Town of Wappinger and Wappingers Falls

Most people know the more common things about the Town of Wappinger and Wappinger’s Falls, like demographics and population, but there are some lesser known, more interesting, things that you might not be aware of.

Some Historical Memories….

In 1777 the  “Wappinger Tea Party” took place at the home of Peter Meiser (now Meiser Park).   The story is told that Mr. Meisner had opened a small store in his home and began selling tea at what was considered by the locals as being priced way too high. So high, in fact that they became furious, broke into his house, locked up the Meiser’s in the basement, stole the tea, and dumped it all into Wappinger Creek!

Another story which has become a local legend of sorts, ties the famous (infamous?) Captain Kidd to the hamlet of Hughsonville. It seems that in 1696 the Captain and his crew sailed up the Hudson River, and  may just have  chosen this then unsettled area  to secretly bury his stolen treasure.

The name “Wappinger” originated from the tribe of Wappani Indians who first resided here and who sold about 85,000 acres of land that was to be used for hunting and trading grounds for the King of England.

Many of the local communities in and around Wappinger reflect the names of some of the earliest settlers, names such as Rombout, Verplanck, Swartwouts, Ketchanes (Ketchamtown). White (White’s Corners), Meyers (Meyer’s Corners) Dubois, Chelsea but to name but a few.

You might also be interested to know that 150 years ago, the hub of the social events took place at the famous Rush’s Hotel on East Main Street in Wappinger’s Falls. Founded in 1870 by George Rush, it was a notable venue of the day, hosting many events, banquets and dinners for the famous and infamous “wheelers and dealers” of the day. 

Full details of these stories and many others can be found on the Town of Wappinger website page

At Christos Catering we are proud to have served so many of our neighbors in the adjoining Town of Wappinger and Wappinger’s Falls, as a convenient location to provide an exceptional wedding venue, party venue, corporate event venue experience. We can accommodate up to 300 people for almost any group function, please contact us for details on the many affordable venue packages we have available.. 

We are located just a short 15 minute ride up Route 9, (“The Kings Highway”), in the south-east corner of Poughkeepsie.