White Plains today is the county seat of Westchester County, the county that directly abuts New York City to the north and connects it to the mainland.

But back when the Dutch started settling in the area, starting at the south end of Manhattan, the region was being used for farming by the Weckquaeskeck tribe of the Wappingers, and was called “Quarropas” by those people. (And I knew Mike would chicken out on saying “Weckquaeskeck”.)

Incidentally, in the first US Census, in 1790, the population of White Plains was 505, including 46 slaves. In 2020 it was 59,599, presumably none of them slaves. However, during a given weekday it’s estimated that nearly a quarter-million people are in the city.

White Plains has a park marking the battle (oops, spoiler alert) and lots of opportunities for luxury shopping, plus a Performing Arts Center. If you’re passing through the area, it might be worthwhile to stop for a bit.

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