Thetowns and cities of Downstate New York were created by theU.S. state ofNew York asmunicipalities in order to give residents more direct say over local government.[1] Present-dayWestchester,Bronx,New York,Richmond,Kings,Queens,Nassau, andSuffolk counties were part ofYork Shire from 1664-August 1673 and again from February 1674 until 1683 at which point theProvince of New York was divided into counties. From August 1673 to February 1674 New York was underDutch control andEnglish political units were suspended, then restored under English rule.[2] York Shire was divided into three divisions calledridings, the East, West, and North ridings. In 1683 the colony of New York eliminated shires and ridings in favor of counties,[2] the East Riding becoming Suffolk County, West Riding the counties of Richmond and Kings, while the North Riding became the counties of Westchester (including present-day Bronx), New York, and Queens (including present-day Nassau).[2]
New York experimented with different types of municipalities before settling upon the current format oftowns andcities occupying all the land in a county,[3] and all previous forms were transformed into towns (or divided into multiple towns) in 1788 when all of the state of New York was divided into towns.[1] Some early forms of government in earlier years included land patents with some municipal rights, districts,[4] precincts,[5] and boroughs.[6] Though originally intended to be mere “…involuntary subdivisions of the state, constituted for the purpose of the more convenient exercise of governmental functions by the state for the benefit of all its citizens” as defined by the courts in 1916 (Short v.Town of Orange), towns gainedhome rule powers from the state in 1964, at which time towns became "a municipal corporation comprising the inhabitants within its boundaries, and formed with the purpose of exercising such powers and discharging such duties of local government and administration of public affairs as have been, or, maybe[sic] conferred or imposed upon it by law.”[7]
The following time-line shows the creation of the current towns from their predecessors stretching back to the earliest municipal entity over the area. It represents from which old town (s) a particular new town was created, but does not represent annexations of territory to and from towns that already existed. All municipalities are towns unless otherwise noted as patent, township, borough, district, or city.
| Bedford,Connecticut [A] Patent 1697–1704[8] | Bedford [B] Patent 1704–1788[8] | Bedford [B] 1788[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Castle [B] 1788[1] | New Castle [B] 1791[8] | Mount Kisco [B] 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cortlandt [B] 1788[1] | Peekskill [B] City 1940[9] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastchester [B] 1788[1] | Mount Vernon [B] City 1892[10] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greenburgh [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harrison [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mamaroneck [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morrissania [B] 1788[1]–1791[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mount Pleasant [B] 1788[1] | Ossining [B] 1845[8] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Salem [B] 1788[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pelham [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pound Ridge [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Rochelle [B] 1788[1]–1899[11] | New Rochelle [B] City 1899[11] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rye [B] 1788[8] | Rye City 1942[12] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salem [B] 1788[1] (South Salem from 1806 Lewisboro from 1840)[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scarsdale [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephentown [B] 1788[1] (Somers from 1808)[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Westchester Borough 1696[13]-1788[8][14] | Westchester [C] 1788[1]–1895[13] | West Farms [C] 1846[8]–1874[15] | Morrisania [C] 1855[8]–1874[15] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White Plains 1788[8]–1915[16] | White Plains [B] City 1915[16] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kings Bridge [C] 1872–1874[15][17] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yonkers [B] 1788[1]–1872[18] | Yonkers [B] City 1872[18] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yorktown [B] 1788[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [A] = A part ofConnecticut. | |||||
| [B] = A part of Westchester County. | |||||
| [C] = A part of Westchester County during existence, until annexed and dissolved by their inclusion in the city ofNew York andNew York County.[13][15] The area of these four towns would become theborough of the Bronx in 1898, though still part of New York County until the formation ofBronx County in 1914. | |||||
| Niew Amsterdam [A] City 1652[8] (New York from 1664) | |||||
| [A] = A part of theDutch colony ofNew Netherland until 1664 thereafter theEnglishProvince of New York andYork Shire's North Riding (1664-1683, thereafterNew York County). | |||||
| Northfield [A] 1788[1]–1898[19] | |||||||||||||
| Castleton [A] 1788[1]–1898[19] | |||||||||||||
| Middletown [A] 1860[20]-1898[19] | |||||||||||||
| Southfield [A] 1788[1]–1898[19] | |||||||||||||
| Westfield [A] 1788[1]–1898[19] | |||||||||||||
| [A] = A part ofRichmond County. In 1898 all five towns were dissolved and annexed to the city ofNew York as theborough of Richmond (renamed Staten Island in 1975). | |||||
| Brooklyn [B] Patent 1667–1788[8] | Brooklyn [C] 1788[1]–1834[8] | Brooklyn [C] City 1834[8]–1898[19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bushwick [C] Patent 1708–1788[8] | Bushwick [C] 1788[1]–1854[8] | Williamsburgh [C] 1840–1851[8] | Williamsburgh [C] City 1851–1854[8] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Midwout [A] Patent 1652–1788 (Flatbush from 1667)[8] | Flatbush [C] 1788[1]–1894[21] | New Lots [C] 1852–1886[22] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flatlands [B] Patent 1667–1788[8] | Flatlands [C] 1788[1]–1896[21] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gravesend [A] Patent 1645–1788[8] | Gravesend [C] 1788[1]–1894[21] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Utrecht [A] Patent 1662–1788[8] | New Utrecht [C] 1788[1]–1894[21] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [A] = A part of theDutch colony ofNew Netherland until 1664 thereafter theEnglish Province of New York andYork Shire (1664-1683, thereafterKings County). | |||||
| [B] = A part of West Riding of York Shire until 1683, thereafter Kings County. | |||||
| [C] = A part of Kings County. | |||||
| Oyster Bay [B] Patent 1667–1788[8] | Oyster Bay [C] 1788[1] | Glen Cove [D] City 1917[23] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hempstead [A] Patent 1644–1788 (South Hempstead from 1784)[8] | South Hempstead [C] 1788[1] (Hempstead from 1796)[8] | Long Beach [D] City 1923[24] | |||||||||||||||||||
| North Hempstead [C] Patent 1784–1788[8] | North Hempstead [C] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vlissengen [A] Patent 1645–1788[8] (Flushing from 1664) | Flushing [E] 1788[1]–1898[25] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jamaica [A] Patent 1660–1788[8] | Jamaica [E] 1788[1]–1898[25] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Middelburgh [A] Patent 1652–1788 (Newtown from 1664)[8] | Newtown [E] 1788[1]–1898[25] | Long Island City [E] City 1870–1898[25] | |||||||||||||||||||
| [A] = A part of theDutch colony ofNew Netherland until 1664 thereafter theEnglish Province of New York andYork Shire (1664-1683, thereafterQueens County). | |||||
| [B] = A part of East Riding of York Shire until 1683, thereafter Queens County. | |||||
| [C] = A part of Queens County until 1899 thereafterNassau County.[25] | |||||
| [D] = A part of Nassau County. | |||||
| [E] = A part of Queens County, in 1898 the three towns and city dissolved and annexed to theCity of New York as theborough of Queens.[25] | |||||
| Brookhaven [A] Patent 1666–1788[8] | Brookhaven [A] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| East Hampton [A] Patent 1666–1788[8] | East Hampton [A] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Huntington [A] Patent1666–1788[8] | Huntington [A] 1788[1] | Babylon [A] 1872[26] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Precincts of Islip [A] 1710[27]–1788[1] | Islip [A] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shelter Island [A] Patent 1666–1788 (United government with Southold until 1730)[8] | Shelter Island [A] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Smithtown [A] Patent 1677–1788[8] | Smithtown [A] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Southampton [A] Patent 1676–1788[8] | Southampton [A] 1788[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Southold [A] Patent 1676–1788[8] | Southold [A] 1788[1] | Riverhead [A] 1792[8] | |||||||||||||||||||
| [A] = A part ofSuffolk County, created in 1683, prior to that Suffolk County was the East Riding ofYork Shire.[8] | |||||
new york gazetteer 1860.
west chester borough new york.