| Hudson, New York |
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Information AboutHudson, New York |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT HUDSON, NEW YORK | |
| columbia county, new york | |
| cities in new york | |
| hudson river | |
| county seats in new york | |
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As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,524. It is the County Seat of Columbia County . The city is named after the adjacent river and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson . HISTORY The land was purchased from the natives by Dutch settlers in 1662 and was originally part of the Town Of Claverack . Settled by New England whalers and merchants hailing primarily from Nantucket , Martha's Vineyard , and Providence, Rhode Island , Hudson was chartered as a city in 1785 . The self-described "Proprietors" laid out a city grid, and Hudson grew rapidly as an active port, and came within one vote of being named the capital of New York State . Hudson obtained a new charter in 1895 . Hudson became notorious as a center of gambling and prostitution in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, as described in some detail in Bruce Edward Hall's book, Diamond Street. These rackets were broken up in 1951 after surprise raids of Hudson whorehouses by then-Attorney General Thomas Dewey netted, among other catches, several local policemen. With hundreds of properties on the State and National Registers of historic places, Hudson is a catalogue of American vernacular architecture. After a steep decline in the 60s and 70s, the City has undergone a significant revival, and is now known for its active arts scene, antiques shoppers, restaurants, and nightlife. Between 1998 and 2005, the City was also the center of a fiercely-contested land use battle between private citizens and a subsidiary of what was then the largest cement company on earth, Holderbank (since renamed Holcim). The company proposed a massive, coal-fired cement manufacturing project sprawling over 1,800 acres in the City of Hudson and Town Of Greenport, New York , which eventually was blocked through citizen opposition led by local activists Peter Jung and Sam Pratt. Some three dozen organizations joined in the opposition. GEOGRAPHY Hudson is located at 42°15'4" North, 73°47'6" West (42.251230, -73.785066). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 6.0 Km&2 (2.3 Mi&2 ). 5.6 km&2 (2.2 mi&2) of it is land and 0.4 km&2 (0.2 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 6.47% water. Hudson is located on what began as a spit of land jutting into the Hudson River between the South Bay and North Bay, now both largely filled and degraded (but not without hope of restoration). Across the Hudson River lies the Town Of Athens and Greene County, New York ; a ferry connected the two municipalities during much of the 19th century. Between them lies Middle Ground Flats, a former sandbar that grew due to both natural silting and also from dumping the spoils of dredging; today it is inhabited by deer and a few occupants of quasi-legal summer shanties. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 7,524 people, 2,951 households, and 1,590 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 1,338.7/km&2 (3,468.2/mi&2). There were 3,347 housing units at an average density of 595.5/km&2 (1,542.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 64.29% White , 24.02% African American , 0.28% Native American , 2.84% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 4.15% from Other Races , and 4.41% from two or more races. 8.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,951 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.4% were Married Couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,279, and the median income for a family was $27,594. Males had a median income of $26,274 versus $22,598 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $15,759. 25.6% of the population and 23.8% of families were below the Poverty Line . 37.7% of those under the age of 18 and 13.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES South of Hudson is the location of Olana , the home of noted landscape painter Frederic Church , now Olana State Historic Site . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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