| Kinderhook Creek East Creek, Kinderhook Brook | |
|---|---|
Main branches of Kinderhook Creek and Claverack Creek | |
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| Native name | Pasanthkack (Mahican) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York,Massachusetts |
| County | Columbia County, NY,Rensselaer County, NY,Berkshire County, MA |
| Towns | ,Stottville, New York,Hancock, Massachusetts |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Hancock,Taconic Mountains,Massachusetts |
| • coordinates | 42°34′38″N73°17′52″W / 42.57722°N 73.29778°W /42.57722; -73.29778 |
| Mouth | Stockport Creek |
• location | Stockport, New York |
• coordinates | 42°19′03″N73°44′43″W / 42.31750°N 73.74528°W /42.31750; -73.74528 |
• elevation | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Length | 49 mi (79 km) |
Kinderhook Creek[1] is a 49.0-mile-long (78.9 km)[2] tributary toStockport Creek, an inlet of theHudson River in the United States. From its source inHancock, Massachusetts, the creek runs southwest through theTaconic Mountains intoRensselaer County, New York, and then intoColumbia County. It flows through the towns ofStephentown,New Lebanon,Nassau,Chatham,Kinderhook andStuyvesant to its mouth at Stockport Creek in the town ofStockport.
Kinderhook Creek has a drainage area of over 329 square miles (850 km2).[3]
Kinderhook Creek was known asPasanthkack by theMahican Native Americans.[4] Prior to 1667 it was known as "Major Abram's (Staats) Kill" and "Third Falls." In 1823 it was called Stuyvesant Falls (now referring to a village on the creek) and after 1845 "Kinderhook Creek".[5]
The name "Kinderhook" has its root in the landing ofHenry Hudson in the area around present-day Stuyvesant, where he was greeted by Native Americans with many children. With the DutchKinder meaning "child" andHoeck meaning "bend" or "hook" [in the river], the name literally means "bend in the river where the children are". A figurative translation is "children's point".[6]
The area around Kinderhook Creek was calledMachackoesk by the Native American Mahican Tribe.[7]