Wappingers Falls, New York
From Free net encyclopedia
Wappingers Falls is a village located in Dutchess County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 4,929. The name is derived from the local Wappinger indians.
One half of the Village of Wappingers Falls is in the Town of Wappinger and the other half is in the Town of Poughkeepsie.
US Route 9 passes through the village, as well as New York State Route 9D.
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History
The area was part of the Rombout Patent. The community was founded around 1659. The Village of Wappingers Falls was incorporated in 1871 and included the adjacent community of Channingville.
The local waterfall was important for early industrial development.
The accusations of Tawana Brawley, then a Wappingers Falls resident, that she was raped there in 1987, gained national prominence.
In another case getting national attention, the defendant in Elektra v. Santangelo, one of the cases where the recording industry attempted legal action against alleged song-file traders, is a Wappingers Falls resident.
Geography
Wappingers Falls is located at 41°35'57" North, 73°55'5" West (41.599093, -73.918077)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²). 3.0 km² (1.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.96% water.
Wappinger Creek flows through the village.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 4,929 people, 1,980 households, and 1,191 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,669.4/km² (4,321.4/mi²). There were 2,119 housing units at an average density of 717.7/km² (1,857.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 82.02% White, 5.98% African American, 0.26% Native American, 3.04% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 5.64% from other races, and 3.04% from two or more races. 15.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,980 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $39,123, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $38,147 versus $26,607 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,491. 12.3% of the population and 10.4% of families were below the poverty line. 15.1% of those under the age of 18 and 14.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Fictional links
In Ward Moore's 1953 alternate history novel Bring the Jubilee, the protagonist, Hodgins M. Backmaker, is a native of Wappingers Falls.