Historical Markers in
Ulster County, New York

156th Regiment N.Y.S.V. Infantry 1786 1799 House 1869 Lighthouse 20th New York State Militia A Community Attic A Radical Idea: Government by the People Abram Bevier Academy Green Statues African-American Burial Ground Alligerville Historic District Alton Brooks Parker Andries DuBois Baehr’s Store Beginning of the State of New York Belleayre Mountain Ski Center Bevier House Blacksmith Shop Bogardus Tavern Brick Church Bruynswick School Burning of Kingston Byrdcliffe Catskill Communities Catskill History Catskill Mountains Catskill Mountains - Shandaken Area Catskill Water Supply System Chambers Pear Tree Chichester Church of the Ascension Circa 1915 “N5” Caboose Civil War Memorial Clove Reformed Church Col. Charles De Witt Colonial Fort Cooper Inn Cragsmoor Historic District Creeklocks D&H Canal Davis Tavern De Witt House De Witt Mill Delaware and Hudson Canal Delaware and Hudson Canal Depuy - Dewitt House DeWitt House Deyo House Die Pfalz Discovery of Cement Dr. Cornelius C. Elmendorph House Dubois House Dutch Church - 1827 Elias Hasbrouck Elm Street Stone Arch Bridge Elting Cemetery Elting Homestead Fair Street Church Fantinekill Massacre Memorial Firetowers First Church Flatbush Reformed Church Fording Place Fort Shandaken Frank B. Hoornbeek Freer House General Washington Geology of High Falls George Clinton George Washington Glasco Turnpike Glasco Turnpike Glasco Turnpike Glassmakers Glassworks Site Gomez Mill House Hasbrouck House Het Killities Landt High Falls War Memorial Highland Hamlet Highland Hamlet Highland Landing Highland Landing Historical Site History of Big Indian and Oliverea History of Pine Hill and Highmount Hoffman House Home of Hendrikus DuBois Home of Johannes G. Hardenbergh Howe’s Powder Mill Hudson Valley Hurley Main Street Hurley Roadbed Hydroelectric Power In Honor Inspiring the American Imagination Island Dock Jean Hasbrouck House Jenkinstown John Burroughs John Burroughs Jonathan Apple Judge Lucas Elmendorf Mansion Kiersted House Kings Road Kingston Academy Kingston Academy Kingston Area Kingston Operation Desert Storm Memorial Lighthouse Park Lloyd World War I Memorial Lloyd World War II & Vietnam War Memorial Locust Lawn Louis Caterino Lutheran Church Mary Powell Bell Maverick Road Medal of Honor Meeting House Mid-Hudson Bridge Dedication Mount Tremper Fire Tower Napanoch Station New Paltz New Paltz New Paltz New Paltz Patentees New York State Assembly New York State’s Heritage Area System Newburgh Area Newburgh Area Newkirk House Newkirk Tavern Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Old Blockhouse Old Depuy House Old Dutch Church Old Guard House Old Mine Road Old School Baptist Meeting House Old Stockade   1658 Old Stone Aqueduct Old Zena Mill Olivebridge One Hundred and Twentieth Infantry New York Volunteers Patriots of the Revolution Perrine’s Bridge Perrine’s Bridge Petrus Van Wagenen Phoenicia Station Centennial Pine Hill Honor Roll Plan of Kingston in 1695 Plan of Kingston in 1695 Post Tavern Site Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge Cantilevered Spans Poughkeepsie Regatta Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church & Cemetery Reformed Church of Shawangunk Reformed Protestant Dutch Church Rochester Church Roebling Aqueduct Abutment Trail Rondout Rosendale Library Rosendale Tourist Info Sampson Opera House Sawyer's Mill Schoonmaker Homestead Sections of the “Old Stone Road” Senate House Senate House Senate House Museum Settlers Captured Shandaken Eagle Shokan Reformed Site of Indian Raid Site of Leggs’ Mill Site of Long House Sloops Snyder Home Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth State Land Stone Church-1773 Stone Road Stuyvesant Indian Treaty Tack Tavern Tawaeri Taqui The Aqueducts The Delaware & Hudson Canal The Delaware and Hudson Canal The Evolution of the Senate House The Four Corners The High Falls Historic Site The History of Shandaken, Bushnellsville & Allaben The Loughran House The Pike Plan The Reformed Church The Rondout Creek Suspension Bridge The Senate House – 1676 The Shandaken Tunnel and the N.Y.C. Water Supply System The Stockade Historic District The West Strand The “Owl” Church Tillson House To Honor Tom Quick Farm Town of Lloyd Organized Town of Shandaken Historic Sites Town of Shawangunk War Memorial Town of Shawangunk WWI Memorial Training Field Ulster County Ulster County Ulster County Alive Ulster County Civil War Monument Van Deusen House Van Keuren Homestead Van Leuven Mansion Walk To Freedom Walker Valley Walloon Church War Memorial War Memorial War Memorial Washington’s Headquarters Washington’s Headquarters Water-Powered Mills Watering Trough Westbrook House White’s Mill Women’s Veteran Memorial Wynkoop House Zen Mountain Monastery Zena - Waghkonk “The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Town of Kingston in Ulster County”
The first American museum was founded in New York City in 1792. It was called the American Museum, and it was located in what is now City Hall Park.
Ulster County, located in the state of New York, has a rich and diverse history that spans several centuries. The area was originally inhabited by the Lenape Native American tribe before European settlers arrived in the 17th century. In 1614, the first European exploration of the region took place when Dutch navigator Hendrick Christiaensen sailed up the Hudson River.

In 1652, the Dutch established the town of Wiltwyck, which would later become Kingston, the county seat. The settlement quickly grew as a center for trade between the Dutch and local Native American tribes. However, the area was also marked by conflict, with tensions between the Dutch and British escalating.

During the American Revolution, Ulster County played a significant role. The area had a strong presence of patriots, and Kingston briefly served as the first capital of New York State. In 1777, the county was a target of a British invasion. The Burning of Kingston occurred in October of that year, leaving the city devastated.

As the county developed in the 19th century, it became a major hub for agriculture and manufacturing. The development of the Delaware and Hudson Canal and the arrival of the railroad further boosted the local economy. A diverse range of industries emerged, including tanning, textile manufacturing, and brick making, which contributed to the county's growth and prosperity.

In the 20th century, Ulster County witnessed significant changes. It transformed into a popular tourist destination, known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and historic sites. The iconic Woodstock Music Festival took place in Bethel, just outside of Ulster County, in 1969, leaving a lasting cultural impact on the region. Today, Ulster County continues to thrive as a vibrant community, preserving its history while embracing innovation and progress.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Ulster County, New York.

  • 1600s: The region of Ulster County is inhabited by the Lenape Native American tribe.
  • 1609: Henry Hudson, an English explorer, sails up the Hudson River and claims the land for the Dutch.
  • 1664: The British take control of the area from the Dutch and name it Ulster County.
  • 1714: The county becomes part of the newly formed colony of New York.
  • 1777-1783: Ulster County contributes actively to the American Revolutionary War.
  • 1797: Kingston is established as the county seat.
  • 1800s: The county experiences growth and development with the expansion of the Erie Canal and the arrival of the railroad.
  • 1869: The Shawangunk Ridge is designated as a national forest.
  • 1907: The Catskill Forest Preserve is established, protecting much of the county's natural beauty.
  • 1969: The Woodstock Music Festival takes place in Bethel, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees.
  • 1987: The Walkway Over the Hudson, a pedestrian bridge, opens as the longest elevated park in the world.