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Oniontown, New York

Hamlets in Dutchess County, New YorkHudson Valley, New York, geography stubsKiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan areaUse American English from February 2026
Oniontown Rd, Dutchess County, July 2006 (2)
Oniontown Rd, Dutchess County, July 2006 (2)

Oniontown is a road and community in Dutchess County, New York, United States, located 1.5 miles south of the hamlet of Dover Plains, in the town of Dover, partially known for the historically off-putting demeanor of its residents towards outsiders. In 1947, International News Service reporter James L. Kilgallen voyaged into Oniontown and wrote three articles about the place including; "Escape from Atomic Age: Real Life Tobacco Road 100 Miles from Broadway". It was briefly the subject of worldwide media attention in 2008, when a derisive video about the area published on YouTube led to visiting outsiders being attacked.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Oniontown, New York (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Oniontown, New York
Old Route 22, Town of Dover

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Wikipedia: Oniontown, New YorkContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.722515 ° E -73.581233 °
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Address

Old Route 22 1192
12522 Town of Dover
New York, United States
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Oniontown Rd, Dutchess County, July 2006 (2)
Oniontown Rd, Dutchess County, July 2006 (2)
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Nearby Places

Dover Drag Strip

Dover Drag Strip, opened in May 1961 and closed in 1976, and was a dragstrip for quarter-mile drag racing in Wingdale, New York. The track was touted as "the smoothest, most state-of-the-art facility" of its kind at the time. The track featured epoxy-based asphalt, 60 feet wide. It had its own "timing tower" that had the timing equipment, and served as the operations center, with operators calling the Elapsed Time [ET] and MPH of each pair of racers via intercom to the "times slip booth" at the other end of the track. This is also where the track announcer entertained and informed the spectators of the action. All this was considered "new technology" in 1961. By 1964, the flag starter was replaced with a homebuilt "Christmas Tree", with multiple colored lights, counting down each start. This was one of the first of its type in the entire nation.The track was founded and operated by Brookfield gas station owner Chet Anderson and his partner, Joe Archiere, of Germantown, Connecticut. It filled the regional gap left by the closing of the Car Club Racing at Montgomery, New York, airport. Dover preceded the other tracks to follow suit, famous in the area, namely Connecticut Dragway (now closed) and the still operational Lebanon Valley Track, near Albany. Racers from as far as Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey would regularly frequent the strip.Dover was host to exhibition runs by the Legendary Don ‘Big Daddy” Garlits, California's “T.V Tommy Ivo”, the original Batmobile and Jet Cars. Average car entries of over 400 were common with upwards of 4,000 spectators on special events. There has been continued interest in this now defunct track, thanks to the ongoing Dover Drag Strip Nostalgia reunion every year.

Wassaic, New York
Wassaic, New York

Wassaic is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Amenia, Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population in 210. Located in southeastern New York in the valley of the Ten Mile River, Wassaic is bordered to the east and west by mountain ranges. The name of the hamlet is derived from the Native American word Washaic; "land of difficult access" or "narrow valley". However, Europeans found ready access by following the Housatonic River valley up from Long Island Sound and through the mountains along the Ten Mile River. One of the earliest recorded Europeans to settle in Wassaic was Richard Sackett. He petitioned the Colonial Government on March 11, 1703 for a license to purchase a tract of land in "Washiack". He was known as Captain Richard Sackett when appointed the first Dutchess County clerk in 1715.By the 1770s, Wassaic was processing Ancram pig iron into steel. This continued into the early 1800s, providing steel for the Harris scythe works at Hammertown, near Pine Plains in northern Dutchess. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington marched through Wassaic on the way to Connecticut. Among Wassaic's main employers in the 19th century were Gridley Iron Works and the Harlem division of the New York and Harlem Railroad. In 1861, Gail Borden opened a factory for producing a condensed milk that would not need refrigeration. This was a welcome ration for the Union troops during the Civil War. Long sold by Borden, it is today marketed as Eagle Brand Condensed Milk. Wassaic was also known for dairy, sheep and grain farming. Wassaic is home to The Wassaic Project, a non-profit arts and music organization and the Wassaic Artist Residency. They provide summer programming as well as run an artist in residence program.