Walden, New York
Walden | ||
---|---|---|
Village | ||
, in 2007 | ||
FIPS code 36-77849 | | |
Website | http://www.villageofwalden.org/ |
Walden is the largest of three
The precursor to the village began in the early 18th century as a mill town along the Wallkill River. One miller, Jacob Walden, was so successful the village that incorporated in the mid-19th century took its name from him. Later, it would be the village's three knife manufacturers that brought it growth and prosperity. They are gone today, but other industrial concerns remain.
History
The area around present-day Walden was purchased in 1736 by Alexander Kidd, and
Other wool-makers followed as the Industrial Revolution picked up steam and the growing population center became known instead as Walden's Mills. Most of them failed a few decades later, but their influence was such that the village incorporated in 1855 as Walden.
The village fathers needed to replace the mills as a source of employment, and began encouraging
After the war, other knifemakers came to Walden, too, and the village became colloquially known as Knifetown. Other industrial concerns, making products as diverse as
In the early 1890s, President Grover Cleveland lowered tariffs on many imported goods, including knives. Competitively priced German cutlery began to flood the American market, and together with the Panic of 1893 and the economic slowdown that followed for several years, the knife companies and their owners went heavily into debt and it looked for a while as if they might not survive.
But in 1897
In the 1910s the facilities at the dam began to be primarily used for power and less for industry.
Walden's Main Street was the site of an active retail trade which included Millspaugh's Furniture as well as Roosa's Jewelers, both still in business. Lustig's Department Store, established by Carl Lustig in 1883, was the mainstay of Main Street until its closing in 1986.
The
Walden retains some light industry and much of its working-class feel, enough for village residents to have gotten into a spat with WPDH-FM disc jockey the "Wolf" in the late 1990s over his constant on- and off-air joking about Walden as a redneck town.
From 1995 until 2016, Walden was the headquarters of the Big Apple Circus.[4][5][6][7]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), of which 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (3.9%) is water.
The village's most notable geographical feature is the Wallkill River, which flows from the south to the north across the village and divides one-third of it from the rest. Within the eastern portion, Tin Brook, the Wallkill's major right tributary in New York, meanders across as well, forming part of the northern village boundary. There are two waterfalls and dams on the river within the village limits, known as the Great and Little Falls; and two auto bridges, the "high" (formally, the Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge, which carries NY 52 through the village as West Main Street) and "low" (Oak Street) bridges).
The Wallkill passes through a small gorge between the two dams and loses approximately 60 feet (18 m) of elevation in the process. The surrounding topography in the village is, correspondingly, gentle rolling hills of this section of the Great Appalachian Valley between the higher rises of the Shawangunk Ridge, visible to the west from some sections of the village, and the Hudson Highlands to the southwest. The highest elevation is roughly 520 feet (160 m) above sea level along Overlook Road at the village's western boundary; the lowest is 260 feet (79 m) along the Wallkill at the northern village line.
Walden's growth began near the mills and later the knife-making plants, particularly the New York Knife Company, located on the steep east bank of the river just south of the Veterans' Memorial Bridge; the building's footings are still visible on the slope. The central business district of the village is today a few blocks to the east, along Main Street. Just to its south is the village hall and the main square. East Main Street, the section of 52 from the 208 junction to the village line, has seen many newer businesses locate there, including a small strip mall. There is also some scattered commercial presence along Orange Avenue (208 south of the junction), primarily professional office space. This parallels the village's remaining industrial presence along the railroad line to the east, which at its northern terminus abuts downtown to the southeast. Walden's other major commercial area is the Thruway Markets complex located along the river north of Oak Street, just south of the remains of the Walden Knife Company.
On the southern side of the village is the Fox Hill
There are two schools, public
- Bradley Park - along Albany Ave, on the high ground between Thruway Market and Ulster Ave (Rte 208), contains 4 baseball & 1 softball field (Home to the Walden Little League), 2 tennis courts, a playground, and a skateboard park.
- Wooster Grove - along East Main St (Rte 52), surrounded by the Tin Brook, offers a large playground, indoor & outdoor basketball courts, a bandstand, an ice rink; the village's teen center is also here.
- James Olley Park - at the end of Sherman Ave, includes a manufactured beach with public swimming and fishing, a small playground, a picnic grove, unimproved walking trails, and a summer recreation camp.
- Alfred Place Park - the only park on the west side includes a small playground and basketball court.
- Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail - beginning at Woosters Grove, a 3.22-mile (5.18 km)-long paved walking and biking trail linking the village to the hamlet of Wallkill in Ulster County.
Much of the remainder of the village is residential, with houses tending from modest and small near downtown, the river and railroad, to more expansive homes (such as the Victorians along the west side of Ulster Avenue) being found on the hills, newer development near the southwestern and eastern borders with the town, and 6 small apartment and townhouse complexes.
A large tract along the river south of the power station had remained undeveloped until very recently. A small area between McKinley Avenue, South Mountgomery Street and the river remains open, used for NYSEG's purposes. On the other end of the village, the
Climate
Walden has a humid continental climate, and tends to be significantly cooler than Manhattan, especially at night.
Climate data for Walden, New York (1981–2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
37.6 (3.1) |
46.4 (8.0) |
59.0 (15.0) |
69.6 (20.9) |
78.1 (25.6) |
82.5 (28.1) |
81.1 (27.3) |
73.7 (23.2) |
62.3 (16.8) |
50.9 (10.5) |
38.8 (3.8) |
59.5 (15.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.4 (−9.8) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
36.3 (2.4) |
46.0 (7.8) |
55.5 (13.1) |
60.0 (15.6) |
58.5 (14.7) |
49.9 (9.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
37.7 (3.2) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.97 (75) |
2.61 (66) |
3.65 (93) |
3.84 (98) |
4.15 (105) |
4.42 (112) |
4.05 (103) |
3.93 (100) |
4.09 (104) |
4.12 (105) |
3.56 (90) |
3.43 (87) |
44.82 (1,138) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 13.3 (34) |
10.6 (27) |
8.1 (21) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.3 (3.3) |
8.9 (23) |
43.6 (111) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.6 | 7.9 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 11.7 | 10.9 | 10.0 | 9.9 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 116.2 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.9 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 15.2 |
Source: NOAA[11] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 1,254 | — | |
1880 | 1,804 | 43.9% | |
1890 | 2,132 | 18.2% | |
1900 | 3,147 | 47.6% | |
1910 | 4,004 | 27.2% | |
1920 | 5,493 | 37.2% | |
1930 | 4,283 | −22.0% | |
1940 | 4,262 | −0.5% | |
1950 | 4,559 | 7.0% | |
1960 | 4,851 | 6.4% | |
1970 | 5,277 | 8.8% | |
1980 | 5,659 | 7.2% | |
1990 | 5,836 | 3.1% | |
2000 | 6,164 | 5.6% | |
2010 | 6,978 | 13.2% | |
2020 | 6,818 | −2.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 2020[3] |
As of the
There were 2,197 households, out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.29.[citation needed]
In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.[citation needed]
The median income for a household in the village was $43,507, and the median income for a family was $49,316. Males had a median income of $37,929 versus $25,701 for females. The
Economy
For 95 years, Walden was the home of Spence Engineering, a steam regulator manufacturer founded by Paulson Spence in 1926. He located his manufacturing facilities in Walden to serve the district steam heating loops in the northeast, especially
The knife making plants are also gone, but other light-industrial concerns remain along the rail spur. The growing service sector is most strongly represented by two regional banks, Walden Federal and Walden Savings Bank, are based in the village (though the latter has moved to new headquarters at Scotts Corners, the 17K/208 intersection).
While vacant space remains on Main Street, specialty stores and restaurants have managed to thrive there. Millspaugh Furniture, founded in Walden (but with another outlet in
Outside of jobs at the enterprises in the village, most residents work in the area. The nearby interstate and its associated "Golden Triangle" (with the
Government
As a
The village has seven elected officials, a village board consisting of the
Walden has had this system of government since 1964. A 1972
The village has its own
The Village Hall, pictured left, housed both the Walden Fire Department and Police Station until 1994 when the Fire District moved to a newly constructed firehouse at 230 Old Orange Avenue, near the edge of the village. Since then, the police station on the ground floor has grown from a tiny office and a few cells to nearly encompassing the entire ground floor. Fire department meeting rooms on the second story have been converted since then to a children's section of the local Josephine-Louise Library.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Two state highways and two county roads serve Walden. Route 52 crosses the town from east to west, providing connections to
The remaining spur of the old
Short Line serves Walden on its route from Newburgh to Middletown.[13][14][15]
References
- ^ Eager, Samuel Watkins (1846). An Outline History of Orange County: Together with Local Tradition and Short Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers, Etc. T. E. Henderson. p. 273.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Circus | First of May | Episode 1 | PBS, retrieved April 10, 2023
- ^ Writer, MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment. "Big Apple Circus to leave bankruptcy under new ownership". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Dreher, Rod (March 20, 2017). "Life Among The Bruderhof". The American Conservative. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ Schiffman, Richard (March 17, 2024). "Few Smartphones, Some Beer: A Christian Village Grapples With Modernity". The New York Times.
- ^ "About Us". Plough. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Getting Here | The Village of Walden". Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ Rt, Liberty; Sheldrake, Loch; Sheldrake, Loch; Sheld, Loch; Sheldrake, Loch; Sheld, Loch. "1B Liberty ® Sheldrake ® Fallsburg ® Monticello ®®® DAILY": 2.
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(help) - ^ "Short Line Bus | Schedule Details". Retrieved January 28, 2020.