Town of Kinderhook


William Better, Historian
Phone: (518) 758-1511
Email: williamjbetter@williamjbetterpc.com
Website



Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 8,498 at the 2010 census,[3] making it the most populous municipality in Columbia County. The name of the town means "Children's Corner" in the language of the original Dutch settlers (Kinderhoek). The name "Kinderhook" has its root in the landing of Henry Hudson in the area around present-day Stuyvesant, where he was greeted by Native Americans with many children. With the Dutch kind meaning "child" and hoek meaning "corner", it could be that the name refers to a bend (or "corner") in the river where the children are. The eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook.

The Town of Kinderhook contains two villages, one of which is also named Kinderhook; the other is the village of Valatie. In addition, the town contains the hamlet of Niverville, next to Kinderhook Lake.
3 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Kinderhook town, Columbia County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2014.