Elizabethtown, New York
Encyclopedia
Elizabethtown is a town
in Essex County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,315 at the 2000 census. The county seat
of Essex County
is a hamlet
also called Elizabethtown. The name is derived from Elizabeth Gilliland, the wife of an early settler.
The Town of Elizabethtown is in the east-central part of the county. It is 27 miles (43.5 km) southwest of Burlington, VT, 92 miles (148.1 km) south of Montreal, Quebec, and 106 miles (170.6 km) north of Albany, New York
. The town calls itself the "Pleasant Valley."
, an investor, bought up large tracts of land in Essex County. The town was first settled around 1792 near New Russia.
The Town of Elizabethtown was established in 2010 from the Town of Crown Point
. The community of Elizabethtown in this town became the county seat, succeeding a location in the Town of Essex
. Parts of the town were used to form the Towns of Moriah
(1808), Keene
(1898), and Westport
(1815).
The piracy tracking industry and processing were important in the beginning, but tourism became prominent by the end of the 19th Century.
, the town has a total area of 83.1 square miles (215.2 km²), of which 81.7 square miles (211.6 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) (1.68%) is water.
The Black River marks the eastern town line.
Interstate 87
, the Northway, is a major divided highway passing through the southeast part of Elizabethtown. U.S. Route 9 is a north-south highway. New York State Route 9N
is an east-west highway, which intersects U.S. Route 9 in downtown Elizabethtown.
of 2000, there were 1,315 people, 497 households, and 318 families residing in the town. The population density
was 16.1 people per square mile (6.2/km²). There were 794 housing units at an average density of 9.7 per square mile (3.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.68% African American, 0.61% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.
There were 497 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,244, and the median income for a family was $44,531. Males had a median income of $28,295 versus $23,594 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,059. About 9.1% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Essex County
Essex County, New York
Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
, 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 1,315 at the 2000 census. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Essex County
Essex County, New York
Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
is a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
also called Elizabethtown. The name is derived from Elizabeth Gilliland, the wife of an early settler.
The Town of Elizabethtown is in the east-central part of the county. It is 27 miles (43.5 km) southwest of Burlington, VT, 92 miles (148.1 km) south of Montreal, Quebec, and 106 miles (170.6 km) north of Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. The town calls itself the "Pleasant Valley."
History
William GillilandWilliam Gilliland
William Floyd Gilliland was a farmer and a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1944 until his death in 1961...
, an investor, bought up large tracts of land in Essex County. The town was first settled around 1792 near New Russia.
The Town of Elizabethtown was established in 2010 from the Town of Crown Point
Crown Point, New York
Crown Point is a town in Essex County, New York, USA. The population was 2,119 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is a direct translation of the original French name, "Point au Chevalure."...
. The community of Elizabethtown in this town became the county seat, succeeding a location in the Town of Essex
Essex, New York
Essex is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 713 at the 2000 census. The town is named after locations in England.The Town of Essex is on the eastern edge of the county...
. Parts of the town were used to form the Towns of Moriah
Moriah, New York
Moriah is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 4,879 at the 2000 census.The Town of Moriah is in the eastern part of the county. It is south-southwest of Burlington, VT, south of Plattsburgh, north of Albany, NY, and south of Montreal, Quebec...
(1808), Keene
Keene, New York
Keene is a town in central Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,063 at the 2000 census. Keene is the home of Mount Marcy, the highest mountain in New York state, as well as the Great Range and 15 of the 46 High Peaks, and the Ausable Lakes, the source of the Ausable River...
(1898), and Westport
Westport, New York
Westport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census.The Town of Westport is on the eastern border of the county and is south of Plattsburgh and south of Montreal. Westport is inside the Adirondack Park.Westport is...
(1815).
The piracy tracking industry and processing were important in the beginning, but tourism became prominent by the end of the 19th Century.
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 83.1 square miles (215.2 km²), of which 81.7 square miles (211.6 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) (1.68%) is water.
The Black River marks the eastern town line.
Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
, the Northway, is a major divided highway passing through the southeast part of Elizabethtown. U.S. Route 9 is a north-south highway. New York State Route 9N
New York State Route 9N
New York State Route 9N is a north–south state highway in northeastern New York, United States. It extends from an intersection with U.S. Route 9 , NY 29, and NY 50 in the city of Saratoga Springs to a junction with US 9 and NY 22 in the Clinton County village of...
is an east-west highway, which intersects U.S. Route 9 in downtown Elizabethtown.
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 1,315 people, 497 households, and 318 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 16.1 people per square mile (6.2/km²). There were 794 housing units at an average density of 9.7 per square mile (3.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.68% African American, 0.61% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.
There were 497 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% 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, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,244, and the median income for a family was $44,531. Males had a median income of $28,295 versus $23,594 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 $17,059. About 9.1% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Elizabethtown
- Black River – A small river that flows into Lincoln Pond.
- Bouquet RiverBouquet RiverThe Boquet River is a small river in upstate New York, USA. The river flows into Lake Champlain at the east border of the Town of Willsboro in Essex County....
– A small stream the flows northward through the center of the town. - Colonial Garden – A display garden in Elizabethtown on US-9 / NY-9N, behind the Essex County Historical Society | Adirondack History Center Museum. http://www.adkhistorycenter.org/
- ElizabethtownElizabethtown (hamlet), New YorkElizabethtown is a hamlet in the town of Elizabethtown in Essex County, New York, United States. Many locals in the town, as well as those who surround the area call Elizabethtown, E-Town....
– The hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Elizabethtown, the county seat is at the junction of US-9 and NY-9N. The community has been the county seat since 1807. - Euba Mills – A location in the southwest corner of the town on US-9 at the junction of County Road 70.
- Hurricane Mountain – A notable elevation in the northwest part of Elizabethtown.
- Lincoln Pond – A lakeLakeA lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the southeast corner of the town. - New Pond – A small lake at the south town line near Euba Mills.
- New Russia – A hamlet south of Elizabethtown on US-9.
- Pauline Murdock Wildlife Management AreaNew York State Wildlife Management AreasNew York State owns and maintains more than 85 Wildlife Management Areas , with a total area of more than .The Wildlife Management Areas Program is administered by the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources of the Department of Environmental Conservation...
– A conservation area northeast of Elizabethtown village. - The Northway --- Interstate 87 traverses the southeastern part of the town.
Notable residents
- Ezra C. GrossEzra C. GrossEzra Carter Gross was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...
, U.S. Representative from New York, March 4, 1819 to March 3, 1821) - Robert S. HaleRobert S. HaleRobert Safford Hale was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Chelsea, Vermont, Hale attended South Royalton Academy, and was graduated from the University of Vermont at Burlington in 1842. He studied law.He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Elizabethtown, New York, in 1847...
, U.S. Representative from New York, December 3, 1866 to March 3, 1867 and March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1875 - Augustus C. HandAugustus C. HandAugustus Cincinnatus Hand was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...
, U.S. Representative from New York, March 4, 1839, to March 3, 1841 - Augustus Noble HandAugustus Noble HandAugustus Noble Hand was an American judge who served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and later on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. His most notable rulings restricted the reach of obscenity statutes in the areas of literature and...
, judge who served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York - Learned HandLearned HandBillings Learned Hand was a United States judge and judicial philosopher. He served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and later the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit...
, Judge of United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - Orlando KelloggOrlando KelloggOrlando Kellogg was a U.S. Representative from New York during the latter half of the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction.-Biography:Born in Elizabethtown, New York, Kellogg pursued an academic course....
, U.S. Representative from New York, March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849 - Thomas W. LambThomas W. LambThomas White Lamb was an American architect, born in Scotland. He is noted as one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas in the 20th century.-Career:...
, architect - Gregor PiatigorskyGregor PiatigorskyGregor Piatigorsky was a Russian-born American cellist.-Early life:...
, cellist - Jacqueline PiatigorskyJacqueline PiatigorskyJacqueline Rebecca Louise de Rothschild is a French-American chess and tennis champion, author, sculptor and a member of the Rothschild banking family of France. The daughter of the enormously wealthy and influential banker, Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild, and Germaine Alice Halphen, she is the...
, chess and tennis champion, author, sculptor - Charles PolettiCharles PolettiCharles Poletti was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 46th Governor of New York in 1942, and was the first Italian-American governor in the United States.-Early life and education:...
, 46th Governor of New York - Mary PostMary PostMary Elizabeth Post was an American teacher and a pioneer of education in Arizona. A native of Elizabethtown, New York, her father was a carpenter who loved literature. From an early age, Post and her seven siblings were taught the importance of education and manners in society...
, American teacher and a pioneer of education in Arizona