https://www.valatievillage.com/
"What a Village Should Be"
Part of the original New Netherland, the first European settlers were Dutch who settled Kinderhook c.1665, naming this area "Vaaltje". Valatie was first named Pachaquak, meaning "cleared meadow", by the earliest Native American settlers—Algonquian Mohicans—who lived along the banks of Valatie's two waterways now referred to as Valatie Kill and Kinderhook Creek. Part of the original New Netherland, the first European settlers were the Dutch who settled Kinderhook around 1665, and named this area "Vaaltje", which means "little falls".[3] The first post office was established in 1832. By the early 19th century there were nine cotton mills in Valatje operating on power derived from the famous waterfalls; the village was incorporated in 1856. With a bustling Main Street, Valatie was considered the center of commerce in northern Columbia County throughout the 19th century. It is part of the Hudson Valley region of New York State. It is 21 miles (34 km) south of Albany, the state capital, and 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Hudson. Recent immigrants to Valatie include members of the creative class, with musicians, authors, artists, and designers resettling from the NY metro area, as well as Albany commuters. The backdrop of waterfalls at both ends of Main Street is a daily presence that changes with the seasonal rain and snowfall. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.27 square miles (3.28 km2), of which 1.25 square miles (3.25 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.95%, is surface water.[2] The village is located at the juncture of Valatie Kill with Kinderhook Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. There are three waterfalls in the village, all along Main Street: Valatie Kill Falls/Wild's Falls, Little Falls Creek/Beaver Mill Falls, and Kinderhook Creek.
