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Kingston (City and county-seat of Ulster)

a city and county-seat of Ulster co., N. Y.; on the Hudson river at the E. terminus of the Hudson and Delaware canal, and on the West Shore and other railroads; 91 miles N. of New York City. It comprises the former villages of Kingston, Rondout, and Wilbur; has a large river commerce and trade in coal, brick, lime, lumber, cement, and bluestone; is a trade center for three counties; and contains, Children's Industrial Home, a city hospital, a gravity system of waterworks supplied by mountain streams, and National and savings banks. It received a charter in 1661, under the name of Wiltwick, was first settled in 1665, and was incorporated by patent in 1667. On Feb. 19, 1777, the first State convention adjourned from Fishkill to Kingston, and the first State constitution was proclaimed in front of the first State the court house, April 22, 1777. The Legislature met here in September of the same year, but was dispersed by the approach of a British force under Sir Henry Clinton, Oct. 7, when the town was burned. Being afterward rebuilt, it was incorporated as a viilage in 1805, and as a city in 1872. Pop. (1910) 25,- 908; (1920) 26,688.