▁of ▁Kinder hook ▁was ▁lost ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Gh ent ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 8 ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁St uy ves ant ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 3 . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁town ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁, ▁or ▁ 1 . 8 7 %, ▁is ▁water , ▁including ▁Kinder hook ▁Lake , ▁Kinder hook ▁Creek , ▁and ▁the ▁water falls ▁of ▁Val atie . ▁ ▁The ▁north ▁town ▁line ▁is ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁R ens sel a er ▁County . ▁ ▁Kinder hook ▁Creek ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁stream ▁in ▁the ▁town , ▁flow ing ▁south west ▁toward ▁tid al ▁Stock port ▁Creek , ▁an ▁arm ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River . ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 9 ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Route ▁ 9 H ▁pass ▁through ▁the ▁town . ▁ ▁Arts ▁and ▁culture ▁President ▁Martin ▁Van ▁Bur en ' s ▁ret irement ▁home , ▁L inden wald , ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Kinder hook . ▁The ▁Dutch ▁Col onial ▁Lu yk as ▁Van ▁Al en ▁House , ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁( c . 1 7 3 7 ), ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁author ▁Washington ▁Ir ving ' s ▁insp iration ▁for ▁the ▁" V an ▁T ass el ▁family " ▁farm ▁in ▁his ▁classic ▁story ▁" The ▁Leg end ▁of ▁S leep y ▁H ollow ", ▁as ▁Ir ving ▁— ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁— ▁was