Германтаун, Нью-Йорк: История и коренные жители долины реки Гудзон

Germantown is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,936 at the 2020 census, down slightly from 1,954 in 2010. Germantown is located in the south western part of the county along the east side of the Hudson River.

The area currently known as Germantown was originally occupied by the Mohican people. In the early eighteenth century, Hendrick Aupaumut recorded the movement of his people who had settled along the rivers that would later be named the Delaware and Hudson. Those who had continued north settled in the valley of the river they named the Mahicannituck (today's Hudson River), meaning 'the Waters That Are Never Still'. They named themselves the 'Muh he con neok' after the river, a name that eventually evolved to the present day Mohican or Mahican. The Mohicans settled in the valley, building wigwams and longhouses. The river and woodlands were abundant with life and food, which they supplemented with the corn, beans, and squash they grew. Mohican women were usually in charge of this agriculture, along with the homes and children, while men traveled to fish, hunt, or serve as warriors.

In September 1609, Henry Hudson, a trader for the Dutch, sailed up the Mahicannituck. The valley was rich with beavers and otters, whose fur the Dutch coveted, and in 1614 a trading post was established. As the fur trade expanded, making desired furs harder to find, tensions arose between the Mohicans and the Mohawk, who each sought to maintain their share in the fur trade and relations with European allies. Wars and their effects contributed to the loss of Mohican land to the point where territory in the Hudson Valley dwindled almost completely by the end of the seventeenth century. Mohicans were especially affected by European wars such as King Philip’s War where soldiers from Massachusetts and Connecticut attacked Mohicans. In general after war, Mohicans sold land to the Dutch in exchange for needed resources lost in the destruction of indigenous farming and preserved resources. As more and more Europeans arrived and settled on the land, the Mohicans’ self reliance and reliance on the land was eroded by increased dependency on the settlers and their provisions. Settlers began dividing the land, establishing fences and boundary lines. Eventually, the Mohicans were driven from their territory west of the Mahicannituck and continued to move further east in the early 1700s. Abraham of Shekomeko (formerly known as Maumauntissekun or Shabash) protested the claims but was still willing to sell some land. His grievance was based on Mohican tradition which provides that land that was not used is open for his people to continue hunting and fishing in the area. The Dutchess County territory being surveyed was unoccupied by white settlers for over four decades, making European claims de jure. The Mohicans, on the other hand, had been hunting and farming on the land for over two decades. According to a missionary memorandum recorded in 1743, Abraham went to New York City in 1724 where the governor promised to pay for Mohican land and leave them with a square mile for Mohican settlement. In September 1743 that square mile was divided by white settlers. In response, Abraham wrote to the governor disputing the unlawful claims. He tried to prove Mohican ownership by producing witnesses to the Little Nine Partners and even sent a petition around Shekomeko. In the end, the land was divided, and Abraham moved from the village site while Shekomeko was claimed by a proprietor. Some 1,200 persons were settled at work camps to manufacture naval stores and pay off their passage as indentured labor. Known as "East Camp", the colony had four villages: Hunterstown, Queensbury, Annsbury, and Haysbury. The area was later renamed "Germantown". In 1775 Germantown was formed as a "district". Germantown was one of the seven original towns of Columbia County established by an act passed March 7, 1788, alongside Kinderhook, Canaan, Claverack, Hillsdale, Clermont, and Livingston. In March 1845, a boat load of people from East Camp, who had been to Hudson to make purchases, was run over first by a scow, and then by the steamboat South America. All nine individuals were lost.

During the American Revolution, the Mohicans supported the colonists. After the war concluded, however, they were not welcomed in the area's villages. The Oneida offered them a portion of land and in the mid 1780s they began to move to the prayer town of New Stockbridge. Although the community thrived and the population grew steadily, land companies, hoping to make a profit from the land inhabited by Indigenous communities, proposed that New York State remove all Native Americans from within its borders. In 1822 agents from New York, missionaries, and commissioners from the War Department negotiated with the Menominee and Ho Chunk communities of Wisconsin for a tract of land on which to relocate the indigenous tribes of New York. In the following years, members of the community were relocated to Shawano County, Wisconsin, and settled on the reservation land. The modern Stockbridge Munsee Community comprises the descendants of these and other bands and tribes relocated people.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 13.07%, is water. The western town line, marking the center of the Hudson River, is the border of Greene and Ulster counties.

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,018 people, 831 households, and 546 families residing in the town. The population density was There were 984 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the town was 96.93% White, 1.14% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population. There were 831 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $42,195, and the median income for a family was $50,885. Males had a median income of $36,806 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,198. About 5.0% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

The library was first founded in 1948 by the Germantown Garden Club and Emily Finger Lappe in the town hall across from the current post office. It was run by volunteers for two years. In 1950, the town hired their first librarian, Bessie Muller Babcock, and she was paid $100 per year. When the town hall moved in 1980, the library moved with it until it became apparent that the library had outgrown the space. In February 2008, the library moved to its new permanent space. This building included dedicated spaces for children, young adults, media, and adults. At the same time, the Hover Room opened to the public for library programs, classes, and town meetings. In 2015, a maker space area was added to the library, the first of its kind in Columbia County. In addition to Hoopla, the library also offers Kanopy, Overdrive, Libby, Mango Languages, RB Digital Magazines, and online newspapers. Free Wi Fi can be accessed 24/7 and special senior citizen hours are available on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Cheviot – A hamlet near the Hudson River, south of Germantown hamlet. Germantown – The hamlet of Germantown is located near the Hudson River on Route 9G. North Germantown – A hamlet on Route 9G, north of Germantown hamlet. Palatine Park – A park northeast of Germantown hamlet. Viewmont – A hamlet on the southern town line.