Monticello, New York
Encyclopedia
Monticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson
in Sullivan County, New York
, United States
. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat
of Sullivan County. The village was named after the residence
of Thomas Jefferson
, but is pronounced locally as "mon-tah-sell-oh."
The Village of Monticello is in the central part of Thompson, adjacent to New York Route 17. Monticello is one of the largest villages in the county.
to the Delaware
through what was then Ulster and Orange counties. There were two important reasons for this undertaking. One was to facilitate travel between Newburgh
and the rich coalfields of Pennsylvania
and the other was to provide a suitable passage for large droves of cattle and wood products taken from the virgin forests of Sullivan County. The proposed Newburgh and Cochecton
Turnpike ultimately brought about the founding of the village of Monticello.
Two brothers, Samuel F. Jones and John Patterson Jones, built Monticello. The turnpike company entrusted Samuel F. Jones to explore the vast forests west of the Mamakating
valley to find the best route for the new turnpike. While so engaged, Mr. Jones foresaw that Ulster County
would undergo many changes and growth when the new turnpike was completed, He also realized that because of this growth a new county would ultimately be formed out of the southwestern part of the county. He predicted the county seat for this new county would be located along the new turnpike. Returning home, Samuel related his predictions and vision to his younger brother, John.
John joined his brother and in the early part of 1803, they bought two tracts of wilderness totaling 1861 acres (8 km²) for which they paid $4,613. Since Samuel was occupied surveying the route for the new turnpike, it was left to John to start making immediate improvements to their land. John arrived later that year with eleven men, and after putting up a temporary shelter east of Monticello, they commenced working on a sawmill. The work halted when the brothers returned to their New Lebanon, Connecticut, home for the winter but resumed the following spring. John returned to his work on their lands in early April 1804, while Samuel continued working for the turnpike company. After John put the sawmill in operation, he started clearing and seeding the land west of Monticello. He also built a gristmill that was used mostly for grinding their grain.
The final route for the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike was determined that spring, and it was precisely where Samuel Jones wanted it. The brothers then determined where to build their intended city. It was at this time that the name Monticello was given to the planned village. The brothers were ardent admirers of Thomas Jefferson, who invented the word from two Latin words meaning "heavenly mountain", which Mr. Jefferson gave to his home place.
Before the log house was built in Monticello or the first tree cut, the farseeing brothers first surveyed their planned village, laying out broad streets and a central park. Trees were marked to indicate the lines. Consequently, Monticello became a grand town with wide streets, magnificent shade trees, and a beautiful "public square." In addition, as Samuel Jones planned, the Newburgh and Cochecton Turnpike ran straight through the village.
Soon after the survey was completed, John Jones selected a lot for his residence, and on September 4, 1804, with his own hands he felled the first tree that marked the site of his future home. The house was located on the turnpike (on the corner of Broadway and saint. johns st) across from the park and was completed by December. John lived there until he died. Samuel was still involved with the turnpike, so John later built the first part of his brother's house. In 1807, Samuel built a large addition to his dwelling.
As an inducement to inhabit their village, the brothers offered 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) lots to anyone who would build and settle there. Advertisements were inserted into many newspapers of southern counties that enticed many to take advantage of their offer. One of these pioneers was Platt Pelton of Putnam County
, a tanner by trade, who came to Monticello in 1804. He built a sawmill and a temporary shanty. The following year erected the second house in Monticello. In 1805, John P. Jones built a blacksmith shop and Miles Curtis put up a house. Sometime that summer Curtis Lindsley commenced building a hotel, where later the county court would be held until a courthouse was built.
On March 27, 1809, by an act of the Legislature, Sullivan County was created from part of Ulster. In June the new county government was organized and John P. Jones became the first County Clerk. He was later elected state senator and held several other public offices. Samuel F. Jones became one of the county's first judges and in 1811, when a postal route went into operation from Newburgh to Ithaca, New York
, Samuel became Monticello's first postmaster.
David Hammond, who became an active businessman in the village, came to Monticello in 1805 or 1806. In 1811, he built the Mansion House. Eli Fairchild came to Monticello in 1815. He built the first iron foundry on Main St. and a gristmill and sawmill on the Cold Spring Road. All his businesses were conducted successfully for many years. Ephraim Lyon Burnham came to Monticello about this time and established a large tannery, which was later owned by Strong, Starr and Company.
By 1813, there were twenty houses in Monticello as well as various places of business. The village was incorporated on April 20, 1830.
On the 13th of January, 1844, a great fire swept the county seat destroying, with other structures, the county's buildings.
On August 14, 1862, Mr. John C. Holley received authority to recruit a regiment in Sullivan County, which was organized at Monticello, with David P. DeWitt as Colonel, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years October 8, 1862. The companies were recruited principally in: A at Monticello, Fremont, Bethel, Rockland, Forestburg, Liberty and Beaver Kill; B at Bethel, Thompson, Fallsburg
, Forestburg and Stormville; C at Fallsburg, Rockland, Grahamville and Neversink; D at Ithaca and Lansing; E at Wurtsborough, Bridgeville, Monticello and Phillipsport; F at Fremont, Callicoon, Jeffersonville, Rockland and Monticello; G at Fremont, Bloomingburg, Neversink, Monticello, Thompson, Cochecton and Tusten; H at Liberty, Monticello and Rockland; I at Dryden and Cochecton; K at Cochecton, Monticello, Tusten, Callicoon, Highland and Thompson.
The regiment left the state October 14, 1862; it served in the defenses of Washington
in the 3rd Brigade, Abercrombie's Division, from October 16, 1862; in 3d, Hughston's, Brigade, Gurney's Division, Department of Virginia, at Suffolk, Virginia
, from April, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, Gordon's Division, of 7th Corps, from May, 1863; of 4th Corps, from June, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Corps, from July 14, 1863; in the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Corps, from April, 1864; in the 2d Brigade, Bartlett's Division, 22d Corps, from June 30, 1865; and, under Col. Horace Boughton, it was honorably discharged and mustered out July 20, 1865, at and near Washington, D.C.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 3 officers, 13 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 25 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 1 officer, 177 enlisted men; total, 6 officers, 215 enlisted men; aggregate, 221; of whom 3 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy; the large loss by accident (9), was principally caused by a railroad accident on March 20, 1863
On August 10, 1909, Monticello suffered its worse calamity in history when a fire wiped out most of the business section of the village. It was thought that the fire started from a large burned out smokestack belonging to the Murray power plant. The fire broke out on a Tuesday evening about 8:30 when the evening mail was arriving. The streets, stores and hotel porches were thronged with summer visitors when the alarm sounded. By the time the firemen responded and the hoses were laid the power house was roaring in flames. The fire quickly spread to the huge Palatine Casino, which was consumed in fire in a matter of seconds. A strong wind spread the fire from building to building and in less than an hour, both sides of the street were a fury of fire. When it was over forty buildings had been consumed along with a million dollars worth of property. Fortunately, no lives were lost as hundreds of horrified people watched, powerless to save one hundred years of growth and industry. Monticello was quick to rebuild; replacing many of the wooden buildings with more fire resistant ones made of brick. Unfortunately replacing the beautiful trees that once lined Broadway would take a great deal longer.
Some pioneer hotels in the county were located in Monticello; the Mansion House and the Rockwell were important places during the Sullivan County resort era. There was a lot of summer activity and entertainment in Monticello. During the early 1900s, there was a Driving Park Association that held races in the village. In 1910 the "Lyceum", the largest theater in the county opened in Monticello. It was successful until 1922 when the moviegoers visited the Rialto Theater
, the new showplace in town. The Monticello Amusement Park was popular until it burned in 1932. Monticello played host to the Sullivan County Fair for over fifty years until it closed in 1931. Although few of Monticello hotels successfully made the transition into the later resort age, the village continued to draw the tourists who stayed at nearby hotels and bungalow colonies.
A compact but generally run-down African-American district once stood on Wheeler and Young Streets in the village's west end. This neighborhood was demolished in the 1970s for construction of the Government Center. In 2008 the widening of broadway begins allowing space for a median with 45 degree parking, to the disappointment of many the once treelined street (broadway) has been cut bare.
. On June 1835 the lodge was disbanded.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
The Village of Monticello is located in the southern portion of Upstate New York
in the Catskill Mountains
region. By driving distance, Monticello is approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) NE of Scranton, Pennsylvania
, 90 miles (144.8 km) SE of Binghamton, New York
, 150 miles (241.4 km) SE of Elmira, New York
, 90 miles (144.8 km) NW of New York City, New York, and 100 miles (160.9 km) SW of Albany, New York
.
of 2000, there were 6,512 people, 2,554 households, and 1,460 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,601.5 people per square mile (617.8/km²). There were 3,758 housing units at an average density of 924.2 per square mile (356.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 55.57% White, 29.32% African American, 0.31% Native American, 2.13% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.14% from other races
, and 4.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.16% of the population.
There were 2,554 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.9% were married couples
living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $22,671, and the median income for a family was $29,554. Males had a median income of $32,623 versus $22,827 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $14,433. About 30.8% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.7% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.
98.3 FM that features adult contemporary music and is Sullivan County's most popular station. Other stations in the area include WVOS
1240 AM and WVOS-FM
95.9 FM, that are licensed to the Village of Liberty
.
(known regionally as the Quickway and soon to be renamed Interstate 86
). It is also at the eastern terminus of New York State Route 17B
.
The local bus station is served by Coach USA ShortLine, and the station acts as a hub for the entire area.
which attracted people from all over the northeast in its heyday. Now the Raceway has turned into a Racino
, hosting electronic slot machines as well as horse racing. Just seven miles (11 km) away from the Raceway is Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
, site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival
. An auto racing
circuit, Monticello Motor Club
, is also located nearby.
The community was once well-known internationally for its massive resorts including the Concord and Grossinger resorts, among many others. Today, only a few and smaller resorts remain, including Kutcher's Resort and the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in the western part of the county near Callicoon
.
Thompson, New York
Thompson is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 14,189 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Thompson, an early settler.The Town of Thompson is in the southeast part of the county....
in Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Sullivan County. The village was named after the residence
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, but is pronounced locally as "mon-tah-sell-oh."
The Village of Monticello is in the central part of Thompson, adjacent to New York Route 17. Monticello is one of the largest villages in the county.
Pre-Civil War
On March 20, 1801, an act was passed authorizing the building of a new turnpike road from the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
to the Delaware
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
through what was then Ulster and Orange counties. There were two important reasons for this undertaking. One was to facilitate travel between Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
and the rich coalfields of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and the other was to provide a suitable passage for large droves of cattle and wood products taken from the virgin forests of Sullivan County. The proposed Newburgh and Cochecton
Cochecton, New York
Cochecton is a town located in west-central Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population was 1,328 at the 2000 census. The name is an aboriginal word for "low land."...
Turnpike ultimately brought about the founding of the village of Monticello.
Two brothers, Samuel F. Jones and John Patterson Jones, built Monticello. The turnpike company entrusted Samuel F. Jones to explore the vast forests west of the Mamakating
Mamakating, New York
Mamakating is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2000 census.The Town of Mamakating is in the southeast part of the county.- History :...
valley to find the best route for the new turnpike. While so engaged, Mr. Jones foresaw that Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
would undergo many changes and growth when the new turnpike was completed, He also realized that because of this growth a new county would ultimately be formed out of the southwestern part of the county. He predicted the county seat for this new county would be located along the new turnpike. Returning home, Samuel related his predictions and vision to his younger brother, John.
John joined his brother and in the early part of 1803, they bought two tracts of wilderness totaling 1861 acres (8 km²) for which they paid $4,613. Since Samuel was occupied surveying the route for the new turnpike, it was left to John to start making immediate improvements to their land. John arrived later that year with eleven men, and after putting up a temporary shelter east of Monticello, they commenced working on a sawmill. The work halted when the brothers returned to their New Lebanon, Connecticut, home for the winter but resumed the following spring. John returned to his work on their lands in early April 1804, while Samuel continued working for the turnpike company. After John put the sawmill in operation, he started clearing and seeding the land west of Monticello. He also built a gristmill that was used mostly for grinding their grain.
The final route for the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike was determined that spring, and it was precisely where Samuel Jones wanted it. The brothers then determined where to build their intended city. It was at this time that the name Monticello was given to the planned village. The brothers were ardent admirers of Thomas Jefferson, who invented the word from two Latin words meaning "heavenly mountain", which Mr. Jefferson gave to his home place.
Before the log house was built in Monticello or the first tree cut, the farseeing brothers first surveyed their planned village, laying out broad streets and a central park. Trees were marked to indicate the lines. Consequently, Monticello became a grand town with wide streets, magnificent shade trees, and a beautiful "public square." In addition, as Samuel Jones planned, the Newburgh and Cochecton Turnpike ran straight through the village.
Soon after the survey was completed, John Jones selected a lot for his residence, and on September 4, 1804, with his own hands he felled the first tree that marked the site of his future home. The house was located on the turnpike (on the corner of Broadway and saint. johns st) across from the park and was completed by December. John lived there until he died. Samuel was still involved with the turnpike, so John later built the first part of his brother's house. In 1807, Samuel built a large addition to his dwelling.
As an inducement to inhabit their village, the brothers offered 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) lots to anyone who would build and settle there. Advertisements were inserted into many newspapers of southern counties that enticed many to take advantage of their offer. One of these pioneers was Platt Pelton of Putnam County
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. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
, a tanner by trade, who came to Monticello in 1804. He built a sawmill and a temporary shanty. The following year erected the second house in Monticello. In 1805, John P. Jones built a blacksmith shop and Miles Curtis put up a house. Sometime that summer Curtis Lindsley commenced building a hotel, where later the county court would be held until a courthouse was built.
On March 27, 1809, by an act of the Legislature, Sullivan County was created from part of Ulster. In June the new county government was organized and John P. Jones became the first County Clerk. He was later elected state senator and held several other public offices. Samuel F. Jones became one of the county's first judges and in 1811, when a postal route went into operation from Newburgh to Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, Samuel became Monticello's first postmaster.
David Hammond, who became an active businessman in the village, came to Monticello in 1805 or 1806. In 1811, he built the Mansion House. Eli Fairchild came to Monticello in 1815. He built the first iron foundry on Main St. and a gristmill and sawmill on the Cold Spring Road. All his businesses were conducted successfully for many years. Ephraim Lyon Burnham came to Monticello about this time and established a large tannery, which was later owned by Strong, Starr and Company.
By 1813, there were twenty houses in Monticello as well as various places of business. The village was incorporated on April 20, 1830.
On the 13th of January, 1844, a great fire swept the county seat destroying, with other structures, the county's buildings.
On August 14, 1862, Mr. John C. Holley received authority to recruit a regiment in Sullivan County, which was organized at Monticello, with David P. DeWitt as Colonel, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years October 8, 1862. The companies were recruited principally in: A at Monticello, Fremont, Bethel, Rockland, Forestburg, Liberty and Beaver Kill; B at Bethel, Thompson, Fallsburg
Fallsburg, New York
Fallsburg is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The town is in the eastern part of the county. The population was 12,234 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from a waterfall on the Neversink River...
, Forestburg and Stormville; C at Fallsburg, Rockland, Grahamville and Neversink; D at Ithaca and Lansing; E at Wurtsborough, Bridgeville, Monticello and Phillipsport; F at Fremont, Callicoon, Jeffersonville, Rockland and Monticello; G at Fremont, Bloomingburg, Neversink, Monticello, Thompson, Cochecton and Tusten; H at Liberty, Monticello and Rockland; I at Dryden and Cochecton; K at Cochecton, Monticello, Tusten, Callicoon, Highland and Thompson.
The regiment left the state October 14, 1862; it served in the defenses of Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in the 3rd Brigade, Abercrombie's Division, from October 16, 1862; in 3d, Hughston's, Brigade, Gurney's Division, Department of Virginia, at Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
, from April, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, Gordon's Division, of 7th Corps, from May, 1863; of 4th Corps, from June, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Corps, from July 14, 1863; in the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Corps, from April, 1864; in the 2d Brigade, Bartlett's Division, 22d Corps, from June 30, 1865; and, under Col. Horace Boughton, it was honorably discharged and mustered out July 20, 1865, at and near Washington, D.C.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 3 officers, 13 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 25 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 1 officer, 177 enlisted men; total, 6 officers, 215 enlisted men; aggregate, 221; of whom 3 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy; the large loss by accident (9), was principally caused by a railroad accident on March 20, 1863
Post-Civil War
Even though the village grew a great deal from the turnpike, the village was not as fortunate with the railroad. Although one survey for the Erie Railroad went to Monticello, when the final route was determined it did not go near the village. Later when the Midland Railroad (later the O&W) was built through Sullivan County, it too missed Monticello by going through Fallsburg five miles (8 km) away. A railroad line between Monticello and Port Jervis was launched in 1869 with the formal opening taking place on January 23, 1871. The name of the little railroad was changed several times before it was taken over by the New York O & W in 1903. The O & W ran the line until it was suspended in 1935.On August 10, 1909, Monticello suffered its worse calamity in history when a fire wiped out most of the business section of the village. It was thought that the fire started from a large burned out smokestack belonging to the Murray power plant. The fire broke out on a Tuesday evening about 8:30 when the evening mail was arriving. The streets, stores and hotel porches were thronged with summer visitors when the alarm sounded. By the time the firemen responded and the hoses were laid the power house was roaring in flames. The fire quickly spread to the huge Palatine Casino, which was consumed in fire in a matter of seconds. A strong wind spread the fire from building to building and in less than an hour, both sides of the street were a fury of fire. When it was over forty buildings had been consumed along with a million dollars worth of property. Fortunately, no lives were lost as hundreds of horrified people watched, powerless to save one hundred years of growth and industry. Monticello was quick to rebuild; replacing many of the wooden buildings with more fire resistant ones made of brick. Unfortunately replacing the beautiful trees that once lined Broadway would take a great deal longer.
Some pioneer hotels in the county were located in Monticello; the Mansion House and the Rockwell were important places during the Sullivan County resort era. There was a lot of summer activity and entertainment in Monticello. During the early 1900s, there was a Driving Park Association that held races in the village. In 1910 the "Lyceum", the largest theater in the county opened in Monticello. It was successful until 1922 when the moviegoers visited the Rialto Theater
Rialto Theater (Monticello, New York)
Rialto Theatre, also known as the Miller and Washington Block, is a historic commercial block and theatre located at Monticello in Sullivan County, New York. It was built in 1921 and the theatre was developed as part of a commercial block which incorporated three storefronts and a restaurant...
, the new showplace in town. The Monticello Amusement Park was popular until it burned in 1932. Monticello played host to the Sullivan County Fair for over fifty years until it closed in 1931. Although few of Monticello hotels successfully made the transition into the later resort age, the village continued to draw the tourists who stayed at nearby hotels and bungalow colonies.
A compact but generally run-down African-American district once stood on Wheeler and Young Streets in the village's west end. This neighborhood was demolished in the 1970s for construction of the Government Center. In 2008 the widening of broadway begins allowing space for a median with 45 degree parking, to the disappointment of many the once treelined street (broadway) has been cut bare.
Masonic history
According to Grand Lodge records eight lodges have been established in Sullivan County. The earliest recorded lodge in Sullivan was Sullivan No. 272 which was warranted at Monticello, January 2, 1817. The first lodge founded in Sullivan CountySullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
. On June 1835 the lodge was disbanded.
Geography
Monticello is located at 41°39′13"N 74°41′26"W (41.653529, -74.690454).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
The Village of Monticello is located in the southern portion of Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
region. By driving distance, Monticello is approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) NE of Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, 90 miles (144.8 km) SE of Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, 150 miles (241.4 km) SE of Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, 90 miles (144.8 km) NW of New York City, New York, and 100 miles (160.9 km) SW of Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,512 people, 2,554 households, and 1,460 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,601.5 people per square mile (617.8/km²). There were 3,758 housing units at an average density of 924.2 per square mile (356.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 55.57% White, 29.32% African American, 0.31% Native American, 2.13% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.14% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.16% of the population.
There were 2,554 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $22,671, and the median income for a family was $29,554. Males had a median income of $32,623 versus $22,827 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $14,433. About 30.8% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.7% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.
Media
Monticello is home to the radio station WSULWSUL
-History:WSUL was owned and operated by former disc jockey Dan Dayton and his wife, Lynn . Pat Gillen and Dave Driscoll anchored the morning show at one time. For ten years the station played easy listening songs from the '60s and '70s until the station was sold to Reynolds Communications...
98.3 FM that features adult contemporary music and is Sullivan County's most popular station. Other stations in the area include WVOS
WVOS (AM)
WVOS is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish sports radio format. Licensed to Liberty, New York, USA, the station is currently owned by Watermark Communications LLC....
1240 AM and WVOS-FM
WVOS-FM
WVOS-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Hits format. Licensed to Liberty, New York, USA. The station is currently owned by Watermark Communications LLC and features programming from ABC Radio .-History:...
95.9 FM, that are licensed to the Village of Liberty
Liberty (village), New York
Liberty is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 3,975 at the 2000 census.The Village of Liberty is centrally located in the Town of Liberty and is adjacent to New York Route 17.- History :...
.
Transportation
Monticello is located adjacent to New York State Route 17New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
(known regionally as the Quickway and soon to be renamed Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
). It is also at the eastern terminus of New York State Route 17B
New York State Route 17B
New York State Route 17B is a state highway located entirely within Sullivan County, New York. It connects the hamlet of Callicoon at its western end with the Monticello area in the east .-Route description:From its terminus at NY 97 in the hamlet of Callicoon New York State...
.
The local bus station is served by Coach USA ShortLine, and the station acts as a hub for the entire area.
Tourism
Monticello is famous for its Monticello RacewayMonticello Raceway
Monticello Gaming and Raceway is a harness racing track, and home to a relatively new racino, in Monticello, Sullivan County, New York. It is off Exit 104 of Route 17 , on New York State Route 17B....
which attracted people from all over the northeast in its heyday. Now the Raceway has turned into a Racino
Racino
A racino is a combined race track and casino. In some cases, the gambling is limited to slot machines, but many locations are beginning to include table games such as blackjack, poker, and roulette....
, hosting electronic slot machines as well as horse racing. Just seven miles (11 km) away from the Raceway is Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Bethel Woods
The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts center and museum located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York which took place on a parcel of the original Max Yasgur's Dairy Farm....
, site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
. An auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
circuit, Monticello Motor Club
Monticello Motor Club
The Monticello Motor Club is a long motor racing circuit situated in Monticello, New York. It was built on the site of the former Monticello Airport...
, is also located nearby.
The community was once well-known internationally for its massive resorts including the Concord and Grossinger resorts, among many others. Today, only a few and smaller resorts remain, including Kutcher's Resort and the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in the western part of the county near Callicoon
Callicoon (CDP), New York
Callicoon is a hamlet and census-designated place in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 216 at the 2000 census.Callicoon is in the western part of the county in the Town of Delaware.-History:...
.
Notable residents and natives
- Stanley FinchStanley FinchStanley Wellington Finch was the first director of the Bureau of Investigation, which would eventually become the FBI. He would soon retire from office....
, the first director of the Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, which is now the FBI. - Actor Hank Garrett star of Car 54, Where Are You?Car 54, Where Are You?Car 54, Where Are You? is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963. Episodes had various directors, the most recognized being Al De Caprio. Stanley Prager and Nat Hiken also directed several episodes. Most of its filming was on location in The Bronx, and at Biograph...
. - Former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals Judith KayeJudith KayeJudith S. Kaye is a retired New York judge who served as Chief Judge of New York from March 23, 1993 until December 31, 2008. She was the first woman to occupy the State Judiciary's highest office.-Early life and education:...
- Former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals Lawrence C. Cooke, who has a monument dedicated to him on the Sullivan County court house front lawn (now named the Lawrence C. Cooke Sullivan County Court House).
- Opera singer Stephanie BlytheStephanie BlytheStephanie Blythe is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.-Biography:Blythe graduated from Monticello High School in 1987 and the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam in 1992. She was the recipient of the prestigious Richard Tucker Award in 1999...
External links
- Village of Monticello, New York
- CarmenRue.com Monticello Village Trustee, site includes archive of Village Board minutes, 2000 to present
- Monticello area information on city-data.com
- Monticello area information on bearsystems.com