Franklin County, New York
Encyclopedia
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of 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...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...

. Its 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....

 is Malone
Malone (village), New York
-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....

.

Much of Franklin County is within the Adirondack Park.

History

When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Franklin County was part of Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...

. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766 by the creation of Cumberland County
Cumberland County, New York
Cumberland County, New York was a county in the Province of New York that became part of the state of Vermont. It was divided out of Albany County in New York in 1766, but eventually became part of Vermont in 1777...

, and further on March 16, 1770 by the creation of Gloucester County
Gloucester County, New York
Gloucester County, New York is a former county in New York that became part of the state of Vermont. It was a part of Albany County in the Province of New York until 1770 and was lost to Vermont in 1777. At that time, Vermont was holding itself out as the Republic of Vermont and did not become a...

, both containing territory now in Vermont. On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Charlotte County
Charlotte County, Province of New York
Charlotte County was a county in the colonial Province of New York in the British American colonies. It was created from Albany County on March 24, 1772. The county was named for Charlotte, Princess Royal, oldest daughter and fourth child of George III of the United Kingdom. Its boundaries extended...

, contained the eastern portion.

In 1784, the name "Charlotte County" was changed to Washington County
Washington County, New York
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...

 to honor George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

, the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

 general and later President of the United States of America.

In 1788, Clinton County
Clinton County, New York
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...

 was split off from Washington County. This was a much larger area than the present Clinton County, including several other counties or county parts of the present New York State.

Franklin County is part of Macomb's Purchase
Macomb's Purchase
Macomb's Purchase is a large historical area of northern New York, USA purchased from the state in 1791 by Alexander Macomb, who had become rich as a merchant in the American Revolution.-History and geography:...

 of 1791.

In 1799, Clinton County was reduced in size by the splitting off 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...

 . In 1802, Clinton County was reduced in size by a part of Clinton and two other counties being taken to form the new St. Lawrence County.

In 1808, Franklin County was split off from Clinton County.

In the late 1800s, Franklin County was home to three of the largest resort hotels in the Adirondacks, Paul Smith's Hotel
Paul Smith's Hotel
Paul Smith's Hotel, formally known as the Saint Regis House, was founded in 1859 by Apollos Smith in the town of Brighton, Franklin County, New York in what would become the village of Paul Smiths; it was one of the first wilderness resorts in Adirondacks...

, Loon Lake House, and Rainbow Inn.

The history of Franklin County is preserved at the Franklin Historical and Museum Society in Malone, New York
Malone, New York
Malone, New York is the name of two locations in Franklin County, New York, in the United States:*Malone , New York*Malone , New York...

.

Read and Listen to the Oral history of Franklin County in the late 19th early 20th Centuries

Geography

Franklin County is in the northeastern part of New York State. The northern edge is the border with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

According to the U.S. 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 county has a total area of 1697 square miles (4,395.2 km²), of which 1631 square miles (4,224.3 km²) is land and 66 square miles (170.9 km²) (3.89%) is water.

Adjacent counties

  • Clinton County
    Clinton County, New York
    Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...

    , 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...

     - east
  • 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...

     - southeast
  • Hamilton County
    Hamilton County, New York
    Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is named after Alexander Hamilton, the only member of the New York State delegation who signed the United States Constitution in 1787 and later the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Its county seat is Lake Pleasant...

    , 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...

     - southwest
  • St. Lawrence County
    St. Lawrence County, New York
    St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...

    , 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...

     - west
  • Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario
    Ontario
    Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

     - northwest
  • Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality
    Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality, Quebec
    Le Haut-Saint-Laurent is a regional county municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the Montérégie region. Its seat is in Huntingdon and it is named for the Saint Lawrence River which forms its western and northwestern boundary....

    , Quebec
    Quebec
    Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

     - north

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 51,134 people, 17,931 households, and 11,798 families residing in the county. 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 31 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 23,936 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.03% White
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...

, 6.63% Black
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...

 or African American
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...

, 6.20% Native American
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...

, 0.38% Asian
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...

, 2.07% 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 0.69% from two or more races. 4.01% of the population were Hispanic
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...

 or Latino
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...

 of any race. 31.0% were of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

, 13.6% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

, 10.6% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, 9.8% French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

, 9.2% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 and 5.4% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.6% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, 2.3% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 and 2.0% French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 as their first language.

There were 17,931 households out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.50% 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, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 33.20% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 121.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,517, and the median income for a family was $38,472. Males had a median income of $29,376 versus $22,292 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 county was $15,888. About 10.10% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.

With its sparsely populated nature, its local courts tend to be pretty quiet. The highways, prisons, and tourism, do create some work for the justices though.

Towns and Villages

  • Bangor
    Bangor, New York
    Bangor is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 2,147 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Bangor in Wales.The Town of Bangor is an interior town of the county, located west of the Village of Malone....

     (town)
  • Bellmont
    Bellmont, New York
    ----Bellmont is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The town is on the east border of the county and is southeast of the village of Malone. The population was 1,423 at the 2000 census...

     (town)
  • Bombay
    Bombay, New York
    Bombay is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2000 census. The town was named after a city in India, now known as Mumbai, by an early landowner whose wife was from Bombay....

     (town)

  • Brandon
    Brandon, New York
    Brandon is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. It is centrally located in the county, southwest of the village of Malone. The town population was 542 at the 2000 census. It was named after Brandon, Vermont by early settlers.-History:...

     (town)
  • Brighton
    Brighton, Franklin County, New York
    Brighton is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2000 census. It was named after Brighton, England by early surveyors in the region....

     (town)
  • Brushton
    Brushton, New York
    Brushton is a village in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 479 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Henry Brush, a land owner....

     (village)
  • Burke
    Burke (town), New York
    Burke is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,359 at the 2000 census.The Town of Burke is a town in the northeastern part of the county. The town is east of the Village of Malone, the county seat...

     (town)
  • Burke
    Burke (village), New York
    Burke is a village in Franklin County, New York, USA. The population was 213 at the 2000 census.The Village of Burke is in the Town of Burke and is northeast of the Village of Malone.- History :...

     (village)
  • Chateaugay
    Chateaugay (town), New York
    Chateaugay is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,036. The name is derived from a location in France, which was applied to a local land grant....

     (town)
  • Chateaugay
    Chateaugay (village), New York
    Chateaugay is a village located in the in Franklin County New York, USA. The population was 798 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after a village near Lyon in France, which became the name of a land grant in Canada....

     (village)
  • Constable
    Constable, New York
    Constable is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,428 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Constable, a member of the syndicate of original land owners....

     (town)
  • Dickinson
    Dickinson, Franklin County, New York
    ----Dickinson is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 739 at the 2000 census. The town was named after and individual in New Jersey by an early landowner from that state....

     (town)
  • Duane
    Duane, New York
    Duane is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 159 at the 2000 census. The town is named after James Duane, a developer and grandson of New York City Mayor James Duane....

     (town)
  • Fort Covington
    Fort Covington, New York
    Fort Covington is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,645 at the 2000 census. The name derives from a War of 1812 fortification.The Town of Fort Covington is on the county's northern border.- History :...

     (town)
  • Franklin
    Franklin, Franklin County, New York
    Franklin is a town located in Franklin County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,197.The Town of Franklin is in southeast part of the county, southeast of the Village of Malone . Franklin is in the Adirondack Region of New York State.- History...

     (town)
  • Harrietstown
    Harrietstown, New York
    Harrietstown is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 5,575 at the 2000 census, much of it concentrated in the village of Saranac Lake....

     (town)
  • Malone
    Malone (town), New York
    Malone is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 14,545 at the 2010 census.The Town of Malone contains a village called Malone, which is the county seat. The town is an interior town, centrally located in the county....

     (town)
  • Malone
    Malone (village), New York
    -Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....

     (village)
  • Moira
    Moira, New York
    Moira is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 2,857 at the 2000 census. Moira is located on the western border of Franklin County and is west of the Village of Malone.- History :...

     (town)
  • Reynoldston, New York
    Reynoldston, New York
    -Location of Reynoldston:Reynoldston is a former settlement in Upstate New York or sometimes referred to as Northern New York . Located in the Township of Brandon in Franklin County, Reynoldston was about 1400 feet above the St. Lawrence River Valley. It is in the northern foothills of the...

      (historical mill town)
  • Santa Clara
    Santa Clara, New York
    Santa Clara is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 395 at the 2000 census. The name was derived from the wife of an early town businessman, John Hurd....

     (town)
  • Saranac Lake
    Saranac Lake, New York
    Saranac Lake is a village located in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406. The village is named after Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes, which are nearby....

     (village)
  • Skerry, New York
    Skerry, New York
    -Location:The Hamlet of Skerry is located in Town of Brandon in Franklin County, between the Little Salmon River on Franklin County Highway 12 and Franklin County Highway 13 . Skerry is 7 miles from Malone and the nearest community is West Bangor 3.6 miles.Originally the community developed...

     (hamlet)
  • Tupper Lake
    Tupper Lake (village), New York
    Tupper Lake is a village in Franklin County, New York. The population was 3,935 at the 2000 census. The village takes its name from a nearby lake, which, in turn, is the name of a surveyor who drowned there while fishing....

     (village)
  • Tupper Lake
    Tupper Lake (town), New York
    Tupper Lake is a town in the southwest corner of Franklin County, New York. The population was 5,971 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village called Tupper Lake. Until July 2004, the town was known as Altamont, not be confused with the village of Altamont in Albany County.-History:In 1850...

     (town)
  • Waverly
    Waverly, Franklin County, New York
    ----Waverly is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2000 census.The Town of Waverly is on the west border of the county, southwest of the Village of Malone.-Geography:...

     (town)
  • Westville
    Westville, New York
    Westville is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,823.The Town of Westville is on the north border of the county and is north of the Village of Malone.- History :...

     (town)
Label in parentheses is official level of political organization.

Education

Franklin County is home to North Country Community College
North Country Community College
North Country Community College, founded in 1967, is a community college of the State University of New York located in Upstate New York. The main campus is in Saranac Lake, New York, and serves Franklin and Essex Counties; enrollment is approximately 2300 students. It employs 143 permanent and 300...

 and Paul Smith's College
Paul Smith's College
Paul Smith's College is a private college and is the only four year institution of higher education located within the boundary of the Adirondack State Park in Upstate New York...

. North Country Community College
North Country Community College
North Country Community College, founded in 1967, is a community college of the State University of New York located in Upstate New York. The main campus is in Saranac Lake, New York, and serves Franklin and Essex Counties; enrollment is approximately 2300 students. It employs 143 permanent and 300...

 is sponsored by and serves Franklin and Essex counties, with campuses in Malone
Malone (town), New York
Malone is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 14,545 at the 2010 census.The Town of Malone contains a village called Malone, which is the county seat. The town is an interior town, centrally located in the county....

 - Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake is a village located in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406. The village is named after Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes, which are nearby....

 & Ticonderoga.

See also

  • North Country Community College
    North Country Community College
    North Country Community College, founded in 1967, is a community college of the State University of New York located in Upstate New York. The main campus is in Saranac Lake, New York, and serves Franklin and Essex Counties; enrollment is approximately 2300 students. It employs 143 permanent and 300...

  • Cure Cottages of Saranac Lake
    Cure Cottages of Saranac Lake
    Between 1873 and 1945, Saranac Lake, New York became a world renowned center for the treatment of tuberculosis, using a treatment that involved exposing patients to as much fresh air as possible under conditions of complete bed-rest...

  • Adirondack Canoe Classic
    Adirondack Canoe Classic
    __notoc__The Adirondack Canoe Classic, also known as the 90-miler, is a three-day, canoe race from Old Forge to Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks of New York, USA. The race has drawn as many as 500 competitors from California to Florida, New Zealand and Canada paddling 250 canoes, kayaks and...

  • List of counties in New York
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County
  • Church Street Historic District
    Church Street Historic District (Saranac Lake, New York)
    The Church Street Historic District is a national historic district located in Saranac Lake in Franklin County, New York. It extends roughly along Church Street from Main Street to St. Bernard Street...

  • Adirondack County, New York
    Adirondack County, New York
    Adirondack County is a proposed new county in New York to be formed out of town of North Elba of Essex County and other surrounding towns that have economies based on tourism. In 2007, North Elba Town Supervisor Shirley Seney stated that such an administrative restructuring could be used as a means...

     - a proposed new county


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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