Editing Keene, New York (section)

== History ==
The earliest settlement in the present village of Keene Center was in 1787.<ref name=Donaldson>{{Cite book
| publisher = The Century Co.
| last = Donaldson
| first = Alfred L.
| title = A history of the Adirondacks
| location = New York
| access-date = December 14, 2013
| date = 1921
| url = https://archive.org/stream/historyofadiron02dona#page/27/mode/1up
}}</ref>{{rp|20}} The town of Keene was created from splitting parts of the towns of [[Jay, New York|Jay]] and [[Elizabethtown, New York|Elizabethtown]] on March 19, 1808. This originally included current [[North Elba, New York|North Elba]], but that was split in 1849 from the original Keene. The area is mountainous with bedrock close to the surface in most areas, leaving little [[arable land]]. It has a low population due to the unsuitable and often unstable soil in the region. A road along the Ausable River from [[Jay, New York|Jay]] was extended south to Keene Center about 1797, but it was often deemed almost impassible due to the structure of the area.<ref name="Smith-1885" /> The town of Keene organized the first school district in the Adirondacks, which held its first recorded trustee meeting in 1813.<ref name=Donaldson/>{{rp|32}}

Early development in the area was based on lumber and iron extraction; however, exporting lumber was difficult due to lack of transportation, and most was used locally.<ref name="Smith-1885">{{Cite book|editor-last=Smith |editor-first= H. P. |year=1885 |chapter=History of the Town of Keene | title=The History of Essex County |location=Syracuse, New York |publisher=D. Mason and Company |pages=609–614 | url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028853392 }}</ref> The first sawmill was built in 1823 and was quickly followed by forges and gristmills.<ref name="Smith-1885" /> The riverbed region of Keene sprouted the first community, Keene Central, and Keene Flats (renamed Keene Valley in 1883<ref name="keenehistory">{{cite web| url=http://www.adkhistorycenter.org/esco/tow/keene.html| title=Keene, NY| publisher=Essex County Historical Society| year=2008| access-date=August 27, 2008| archive-date=May 9, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509084649/http://www.adkhistorycenter.org/esco/tow/keene.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>) was developed by 1840. In 1892, after the [[Adirondack Mountain Reserve]] acquired the land, a privately tolled and maintained road to Lower Ausable Lake was constructed.<ref name="keenehistory" />

In 2011, the town completed a grassroots project to bring [[broadband]] service to more than 97% of the homes in Keene, and installing the service in every home with a student in the town's public school. The extension of this network into rural areas makes it unique in the Adirondack Park.<ref>[http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/16991/20110114/keene-paves-way-for-broadband "Keene paves way for broadband"], North Country Public Radio, January 14, 2011.  Retrieved September 27, 2013.</ref>

The [[Hurricane Mountain Fire Observation Station]], Slater Bridge (St. Huberts) and [[Walton Bridge (Keene, New York)|Walton Bridge]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>