Historical Background

North East was formed as a town on March 7, 1788. Earliest English settlers migrated from Massachusetts and Connecticut, while the Dutch moved eastward from the Hudson River Valley. Initially, farming was the chief occupation. As the Industrial Revolution took place, major population centers needed food and materials from surrounding areas. Railroads were built to accommodate the need.

Sidney Miller, a civil engineer, brought the railroad to Millerton in 1851. Town fathers named the village, Millerton, in his honor. Soon after, the Central New England Railroad was built connecting Boston with Poughkeepsie and the Hudson River. At this point, everything changed.  North East and Millerton became a commercial and agricultural hub. Farmers and merchants thrived.  Iron mining and foundries flourished, feeding the Industrial Revolution. Today, the Village of Millerton remains the commercial center of the Town of North East.

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