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Timeline of town creation in Downstate New York facts for kids

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The towns and cities of Downstate New York were created by the U.S. state of New York. These areas, called municipalities, were set up to give local people more say in their own government.

Long ago, from 1664 to 1683 (with a short break when the Dutch were in charge), the areas we now know as Westchester, Bronx, New York, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties were all part of something called York Shire.

York Shire was split into three parts: the East, West, and North Ridings. In 1683, New York changed its system. It got rid of shires and ridings. Instead, it created counties. The East Riding became Suffolk County. The West Riding became Richmond and Kings counties. The North Riding became Westchester (which included today's Bronx), New York, and Queens (which included today's Nassau).

New York tried different ways to organize its local areas. Finally, it settled on the system we have now: towns and cities. These towns and cities cover all the land in a county. In 1788, all of New York State was divided into towns. Before that, there were other types of local governments like land patents, districts, precincts, and boroughs.

At first, towns were just seen as simple parts of the state. They helped the state government do its job for all citizens. But in 1964, towns gained more power. This power is called "home rule." It means towns could make more of their own decisions. Now, a town is like its own local company. It includes all the people within its borders. Its goal is to use powers and do duties for local government and public matters, as allowed by law.

The charts below show how the current towns were created. They trace back to the very first local areas. These charts show which older towns helped create a new town. They do not show when land was added to or taken from existing towns. Unless noted, all places listed are towns. Some are marked as patent, township, borough, district, or city.

Westchester and Bronx Counties: How They Grew

WestchesterCountyNY1839
Westchester County in 1839. This area included what is now Bronx County.
Bedford, Connecticut [A]
Patent 1697–1704
Bedford [B] Patent
1704–1788
Bedford [B]
1788
North Castle [B]
1788
New Castle [B]
1791
Mount Kisco [B]
1978
Cortlandt [B]
1788
Peekskill [B]
City 1940
Eastchester [B]
1788
Mount Vernon [B]
City 1892
Greenburgh [B]
1788
Harrison [B]
1788
Mamaroneck [B]
1788
Morrissania [B]
1788–1791
Mount Pleasant [B]
1788
Ossining [B]
1845
North Salem [B]
1788
Pelham [B]
1788
Pound Ridge [B]
1788
New Rochelle [B]
1788–1899
New Rochelle [B]
City 1899
Rye [B]
1788
Rye
City 1942
Salem [B] 1788
(South Salem from 1806
Lewisboro from 1840)
Scarsdale [B]
1788
Stephentown [B]
1788
(Somers from 1808)
Westchester
Borough 1696-1788
Westchester [C]
1788–1895
West Farms [C]
1846–1874
Morrisania [C]
1855–1874
White Plains
1788–1915
White Plains [B]
City 1915
Kings Bridge [C]
1872–1874
Yonkers [B]
1788–1872
Yonkers [B]
City 1872
Yorktown [B]
1788

New York County: The Story of New York City

Castelloplan
A map of New Amsterdam in 1660, which later became New York City.
Niew Amsterdam [A]
City 1652
(New York from 1664)

Richmond County: Staten Island's Past

Northfield [A]
1788–1898
Castleton [A]
1788–1898
Middletown [A]
1860-1898
Southfield [A]
1788–1898
Westfield [A]
1788–1898

Kings County: The History of Brooklyn

Brooklyn Museum - Map of the Consolidated City of Brooklyn
A map showing the city of Brooklyn in 1861.
Brooklyn [B]
Patent 1667–1788
Brooklyn [C]
1788–1834
Brooklyn [C]
City 1834–1898
Bushwick [C]
Patent 1708–1788
Bushwick [C]
1788–1854
Williamsburgh [C]
1840–1851
Williamsburgh [C]
City 1851–1854
Midwout [A]
Patent 1652–1788
(Flatbush from 1667)
Flatbush [C]
1788–1894
New Lots [C]
1852–1886
Flatlands [B]
Patent 1667–1788
Flatlands [C]
1788–1896
Gravesend [A]
Patent 1645–1788
Gravesend [C]
1788–1894
New Utrecht [A]
Patent 1662–1788
New Utrecht [C]
1788–1894

Queens and Nassau Counties: From Old to New Towns

QueensCountyNY1891
Queens County in 1891. This map includes what is now Nassau County.
Oyster Bay [B]
Patent 1667–1788
Oyster Bay [C]
1788
Glen Cove [D]
City 1917
Hempstead [A]
Patent 1644–1788
(South Hempstead from 1784)
South Hempstead [C]
1788
(Hempstead from 1796)
Long Beach [D]
City 1923
North Hempstead [C]
Patent 1784–1788
North Hempstead [C]
1788
Vlissengen [A]
Patent 1645–1788
(Flushing from 1664)
Flushing [E]
1788–1898
Jamaica [A]
Patent 1660–1788
Jamaica [E]
1788–1898
Middelburgh [A]
Patent 1652–1788
(Newtown from 1664)
Newtown [E]
1788–1898
Long Island City [E]
City 1870–1898

Suffolk County: Eastern Long Island's Beginnings

Brookhaven [A]
Patent 1666–1788
Brookhaven [A]
1788
East Hampton [A]
Patent 1666–1788
East Hampton [A]
1788
Huntington [A]
Patent1666–1788
Huntington [A]
1788
Babylon [A]
1872
Precincts of Islip [A]
1710–1788
Islip [A]
1788
Shelter Island [A]
Patent 1666–1788
(United government with
Southold until 1730)
Shelter Island [A]
1788
Smithtown [A]
Patent 1677–1788
Smithtown [A]
1788
Southampton [A]
Patent 1676–1788
Southampton [A]
1788
Southold [A]
Patent 1676–1788
Southold [A]
1788
Riverhead [A]
1792
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Timeline of town creation in Downstate New York Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.