Amsterdam (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Amsterdam is a town in Montgomery County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 5,566 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Amsterdam
, the capital of the Netherlands
.
The town is adjacent to and borders the city of Amsterdam
on three sides. The town is on the county's northeastern border.
The Erie Canal
passes along the southern border of the town.
Confederation's member tribe, the Mohawk, prior to the entry of Europeans into the area.
The town was first settled around 1715, but most settlement did not take place until Sir William Johnson
established his first seat of power in the region at Fort Johnson
(earlier known as Mount Johnson), prior to founding the city of Johnstown
.
The town was formed in 1793 from part of the previous "Town of Caughnawaga," which had been established in 1788 and named after a local Mohawk
community. Caughnawaga was a large town, constituting much of Montgomery County north of the Mohawk River until its subdivision eliminated it.
The division of Caughnawaga also create the towns of Broadalbin
(in Fulton County), Johnstown
, and Mayfield
(Fulton County).
The village of Amsterdam was incorporated in 1838 in the south part of the town. As the village grew toward becoming the city of Amsterdam, it took in more territory inside the town. The town of Perth
(also in Fulton County) was removed in 1838.
In 1865, the population of Amsterdam was 5,135.
, the town has a total area of 30.3 sq mi (78.5 km²), of which, 29.7 sq mi (76.9 km²) of it is land and 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) of it (2.14%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Fulton County
. The south town line is defined by the Mohawk River
. The east town line is at the border of both Saratoga County
and Schenectady County
.
New York State Route 5
and New York State Route 67
are east-west highways, partly conjoined near the Mohawk River. Both highways intersect north-south New York State Route 30
in the City of Amsterdam.
of 2000, there were 5,820 people, 2,243 households, and 1,531 families residing in the town. The population density
was 196.1 people per square mile (75.7/km²). There were 2,374 housing units at an average density of 80.0 per square mile (30.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.69% Black or African-American, 0.10% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.
There were 2,243 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,097, and the median income for a family was $46,667. Males had a median income of $34,476 versus $23,533 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,099. About 5.1% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Montgomery County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,566 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the capital of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
The town is adjacent to and borders the city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam (city), New York
Amsterdam is a city located in Montgomery County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 18,620. The name is derived from the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands....
on three sides. The town is on the county's northeastern border.
The Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
passes along the southern border of the town.
History
The region was controlled by the powerful IroquoisIroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Confederation's member tribe, the Mohawk, prior to the entry of Europeans into the area.
The town was first settled around 1715, but most settlement did not take place until Sir William Johnson
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
established his first seat of power in the region at Fort Johnson
Old Fort Johnson
Old Fort Johnson, or Fort Johnson, was a two-story stone house enclosed in fortifications built by Sir William Johnson about 1749 in the town of Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York, United States. The fort served as Johnson's home, business office and trading center until 1763 when he moved to...
(earlier known as Mount Johnson), prior to founding the city of Johnstown
Johnstown (city), New York
Johnstown is a city and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 Census, the city had population of 8,511. Recent estimates put the figure closer to 8,100. The city was named by its founder, Sir William Johnson after his son John Johnson...
.
The town was formed in 1793 from part of the previous "Town of Caughnawaga," which had been established in 1788 and named after a local Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
community. Caughnawaga was a large town, constituting much of Montgomery County north of the Mohawk River until its subdivision eliminated it.
The division of Caughnawaga also create the towns of Broadalbin
Broadalbin (town), New York
Broadalbin is a town in Fulton County, New York, USA. The population was 5,066 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the Breadalbane Region in Scotland by an early settler.The Town of Broadalbin contains a village also called Broadalbin...
(in Fulton County), Johnstown
Johnstown (town), New York
Johnstown is a town located in Fulton County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 7,166. The name of the town is from landowner William Johnson....
, and Mayfield
Mayfield (town), New York
Mayfield is a town in Fulton County, New York, United States. The population of the town is 6,432 according to the 2000 US Census. The Town of Mayfield contains a village also called Mayfield...
(Fulton County).
The village of Amsterdam was incorporated in 1838 in the south part of the town. As the village grew toward becoming the city of Amsterdam, it took in more territory inside the town. The town of Perth
Perth, New York
Perth is a town in Fulton County, New York, United States. The population was 3,638 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Perth, Scotland.The Town of Perth is in the eastern part of the county, north of Amsterdam, New York.- History :...
(also in Fulton County) was removed in 1838.
In 1865, the population of Amsterdam was 5,135.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 30.3 sq mi (78.5 km²), of which, 29.7 sq mi (76.9 km²) of it is land and 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) of it (2.14%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Fulton County
Fulton County, New York
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,531. Its name is in honor of Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
. The south town line is defined by the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
. The east town line is at the border of both Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
and Schenectady County
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
.
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
and New York State Route 67
New York State Route 67
New York State Route 67 is an east–west state highway in eastern New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 5 in the town of St. Johnsville...
are east-west highways, partly conjoined near the Mohawk River. Both highways intersect north-south New York State Route 30
New York State Route 30
New York State Route 30 is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 in the Southern Tier to the Canadian border in the state's North Country, where it continues into Quebec as Route 138. On a regional level,...
in the City of Amsterdam.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,820 people, 2,243 households, and 1,531 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 196.1 people per square mile (75.7/km²). There were 2,374 housing units at an average density of 80.0 per square mile (30.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.69% Black or African-American, 0.10% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.
There were 2,243 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,097, and the median income for a family was $46,667. Males had a median income of $34,476 versus $23,533 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $19,099. About 5.1% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations
- Chuctenunda Creek – A tributary of the Mohawk River, flowing through Amsterdam city.
- Church Corners – A hamlet near the west town line on NY-67.
- Cranesville – A hamlet east of Amsterdam city on NY-5 by the Mohawk River. The community is named after early settler David Crane.
- Crescent Park – A hamlet northeast of Amsterdam city.
- Evas Kill – A stream emptying into the Mohawk River, named after Evas van Alstyne, killed by natives in that location.
- Fort JohnsonFort Johnson, New YorkFort Johnson, formerly known as Akin, is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 491 at the 2000 census.The Village of Fort Johnson is in the south part of the town of Amsterdam, west of the city of Amsterdam....
– The Village of Fort Johnson is located west of Amsterdam city on NY-5. - HagamanHagaman, New YorkHagaman is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 1,357 at the 2000 census. It is named after Joseph Hagaman, the founding father....
– The Village of Hagaman is northeast of Amsterdam city and was formerly called "Hagamans Mills" and located on the Chuctenunda Creek. - Harrower – A hamlet northeast of Amsterdam city.
- Harrower Pond – A wide part of the Chuctenunda Creek.
- Manny Corners – A hamlet northeast of Amsterdam city.
- Rockton – A hamlet on the north edge of Amsterdam city.
- Tribes HillTribes Hill, New YorkTribes Hill is a census-designated place located in the Towns of Mohawk and Amsterdam in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 1,024 at the 2000 census...
– A hamlet at the west town line on NY-5 and former meeting place of the local natives. - Wallins Corners – A hamlet north of the City of Amsterdam.