Putnam County New York Warrant Search

Putnam County, New York Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. As of 2004[update], the population was 100,570.[citation needed] It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel. Putnam county was named in honor of Israel Putnam, a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. It is one of the most affluent counties in America, ranked 11th by median household income, and 47th by per-capita income, according to the 2000 census. History When New York Colony established its twelve counties in 1683, the present Putnam County was part of Dutchess County. Dutchess County also included two towns in the present Columbia County. Until 1713, Dutchess County was administered by Ulster County.In 1609, a group of Native Americans called the Wappingers inhabited the east bank of the Hudson River. They cultivated, hunted, and fished for shellfish in the rich land of the Hudson Valley. They often encountered Dutch traders, from which they obtained goods such as alcohol and firearms.In 1691, a group of Dutch traders purchased an area of land that is now known as Putnam County from the Wappingers. Six years later the traders sold it to wealthy Dutch-American merchant Adolph Philipse, who then obtained a royal patent for land extending all the way from the Hudson to the Connecticut border—an area to be known as the Philipse Patent.In 1737, the Colonial Assembly designated the Philipse Patent as the South Precinct of Dutchess County, and the Philipses began leasing farms to immigrants from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Long Island and lower Westchester. After Adolph Philipse's death, the Patent was divided in 1754 into nine lots granted to three heirs: Mary Philipse, Philip Philipse, and Susannah Philipse Robinson. During the French and Indian War, many of the Wappingers went to Stockbridge, Massachusetts.Putnam was slow to be settled compared to other parts of the Hudson Valley, for two reasons. Firstly, it was privately owned and settlement was limited to tenent farmers willing to pay a portion of their earnings to Phillipse. Secondly, it was mostly hilly and rocky and unattractive to farmers looking for tillable cropland, and therefore was limited to dairy farming and wood cutting. The first non-tenent settlers in the county were along its eastern edge, due to an ambiguous border with Connecticut, which attracted farmers from New England, who presumed that the disputed area was not owned by Phillipse. The problem with the Connecticut border is that the colony of New York claimed roughly 20 miles east of the Hudson River, but the river veers slightly to the west in the Highlands. Thus, the eastern roughly 2 miles of the county (and parts of Dutchess and Westchester counties) were in 'The Oblong', the narrow band thought by some to be in Connecticut.An early settler was the Hayt family, which built a farm called The Elm in 1720.Jacob Haviland settled in the Oblong in 1731 in what became known as Haviland Hollow. The first village in the county was Fredericksburg, now the hamlet of Patterson. The border dispute was solved after the Revolution, and the heavily settled oblong was incorporated as the first of two versions of the Town of Southeast, named thus as it was the southeasternmost town in Dutchess County.Another early part of the county to be settled was 'The Gore', which was the ambiguous northern border of the Phillipse patent, between it and the Livingston and Beekman patents now in Dutchess County. Thus, the settlement known as Ludingtonville came about without the consent of the Phillipse family.Due to the increasing population of Dutchess County and the great distance from its county seat, Poughkeepsie, Putnam detached from Dutchess in 1812, and created its own county. Putnam was also able to function as a separate county because of the easy transportation provided by the Hudson River. Boats transporting goods traveled up the Hudson to ports, mainly at Peekskill, where it was brought out Peekskill Hollow Rd. into Putnam County, or goods were unloaded in Putnam County itself at Cold Spring. Problems arose when the river froze in the winter, which resulted in little food or goods being brought to the county. The Philipstown Turnpike was created in 1815 as a toll road from Cold Spring to Connecticut. The wagons that traveled the road would transport produce from eastern Putnam County and iron ore from the mines. The route of the turnpike can roughly be traced today: Rt 301 from Cold Spring to Farmers Mills Road, to White Pond Road to Pecksville, then Holmes Rd to Patterson, then Quaker Hill Rd to Connecticut. Transportation improved again with the advent of the railroad, namely the Harlem Line, which was built in the 1840s, connecting Putnam by rail to New York City. There were originally four stations on the Harlem line in Putnam County: Brewster, Dykemans, Towners, and Patterson. Today only the Brewster and Patterson stops remain, with a new one added in modern times called Southeast.Putnam County played an important role in the Civil War. One third of the county's men between the ages of 15 and 55 served in the military at the time of the war. During the post-Civil War years, industry and agriculture suffered losses. Iron, which was produced in the Highland Mountains, could be found elsewhere. Agriculture was also affected greatly. The increasing need for drinking water in New York City led the city to search the Hudson Valley for water. In Putnam County, much of the farmland were flooded to create reservoirs. The abandoning of farms, the creation of reservoirs, and the preservation of the remaining open land resulted in scenic lands that drew large amounts of tourism from New York City.By the 20th century, improved roads brought vacationers from New York City, which led to creation of the Taconic State Parkway during the Great Depression. This brought more vacationers, which were attracted to the scenic land and the inexpensive hotels, inns, and summer houses. Putnam County's population doubled during the summer months.After World War II, Putnam County became an exurb of New York City. Rapid development occurred as Putnam County became a bedroom community. However, the protection of Putnam county's reservoirs inherently limited development, as much of the land in the county is close to wetlands or reservoirs. Since World War II, the county has seen the development of the Taconic State Parkway as well as several state routes. The county has also seen three county executives; David D. Bruen 1979-1986, Peter C. Alexanderson, 1987–1990 and Robert J. Bondi, 1991–present. Government and politics Governmental operations in Putnam County are outlined in the County Charter which was approved by the voters of the County in November 1977. It is administered by a County Executive and a 9-member County Legislature. The current County Executive is Robert J. Bondi. He took the oath of office on January 1, 1991. The county executive is elected in a countywide vote. Each member of the County Legislature is elected from a district.Prior to the Charter form of government, the County's affairs were managed by a six-member Board of Supervisors (one Supervisor from each town in the County). County Executives The County has had three County Executives: County Legislature The members of the County Legislature are: Tony Hay, Chairman, District 6, Vincent Tamagna, District 1, Sam Oliverio, Jr., District 2, Richard T. Othmer, Jr., District 3, Mary Conklin, District 4, Mary Ellen Odell, District 5, Daniel G. Birmingham, District 7, Dini Lobue, District 8 and Anthony S. Fusco II, District 9.County Legislators are elected for three year terms, with unlimited right of self-succession. Legislative terms are staggered so that one-third of the legislative terms end every year. Chairs of the County Legislature *The County Charter took effect on January 1, 1979 and the County Legislature was established on that day. The County Board of Supervisors was dissolved on the previous day and members of the County Legislature for the year 1979 were the supervisors of each of the six towns. Ethel Forkell was Supervisor of the Town of Kent and was elected by her colleagues as the first Chair of the County Legislature. County Courts There are three types of general trial courts in Putnam County: the New York Supreme Court, the County Court and the Justice Courts. The Supreme Court is the trial level court of the New York State Unified Court System, which presents some confusion as the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeals in the federal system as well as in most states (the Court of Appeals is the highest court in New York State). The Supreme Court has broad authority over all categories of cases, both civil and criminal. Generally the Supreme Court in Putnam hears civil cases involving claims in excess of $25,000. While the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over criminal cases in most counties this is handled by the County Courts. In Putnam however, the Supreme Court does exercise jurisdiction over some criminal cases.The County Court is authorized to hear all criminal cases that have occurred in the county as well as limited jurisdiction over civil cases. The County Court handles felony cases exclusively and shares jurisdiction with the town and village justice courts on misdemeanor cases and other minor offenses and violations. The County Court's jurisdiction on civil cases is limited to those involving less than $25,000.The Historic Putnam County Courthouse is located in the town of Carmel. Built in 1814 in Greek Revival style, it is the second oldest working courthouse in New York State, second to the one in Johnstown. Portico and pillars were added to the structure in the 1840s. It was recently extensively remodeled to preserve the structure and adapt it for use as the Surrogate's Court.The New Putnam County Courthouse opened on January 2, 2008. It was constructed at a cost of $22.8 million. Jury assembly, court clerks and a public law library are located on the first floor. The second floor includes a Family Court and hearing room. On all floors are judges' chambers, jury deliberation rooms, prisoner cells and conference rooms. The third floor has two courtrooms for the County Court. The Supreme Court and a law library occupy the fourth floor. County Sheriff The current sheriff, Donald B. Smith, was elected in 2002. The Sheriff's Department includes a Civil Bureau, patrol division, a marine unit, a motorcycle unit, a school resource unit, and a narcotics enforcement unit. Politics Putnam County is solidly Republican. Bush won 56% of the vote to John Kerry's 42% in 2004. In 2008 John McCain won the county by a narrower majority of 54.4% to Barack Obama's 44.7%., for a Cook PVI of R+6. Since 1892, Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Lyndon Johnson in 1964 have been the only Democrats to carry Putnam County. In 2006 however it was won by Eliot Spitzer over John Faso by a margin of 58% to 39% as Spitzer won a landslide victory and Faso carried only 4 counties. Senator Hillary Clinton also won Putnam County in 2006 by a much smaller margin over John Spencer of 51% to 45%. Geography Putnam County is situated in the southeastern part of New York State, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east. Putnam is southeast of Newburgh, and it is north of White Plains.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 246 square miles (638 km²), of which 231 square miles (599 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (6.08%) is water. The terrain of the county is generally hilly. The region of the county nearest the Hudson River is especially so, and is part of the Hudson Highlands. The highest point in Putnam County is Scofield Ridge, with four summits at approximately 1,540 feet (469 m) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson. The Hudson River, named for Henry Hudson, has provided transportation of goods from New York City, north to the Hudson Valley, throughout history. Reservoirs Putnam County is known for its many reservoirs, part of the New York City watershed. Some of the larger include Bog Brook in Southeast; Croton Falls in Carmel and Southeast; Diverting in Southeast; East Branch in Brewster; Middle Branch in Southeast; West Branch in Kent and Carmel and Boyds Corner in Kent. Adjacent counties The adjacent counties include: Dutchess County, New York to the north; Fairfield County, Connecticut to the east; Westchester County, New York to the south; Rockland County, New York to the southwest; and Orange County, New York to the west. Climate The climate of Putnam County is humid continental, as is most of New York State. In the winter, bouts of cold, dry air arrive from Canada, and interior sections of North America. In the summer, the Gulf Stream brings hot, moist, humid air to the county. Extratropical storms often affect the county; in the winter, Nor'easters bring heavy snow and rain, and sometimes high wind. In the summer and fall, back door cold fronts move in from the north and bring thunderstorms, sometimes severe. Towns and municipalities There are six towns and three incorporated villages in Putnam County. There are no cities: Carmel Carmel is the county seat of Putnam County, with a population of 34,000. The town of Carmel includes the hamlets of Carmel, Carmel Hills, Field Corners, Hopkins Corners, Mahopac, Mahopac Falls, Secor Corners, Tilly Foster, and West Mahopac. Carmel is along the southern border of Putnam County. Carmel is known for its historic courthouse and high school, which serves grades 9-12. Carmel was taken from Frederickstown, a town which encompassed the present towns of Kent, Patterson, and Carmel, in 1795. Kent Kent is a town located along the northern border of Putnam with a population of 14,000. Kent contains the hamlets of Lake Carmel, Kent Corners, Kent Hills, and Luddingtonville. Kent was the last remaining section of Frederickstown, after the towns of Carmel and Patterson were divided off in 1795. Frederickstown had been founded in 1788. Patterson Patterson is a town located in the northeast area of Putnam County with a population of 12,000. Patterson, originally named Franklin, was divided from the former town of Frederickstown, in 1795. Patterson contains the hamlets of Patterson, Barnum Corners, Camp Brady, Fields Corners, Haines Corners, Haviland Hollow, Putnam Lake, Steinbeck Corners, Towners, and West Patterson. Philipstown Philipstown is a town located along the western end of Putnam County with a population of 10,000. Philipstown contains the villages and hamlets of Cold Spring, Forsonville, Garrison, Garrison Four Corners, Glenclyffe, Manitou, McKeel Corners, Nelsonville, North Highland, and Storm King. It was founded in 1788. West Point (in Orange County) is located across the Hudson River from the village of Cold Spring.There are 2 stations on the Metro North Railroad Hudson line: One In Garrison and the other in Cold Spring. There are two public libraries in Philipstown. The Desmond-Fish Library in Garrison, New York and the Julia L. Butterfield Library in Cold Spring. Southeast Southeast is a town located along the southern border of Putnam County with a population of 18,000. It was founded in 1788 as one of the three original towns in what would later become Putnam County. Its shape changed greatly in 1795, when it lost its northern half to Patterson and gained a great amount on its western side. It is the second largest town in Putnam County, second only to Carmel. Southeast is located at the crossroads of Interstate highways 684 and 84, and State Routes 22 and 312 and US Highways 6 and 202. Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line has two stops that service the area, at Brewster Village and Southeast Station (formerly Brewster North) off Route 312. Southeast contains the village of Brewster, and the hamlets of Brewster Heights, Deans Corners, Deforest Corners, Drewville Heights, Dykemans, Milltown, Sears Corners, and Sodom. Putnam Valley Putnam Valley is a town located on the southern border of Putnam County with a population of 11,000. Putnam Valley contains the hamlets of Adams Corners, Christian Corners, Gilbert Corners, Lake Peekskill, Oscawana Corners, Putnam Valley, Tompkins Corners, Sunnybrook. Putnam Valley was created in 1835 as the Town Of Quincy, taking its current name the following year. The Town was created by splitting off from Phillipstown. Putnam Valley is also home to the Clarence Fahnestock State Park, which covers much of Putnam County, and some of Dutchess County. Cold Spring Cold Spring is an incorporated village surrounded by the Town of Phillipstown and the village of Nelsonville. Nelsonville Nelsonville is an incorporated village surrounded by the Town of Phillipstown and the village of Cold Spring. Brewster Brewster is an incorporated village within the Town Of Southeast. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 95,745 people, 32,703 households, and 25,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 414 people per square mile (160/km²). There were 35,030 housing units at an average density of 152 per square mile (58/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.87% White, 1.63% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 6.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.0% were of Italian, 21.1% Irish and 9.7% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 87.5% spoke English, 5.2% Spanish and 3.2% Italian as their first language. As of 2005 the population was estimated to be 86% non-Hispanic whites. African-Americans were now 2.6% of the population. 0.2% of the population was Native Americans. 1.9% was Asian. 9.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino, representing a significant change in the ethnic make up of the county's population.In 2000 there were 32,703 households out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.40% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.00% were non-families. 18.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.27. In the county the population was spread out with 26.50% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 32.10% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.The median income for a household in the county was $72,279, and the median income for a family was $82,197(these figures had risen to $84,306 and $95,145 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $53,295 versus $38,390 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,127. About 2.70% of families and 4.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.50% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over. Education The county has six public school districts: Brewster, Carmel, Garrison, Haldane, Mahopac, and Putnam Valley. Mahopac is the largest school district in Putnam County, educating more than 5,000 students in four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school (1600 students).The library system consists of eight libraries; the Brewster Public Library in Brewster; the Kent Public Library in Kent; the Reed Memorial Library in Carmel; the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library in Cold Spring; the Alice Curtis Desmond and Hamilton Fish Library in Garrison; the Mahopac Public Library in Mahopac; the Patterson Library in Patterson and the Putnam Valley Free Library in Putnam Valley. Transportation Putnam has two interstate highways. The east-west Interstate 84 comes in from the north near Ludingtonville, and connects to the southbound Interstate 684 in Southeast toward the Connecticut border. The Taconic State Parkway, another high-speed through road, runs north-south through central Putnam. US 9 runs north-south in the western part of the county, paralleled by NY 9D along the Hudson River. NY 22 runs north-south in the eastern part of the county. NY 301 runs east-west from Cold Spring to Carmel. The short NY 403 connects 9 and 9D near Garrison. Three of the region's major east-west routes traverse the eastern half of the county. NY 52 enters alongside I-84 from Dutchess County, to end at US 6 south of Carmel. East of Brewster, US 6 joins US 202 and the routes leave the county and state concurrently aside the interstate.The county's highway and facilities department maintains a number of county roads and performs snow and ice control on portions of the following numbered highways within the county: U.S. Route 6 from Westchester County line to the NY 22/U.S. Route 202 concurrency; NY 6N for the entire duration within Putnam; NY 9D from NY 301 to the Dutchess County line; NY 52 from its southern terminus to NY 311; NY 164 for its entire duration, and NY 301 for its entire duration.The county also has several passenger trains that travel through the county. The Harlem Line and the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad run north-south in Putnam. The Harlem Line makes stops at Brewster, Southeast, and Patterson. The Hudson Line makes stops at Manitou, Garrison, Cold Spring, and Breakneck Ridge. A connection to Amtrak can be made to the south at Croton-Harmon in upper Westchester County or to the north at Poughkeepsie in Duchess County, both on the Hudson Line.Until May 1958, a third commuter line (nicknamed 'Old Put') operating between the Bronx and Brewster served the region. With no direct connection to Grand Central Terminal (a transfer was required in the Bronx), ridership on the line was weak compared to its counterparts. Freight service was also scant, and the line was eventually abandoned in waves between 1962 and 1980. The former railbed now serves as the South County Trailway, North County Trailway, and Putnam County Trailway rail trails. Points of interest Points of interest include Chuang Yen Monastery, located in Kent and home to the largest Buddha statue in the Western Hemisphere as well as the only library in the United States specializing in Buddhist history; Donald J. Trump State Park, a 436-acre (1.76 km2) state park located in Putnam and Westchester counties; Thunder Ridge Ski Area, a small ski resort located in Patterson with 30 trails and 3 lifts; and Clarence Fahnestock State Park, a 14,000 acre (56 km2) state park named for Clarence Fahnestock containing 15 kilometers of trails for walking and hiking. Infrastructure Putnam County gets the majority of its electricity fromIndian Point Energy Centerelectricity plant in Westchester County. Putnam County gets its water supply mainly fromwells, the City of New York's local reservoirs and controlled lakes, or from theHudson River. The main hospital which serves eastern Putnam County is the Putnam Hospital Center, located in Carmel.Western Putnam County is mainly served by hospitals in Dutchess or Westchester counties. Adjacent counties Dutchess County(north) Fairfield County, Connecticut(east) Westchester County(south) Rockland County(southwest) Orange County(west)