Goshen, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Goshen
|
|
|---|---|
Goshen Town Hall, in the village of Goshen
|
|
| Motto(s):
Slow-motion Goshen (unofficial)
|
|
| Anthem: Goshen Fight Song | |
 |
|
.svg)
Location of New York in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Orange |
| Area | |
| • Total | 43.93 sq mi (113.78 km2) |
| • Land | 43.64 sq mi (113.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 14,571 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-071-29553 |
Goshen is a town located in Orange County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 14,571 people lived there. The town gets its name from the Biblical Land of Goshen, a fertile place mentioned in the Bible.
Goshen is special because it contains a smaller area called the Village of Goshen. This village is the county seat of Orange County, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. The town of Goshen is right in the middle of Orange County.
Contents
History of Goshen
People first started planning to settle in the Goshen area around 1654. However, the actual settlement began later, around 1714. The town of Goshen was officially created in 1789.
Over the years, parts of Goshen were used to create new towns. In 1830, a section became the Town of Hamptonburgh. Later, in 1845, another part was used to form the Town of Chester.
This area was also very important for the growth of harness racing, a type of horse racing where horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart.
General Martin Dempsey, who used to be a very important leader in the United States Army, was born in Goshen. He was the Army Chief of Staff and also the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Geography of the Town
The United States Census Bureau reports that the town of Goshen covers about 44.0 square miles (113.9 square kilometers) in total. Most of this area, about 43.8 square miles (113.6 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.3 square kilometers), is water.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 2,448 | — | |
| 1820 | 3,441 | — | |
| 1830 | 3,661 | 6.4% | |
| 1840 | 3,889 | 6.2% | |
| 1850 | 3,149 | −19.0% | |
| 1860 | 3,480 | 10.5% | |
| 1870 | 3,903 | 12.2% | |
| 1880 | 4,387 | 12.4% | |
| 1890 | 5,021 | 14.5% | |
| 1900 | 4,564 | −9.1% | |
| 1910 | 5,149 | 12.8% | |
| 1920 | 5,016 | −2.6% | |
| 1930 | 5,182 | 3.3% | |
| 1940 | 5,697 | 9.9% | |
| 1950 | 5,832 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 6,835 | 17.2% | |
| 1970 | 8,393 | 22.8% | |
| 1980 | 10,463 | 24.7% | |
| 1990 | 11,500 | 9.9% | |
| 2000 | 12,913 | 12.3% | |
| 2010 | 13,687 | 6.0% | |
| 2020 | 14,571 | 6.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 | |||
Based on the 2010 census, there were 12,913 people living in Goshen. There were 4,074 households, and 2,912 of these were families. The population density was about 313.6 people per square mile (121.1 people per square kilometer).
Most of the people living in Goshen were white (81.6%). Other groups included black or African American (6.6%), Asian (4.5%), and Native American (0.16%). About 12.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino. Goshen is also home to a community that speaks Yiddish, and some members of this community run farms in the area.
In terms of households, 35.4% had children under 18 living with them. About 60.2% were married couples. The average household had 2.73 people, and the average family had 3.27 people.
The median age in the town was 39 years old. About 21.4% of the population was under 18, and 16.9% were 65 or older.
Communities and Places in Goshen
The town of Goshen includes several smaller communities and locations:
- Big Island – This spot is located near the southern border of the town.
- Durlandville – A small community found on County Road 6 in the southwestern part of the town.
- Finnegans Corner – Another small community located north of Florida on NY-17A.
- Florida – A small part of the village of Florida extends into the southern part of Goshen, along NY-17A.
- Goshen – This is the main village and the county seat. It's in the northern part of the town. Major roads like NY-17 and US-6 pass nearby.
- Goshen Hills – A location found to the east of Finnegans Corner.
- Howells – A community south of Goshen village, accessible by NY-17A.
- Maple Island – This location is south of Durlandville.
- Otter Kill – A community southeast of Goshen village, located near NY-17.
- Pellets Island – A community close to the western border of the town, served by County Road 37.
Transportation
Two important roads, U.S. Route 6 and New York State Route 17, run through Goshen. They serve as key routes for getting around the town.
In the past, up until the 1950s, long-distance trains from the Erie Railroad used to stop at Goshen's station. These trains, like the Erie Limited and Lake Cities, traveled between Chicago and Jersey City, New Jersey.
Famous People from Goshen
Many interesting people have connections to Goshen:
- Rowena Granice Steele (1824–1901) – An American performer and publisher.
- Willie "The Lion" Smith (1879-1979) – A famous stride jazz pianist.
- Dale Memmelaar (1937-2009) – An NFL football player who played as a Guard/Tackle for teams like the Cowboys and Browns.
- Florence Babb (born 1951) – A respected professor.
- Isaac V. D. Heard – A lawyer and politician from Minnesota.
- Michelle Lee – The editor-in-chief for Allure magazine.
- Hartley Sawyer – An actor.
- General Martin Dempsey (born 1952) – As mentioned earlier, a former top leader in the U.S. Army.
- Chris Caffery – A guitarist for the bands Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
- Sean Corr – A racing driver.
- Emily DiDonato – A model.
Images for kids
-
Last will and testament of pioneer Goshen resident, James Jackson dated May 29, 1740. From the collection of H. Blair Howell
See also
In Spanish: Goshen (Nueva York) para niños
