"Poughkeepsie is both a City and a Town -... " a Poughkeepsie Travel Page by Ekahau

Poughkeepsie is both a City and a Town (ya that was confusing to me too) about 60 miles north of New York City and on the East bank of the Hudson River Poughkeepsie was started by the Dutch in 1687 this is very old by USA standards. The Wappinger Indians, who are part of the Algonquin nation is where the name Poughkeepsie comes "the reed covered lodge by the little-water place” is what it means. Baltus Balthazar Barntz Van (from) Kleeck (the town in Holland where he had lived) was the Dutch guy who set up house in this part of the Hudson first or so it is believed. Better know as uncle baltus. Poughkeepsie is the seat of government for the county of Dutchess misspelled with a “T” in it -- in honor of Mary, Duchess of York, who became Queen Mary when her Husband became King James II of the United Kingdom.

Dutchess county became the playground of the really supper rich in the time know as the gilded age with such estates of the old wealth like the Roosevelt’s or richest financiers and industrialists, like Vanderbilts, Astors, Morgans, that sort of crowd built their Mansions along the Hudson. Also the inventor of the Morse Code built a grand place know as Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie he had a “small” Tuscan Villa on a large hunk of land in the middle of Poughkeepsie City or town not sure which.