ULSTER, county of New York, bounded S. by Orange; S.W. and W. by Sullivan; N.W . by Dela ware county; N. by the Catsberg chain separating it from Greene; and E. by Hudson river separating it from Duchess. The outline is rather irregular, but the mean length from north to south is about 40 miles, whilst the mean breadth is near SO; the area 1200 square miles. Extending in Lat. from 41° 35' to 4 2 ° 09', and in Lon. from 2° 09' to 3° E. from W.C. The general declivity of this very diversified country is from the west to east towards the Hudson valley. Except the ad jacent county Greene, there is perpaps no other county in the United States which differs so much in relative height and variety of feature as Ulster. Though on the northern side, the boundary does not reach the high summits of the Catsbergs, still many parts of Ulster must rise to at least 1500 feet above tide water in Hudson.
The surface is every where most delightfully decorated with hill, dale and plain; but the most remarkable feature is the peculiar, and now united of Rondout, and Esopus creeks. The extreme source of \Valkill is in Sussex coun ty, New Jersey, from which it flows N.N.W. into Orange county, New York; and again sustaining the original course, enters, and traversing Ulster, falls into the Hudson river nearly opposite the town of Rhinebeck in Duchess county.
The Rondout, or northwestern branch of \Val kill, rises in the eastern side of Sullivan and west ern of Ulster, unites with the \Valkill in the latter. The Esopus creek rises in the northwestern angle of Ulster, and flowing first to the northwestward, directly towards the \Valkill, until reaching within two or three miles of the junction of the latter with the Rondout. Thence the Esopus bends nearly at right angles, and assuming a northeastern course continues that direction to its entrance into the Hudson at Saugerties.
Though amid groups and chains of mountains, a continuous valley extends from the Delaware river along the valley of the Nevesink, and along the Rondout and Esopus to the Hudson. It is along this remarkable vale that now extends the Hud son and Delaware canal.
Advancing from the Delaware, this canal extends to the northeastward, entire length 64 miles; rising from the Delaware 80 feet, and falling from the summit level 535 feet to tide water in Hudson.
The course of the Hudson and Delaware canal in Ulster, demonstrates the peculiar structure of the country. Leaving the summit level, between the sources of some creeks of Nevesink, and those of Rondout, it thence follows the latter to near Mom bacus. Here it is taken from the valley of \Val kill into that of Esopus, and again along the latter to near Kingston, where it is returned into the val ley of Walkill, and down the latter to its final junc tion with the Hudson at Eddyville.
The Hudson and Delaware canal may be regard ed as continued in the Lackawaxen canal, and form ing a navigable connexion between the Delaware and Hudson rivers, and into the rich coal district of Pennsylvania on the heads of Lackawaxen and 'l'unkhannoc rivers.
By the post list of 1831, there were 24 post offices in Ulster. These were at Kingston, the county seat, and at Accord, Brunswyck, Daslville Falls, Ellenville. Esopus, Lattintown, Libertyville, Mal den, Marbletown, Marlkorough, Milton, Modena, New Paltz, New Paltz Landing, Plattekill, Rosen dale, Saugerties, Shandaken, Shawangunk, Tuthill, Ulsterville, \Vawarsing and Woodstock.
Kingston, the scat of justice, stands on a plain between the Esopus and \Valkill creeks, two miles westward flout Rhinebeck ferry, by post road 93 miles very nearly clue north from the city of New York, and 58 miles a very little west of south from Albany. N. Lat. 410 55', and Lon. 3° E. from W.C. Kingston, though adorned by many modern build ings, contains remains which attest the style of its founders the Dutch. and in the industrious habits of its existing residents, and the fine appearance of the adjacent well cultivated country, also appear the moral relics of those ancestors.
A cursory glance would naturally inspire very unfavourable impressions of the soil of Ulster, but its numerous towns, and the aspect of its orchards, meadows and fields, would correct the error.
In 1820, the population amounted to 30,934, or to nearly 26 to the square mile.