Kinderhook, NY

Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. 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 "bend" or "hook" [in the river], the name literally means "bend in the river where the children are."
The town of Kinderhook contains two villages, one of which is also named Kinderhook, where the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, was born; the other is the village of Valatie, NY. In addition, the town contains the hamlet of Niverville, next to Kinderhook Lake. —Source

Demographics

Kinderhook is home to a mixed population of middle-class residents with a wide range of conservative to progressive religious and political beliefs and values.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.4 square miles (83.9 km2), of which 31.8 square miles (82.4 km2) is land and 0.62 square miles (1.6 km2), or 1.87%, is water, including Kinderhook Lake, Kinderhook Creek, and the waterfalls of Valatie.
The north town line is the border of Rensselaer County.
Kinderhook Creek is an important stream in the town, flowing southwest toward tidal Stockport Creek, an arm of the Hudson River. U.S. Route 9 and New York State Route 9H pass through the town.

Type

Town

Population

8,498

Included Locations

• Fangiolo’s Italian Restaurant
• Grace Fellowship Church
• Temple Valley High School
• Valatie, NY

Characters in Location

• Caetano Sousa de Oliveira
• Caleb Grimm
• Roger Tarquin
• Sister Anita Marchessault