Fort Plain, New York
Encyclopedia
Fort Plain is a village
in Montgomery County
, New York
, United States
. As of the 2000 census, the village
population was 2,288. The village is named after a fort built during the American Revolution.
The village of Fort Plain is at the border of the Towns of Minden
and Canajoharie
and is west of Amsterdam
.
Because of its small size and the close connections with neighboring communities, some former residents who now live in more populous regions use Fort Plain to refer collectively to the actual village of Fort Plain and the surrounding villages of Nelliston
, Canajoharie
, and Palatine Bridge
.
had four major villages.
In 1738, the governor of New York built a stone house for the use of his sons. Other early settlers included Palatinate Germans.
The village is built at the foot of the hill where the fort once stood.it was a Revolutionary War fort. The fort was constructed in 1776 and a blockhouse was maintained here throughout the war. While many of the village's men were fighting elsewhere, the women, dressed as men, were able to fend off Indian attacks by manning the walls of the fort.
Fort Plain became an incorporated village in 1832. The opening of the Erie Canal was an economic boom. It became a center of manufacturing during the Nineteenth century for textiles and furniture.
Fort Plain is also the birthplace of the first black professional baseball player, Bud Fowler. Fowler appeared in an exhibition game with a team from Lynn, Iowa in 1878, 68 years before Jackie Robinson played in a professional baseball game.
Fort Plain is also home to a large number of Amish and now, Montgomery County has one of the largest populations of Amish in the country.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.55%) is water.
The village is located on the south bank of the Mohawk River
, where the Otsquago Creek enters the Mohawk. The Erie Canal
, using the Mohawk River, is adjacent to the village. The Village of Nelliston
is on the opposite shore of the river.
New York State Thruway
(Interstate 90
) passes through the community. Fort Plain is at the intersection of NY Route 80
(Reid Street), NY Route 5S
(Canal Street), and NY Route 163
.
of 2000, there were 2,288 people, 960 households, and 599 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,680.0 people per square mile (649.6/km2). There were 1,108 housing units at an average density of 813.5 per square mile (314.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.60% White, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.48% from other races
, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.
There were 960 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $27,476, and the median income for a family was $40,302. Males had a median income of $28,462 versus $21,557 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $16,369. About 10.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Montgomery County
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...
. As of the 2000 census, the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
population was 2,288. The village is named after a fort built during the American Revolution.
The village of Fort Plain is at the border of the Towns of Minden
Minden, New York
Minden is a town in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 4,297 at the 2010 census. The town is located at the western edge of the county. It has possessed a post office from 1802 to 1903.- History :...
and Canajoharie
Canajoharie (town), New York
Canajoharie is a town in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 3,730 at the 2010 census. Canajoharie is located south of the Mohawk River on the south border of the county. The Erie Canal passes along the north town line. There is a village of Canajoharie in the town...
and is west 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....
.
Because of its small size and the close connections with neighboring communities, some former residents who now live in more populous regions use Fort Plain to refer collectively to the actual village of Fort Plain and the surrounding villages of Nelliston
Nelliston, New York
Nelliston is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 622 at the 2000 census. The name is from members of the Nellis family.The Village of Nelliston is in the Town of Palatine and is west of Amsterdam....
, Canajoharie
Canajoharie, New York
Canajoharie, New York may refer to:* Canajoharie , New York* Canajoharie , New York...
, and Palatine Bridge
Palatine Bridge, New York
Palatine Bridge is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 706 at the 2000 census. The basis of the name is the community's location in a region settled by Palatinate Germans....
.
History
The village is in a region where a branch of the MohawkMohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
had four major villages.
In 1738, the governor of New York built a stone house for the use of his sons. Other early settlers included Palatinate Germans.
The village is built at the foot of the hill where the fort once stood.it was a Revolutionary War fort. The fort was constructed in 1776 and a blockhouse was maintained here throughout the war. While many of the village's men were fighting elsewhere, the women, dressed as men, were able to fend off Indian attacks by manning the walls of the fort.
Fort Plain became an incorporated village in 1832. The opening of the Erie Canal was an economic boom. It became a center of manufacturing during the Nineteenth century for textiles and furniture.
Fort Plain is also the birthplace of the first black professional baseball player, Bud Fowler. Fowler appeared in an exhibition game with a team from Lynn, Iowa in 1878, 68 years before Jackie Robinson played in a professional baseball game.
Fort Plain is also home to a large number of Amish and now, Montgomery County has one of the largest populations of Amish in the country.
Geography
Fort Plain is located at 42.930846°N 74.624799°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.55%) is water.
The village is located on the south bank of 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...
, where the Otsquago Creek enters the Mohawk. 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...
, using the Mohawk River, is adjacent to the village. The Village of Nelliston
Nelliston, New York
Nelliston is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 622 at the 2000 census. The name is from members of the Nellis family.The Village of Nelliston is in the Town of Palatine and is west of Amsterdam....
is on the opposite shore of the river.
New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
) passes through the community. Fort Plain is at the intersection of NY Route 80
New York State Route 80
New York State Route 80 is a west–east New York State Route located within Onondaga, Madison, Chenango, Otsego, Herkimer, and Montgomery Counties in New York. Its western terminus is located at a junction with NY 175 in the city of Syracuse in Onondaga County, from which it...
(Reid Street), NY Route 5S
New York State Route 5S
New York State Route 5S is an east–west state highway located in the Mohawk Valley of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 5, NY 5A, NY 8, and NY 12 in Utica to a smaller interchange with NY 890 in Rotterdam...
(Canal Street), and NY Route 163
New York State Route 163
New York State Route 163 is an east–west state highway in Montgomery County, New York, United States. It runs from the village of Fort Plain to the town of Canajoharie in southern Montgomery County. With the exception of its eastern terminus, NY 163 is not signed with directions...
.
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 2,288 people, 960 households, and 599 families residing in the village. 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 1,680.0 people per square mile (649.6/km2). There were 1,108 housing units at an average density of 813.5 per square mile (314.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.60% White, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.48% 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 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.
There were 960 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $27,476, and the median income for a family was $40,302. Males had a median income of $28,462 versus $21,557 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 village was $16,369. About 10.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.