Jeremiah Russell (January 26, 1786 – September 30, 1867) was a U.S. Representative from New York.

Contents

1 Biography

2 Death and burial

3 Family

4 Sources

5 External links

Biography

Born in Saugerties, New York, Russell received limited schooling. His father died when Russell was nine years old, and he aided in the support of his family by working on local farms until becoming a clerk in a store in order to learn the retail business.

He served as postmaster in Saugerties, and engaged in several business ventures, including ownership of a general store shipbuilding, real estate, road and turnpike construction, and banking. Russell later transferred most of his business ventures to his sons and concentrated on banking.

He served Town Supervisor from 1825 to 1828, 1830 to 1833, and 1837 to 1840.[1] He was twice a presidential elector, casting his ballot for Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun in 1828, and for Martin Van Buren and Richard Mentor Johnson in 1836.[2] Russell was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1842.[3]

Russell was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1844 to the Twenty-ninth Congress, and afterwards resumed his banking and business interests.

Death and burial

Russell died in Saugerties on September 30, 1867,[4] and was interred in Mountain View Cemetery.[5]

Family

Russell was married twice. In 1806 he married Elizabeth Moose (1788-1846). In 1847 he married Christina Crawford (1801-1883).[6]

With his first wife Russell was the father of eight children, including William Fiero Russell, who also served in Congress.[7]

Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493.[1] The county seat is Kingston.[2] The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.

Contents

1 History

1.1 Founding and formation

1.2 Civil War

1.3 Twentieth century

2 Geography

2.1 Adjacent counties

2.2 National protected area

3 Demographics

4 Government and politics

5 Recreation

6 Transportation

7 Communities

7.1 City

7.2 Towns

7.3 Villages

7.4 Census-designated places

7.5 Hamlets

8 See also

9 References

10 Bibliography

11 External links

History

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Ulster County in 1875

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. 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.[3]

Geography

Lake Minnewaska

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,161 square miles (3,010 km2), of which 1,124 square miles (2,910 km2) is land and 37 square miles (96 km2) (3.1%) is water.[4]

Ulster County is in southeastern New York State, south of Albany, immediately west of the Hudson River. Much of it is within the Catskill Mountains and the Shawangunk Ridge. Ulster County has Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Mohonk Preserve, Sundown State Park, VerNooykill State Forest, Witches Hole State Forest, and Shawangunk Ridge State Forest. The Sam's Point section of Minnewaska includes rare dwarf pine trees and Verkeerder Kill falls.

The county's highest point is Slide Mountain, at approximately 4,180 feet (1,270 m) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson River.

Adjacent counties

Greene County — north

Columbia County — northeast

Dutchess County — southeast

Orange County — south

Sullivan County — southwest

Delaware County — northwest

National protected area

Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Historical population

Census Pop. %±

1790 29,370 —

1800 24,855 −15.4%

1810 26,576 6.9%

1820 30,934 16.4%

1830 36,550 18.2%

1840 45,822 25.4%

1850 59,384 29.6%

1860 76,381 28.6%

1870 84,075 10.1%

1880 85,838 2.1%

1890 87,062 1.4%

1900 88,422 1.6%

1910 91,769 3.8%

1920 74,979 −18.3%

1930 80,155 6.9%

1940 87,017 8.6%

1950 92,621 6.4%

1960 118,804 28.3%

1970 141,241 18.9%

1980 158,158 12.0%

1990 165,304 4.5%

2000 177,749 7.5%

2010 182,493 2.7%

2019 (est.) 177,573 [5] −2.7%

U.S. Decennial Census[6]

1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]

1990-2000[9] 2010-2019[1]

As of the census[10] of 2010, the county had 181,440 people, 67,499 households, and 43,536 families. The population density was 158 people per square mile (61/km2). There were 77,656 housing units at an average density of 69 per square mile (27/km2). The county's racial makeup, as of 2008, was 83.2% white, 6.50% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.2% were of Italian, 16.8% Irish, 15.5% German, 6.8% English, and 4.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.3% spoke English, 4.5% Spanish, 1.2% Italian, and 1.0% German as their first language.

There were 67,499 households, of which 30.70% had children under age 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. Of all households, 27.90% were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.

23.50% of the county's population was under age 18, 8.70% was from age 18 to 24, 29.70% was from age 25 to 44, 24.70% was from age 45 to 64, and 13.30% was age 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males.

The county's median household income was $42,551, and the median family income was $51,708. Males had a median income of $36,808 versus $27,086 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,846. About 7.20% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Presidential election results

In recent history, Ulster County has voted Democratic. In 2004 John Kerry defeated George W. Bush by 54–43%, in 2008 Barack Obama defeated John McCain by 61–38%, in 2012 Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney by 60–37%, and in 2016 Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by 52-41%. The county is in New York's 19th congressional district, represented by Democrat Antonio Delgado.

Ulster long had a county-scale version of a council-manager government, with the county legislature hiring a county administrator to handle executive functions. The chair of the legislature had a great deal of power and was accountable only to the voters of his own district. The only countywide elected officials were the county clerk (Nina Postupack has served since 2006), district attorney (Dave Clegg took office in 2020) and sheriff (Juan Figueroa took office in 2019).

In 2006, voters approved the first-ever county charter, changing to an elected executive branch. Two years later, Michael P. Hein, the last appointed county administrator, became Ulster's first elected county executive.[12] In early 2019, Hein resigned to accept Governor Andrew Cuomo's appointment as commissioner of the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.[13] Deputy County Executive Adele Reiter succeeded him as acting county executive until a special election was held in April 2019.

On April 30, 2019, Democrat Patrick K. Ryan was elected in a special election by a margin of 74%-26%.[14] He was sworn in as Ulster County's second County Executive on June 7, 2019.[15]

Ulster County Executives

Name Party Term

Michael P. Hein Democratic January 1, 2009 – February 11, 2019

Adele Reiter Democratic February 11, 2019 – June 7, 2019 (Acting)

Patrick K. Ryan Democratic June 7, 2019 – present

Legislative authority is vested in the County Legislature, which consists of 23 members elected from individual districts, as directed by a county charter reapportionment mandate starting in late 2010.[16] Of the members of the County Legislature, 12 are part of the Democratic Caucus (11 affiliated with the Democratic Party and 1 unaffiliated), and 11 are part of the Republican Caucus (8 affiliated with the Republican Party, 1 affiliated with the Conservative Party, 1 affiliated with the Independence Party, and 1 affiliated with the Democratic Party).

2020-2021 Ulster County Legislature

District Legislator Party Caucus Residence

1 Mary Wawro Conservative Republican Saugerties

2 Al Bruno Republican Republican Saugerties

3 Dean Fabiano Republican Republican Glasco

4 Brian Cahill Democratic Democratic Ulster

5 Abe Uchitelle, Majority Whip Democratic Democratic Kingston

6 David Donaldson, Chairman Democratic Democratic Kingston

7 Peter Criswell Democratic Democratic Kingston

8 Laura Petit Democratic Democratic Esopus

9 Herbert Litts III Republican Republican Highland

10 Mary Beth Maio Republican Republican Highland

11 Thomas Corcoran, Jr. Republican Republican Marlborough

12 Kevin Roberts Republican Republican Plattekill

13 Kenneth Ronk Jr., Minority Leader Republican Republican Wallkill

14 Craig Lopez, Minority Whip Republican Republican Pine Bush

15 John Gavaris Democratic Democratic Ellenville

16 Tracey Bartels, Vice Chair Unaffiliated Democratic Gardiner

17 James Delaune Democratic Democratic New Paltz

18 Heidi Haynes Independence Republican Marbletown

19 Manna Jo Greene Democratic Democratic Cottekill

20 Eve Walter Democratic Democratic New Paltz

21 Lynn Archer Democratic Democratic Accord

22 John Parete Democratic Republican Boiceville

23 Jonathan Heppner, Majority Leader Democratic Democratic Woodstock

Recreation

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Ashokan Reservoir from Wittenberg

A cow at the Ulster County Fair

Ulster County contains a large part of Catskill Park and the Catskill Forest Preserve. The former Delaware and Hudson Canal brought Pennsylvania coal to Kingston on the Hudson. Former Orleans band member John Hall served in the Ulster County legislature before moving to the 19th Congressional District to run for Congress.

Ulster County has continued to be a popular vacation destination for many decades. The County is home to many outdoor landscapes, including the Catskill Mountains, the Hudson River, Minnewaska State Park, Catskill Park, Shawangunk Mountains and the Shawangunk Ridge. Each offers various recreation opportunities, including hiking, bicycling, skiing, horseback riding, kayaking, rock climbing, hunting and fishing.

The County also includes more than 40 miles (64 km) of rail trails along the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, and O&W Rail Trail. The Walkway Over the Hudson, the world's longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge which spans the Hudson River, is connected within Ulster County trails.

Ulster County has also played a role in some significant moments in U.S. history. The Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston, New York is where, in early 1777, American colonists met to ratify the New York Constitution.

The Ulster County Fair has been held in New Paltz for many years and is promoted as "The Best Six Days of Summer". County run recreation areas include the Ulster County Pool in New Paltz and the Ulster Landing Park in Saugerties.

Since 2015, Kingston Stockade FC, a semi-professional soccer team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), has been based in Kingston and plays its home matches at Dietz Stadium.

Also since 2015, the Saugerties Stallions, a collegiate summer baseball league team that plays in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL), have been based in Saugerties and play their home games at Cantine Field.

Transportation

The New York State Thruway Interstate 87 runs north–south through the county, carrying traffic to and from New York City and its surroundings.

Public transportation in Ulster County is provided by Trailways of New York to and from New York City and Albany, and along Routes 28 and 32, Ulster County Area Transit on major state and U.S. road corridors in the county, and by Kingston Citibus in Kingston.

Communities

See also: Timeline of town creation in the Hudson Valley

Ulster County, New York

Map of towns in Ulster County, New York.svgWoodstockSaugertiesShandakenHardenburghDenningOliveRochesterWawarsingShawangunkPlattekill5New PaltzGardinerMarbletownEsopusHurley1324Lloyd1 - Kingston (city)

2 - Kingston (town)

3 - Ulster

4 - Rosendale

5 - MarlboroughSullivan CountyDelaware CountyGreene CountyOrange CountyDutchess CountyCol. County

City

Kingston (county seat)

Towns

Denning

Esopus

Gardiner

Hardenburgh

Hurley

Kingston

Lloyd

Marbletown

Marlborough

New Paltz

Olive

Plattekill

Rochester

Rosendale

Saugerties

Shandaken

Shawangunk

Ulster

Wawarsing

Woodstock

Villages

Ellenville

New Paltz

Saugerties

Census-designated places

Accord

Clintondale

Cragsmoor

East Kingston

Gardiner

Glasco

High Falls

Highland

Hillside

Hurley

Kerhonkson

Lake Katrine

Lincoln Park

Malden-on-Hudson

Marlboro

Milton

Napanoch

Phoenicia

Pine Hill

Plattekill

Port Ewen

Rifton

Rosendale

Ruby

Saugerties South

Shokan

Stone Ridge

Tillson

Walker Valley

Wallkill

Watchtower

West Hurley

Woodstock

Zena

Hamlets

Bearsville

Big Indian

Boiceville

Brown's Station

Centerville

Chichester

Cottekill

Kaatsbaan

Krumville

Lew Beach

Modena

Mt. Pleasant

Mt. Tremper

Olivebridge

Oliverea

Palentown

Samsonville

Seager

Shady

Spring Glen

Sundown

Tabasco

West Park

West Saugerties