewhat later the town was renamed Wurtsborough, which evolved to Wurtsboro.
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Wikipedia