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64-613: The name was derived by Dutch colonists from the Munsee name for the area, as bands of their people took names after geographic places which they inhabited as territory throughout the mid-Atlantic area. Originally inhabited by Munsee , the northern branch of the Lenape or Delaware Indians , the area's first European settlers arrived in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and were Dutch and French Huguenot families from colonial New York's Hudson River Valley . The term "Minisink"

128-576: A controversial dam project proposed to be built by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Delaware River near Tocks Island . The name Minisink comes from the Munsee dialect of Lenape , a group of similar Algonquian dialects that were spoken by the various groups of Lenape , or Delaware Indians who inhabited the region before European colonization. Minisink means "at the island" from the Algonquin root word minis , meaning island. During

192-574: A decline in the city's business and economy. In the 21st century, from late spring to early fall, many thousands of travelers and tourists pass through Port Jervis on their way to enjoying rafting, kayaking, canoeing and other activities in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and the surrounding area. Port Jervis is part of

256-478: A household in the city was $ 30,241, and the median income for a family was $ 35,481. Males had a median income of $ 31,851 versus $ 22,274 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,525. About 14.2% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. Port Jervis lies near the points where the states of New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania come together. South of

320-743: A large ice floe resulted in the highest water crest measured to date at the National Weather Service 's Matamoras river gauge 26.6 feet (8.1 m). Port Jervis is located on the north bank of the Delaware River at the confluence where the Neversink River – the Delaware's largest tributary – empties into the larger river. Port Jervis is connected by the Mid-Delaware Bridge across

384-664: A maximum elevation of 1,803 feet at High Point , in Montague Township. Between Kittatinny Mountain and the Delaware River is the Walpack Ridge , with elevations of 500 to 800 feet. It is a smaller ridge that parallels Kittatinny Mountain between the Walpack Bend and Port Jervis, New York , and encloses the watershed of the Flat Brook which is also called Walpack Valley . The Kittatinny Valley lies to

448-497: A panic in the population. This incident was studied and a 1958 report issued by the National Research Council : "The Effects of a Threatening Rumor on a Disaster-Stricken Community". In addition to the rivers having flooded during periods of heavy rainfall, at times ice jams have effectively dammed the Delaware, also causing flooding. In 1875 ice floes destroyed the bridge to Matamoras, Pennsylvania . In 1981

512-723: A placename that translates as "at the place where stones are gathered together." The Munsee originally occupied the headwaters of the Delaware River in present-day New York , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania , extending south to the Lehigh River , and also held the west bank of the Hudson River from the Catskill Mountains nearly to the New Jersey line. They were bordered by the Mohican and Wappinger on

576-556: Is a park along the Delaware River that has a bathing beach in the summer, a boat launch, volleyball and basketball and also serves as the city's sledding hill in the winter. Playground equipment is also located at Barkley Street Park (Tri-States) and John Glenn Park on Cahoonzie Street. Other parks and squares in the city are Skinners Park, Orange Square/Veterans Memorial Park, Mothers Park, West End Memorial Park, Chris Marion Park, and Farmer's Market Square. The Youth Community Center on Pike Street provides after-school activities throughout

640-411: Is a small granite block with inscribed lines marking the boundaries of the three states and a bronze United States Coast and Geodetic Survey marker. Both monuments were erected in 1882. US 6 , U.S. Route 209 , New York State Route 42 , and New York State Route 97 (the "Upper Delaware Scenic Byway" ) pass through Port Jervis. Interstate 84 passes to the south. Port Jervis is the last stop on

704-531: Is across the river and connected by the Mid-Delaware Bridge . Montague Township, New Jersey , also borders the city. The Tri-States Monument , marking the tripoint between New York , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania , lies at the southwestern corner of the city. Port Jervis was part of early industrial history, a point for shipping coal to major markets to the southeast by canal and later by railroads. Its residents had long-distance passenger service by railroad until 1970. The restructuring of railroads resulted in

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768-432: Is extremely resistant to weathering . This area was occupied for thousands of years by succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, the historic Lenape ( / ˈ l ɛ n ə p iː / or / l ə ˈ n ɑː p i / ), a Native American people, also called Delaware Indians after their historic territory along the Delaware River, inhabited the mid-Atlantic coastal areas and inland along

832-612: Is home to the Riverside Disc Golf Course, the Port Jervis Pump Track, trails, playground equipment, basketball courts, and other facilities. Riverside Park is also home to a summer concert series, as well as movies in the park. The smaller Farnum Park at the end of Ulster Place is also home to a summer concert series and a playground and a basketball court. Basketball Courts can also be found at Church Street Park and West End Beach. West End Beach

896-513: Is not used often today. It is preserved because of its historical relevance concerning the early European settlement of the region during the American colonial period and as an artifact of the early "first contact" between Native Americans and early European explorers, traders and missionaries in the seventeenth century. Much of the historical Minisink region has been incorporated into the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area after defeat of

960-520: Is prone to floods—some resulting from seasonal snow melt or rain run-off from heavy rainstorms. However, record flooding occurred in August 1955 in the aftermath of two separate hurricanes ( Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane ) that passed over the area within the span of one week. On 19 August 1955, the river gauge at Riegelsville, Pennsylvania recorded that the Delaware River reached a crest of 38.85 feet (11.84 m) above flood stage. A project to dam

1024-666: The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area . It skirts the Kittatinny ridge , which it crosses at the Delaware Water Gap , between nearly vertical walls of sandstone , quartzite , and conglomerate . The features of the Ridge and Valley province were created approximately 300–400 million years ago during the Ordovician period and Appalachian orogeny —a period of tremendous pressure and rock thrusting that caused

1088-534: The Delaware and Hudson Canal was opened in 1828, providing transportation of coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York and New England via the Hudson River , trade attracted money and further development to the area. A village was incorporated on May 11, 1853. It was renamed as Port Jervis in the mid-19th century, after John Bloomfield Jervis , chief engineer of the D&;H Canal. Port Jervis grew steadily into

1152-936: The Delaware of Six Nations . In the United States, they are enrolled in three federally recognized tribes , the Delaware Nation and the Delaware Tribe of Indians located in Oklahoma , and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community , located in Wisconsin . The Ramapough Mountain Indians and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape , recognized as tribes by the state of New Jersey, identify as Lenape descendants. The Delaware River

1216-902: The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois, 'ökwé'ö:weh - "The only true men"). Soon afterward they moved west, joining the main Lenape settlements on the Ohio River . Most became incorporated with that group. In 1756, those remaining in New York were placed upon lands in Schoharie County and were incorporated with the Mohawk . A considerable body, the Christian Munsee , who were converted by the Moravian missionaries, drew off from

1280-510: The Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area . In August 2008, Port Jervis was named one of "Ten Coolest Small Towns" by Budget Travel magazine. The first fully developed European settlement in the area was established by Dutch and English colonists c.1690, and a land grant of 1,200 acres (490 ha) was formalized on October 14, 1697. The settlement

1344-491: The National Park Service in 1978 and the project's land holdings were reorganized to create the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area . 41°05′36″N 74°59′32″W  /  41.093454°N 74.992247°W  / 41.093454; -74.992247 Munsee The Munsee ( Delaware : Monsiyok ) are a subtribe and one of the three divisions of the Lenape . Historically, they lived along

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1408-712: The Paulins Kill watershed and Pequest River watershed flowing southwest. Kittatinny's valley floor is part of the Ordovician Martinsburg Formation (shale and slate) which make up most of the valley—and the Jacksonburg Formation (mostly limestone). The mountain is of the Silurian Shawangunk Conglomerate which is mainly composed of quartz. Due to the hardness of the quartz , the mountain

1472-584: The Port Authority Bus Terminal . Port Jervis is governed by a mayor and a city council under a mayor–council government system. The city council has nine members: a councilman-at-large and eight members elected from wards. The city comprises four wards, residents of which elect two council members each for two year terms. The mayor and councilman-at-large are elected at large for two year terms. Elections are held in odd number years. Terms of office begin on January 1. Representation in

1536-639: The Town of Greenville and the Town of Minisink , both often included as part of the Minisink region. Their residents attend Minisink Valley Central School District . The Delaware River was often referred to as the Minisink River in early Dutch colonial documents and on early maps. The Delaware River constitutes part of the boundary between Pennsylvania and New York , and the entire boundary between New Jersey and Pennsylvania . The middle section of

1600-574: The U.S. Senate , including the city. Port Jervis City School District operates public schools serving Port Jervis. The area elementary school, Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School, is in Deerpark but with a Port Jervis postal address. Port Jervis Middle School is in Port Jervis. Port Jervis High School is also in Deerpark but with a Port Jervis postal address. Kuhl and Port Jervis High are on

1664-497: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km ), of which 2.5 square miles (6.5 km ) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km ) (6.64%) is water. Port Jervis has a Humid Continental Climate ( Köppen Dfb ) with relatively hot summers and cold winters. It receives approximately 47.18 inches (1,198 mm) of precipitation per year, most of which occurs in

1728-602: The last glacial period . At Port Jervis, New York , the river enters the Port Jervis trough. At this point, the Walpack Ridge deflects the Delaware into the Minisink Valley. It follows the southwest strike of the eroded Marcellus Formation beds along the Pennsylvania–New Jersey state line for 25 miles (40 km) to the end of the ridge at Walpack Bend in Walpack Township, New Jersey in

1792-460: The state legislature is split between Democrats and Republicans. The city is located in the 98th Assembly district, currently represented by Republican Karl Brabenec . Democrat James Skoufis represents the city in the state senate as part of the 42nd district . Port Jervis is a part of New York's 18th congressional district , represented by Democrat Pat Ryan . Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand represent all of New York in

1856-518: The 1900s, and on July 26, 1907, it became a city. The first rail line to run through Port Jervis was the New York & Erie Railroad , which in 1832 was chartered to run from Piermont, New York , on the Hudson River in Rockland County , to Lake Erie . Ground was broken in 1835, but construction was delayed by a nationwide financial panic , and did not start again until 1838. The line

1920-720: The 95-mile-long (153 km) Port Jervis Line , which is a commuter railroad service from Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City (via a Secaucus Transfer ) that is contracted to NJ Transit by the Metro-North Railroad of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority . The track itself continues on to Binghamton and Buffalo , but passenger service west of Port Jervis was discontinued in November 1966. Short Line provides bus service between Honesdale, Pennsylvania , Port Jervis, and

1984-634: The Christian Munsees moved to Franklin County, Kansas , and joined a band of Ojibwe people who had migrated south from Michigan. By 1891, the combined community numbered 85, and the US government formed an Indian reservation for them. The reservation was broken into individual land allotments in 1900. The Lenape who kept the name of Munsee were in three bands in the early 20th century in Canada and

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2048-487: The Delaware River's course, roughly between Port Jervis, New York and the Delaware Water Gap (a break in Kittatinny Mountain where the river runs through) constitutes the north and southern points of the Minisink or Minisink Valley. The river flows down a broad Appalachian valley. The Minisink is a buried valley , where the Delaware flows in a bed of glacial till that buried the eroded bedrock during

2112-516: The Delaware to Matamoras, Pennsylvania . From here the Delaware flows to the southwest, running parallel to Kittatinny Ridge until reaching the Delaware Water Gap . It heads southeastward, continuing past New Hope, Pennsylvania and Lambertville, New Jersey ; and the New Jersey capital, Trenton ; to Philadelphia , and the Delaware Bay . Port Jervis is also home to the tri-point between New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. According to

2176-529: The Erie Lackawana became part of Conrail , along with a number of other struggling railroads, such as the Penn Central . Since the breakup of Conrail, the trackage around Port Jervis has been controlled by Norfolk Southern . The decline of the railroads was an economic blow to Port Jervis. The city has struggled to find a new economic basis. On June 2, 1892, Robert Lewis , an African American,

2240-801: The Hudson and Delaware rivers. As a result of disruption following the French and Indian War (1756–1763), the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, the main groups now live in Ontario (Canada), and Wisconsin and Oklahoma in the United States. In Canada, they are enrolled in the Munsee-Delaware Nation , the Moravian of the Thames First Nation , and

2304-483: The Laurel Grove Cemetery, under the viaduct for Interstate 84, are two monuments marking the boundaries between the three states. The larger monument is a granite pillar inscribed "Witness Monument". It is not on any boundary itself, but instead is a witness for two boundary points. On the north side (New York), it references the corner boundary point between New York and Pennsylvania that is located in

2368-829: The Munsee moved south to join their relatives along the Delaware. In 1669, the Munsee aided the Esopus people in attacking the Dutch colonists, and were defeated by Martin Cregier in the Esopus Wars . By a fraudulent treaty known as the Walking Purchase , the main body of the Munsee was forced to move from the Delaware River about the year 1740. They settled on the Susquehanna River , on lands assigned them by

2432-598: The Recreation Area was acquired for the Army Corps of Engineers through eminent domain . Approximately 15,000 people were displaced by the condemnation of personal property along the Delaware River and the surrounding area through eminent domain. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 dwellings and outbuildings were demolished in preparation for the dam project and subsequent flooding of the valley. This included many irreplaceable historical sites and structures connected with

2496-584: The United States. Two had consolidated with remnants of other nations so that no separate census is available. These nations were: Port Jervis, New York Port Jervis is a city located at the confluence of the Neversink and Delaware rivers in western Orange County, New York , United States, north of the Delaware Water Gap . Its population was 8,775 at the 2020 census . The communities of Deerpark , Huguenot , Sparrowbush , and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis. Matamoras, Pennsylvania ,

2560-482: The basis of the city's economy for the coming decades. Port Jervis became Erie's division center between Jersey City, New Jersey and Susquehanna, Pennsylvania , and by 1922, 20 passenger trains went through the city every day. More than 2,500 Erie RR employees made their homes there. The railroads began to decline after the Great Depression . A shift in transportation accelerated after World War II with

2624-546: The center of the Delaware River 475 feet (145 m) due west of the Tri-State Rock. On the south side (New Jersey), it references the Tri-State Rock 72.25 feet (22.02 m) to the south. The smaller monument, the Tri-States Monument , also known as the Tri-State Rock, marks both the northwest end of the New Jersey and New York boundary and the north end of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania boundary. It

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2688-564: The city was 82.4% White , 8.2% African American , 0.59% Native American , 0.64% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 2.19% from other races , and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population. There were 3,533 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who

2752-434: The city, and eventually connecting to Kingston, New York , Weehawken, New Jersey and eastern connections. Like the D&H Canal, the railroads brought new prosperity to Port Jervis in the form of increased trade and investment in the community from the outside. However, the competition by the railroad, which could deliver products faster, hastened the decline of the canal, which ceased operation in 1898. The railroads were

2816-787: The colonial period, the Minisink was also an area of significant skirmishes and raids between British and French-allied forces in the French and Indian War (the North American front of the Seven Years' War ). In response to attacks by larger forces of Delaware, Benjamin Franklin ordered the construction of a series of forts along the Pennsylvanian side of the Delaware River . These forts included Fort Hyndshaw , Fort Dupuy , Fort Norris, and Fort Hamilton, among others. Earlier historians posited that Minisink meant "people of

2880-431: The creation of the Appalachian Mountains . This physiographic province occupies approximately two-thirds of the county's area—the county's western and central sections. Its contour is characterized by long, even ridges with long, continuous valleys in between that generally run parallel from southwest to northeast. This region is largely formed by sedimentary rock . Kittatinny Mountain is the dominant geological feature in

2944-435: The east of Kittatinny Mountain and ends with the Highlands in the east. It is largely a region of rolling hills and flat valley floors. Elevations in this valley range from 400 to 1,000 feet. It is part of the Great Appalachian Valley running from eastern Canada to northern Alabama. This valley is shared by three major watersheds—the Wallkill River, with its tributaries Pochuck Creek and Papakating Creek flowing north; and

3008-450: The federal subsidy of the Interstate Highway System and increased competition from trucking companies. One of the first Class I railroads to shut down was the O&W, on March 29, 1957, leaving Port Jervis totally reliant on the Erie. A few years later, in 1960, the Erie, also on a shaky financial footing, merged with Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to become the Erie Lackawanna . Railroad restructuring continued and in 1976,

3072-419: The lake would be established as the Tocks Island National Recreation Area under the oversight of the National Park Service to offer recreation activities such as hunting, hiking, fishing, and boating. In addition to flood control and recreation, the dam would be used to generate hydroelectric power , and provide a clean water supply to New York City and Philadelphia. Starting in 1960, the present day area of

3136-443: The late spring in early summer. Extremes range from −26 °F (−32 °C) on January 14, 1912, to 105 °F (40.5 °C) on July 9, 1936. Weather Atlas As of the census of 2000, there were 8,860 people, 3,533 households, and 2,158 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,500/sq mi (1,300/km ). There were 3,851 housing units at an average density of 1,500/sq mi (590/km ). The racial makeup of

3200-417: The mid-1920s some residents in the area formed a Ku Klux Klan chapter, in the period of the KKK's early 20th-century revival. They burned crosses on Point Peter, the mountain peak that overlooks the city. The city's location at the confluence of the Delaware and Neversink rivers has made it subject to occasional flooding. There was flooding during the 1955 Hurricane Diane , and a flood-related rumor started

3264-431: The north and east, and fellow Lenape (Delaware) on the south and southeast. They were regarded as a buffer between the southern Lenape and the Iroquois Confederacy based in present-day New York south of the Great Lakes. Their council village was Minisink , probably in Sussex County, New Jersey . The bands along the Hudson were prominent in the early history of New York, but as European-American settlements increased, most of

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3328-414: The parts of the Minisink located within New Jersey. It is part of the Appalachian Mountains , and part of a ridge that continues as the Blue Ridge or Blue Mountain in Eastern Pennsylvania, and as Shawangunk Ridge in New York. It begins in New Jersey as the eastern half of the Delaware Water Gap , and runs northeast to southwest along the Delaware River. Elevations range from 1,200 to 1,800 feet and attains

3392-418: The rest and formed a separate organization, most of them moving to Canada during the American Revolution . Some Christian Munsee joined the Ojibwe and Stockbridge people in Wisconsin . The majority joined the rest of the Lenape, with whom they participated in their subsequent wars and removals. In 1837, Christian Munsees, also called Delaware-Munsies, settled among fellow Lenape in Kansas . In 1859,

3456-403: The river near Tocks Island was in the works before the 1955 floods. But several deaths and severe damages resulting from these floods brought the issue of flood control to the national level. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed the construction of the dam which would have created a 37-mile (60-km) long lake between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with depths of up to 140 feet. The area around

3520-433: The same property. The Port Jervis Recreation department maintains thirteen parks and squares. The city's largest parks are Elks-Brox Park and Riverside Park. Elks-Brox Park, which includes Skyline Drive, the Elks-Brox Campground and the overlook at Point Peter, backs up to the much larger Port Jervis Watershed Park and Recreation Area, which together include more than sixty miles of hiking and biking trails. Riverside Park

3584-431: The stony country" or "where the stones are gathered together." However, Smithsonian linguist Ives Goddard states that any of the attempts to derive either Minisink or Munsee from words meaning "stone" or "mountain," as proposed by these writers (including Lenape scholar Daniel G. Brinton ), are incorrect. The Minisink has never been known as a region with distinct, set boundaries. It generally has been conceived as

3648-439: The upper portion of the Delaware River , the Minisink , and the adjacent country in New York , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania . They were prominent in the early history of New York and New Jersey, being among the first Indigenous peoples of that region to encounter European colonizers. The name is also spelled Minsi, Muncee, or mə́n'si·w. Munsee derives from Minsi , which in turn comes from Min-asin-ink (also Minisink),

3712-399: The valley of the Delaware River going northward from the Delaware Water Gap and including the valley of the Neversink River (a tributary entering the Delaware near Port Jervis, New York). According to Vosburgh, "The 'Minisink county' consists of the valley of the Neversink west of the Shawangunk Mountains , and the Delaware valley, as far as the Delaware Water Gap." Some sources imply that it

3776-413: The valley's colonial and Native American heritage. The plan was embroiled in controversy and protest by environmental groups and embittered displaced residents. Because of considerable opposition from environmental activists, the unavailability of government funding, and a geological assessment of the dam's safety given its location near active fault lines , the federal government transferred the property to

3840-428: Was lynched , hanged on Main Street in Port Jervis by a mob after being accused of participation in an assault on a white woman. A grand jury indicted nine people for assault and rioting rather than Lewis's lynching. Some literary critics argue that this event influenced Stephen Crane 's 1898 novella The Monster . Crane lived in Port Jervis from 1878 until 1883 and frequently visited the area from 1891 to 1897. In

3904-458: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.15. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 27.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males. The median income for

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3968-462: Was completed in 1851, and the first passenger train – with President Millard Fillmore and former United States Senator Daniel Webster on board – came through the city on May 14. The railroad went through a number of name changes, becoming the Erie Railroad in 1897. A second railroad, the Port Jervis and Monticello Railroad, later leased to the New York, Ontario and Western Railway (O&W), opened in 1868, running northeast out of

4032-411: Was confined to the width of valley of the Delaware and its surrounding hillsides. Other sources define the region as an area extending for 20–30 miles to the east and west of the river. This latter definition would include parts or all of the Kittatinny Valley to the east of Kittatinny Mountain in New Jersey, and westward deep into northeastern Pennsylvania. East of the Shawangunk ridge, in New York are

4096-418: Was originally known as Mahackamack , after a Lenape word. It was raided and burned in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War , by British and Mohawk forces under the command of Mohawk leader Joseph Brant before the Battle of Minisink . Over the next two decades, residents rebuilt the settlement. They developed more roadways to better connect Mahackamack with the eastern parts of Orange County. After

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