18th century Prior to 1763, Hobart and its surrounding region were used as hunting grounds by
indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, specifically the
Lenape and
Mohawk people. In the aftermath of the
American Revolution, European-descended settlers moved to the present-day village around 1784, building farms, mills, and inns. Many of these settlers came from
Connecticut and
New England to seek cheaper farmland. This early group was largely
Episcopalian, and constructed the village's first
church in 1801, placing it so that it was at the center of the village. Hobart grew in population through the 1800s. By the turn of the century, it was home to a variety of local industry, largely centered around agriculture.
A railroad line first connected to the village in 1884 and helped support local agricultural businesses. Some of the most prominent were
Sheffield Farms, which operated a local plant from 1888 to 1968, and the E.T. Van Buren lumber and hardware business, which operated from 1906 until 1965. The presence of the railroad helped create and maintain an active tourist trade in Hobart and the surrounding
Catskills in the 1920s.
20th century Along with its surrounding region, Hobart saw a decline in business and population during the second half of the 20th century. In 1965, the E.T. Van Buren business burned down and never recovered, and slowly a large number of small businesses closed down as revenues declined and owners retired. Dean M. Graham established a pharmaceutical company in the village in 1966, and over the next few decades it grew into a successful business, providing employment for local residents and summer jobs for area students interested in the sciences. After "Doc" Graham sold the company in 1996, the company's factory was significantly expanded and is currently owned by
Mallinckrodt.
21st century In 2001, William Adams and his wife Diana were traveling near Hobart on vacation and decided to rent a building in the village for a future book business, opening Hobart's first book store the following June. A few years later, Don Dales, a local resident who owned several buildings in the village, helped spur local support for emulating the model of
Hay-on-Wye and making Hobart into a
book village. Since 2005 the village has been home to around six bookstores and has experienced a resurgence of tourism from book shoppers. In 2014,
Bollinger Motors was founded in Hobart and produced its initial
B1 prototype in a garage on the western side of the village. In 2018, the company relocated to
Detroit, Michigan. ==Historic sites==