Beekman, New York

History

The "Beekman" name became attached to the area in 1697, from Henry Beekman, a Kingston native, who had numerous land stakes in Dutchess County. The town had also been occupied by the Wappinger Indians, before the first European settlers arrived around 1710. The Beekman Patent, granted to Beekman in 1697, was the second largest land holding in Dutchess County. In 1737, Beekman became an official precinct, and local government was erected. 1788 was the initial period of establishing towns and counties in the newly independent state of New York, but parts were removed subsequently to form other towns. Beekman contributed part of its territory to the newer towns of LaGrange (1821) and Union Vale (1827). Iron ore extraction and smelting were important in the early economy. The Beekman Patent was a manor until after the Revolution. Residents could only lease the land and pay rent in wheat, fat fowls and work on roads. The series Settlers of the Beekman Patent chronicles the lives of all residents there in the 18th century.

Beekman saw its first place of worship shortly thereafter, a Lutheran church located off Beach Road, which was frequented by German emigrants. The Quaker family, well known in the area for being one of the initial settlers, created a meeting house in 1771 in Gardner Hollow, named the "Apoquague Preparative Meeting". The church attracted most of the population at the time, and those who did not worship there frequented St. Denis Church, a Catholic church, just beyond the East Fishkill border.

Late 19th century

Beekman began its "boom" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the communities of Sylvan Lake, Beekmanville, and Clove Valley were in the active mining business. Many townsfolk that settled in town during this time were Irish men, escaping the Potato Famine, and sent their families to Beekman as well. However, the mining industry died out in the late 19th century, with very few remains today. The most notable one, the "Beekman Furnace", is still intact on Furnace Road, just off Clove Valley Road.

Beekman in the 20th century

After the demise of the mining business in the late 19th century, Beekman saw another boom in the 20th century, with housing developments such as Dalton Farm, the first gas stations, and construction of the first supermarket in town, Shoprite (now Stop & Shop), signalling the beginning of suburban development.

Today Beekman has a total population of 14,000, being one of the fastest growing towns in the entire country. Comparatively few farms remain, and commerce and industry increasingly shape the non-residential areas of the town.

Geography

Beekman is located in the southeastern part of Dutchess County, about 70 miles (110 km) north of New York City. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.3 square miles (78.6 km²), of which 29.8 square miles (77.3 km²) is land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km²), or 1.45%, is water. Most of the town is drained by Fishkill Creek, which flows west to the Hudson River at Beacon. The southern corner of the town is drained by Stump Pond Creek, part of the Croton River watershed that flows to the Hudson at Croton-on-Hudson.

Government

Since 1907 Beekman has operated under a Council-Manager form of government. The Town Supervisor is the chief administrative officer of the city selected to carry out the directives of the Council. The Manager monitors the city's fiscal condition and enforces its ordinances and laws. The Town Supervisor is also involved in the discussion of all matters coming before Council yet has no final vote. The Town Board is the legislative body consisting of the Town Supervisor and four council members. The Town Supervisor serves as the presiding officer of the Council. The Council functions to set policy, approve the annual budget, appoint the Town Supervisor and Town Clerk, and enact local laws, resolutions & ordinances.

Fire

The Beekman Fire District serves the town of Beekman with the sole fire station located in the hamlet of Poughquag at 316 Beekman Poughquag Road. Beekman has been assingned a department ID number of "34". Firefighters in Beekman get alerted via paging through the Dutchess County Department Of Emergency Response, which is located in Poughkeepsie.

Beekman Fire District was the first fire district in Southern Dutchess County, originating in 1937. The company originated with a few men talking it over at the Poughquag General Store and around the community. The first meeting was held in Town Hall at Poughquag on March 1, 1937. Soon, officers were elected, the constitution and bylaws drawn up and incorporated papers applied for. Beekman was the first fire company formed within Dutchess County's 8 original towns in 1937, following East Fishkill Fire Department was formed, followed by Pawling. In 1977, Beekman was one of the first volunteer fire departments in the area to acquire the Hurst Tool. The fire department received the United States Life Safety Achievement Award for five consecutive years in 2003. The award recognizes local fire prevention that contribute to reducing the number of lives lost in Residential House Fires each year.

Police

Police protection to the Town of Beekman is provided by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police. The DCSO have a substation located in the middle of town. When someone calls 911, the call is routed to the Dutchess 911 center in Poughkeepsie, New York and then police are polled for, and the closest unit responds. The MTA Police also cover the Depot Hill section of Beekman as the Metro-North Railroad Beacon Line passes through town with a grade crossing on Depot Hill Road.

Medical

Beekman has no medical facilities, but within a short distance from Beekman are three medical centers. Mid Hudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Medical Center formally, Saint Francis Hospital and Vassar Brothers Medical Center VBH are located in nearby Poughkeepsie, New York. Putnam Hospital Center PHC is located in Carmel, New York in Putnam County.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,452 people, 3,751 households, and 3,034 families residing in the town. The population density was 381.7 people per square mile (147.4/km²). There were 4,180 housing units at an average density of 139.3 per square mile (53.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.24% White, 2.42% African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.38% of the population.

There were 3,751 households out of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the town, the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,610, and the median income for a family was $72,066. Males had a median income of $51,739 versus $32,119 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,437. About 3.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Road

Although Beekman has no major highways, it does have two major thoroughfares. New York State Route 55 crosses from the Pawling town line to the Union Vale town line and is a direct route northwest into the city of Poughkeepsie. Route 216 goes from Route 55 into the town of East Fishkill where it meets Route 52.

Rail

Metro-North Railroad's Beacon Line runs through the south end of town along Greenhaven Road and Depot Hill Road. It is currently a non-revenue line with no station stops, but is used for equipment moves between Beacon, Southeast and Danbury.

Notable people

Communities and locations in Beekman