Founded in 1785 (though not a daily newspaper until 1860), the Journal is the oldest paper in New York state, and is the second-oldest in the nation.

Throughout its existence, the Journal has been a paper of historical significance given the various events in the Poughkeepsie area.

The paper also served as a launching point of stories during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration when the President was at his estate in nearby Hyde Park.

In the book My Side of the Mountain, the Journal was mentioned under its name at the time, the Poughkeepsie New Yorker.

The Journal's main office was a fieldstone Colonial Revival building on Civic Center Plaza, the north end of Market Street in downtown Poughkeepsie.