Greene County, New York

Greene County Education, Geography, and History

Greene County is a county located in the state of New York. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 49,221. Its county seat is Catskill. The county's name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene.

Etymology - Origin of Greene County Name

Named in honor of General Nathaniel Greene, considered by many as the greatest soldier of the Revolutionary War, next to George Washington

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Greene County History

Greene County, on the west side of the Hudson river, was taken from Ulster and Albany counties in 1800; greatest length 42 miles; greatest breadth on the Hudson 28 miles; centrally distant from New York 130, and from Albany 35 miles. The surface is everywhere hilly, and the larger portion mountainous. The Cattskill mountains, after following the southern boundary of the county in an easterly direction to the southeast angle, turn north and northwest, and pass nearly through the centre of the county into Schoharie. The general elevation of this range is from 2,000 to 2,500 feet above the adjacent country; while many of the peaks are elevated from 3,000 to 3,800 feet above the level of the Hudson. Round rJ70p has an elevation of 3.718 feet, High Peak 3,804, and Pine Orchard 3,000 feet. The whole southwestern part of the county is hilly and mountainous, yet it affords a fine soil for pastures, with some arable land. The northeastern and eastern parts of the county are less hilly, and have many valleys, rich and extensive. Much attention is paid to agriculture, and more leather is manufactured in this than in any other county in the state. The county was originally settled by the Dutch. A large proportion, however, of the present inhabitants are of New England descent, and are noted for morality and industry. The county is divided into 11 towns. (Historical Collections of the State of New York, Past and Present, John Barber, Clark Albien & Co., 1851)

From the shores of the Hudson River westward to and including the northern range of the Catskill Mountains, Greene County maintains its semi-rural status among the counties of the State of New York. Blessed with superb scenic beauty and a low density of population - no cities - it continues to attract a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds. Major highways, including the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, provide the means of rapid transportation via the automobile and truck.

Geography: Land and Water

Greene County is located in southeast central New York State, just west of the Hudson River and south of Albany.

The northern and eastern regions are mostly low-lying plains adjacent to the Hudson; the southern and western areas rise sharply into the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill Park takes up much of the south central region.

The highest elevation is Hunter Mountain, at approximately 4,040 feet (1,232 m) above sea level; the lowest is sea level along the Hudson.

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 658 square miles (1,705 km²), of which, 648 square miles (1,678 km²) of it is land and 10 square miles (27 km²) of it (1.58%) is water.

Greene County is part of the 20th Congressional District of New York in the US House of Representatives and it is represented by Kirsten Gillibrand.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Albany County, New York - north
• Rensselaer County, New York - northeast
• Columbia County, New York - east
• Ulster County, New York - southwest
• Delaware County, New York - west
• Schoharie County, New York - northwest

Education

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