5 Things You Might Not Know About Esopus

Just because we live in the Hudson Valley or even in Ulster County, doesn't mean we know everything about the small towns that we drive through every day. Here are 5 things you might not know about Esopus;

1. The Esopus Creek doesn't actually touch any land that is in the Town of Esopus. Wild, right? According to Esopus.com,  it starts at the Ashokan Reservoir, heads toward Kingston, and then empties into the Hudson River in Saugerties. At no time, does it actually touch land in the Town.
2. The Town of Esopus officially was recognized or 'became a town' in 1811. The land for the town, originally was part of Kingston.
3. There are 11 hamlets (a small village) that makes up the Town of Esopus. Do you know all of the 11? Connelly, Dashville, Esopus, New Salem, Port Ewen, Rifton, St. Remy, Sleightsburgh, Ulster Park, Union Center and West Park. For these 11 hamlets, there are 6 post offices.
4. The John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary is located in the Town of Esopus. It encompasses more than 200 acres, so it does go into the Town of Highland as well, but it has many trails that you can walk and bike on, with no charge. The sanctuary is open from dawn to dusk, year round.
5. The Town of Esopus also can boast that it is home to a boxing champ as Floyd Patterson, attended Wiltwyck School for Boys in West Park, the school closed in 1981. 

Do you know interesting facts about the Town of Esopus? Let us know. Are you a Hudson Valley history buff? Reach out with suggestions as to where we should search next!