First settled in 1790 and established as a town in 1818, Hope is located in the southeastern corner of the county and is 49 miles (79 km) northwest of Schenectady.

The purchase documents were signed by Mohawk Chief Hendricks, who drew a turtle in lieu of a signature.

"[4] Hope was first permanently settled in 1790 near the current south town line by Gideon and Jeremiah Homestead, who arrived from Massachusetts.

[4] The first stone house was built in 1801 by David Isdell, on land he had purchased earlier that same year.

[4][5] Wary of Indian attack, Isdell incorporated an escape tunnel in his home for "protection against marauders," but unfortunately, his youngest daughter was notoriously kidnapped by Native Americans while picking berries, and was never heard from again; according to one account she perished in an Indian village.

[4] In 1850, with booming agriculture, mining, sawmills, and tanneries, Hope's total population peaked at 1,125, with the subsequent decrease mainly due to residents moving away as a result of industrial decline.

Much of the developed land fell into disuse, essentially all industrial activity halted, and a number of the town's one room schools closed.

Tourism, however, remained an important industry, and New York Route 30 began to provide travelers with lodging, gas stations, and other amenities.