Can You Name All of the New York Counties That Have Colors For Names?
New York is quite an interesting state, isn't it? We have some of the most influential cities in the nation, but at the same time, the majority of the state is rural land, covered with farms, trees, and rolling mountains.
Plus, there are a lot of colors! Not just the colors of nature that you can get exploring New York, but a number of the counties have colors for names! Do you think you know all of the counties that have colors for names?
Check out the list below and see for yourself!
1) How Did Greene County, NY Get Its Name?
First of all, when I mentioned to a few people I was using "Greene," they said, "You can't use that, it's not spelled like the actual color." And to that, I said, "But come on, you still associate Greene with an 'E' at the end with the color don't you?" And that shut them up. So yes, I'm using Greene County!
Greene County was founded on March 25, 1800. It was meant as a partition from Albany and Ulster Counties. The current borders have been in effect since 1836. Greene County was named for Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene.
However, it is unlikely that the famous General, known as the first “Fighting Quaker,” has ever visited Greene County, New York.
Read More: Injured And Lost Hikers in Greene County Rescued By DEC Forest Rangers
Greene County is also the location of the famous story by Washington Irving, "Rip Van Winkle." It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their strong liquor and falls deeply asleep in the Catskill Mountains. He awakes 20 years later to a very changed world, having missed the American Revolution.
2) How Did Orange County, NY Get Its Name?
Okay, Orange is spelled like the actual color. Does this one make you happy?
In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed up our Hudson River and anchored the "Half Moon" in Cornwall Bay. Orange County was established in 1683 as one of the original counties of the Province of New York. The county name is derived from King William III of England who was a Prince of the House of Orange.
READ MORE: Does Orange County, NY Have The Best St. Patrick’s Day Events?
George Washington established his longest residency during the Revolutionary War in Newburgh. It was here that he founded the Order of the Purple Heart, and in 1850 Washington's Headquarters became the first Registered National Historic Landmark in the United States.
And That's It!
What, were you expecting more? Nope! I looked through the list of counties for New York and that's all I found! And turns out both of the "Color Counties" are here in the Hudson Valley! Go figure!
Honestly, the colors mentioned are perfect for Saint Patrick's Day coming up! Green and Orange help make up the Irish flag. If only we had a White County, then we could've completed the flag.
I guess there is White Plains in Westchester County, but that might be a bit of a stretch.
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