Pine Island, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pine Island, New York
Hamlet
Eastbound Pine Island Turnpike approaching Pulaski Highway
Pine Island, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Orange
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	10969
Area code(s)	845

Pine Island is a small community, called a hamlet, located in Warwick, New York. It's in Orange County, New York, in the United States. It's the biggest town in the Black Dirt Region, an area famous for its special "black dirt" soil and delicious onions.

The name "Pine Island" comes from how it sits a little higher than the land around it. Long ago, before the nearby Wallkill River was changed to stop floods, Pine Island would often become a real island in the spring when the river overflowed.

A Look Back at Pine Island's History

Pine Island is well-known for its amazing "black dirt." This rich, dark soil was formed about 12,000 years ago. Back then, huge glaciers were melting after the last ice age, and their water caused a lot of flooding.

How the Black Dirt Formed

This "muck," as people called it, filled up shallow lakes. Today, these lakes are the flat, fertile fields you see. Like a peat bog, these areas are great for finding fossils, especially bones from ancient mastodons (like woolly mammoths).

Even in the 1800s, swamps still surrounded Pine Island. That's when people started draining these wet areas to use the amazing soil for farming. The Wallkill River flows through this area, but it doesn't drop much in height. When it flooded, small islands appeared, and Pine Island was the main one.

The Muskrat and Beaver War

When people first tried to change the river's path, they faced problems. There were natural blockages and dams built by people to power local mills. Farmers wanted to stop the constant floods but couldn't afford to pay the mill owners to lower their dams. So, they dug many ditches and canals to drain the "Drowned Lands."

Between 1829 and the early 1900s, there were many arguments, votes, and even arrests. This time was known as the Muskrat (dam destroyers) and Beaver (dam builders) War.

Draining the Swamps

In the early 1900s, immigrants from Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands worked hard to drain the swampy areas. They dug a network of ditches. These efforts uncovered a special black soil that is rich in sulfur and nitrogen. In some places, this soil is 30 feet deep! Even today, the Pine Island farming community has a strong Polish heritage.

Railroads and Onions

Pine Island was once the end point for a part of the Erie Railroad in 1867. This railroad was very important for moving farm products from the hamlet. The old train station is still there and is now a preschool.

Pine Island is very famous for growing onions. Every year, the town hosts an exciting Onion Harvest Festival!

Learning in Pine Island

Pine Island is part of the Warwick Valley Central School District. A few years ago, the school board decided to close Pine Island Elementary, which was the smallest elementary school in the district. This happened at the end of the 2010–2011 school year.

Now, students from Pine Island go to Sandfordville Elementary School. In 2013, books from the closed Pine Island school library were given to another school in East Rockaway, New York. Their books had been damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Pine Island Elementary School reopened in 2020 for all kindergarten children in the Warwick Valley School District. It has been open for kindergarteners since then.

Interesting Places to See

• St. Stanislaus R.C. Church - This church was started in 1912. In 2012, it celebrated its 100th birthday with a special mass.
• St. Peter Lutheran Church - This church was founded in 1901 by immigrants from Germany. It was rebuilt in 1918 after a fire on Christmas Eve in 1917.
• Quaker Creek Store - This store and restaurant is known for its special meats and Polish food. It was even shown on a TV show called Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in 2010.
• Black Dirt Distillery - A place where special drinks are made.
• Polish Legion of American Veterans Memorial Post 16 - A memorial for Polish-American veterans.
• Pine Island Park - This park has a playground with a unique onion-shaped play structure!
• Scenic Farms Golf Course - A golf course with 9 holes and a driving range where you can practice your swing.

Famous People from Pine Island

• Vincent Kosuga - A farmer and businessman. He tried to control the onion market, which led to a law in 1958 about onion trading.
• Cheryl Rogowski - A farmer who received a special award called a "Genius Grant" in 2004. She was recognized for her work in community-supported agriculture, which helps people get fresh food directly from farms.

Images for kids

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  Eastbound Pine Island Turnpike approaching Pulaski Highway