, holder of large land stakes in Dutchess County, lent his name to the area in the late seventeenth century The "Beekman" name became attached to the area in 1697, from
Henry Beekman, a
Kingston native, who had a large land stake in Dutchess County. In 1697, while serving as a judge, "Beekman obtained a grant from the British crown for what was to be named the Beekman Patent," which included the present towns of Beekman,
Pawling,
Dover,
Union Vale and "part of
LaGrange." Wappinger Indians were reportedly the town's original residents before the first European settlers arrived around 1710. In 1737, Beekman became an official
precinct, and local government was established. 1788 was the initial period of establishing towns and counties in the newly independent state of New York, but parts were removed subsequently to form other towns. Beekman contributed part of its territory to the newer towns of
LaGrange (1821) and
Union Vale (1827). Iron ore extraction and smelting were important in the early economy. The Beekman Patent was a manor until after the
Revolution. Residents could only lease the land and pay rent in wheat, fat fowls and work on roads. The series
Settlers of the Beekman Patent chronicles the lives of all residents there in the 18th century. A
Lutheran church, located off Beach Road, was "probably the first house of worship" in the town. The church is "on the records from 1749" and "served the German settlers who came from the
Palatine immigration." A
Quaker meeting house was built in 1771 in Gardner Hollow, and was named the "Apoquague Preparative Meeting."
St. Denis Church, a
Catholic church located just beyond the
East Fishkill line, also attracted worshipers from Beekman.
Late 19th century , where
Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech during his 1909 run for
New York State Senate Beekman began its "boom" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the communities of
Sylvan Lake, Beekmanville, and Clove Valley were in the active
mining business. Many townsfolk that settled in town during this time were
Irish men, escaping the
Great Famine, and sent their families to Beekman as well. However, the mining industry died out in the late 19th century, with very few remains today. The most notable one, the "Beekman Furnace", is still intact on Furnace Road, just off Clove Valley Road.
Beekman in the 20th century After the demise of the mining business in the late 19th century, Beekman saw another boom in the 20th century, with housing developments such as Dalton Farm, the first gas stations, and construction of the first supermarket in town and other stores signalling the beginning of suburban development. Today Beekman has a total population of 14,000. Comparatively few farms remain, and commerce and industry increasingly shape the non-residential areas of the town. ==Geography==