PEEKSKILL

city, Westchester county, southeastern New York, U.S., on the east bank of the Hudson River, 41 miles (66 km) north of New York City. Its name derives from Jan Peek, a Dutchman who established a trading post in 1654 at the point where a kil (Dutch for channel, or creek) joins the Hudson. An early river port and agricultural-trade centre, it was attacked and burned by the British during the American Revolution. Manufactures now include chemicals (colours and pigments) and women's apparel. The city is also a tourist base for nearby Palisades recreational areas. Inc. village, 1839; city, 1940. Pop. (1990) 19,536; (1998 est.) 21,111.