Copake, New York

Copake was part of the 1686 Taconic Grant to Robert Livingston for about 400 acres (1.6 km²) of good land and 2,200 acres (8.9 km²) of woodland. After it was purchased from the Indians it turned out to be 160,000 acres (650 km²), and he established the English-style Livingston Manor. The manor extended well into what is now Massachusetts. The first lease given by Livingston in Copake was for about 85 acres (340,000 m²) in 1687 to Matthews Abraham Van Deusen. Because New England claimed ownership west to the Hudson River, a border dispute broke out. The Massachusetts Bay Colony laid out three townships west of the Taconic Mountains in 1755. Most of the present town of Copake was in one of the townships. New settlers were given 100 acres (0.40 km²) free, and some of Livingston's tenants refused to pay rent. The border was settled in 1757 by the Lords Commissioners of Trade in London. Farmers west of the border continued to protest, however. In 1844 a rally organized by the Taconic Mutual Association took place in the center of the hamlet. After the rally the arrest of several of the leaders sparked wider protests. Eventually the Anti-Rent Party was formed in New York state, and New York instituted land reform. The Anti-Rent Party called for a Homestead Act to develop the western land. It became part of the Republican Party platform and was important in the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

The town of Copake was formed in 1824 by splitting it from the town of Granger that was renamed Taghkanic. An early industry was iron mining and smelting. In Taconic State Park adjacent to Copake Falls is the "Ore Pit", a former iron mine, now a 40-foot (12 m) deep swimming pond.

Copake is home to a handful of summer camps for adults and children and filled with other activities to do in the summer, such as swimming, hiking, biking, and water skiing. In the winter, Copake is a great place to rent a house to stay in to go skiing at nearby ski mountains, such as Catamount.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.0 square miles (108.9 km²), of which 40.8 square miles (105.6 km²) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), or 3.04%, is water.[3] The largest water body is Copake Lake touching the western border of the town, but several other lakes and ponds occupy the central and southwestern parts of the town. The Roeliff Jansen Kill flows through the center of the town, and Taghkanic Creek crosses the northwest corner; both waterways lead west to the Hudson River.

The town is easily accessible from New York City via the Taconic State Parkway or NYS Route 22 and is a popular destination for second-home owners escaping busy Manhattan. Metro-North Railroad is also located about 20 minutes south of the town with service to and from Grand Central Terminal.

The east town line is the border of Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

16 miles from the small Massachusetts town, Great Barrington. Great Barrington has great restaurants and shopping.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 3,278 people, 1,280 households, and 869 families residing in the town. The population density was 80.0 people per square mile (30.9/km²). There were 2,185 housing units at an average density of 53.3 per square mile (20.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.55% White, 0.70% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.58% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.

There were 1,280 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,261, and the median income for a family was $46,544. Males had a median income of $32,004 versus $25,341 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,088. About 6.5% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

• Camphill Village – A therapeutic community for developmentally disabled adults.
• Copake (formerly "Copake Flats") – The hamlet of Copake is in the south part of the town.
• Copake Falls – A hamlet north of Copake village.
• Copake Iron Works – A former community in the town, now in Taconic State Park.
• Copake Lake – A lake on the western town line and a community (census-designated place) surrounding the lake.
• Craryville (formerly "Bains Corner") – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
• Taconic Shores – A community (property owners association) northwest of Copake hamlet encircling Robinson Pond.
• Taconic State Park – covering the Taconic Mountains along the eastern edge of the town
• Weedmines – A location at the south town line.
• West Copake (formerly "Andersons Corners") – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town and southwest of Copake village.

• Katharine Lente Stevenson (1853–1919), temperance reformer, missionary, editor

All American Girls professional baseball league Maiden Name: (Shadic) Campbell Nickname: Lilian "Pete" Hometown: Craryville, NY (US) Throwing Hand: Right Batting Hand: Right Born: June 14, 1929 Died: June 27, 2017

If you were on the playing fields of Roe Jan in the late 1940's, you might remember hearing the crack of a bat on a ball and another cheer for Pete to come on home. Given that nickname as a child, Lillian Shadic Campbell has retained it to this day. She has also retained her skill as a softball player, although back problems may have sidelined her at the moment.

Pete didn't just excel at softball, but she was even part of the Roe Jan boys' baseball team. She says they put her in right field so that she couldn't get in trouble. However, that apparently helped her hone her skills. .

Her father saw an article about the All-lAmerican Girls' Baseball League looking for players and he urged her to apply. A tryout in New Jersey and a visit from a talent scout at Roe Jan brought her an offer to join one of the teams. Never having traveled, Pete decided to join one of the traveling teams and played with the Springfield Sallies as they traveled in twenty-six states. Anyone who has heard Pete speak about her experience can see the lasting influence this had on her life. She has scrapbooks of the time playing as well as the many reunions she has attended with former teammates. She even has her own baseball card. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has honored these teams with a special section where Pete's name is displayed along with those of all the women who played.

The popularity of the Girls' League was diminishing and Pete found romance. After the 1949 season, she came home and married Clifford Campbell who had just returned from service in the Marines. They ran a dairy farm and raised seven children. Pete continued to play softball in local women's leagues and with her children and grandchildren. She shared her skills by coaching Little League and baseball teams. Even after bypass surgery, she continued to participate in the sport. It must be a measure of pride to see the playing fields of Taconic Hills lying on land that was once the Campbell dairy farm. Now she can watch her grandchildren play on these fields.

The alumni of Roe Jan who knew her "when" marvel that one of our own was a part of " A League of Their Own." More than that, we recognize her community spirit which has offered so much to others. Volunteering on the playing fields, in the church and school, and raising her family have kept her busy in the community.

Pete and her husband had seven children and lived on the dairy farm until 1988. When her children were growing up, she drove a school bus for Taconic Hills, and then ran a golf driving range until last year. She never gave up playing softball--even after being sidelined by triple bypass surgery 11 years ago. She pitched and played second base and center field for the Hudson Women's Modified Fastpitch League in Hudson, N.Y. until it disbanded last year. She coached her children's Little League and baseball teams. Of her four daughters, three sons and 15 grandchildren, a number are talented athletes.

She recalls one Hudson league game she played in with her daughter, Cheri. "I was playing second and she was coming in from center field and we collided going for the ball." It is clear that all her children and grandchildren, and now, great grandchildren, are inspired by her and connect with her through her love of the game. One granddaughter has requested the boxes of letters Pete has stored over the years. The same granddaughter pitches for the junior varsity team at Taconic High School. "She's a great player," "But I tell her she has to vary her pitches; And she needs to build her confidence. But I also tell her, whatever she does is great."

While her talent has earned her a place in sports history, Pete's family is the home base of her life. In addition to supporting, coaching, and watching her grand children's games, and now a widow, she buys groceries for elderly and sick neighbors, volunteers at the elementary school and her church, and helps out with her grandchildren. She gives talks about her baseball experiences at schools and other area organizations. Two years ago, she spoke to a group of residents at Jeer Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Canaan, Connecticut, and was surprised by how many of those in attendance remembered the women's league and the days when Babe Ruth visited the Berkshires to hunt and fish at Copake Lake and Mt. Washington.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Copake, New York.

• Town of Copake official website
• Information about Copake
• Taconic State Park - Copake Falls Area
• Historical information about Copake
• Roeliff Jansen Community Library