Editing Minisink, New York

{{other uses|Minisink (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Town of Minisink
| settlement_type    = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Minisink, NY, town hall.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Town hall
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map        = New York
| pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of New York
| image_map          = Orange County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas Minisink highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Orange County, New York|Orange County]] and the state of [[New York (state)|New York]].

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Orange County, New York|Orange]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2017}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 59.95
| area_land_km2      = 59.57
| area_water_km2     = 0.37
| area_total_sq_mi   = 23.14
| area_land_sq_mi    = 23.00
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.14

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 4621
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 169
| elevation_ft       = 554
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|20|N|74|32|W|region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = 
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 36-47713
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0979226
| website            = {{URL|https://www.townofminisink.com/}}
| footnotes          = 
| name               = Minisink, New York
| timezone1          = [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]]
}}

'''Minisink''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] located in southwestern [[Orange County, New York]], United States, northeast of the [[New Jersey]] border between the [[Greenville, Orange County, New York|Town of Greenville]] and the [[Warwick, New York|Town of Warwick]]. The population was 4,621 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. The town is located near [[Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts)|Interstate 84]] and [[New York State Route 17]] and lies approximately halfway between [[New York City]] and [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]]. Minisink is one of the oldest settlements in the region, with its origins tracing back to the early 18th century and the [[Minisink Patent]], a significant colonial land grant. The area's rich history includes [[Lenape]] Native American heritage and early European settlers, which continue to shape the town's identity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.townofminisink.com/departments/museum/history|title=History of Minisink|publisher=Town of Minisink Official Website|access-date=January 6, 2025}}</ref>

==History==

{{unreferenced section|date=September 2021}}

Historically, the name Minisink, which dates to the mid 17th century, has applied to a much larger area than the current town, running as far north as [[Minisink Ford, New York|Minisink Ford]], twenty miles northwest of present-day Minisink, south to the [[Delaware Water Gap]], thirty miles southwest of present-day Minisink, and from the [[Kittatinny Ridge]] to the east to the [[Pocono Mountains]] to the west (See [http://www.minisink.org/patent.html]). The [[Minisink Patent]], granted in 1704, was a somewhat smaller area, but still far larger than the present town, which was given its present boundaries in 1800. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the New York - New Jersey border was previously seven or eight miles north of its present location: Minisink was once in New Jersey.

First settled by Europeans around 1725, the jurisdiction was organized by Americans as a town in 1788 following the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]].  In the following decades, the Town of Minisink lost territory to newer towns: [[Deerpark, New York|Deerpark]] (1798), [[Wawayanda, New York|Wawayanda]] (1849), and [[Greenville, Orange County, New York|Greenville]] (1853). In 1871, the community of [[Unionville, Orange County, New York|Unionville]] set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|23.2|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|23.1|sqmi|km2}}  is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}}  (0.39%) is water.

The southern town line is the border of New Jersey ([[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]]).

[[New York State Route 284|NY-284]] is a north–south highway in Minisink.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 5053
|1830= 4979
|1840= 5093
|1850= 4972
|1860= 1266
|1870= 1443
|1880= 1360
|1890= 1269
|1900= 1505
|1910= 1304
|1920= 1252
|1930= 1360
|1940= 1343
|1950= 1367
|1960= 1433
|1970= 1942
|1980= 2488
|1990= 2981
|2000= 3585
|2010= 4490
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
|2020=4621}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 3,585 people, 1,182 households, and 945 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|155.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,245 housing units at an average density of {{convert|53.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 89.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|white]], 1.42% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.03% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.59% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.03% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.92% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 10.60% of the population.

There were 1,182 households, out of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,561, and the median income for a family was $58,906. Males had a median income of $36,912 versus $28,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $20,967. About 4.5% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

== Government ==
Since January 1, 1980, the town is governed by a town board consisting of four councilmen, elected for staggered four-year terms, and a town supervisor, elected every two years. Prior to 1980, the town justices also served on the board, alongside two councilmen, and the supervisor. Minisink is governed under New York town law, by which the board holds executive and legislative powers. The day-to-day operations of the town are administered by the supervisor. The town voters also elect a town clerk, two town justices, a tax collector and a highway superintendent. Town elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in odd-numbered calendar years. Elected officials take office the following January 1. Prior to the 1980s, Minisink also elected three assessors. Those functions are now performed by a sole assessor appointed by the town board.

=== Federal, state, and county representation ===
The town of Minisink lies in the [[New York's 18th congressional district|18th Congressional district]], the 42nd State Senate district, the 98th State Assembly district, and the 3rd Orange County legislative district.

== Education ==
*[[Minisink Valley Central School District]]

== Communities and locations in Minisink ==
* '''Johnson''' &ndash; a hamlet near the northern town line on NY-284.
* '''Laurel Hill''' &ndash; an elevation in the eastern part of Minisink.
* '''Millsburg''' &ndash; a location near the northern town line.
* [[Unionville, Orange County, New York|'''Unionville''']] &ndash; village near the New Jersey border on highway NY-284.
* '''Waterloo Mills''' &ndash; a hamlet northwest of Westtown.
* [[Westtown, New York|'''Westtown''']] &ndash; a hamlet north of Unionville on NY-284 on County Road 1.

==References==
{{Portal|Hudson Valley|New York (state)}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://townofminisink.com Official site]
*[http://www.minisink.org/patent.html Minisink Valley Historical Society]
*[https://rutgersladiesaux.org Rutgers Ladies Auxiliary]
*[http://johnsonfd.com Johnson Fire Department]
*[http://www.unionvillefd.com Unionville Fire Department]

{{Orange County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Orange County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1800]]
[[Category:Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in the New York metropolitan area]]
[[Category:1800 establishments in New York (state)]]