Poughkeepsie New York

For people who live there, the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, is well-known. It is a city like many others in the state of New York that is forced to live under the shadow of one of the biggest cities in the world. Situated roughly between New York City and Albany, Poughkeepsie may not be on of the most exciting towns at first glance, but there is more to this city than meets the eye. It has an interesting history that is much older than the Big Apple and it has gone through quite a few transformations to become the city that it is today.

Poughkeepsie, New York, was originally founded in 1687 by a Dutchman's son, Baltus Barent van Kleeck. Even though his father had been living in the area since about 1659, it was the son that built the first ever recorded home, in about 1702, in what would become the city of today. It was incorporated in 1799 and the city of Poughkeepsie was chartered in 1854. While there is a difference between the town of Poughkeepsie and the city of Poughkeepsie, for the most part, the difference is more a result of municipal designations and the city and the town are usually considered to be the same place.

Poughkeepsie, New York, was one of the few towns and cities that were spared any battle during the American Revolution. For a long time, the city was the second capital of New York state. In 1788, there was a Ratification Convention held for the state of New York. The deciding members assembled in the courthouse in Market Street in Poughkeepsie and decided whether or not to join the, at the time, new union of the United States of America. It is because of this convention that the state of New York entered the union as the eleventh of the thirteen colonies.

The city of Poughkeepsie, New York, was a large center for trade for a long time and was an important harbor for whale rendering. Various other industries also flourished in the city and made it an important harbor situated as it was on the Hudson River. The 1980's and 1990's came as a hard blow to Poughkeepsie, however, and there was a lot of economic and social turmoil in the area at the time. Recent revitalization of the area by various large players in the area is trying to turn this around, and Poughkeepsie, it seems, is poised to rise again some day.

While Poughkeepsie, New York, may have had some hard times, things are once more changing for the better. This historic city played an important role in the history of the state of New York. While it may not be as flashy or big as its neighbor New York City, it still has a lot to offer those that come here. Poughkeepsie is far from being forgotten and even though it has had a difficult history, it is trying its best to shake off the old days and stride into the future once again.