Ulster County, New York: History
=== Founding and formation ===
When part of the New Netherland colony, Dutch traders first called the area of present-day Ulster County "Esopus", a name borrowed for convenience from a locality on the opposite side of the Hudson. "Esopus" meant "land of flowing water and high banks," or "small brook." There is also a town named Esopus located within Ulster County.
The local Lenape indigenous people called themselves Waranawanka, but soon came to be known to the Dutch as the "Esopus Indians" because they were encountered around the settlement known as Esopus. In 1652, Thomas Chambers, a freeholder from the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, purchased land at Esopus. He and several others actually settled and began farming by June 1653. The settlements grew into the village of Wiltwijck, which the English later named Kingston. In 1683, the Duke of York created 12 shires in his province, one of which was Ulster Shire, named after Prince James, Duke of York (later King James II of England) whose subsidiary titles included Earl of Ulster. Its boundaries at that time included the present Sullivan County and parts of the present Delaware, Orange, and Greene counties.
The Census of slaves, conducted in the Province of New York in 1755, lists numerous enslaved individuals throughout Ulster.
In 1777, the first state capital of the independent New York State was established at Kingston. The official records of Ulster County were removed to safety to a stone house in Kerhonkson when it became evident that the British would burn Kingston.
In 1797, parts of Otsego and Ulster counties were split off to create Delaware County.
In 1798, Ulster County's southernmost towns were moved into Orange County to compensate Orange for breaking away its southernmost part to form Rockland County.
In 1800, portions of Albany and Ulster counties were split off to create Greene County.
In 1809, Sullivan County was split off from Ulster County.
During the American Civil War, volunteers were recruited from the county and formed the majority of the following regiments:
80th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
120th New York Volunteer Infantry
156th New York Volunteer Infantry
Other regiments with at least one company from the county included:
1st Battalion New York Volunteer Sharpshooters
1st New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment
7th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry
7th New York Veteran Infantry Regiment
15th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry
20th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
25th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry
25th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
56th New York Volunteer Infantry
65th New York Volunteer Infantry
71st New York Infantry
102nd New York Volunteer Infantry
132nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
168th New York Volunteer Infantry
176th New York Volunteer Infantry
178th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
192nd New York Volunteer Infantry
The Lake Mohonk Mountain House on Shawangunk Ridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.