Berne, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berne
Town
Motto(s):  The center of the Helderbergs, "It's all down hill from here"
Location in Albany County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Albany
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	64.73 sq mi (167.66 km2)
• Land	64.03 sq mi (165.84 km2)
• Water	0.70 sq mi (1.82 km2)
Elevation	1,345 ft (410 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,689
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	12023
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code	36-001-06211
GNIS feature ID	0978728

Berne is a small town in Albany County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 2,689 people lived there. The town is located on the western edge of Albany County.

History of Berne

The town of Berne was first spelled "Bern." The name changed when the Berne Post Office opened in 1825. It was created in 1795 from a part of the town of Rensselaerville. Later, in 1822, the northern half of Berne became a new town called Knox.

Early Settlers and Land Ownership

The first people to settle here arrived before 1750. They were Palatine German refugees, meaning they were Germans who had to leave their homes. At that time, the area was called Beaver Dam. These settlers were "squatters" because they lived on land they didn't own.

For a long time, Berne was part of a huge estate called Rensselaerswyck. The owner, known as the patroon, controlled all the land. He rented it out to farmers using old-fashioned "feudal leases." This meant he acted like a lord, even making some laws.

Berne During the American Revolution

During the Revolutionary War, people in Berne fought on both sides. Some supported the British and left for Canada. Others fought for American independence. They hoped that if America won, they would own their land or at least be able to buy it fairly.

However, after the war, the new government of New York decided to keep the old lease agreements. This was because the patroons had given a lot of money to politicians.

In 1781, the Dietz family faced an attack by Iroquois people. This was the only time such an event happened in Beaver Dam during the Revolution.

The Anti-Rent War

A big meeting of tenant farmers happened in Berne on July 4, 1839. This meeting started the Anti-Rent War. This was a fight by farmers who wanted to own the land they worked on.

In January 1845, 150 representatives from eleven counties met at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. They wanted to take political action to fix their problems with the land leases.

Geography of Berne

Berne covers a total area of about 64.8 square miles (167.8 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 64.1 square miles (165.8 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.6 square miles (1.6 square kilometers), is water.

People of Berne (Demographics)

In 2010, there were 2,794 people living in Berne. There were 1,099 households and 805 families. The population density was about 43.6 people per square mile.

About 33.9% of households had children under 18. Most households (59.0%) were married couples. About 21.9% of all households were single individuals.

The average household had 2.59 people. The average family had 3.00 people.

The population was spread out by age:

• 25.4% were under 18 years old.
• 5.9% were from 18 to 24.
• 29.5% were from 25 to 44.
• 27.2% were from 45 to 64.
• 12.0% were 65 or older.

The average age in the town was 40 years.

Nature and Parks in Berne

Berne is home to several natural areas perfect for outdoor activities.

• Partridge Run Wildlife Management Area is on West Mountain. It has 4,594 acres of old farmland. You can find hiking trails and parking lots here. It's a great place for birdwatching, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, fishing, and trapping.
• Cole Hill State Forest can be reached from County Routes 2 and 3. It also has hiking trails and parking. People enjoy birdwatching, skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, fishing, and trapping here.
• Thacher State Park is partly in Berne, but mostly in New Scotland. It has campgrounds where you can stay overnight.
• The Long Path is a long hiking trail. It goes through Berne, passing through Partridge Run Wildlife Management Area and Cole Hill State Forest. From Roemer's High Point, you can see amazing views of the Catskills and Adirondacks mountains.
• Thompson's Lake State Park used to be a state park at the north end of Thompson's Lake. Now, it's part of Thacher Park.
• Henry Hill is the highest point in Albany County. It's located in Berne, south of Partridge Run State Forest.
• Kenrose Sanctuary is a 280-acre area with trails through woodlands. It was once farmland but is now returning to forest. The Nature Conservancy manages this peaceful place.

Famous People from Berne

Berne has been the home or birthplace of several interesting people.

• John Warren Butterfield (1801-1869) was born in Berne. He later started the Butterfield Overland Mail. This was an early stagecoach company that helped create American Express and Wells Fargo.
• Justice Joseph Philo Bradley (1813-1892) was born on a farm in Berne. He became a judge on the highest court in the U.S., the Supreme Court, from 1870 to 1892. He was famous for being the final member of a special group that decided the very close 1876 presidential election.
• Captain Adam Bogardus (1834-1913) was born on a farm in Berne. He became a World Champion and U.S. Champion at trap shooting. He helped make trap shooting popular and invented the first useful glass ball trap in 1877. He and his sons were amazing shooters who traveled with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. He is in the National Trapshooting Hall of Fame.
• Albert Gallup (1796-1851) was born in Berne. He served as a U.S. Representative for New York from 1837 to 1839.
• M. E. Grenander (1918-1998) was a professor and a very generous person. She donated a lot of money to the University at Albany. A special collection at the university library is named after her. She passed away in East Berne, New York.
• Adelmorn Sherman (1820-1875) was born in Berne. He was a farmer who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1869 to 1871.
• Hiram Walden (1800-1880) lived in Berne for a few years and made axes. He later became a U.S. Representative for New York from 1849 to 1851.

Communities and Places in Berne

The Town of Berne has several smaller communities, often called hamlets.

• Berne is the largest hamlet in the town. It's where New York State Route 443 and New York State Route 156 meet. It used to be called "Bernville." In the past, it had many stores and hotels. Today, it's mostly homes. The Town Hall is here, and it also has the Berne Museum with "ten rooms of history."
• East Berne is a hamlet east of Berne village on New York State Route 443. It has a few stores and a post office.
• Reidsville is a hamlet in the southeastern part of the town.
• South Berne is a hamlet near the southern border of the town.
• Thompsons Lake is a small community in the northeastern part of the town, near Thompsons Lake. It was a popular summer resort long ago. Now, most of the cottages around the lake are lived in all year.
• Warners Lake is a lake and community in the north-central part of the town, west of East Berne. It was also a summer resort in the past. Now, the public beaches are closed, and the old boarding houses are private homes. Many people live in the cottages around the lake all year. There is one restaurant on the lake's northeastern side.
• West Berne is a hamlet near the western town line, west of Berne hamlet on New York State Route 443. It was once called "Mechanicsville" or "Peoria." It used to have stores and blacksmith shops, but now it's mainly residential.

See also

In Spanish: Berne (Nueva York) para niños