KINGSTON. A city and the county-seat of Ulster County, N. Y., 55 miles south of Albany; beautifully situated on the Hudson River, and on the north shore of Rondout Creek, and on the West Shore, the Ulster and Delaware, and the \Valkill Valley railroads (Map: New York. F 4). It has Kingston and Ulster academies: a fine city ball. court-house, and armory: several libra ries; Kingston Point Park: and the West Shore Railroad bridge. 130 feet above tidewater. The 'Senate }louse.' with a collection of relies, is historically important as the early home of the State Legislature. The city, with 'its excellent transportation facilities, is the centre of a large trade in coal, stone, brick, lime, lumber, grain. and cement. Its leading manufactures are Rosendale cement, bricks, cigars. and motor trucks. The government is administered, under a charter, as revised 1889-1900. by a mayor elected every two years, who controls appoint ments to most of the important municipal offices, and a unicameral council, which confirms the executive's nominations to the board of health, and elects the superintendent of fire alarm. The recorder and the city judge are
chosen by popular election. Kingston owns and operates its water-works. Population, in 1890, 21,261; in 1900. 24.533.
The first settlement here was made in 1052 by the Dutch. who called it Esopus, after the Esopus Indians. Until 1661. when it was organized with a separate jurisdiction as Wiltwyek, it was a dependency of Fort Orange (Albany). In 1664 the English took control and in 1669 changed the name to Kingston. On April 20. 1777. New York's first State Constitution was adopted here, and on September 9 Chief Justice Jay opened the first State court. On October 1G, 1777, an English force under General Vaughan entered the town and almost completely destroyed it with fire. In 1S03 Kingston was incorporated as a village. and in 1872 it received a city charter and was enlarged by the addition of two adjoin ing villages, Rondeut and Wilbur. Consult Schoonmaker, The History of Kingston to IS20 (Ne• York, ISSS).