Dr. John Bard had called his estate "Hyde Park" in honor of Edward Hyde, who was Lord Cornbury and Governor of New York. In 1804 a tavern keeper whose business was slow named the tavern "Hyde Park Inn," much to the annoyance of Dr. Bard. Miller, the tavern keeper, applied for a post office to be located at his Inn, which was nothing unusual. The request was granted as the "Hyde Park Post office." This changed the settlement's name from Stoutenburgh to Hyde Park officially in 1812. Hyde Park was included in the Town of Clinton until 1821. The first Hyde Park Town Board met in 1821 and elected a supervisor, town clerk, assessors, tax collector, overseers of the poor, commissioner of the highway, commissioners of common schools, inspector of common schools, constables, fence viewers, pound masters and overseers of the 33 highways. The Town Board met annually in private homes.

The Town of Milan is a rural community located at the northern edge of Dutchess County. It is a strong and independent community of 2,453* residents occupying an area of 36 square miles. Milan's history, like much of Northern Dutchess, is based on agriculture. There are few commercial or industrial enterprises in the town, however, there is a growing base of professional and home based businesses. The hamlets of Lafayetteville and Rock City, (Jackson Corners was formerly a defined hamlet) are not heavily developed and preserve a piece of Milan’s historical character. Formally incorporated as a township in 1818 from Northeast and comprised the western tract of land originally owned by the Little Nine Partners Patent. As the town grew in the nineteenth century a number of hamlets developed; they were located in various parts of the town and included Rock City and Lafayetteville (named above) Milanville, Jackson Corners, Shookville, Thorndale, Enterprise and Maplehurst. Most hamlets had a general store; blacksmith and some had a post office, gristmill, sawmill and schoolhouse. Some of the schoolhouses and hamlet business buildings survive today as residences.

Rhinebeck, NY exists within Dutchess County and is comprised of two governmental jurisdictions, The Town of Rhinebeck and The Village of Rhinebeck. Residents of the village are citizens of both the town and village. Town residents who live outside the village are citizens only of the town. The Town of Rhinebeck has a rich historical and cultural past spanning over 300 years of European settlement and several thousand years of pre-historic habitation by Native Americans. In 1686, land on the east bank of the Hudson River was acquired by three Dutchmen from Kingston. In a separate transaction, another Dutchman, Hendrick Kip, acquired additional acreage which he divided with his brother Jacob, land which is now just north of Rhinecliff. This settlement, on the east bank, became known as Kipsbergen.

In 1695, Henry Beekman acquired the remaining land in what is now known as the Town of Rhinebeck. In addition to a sale of land to citizens from Kingston, Henry was able to settle 35 families from Germany on his property. This settlement became the nucleus for a community which soon was known as Rhinebeck and was located north of the present 9 & 9G intersection.

Clinton Township (Named after George Clinton, governor of New York during the Revolutionary War) population 4,010 (2000 census) is comprised of 37.60 sq. miles and is situated in the west central part of the county. Its is bounded on the north by Rhinebeck and Milan, on the south by Pleasant Valley, on the east by Washington and Stanford, and on the west by Hyde Park. It was named in honor of Governor George Clinton when it was formed for part of Charlotte and Rhinebeck Precincts in 1786. It became a town in 1788 and was reduced in size on January 26, 1821, when Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley were formed from it. It contains four buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, one of which is Upton Lake Grange (constructed by Quakers in 1777 as the Creek Meeting House). Hamlets are: Clinton Corners, Clinton Hollow, Schultzville, Pleasant Plains, Hibernia and Bullshead.

It's a pleasure to welcome you to the Town of Washington, one of the most scenic, quaint towns in the Hudson Valley. Please enjoy our lush landscapes, winding country roads, majestic and historic estates and treasured family farms. The Town of Washington offers something for everyone. The Village of Millbrook, at the heart of our town, features a wide variety of businesses, shops and restaurants. Our recreational opportunities are endless, including the Town of Washington Park, horse trails, the Millbrook Hunt, sporting clays, hunting fishing, a winery, a castle, public gardens, historic churches and so much more.