Grafton, New York
Encyclopedia
Grafton is a town in Rensselaer County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,987 at the 2000 census. It is believed that the town received its name from Grafton
, Vermont
, from where the first town supervisor, Nathaniel Dumbleton, was originally from. The town is an interior town near the north-central part of the county. NY Route 2
passes across the town.
The question of the first settlement of Grafton has never been settled. The names of the first white men who built new homes in the wilderness and the date f their coming probably will never be known. In all probability, however, the town was the last in Rensselaer County to be settled. Grafton was formed from the towns of Troy and Petersburgh on March 20, 1807, and even at this comparatively late day it had few inhabitants. Abel Owen is generally believed to have been the first man to enter the rather unattractive mountain wilderness and build himself a home. he was a sturdy farmer, an indefatigable laborer, and to encourage further settlement the patroon
, Stephen Van Rensselaer III
, gave him a grant of 200 acres (80.9 ha) or more of what was then thought to be the best land in that section adapted to farming. Owen was not long without neighbors, if indeed there were not one or more families located in that vicinity when he built his log house.
There is nothing to show when Mr. Owen moved to Grafton, but from subsequent settlements and other occurrences it is thought that it could not have been very long after the Revolutionary War
. Possibly it was several years later, during that war or at its close. Immediately after the period when the colonists were fighting for independence, or beginning with 1784 or 1785, several families leased land in Grafton from the patroon and began the cultivation of the land there. Abel Owen is recorded as a Revolutionary soldier, so that the preponderance of opinion is that no settlements were made in the town until the closing years of the war or later. perhaps those who locacted there in the years mentioned accompanied Owen. About 1786 the latter had at lest two or three neighbors, families names Coon and Demmon being early lessees of the patroon's lands. About 1796 Abel own sold his farm to Lemuel Steward and removed with his family to Onondaga County.
Nathaniel Dumbleton, who was first elected to the office of supervisor, moved to the town from Grafton
, Vermont
, and tradition says that through his influence the town received the name which it has since borne. The first town meeting was held soon after the organization, on the first Tuesday of April, 1807 at the house of Nathan Hakes.
Two taverns are mentioned by various authorities as the earliest in town. one was located at East Grafton and was built and maintained by Thomas Scriven; the other was located in the wester part of the town and was kept by Elijah Terry. The tavern of S. McChesney was opened about the year 1800. The Grafton House was built about 1838 by Stephen Van Rensselaer. It was the most pretentious affair in the town and for many years one of the most prominent taverns in the central part of the county.
About the year 1800 Josiah Litchfield opened a general store at Quackenkill, erecting a saw mill about the same time. S. McChesney, in addition to his tavern, also kept an early store at Quackenkill. Van Rensselaer built a grist mill in 1836 or 1837. These were for many years the principal business enterprises in Grafton.
The first physician to practice in town of whom there is any knowledge was Dr. FRufus S. Waite, a native of Petersburgh, who came to Grafton Center from Brownsville in 1819. He practiced for about forty years and became widely known throughout Rensselaer County. Dr. Amos Allen, also a native of Petersburgh, settled in Grafton in 1846, immediately after his graduation from the Berkshire Medical School. For many years Dr. Allen was the only physician in the town.
When, in pursuance of the school law of 1812-1813, the town voted its first appropriation for the maintenance of the schools at public expense, Jedediah Wellman, Daniel Mills and Thomas West were chosen school commissioners. In the fall of 1813 the town was divided into ten districts, and soon after a common school was maintained in each district. In common with all other towns in the state, the school system was changed from time to time in accordance with legislative enactment. under the system of supervision by town superintendents, Thomas W. potter served in 1844 and 1845, John C. Potter in 1846, Paul K. Davison in 1847 and 1848, Dr. Amos Allen from 1850 to 1853 and Daniel H. Davison from 1854 to 1856.
December 19, 1845 saw a tragedy in Grafton, one of the many taking place in Rensselaer County during the Anti-Rent War
, following the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer III. Elijah Smith was shot by an unknown person during one of the numerous struggles which took place between the anti renters and the authorities of the county.
Some of the earlier industries in Grafton are referred to above. Saw mills were among the earliest enterprises, as they were rendered necessary by the presence of an almost unbroken forest over mountain and valley. These mills also sent out large quantities of tan bark, and vast quantities of the wood were reduced to charcoal and sent to nearby markets. As the timber was cleared away the inhabitants began to pay more attention to agriculture, stock raising, and dairying. The manufacture of shirts was begun about 1855 by Caleb W. Scriven, who introduced the first sewing machine in the town. The workd was done by his employees at their homes and the product of their toil was sent to New York City
. Others who engaged in the business at the early day were the firm of J.H. & A.H. Scriven, Ford & Bennett and their successors. Many families in town found the industry as a profitable one at the time.
Grafton possesses the most uneven surface of any town in the county. It is located within the limits of the Petersburgh Range of mountains and the principal peaks in the town reach an altitude of from 1000 to 1200 ft (304.8 to 365.8 m) above the level of the sea. A small portion of the land only is cultivable, but the hillsides afford excellent grazing. nevertheless many of the inhabitants of Grafton have farms which, by years of constant care and cultivation, have been rendered almost as productive as any within the county.
As already stated, ponds and small streams are very abundant. Cranberry lake, in the southern part, is the source of the Quacken Kill, which flows by a devious to the western limits of the town, affording numerous excellent mill sites. in the northern part of the town are several creeks flowing towards the hoosick Valley. The ponds of Grafton are noted for the purity and high quality of their water, and some of them on this account were once considered as available sources of supply for Troy's drinking water.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 46 square miles (119.1 km²), of which, 44.9 square miles (116.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (2.35%) is water.
The town is mostly a highlands, continuing the Taconics north, or the Berkshires west. The secenic beauty of the area is seen at the Grafton Lakes State Park
, a park with four lakes among gentle mountain scenery.
and Pittstown
.
of 2000, there were 1,987 people, 747 households, and 554 families residing in the town. The population density
was 44.3 people per square mile (17.1/km²). There were 1,059 housing units at an average density of 23.6 per square mile (9.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.99% White, 0.15% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.25% from other races
, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 747 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,347, and the median income for a family was $53,810. Males had a median income of $38,333 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,312. About 4.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Part of the town is serviced by Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
.
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
, 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 1,987 at the 2000 census. It is believed that the town received its name from Grafton
Grafton, Vermont
Grafton is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded as Thomlinson, but renaming rights were auctioned in 1791. The high bidder, who reportedly offered "five dollars and a jug of rum," changed the name to Grafton after...
, 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...
, from where the first town supervisor, Nathaniel Dumbleton, was originally from. The town is an interior town near the north-central part of the county. NY Route 2
New York State Route 2
New York State Route 2 is a state highway in the Capital District of New York, United States. It extends from an interchange with Interstate 87 and NY 7 in the hamlet of Latham within the town of Colonie to the Massachusetts state line, where it continues to Boston as Route 2....
passes across the town.
History
The town of Grafton was originally a part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, and at that time was known as Roxborough. The first settlements are not clear from the ca. 1765-1807 map of the manor. As part of Rennesselaerswyck, the first inhabitants were renters of that estate.The question of the first settlement of Grafton has never been settled. The names of the first white men who built new homes in the wilderness and the date f their coming probably will never be known. In all probability, however, the town was the last in Rensselaer County to be settled. Grafton was formed from the towns of Troy and Petersburgh on March 20, 1807, and even at this comparatively late day it had few inhabitants. Abel Owen is generally believed to have been the first man to enter the rather unattractive mountain wilderness and build himself a home. he was a sturdy farmer, an indefatigable laborer, and to encourage further settlement the patroon
Patroon
In the United States, a patroon was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America...
, Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III was Lieutenant Governor of New York as well as a statesman, soldier, and land-owner, the heir to one of the largest estates in the New York region at the time, which made him the tenth richest American of all time, based on the ratio of his fortune to contemporary GDP...
, gave him a grant of 200 acres (80.9 ha) or more of what was then thought to be the best land in that section adapted to farming. Owen was not long without neighbors, if indeed there were not one or more families located in that vicinity when he built his log house.
There is nothing to show when Mr. Owen moved to Grafton, but from subsequent settlements and other occurrences it is thought that it could not have been very long after the Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Possibly it was several years later, during that war or at its close. Immediately after the period when the colonists were fighting for independence, or beginning with 1784 or 1785, several families leased land in Grafton from the patroon and began the cultivation of the land there. Abel Owen is recorded as a Revolutionary soldier, so that the preponderance of opinion is that no settlements were made in the town until the closing years of the war or later. perhaps those who locacted there in the years mentioned accompanied Owen. About 1786 the latter had at lest two or three neighbors, families names Coon and Demmon being early lessees of the patroon's lands. About 1796 Abel own sold his farm to Lemuel Steward and removed with his family to Onondaga County.
Nathaniel Dumbleton, who was first elected to the office of supervisor, moved to the town from Grafton
Grafton, Vermont
Grafton is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded as Thomlinson, but renaming rights were auctioned in 1791. The high bidder, who reportedly offered "five dollars and a jug of rum," changed the name to Grafton after...
, 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 tradition says that through his influence the town received the name which it has since borne. The first town meeting was held soon after the organization, on the first Tuesday of April, 1807 at the house of Nathan Hakes.
Two taverns are mentioned by various authorities as the earliest in town. one was located at East Grafton and was built and maintained by Thomas Scriven; the other was located in the wester part of the town and was kept by Elijah Terry. The tavern of S. McChesney was opened about the year 1800. The Grafton House was built about 1838 by Stephen Van Rensselaer. It was the most pretentious affair in the town and for many years one of the most prominent taverns in the central part of the county.
About the year 1800 Josiah Litchfield opened a general store at Quackenkill, erecting a saw mill about the same time. S. McChesney, in addition to his tavern, also kept an early store at Quackenkill. Van Rensselaer built a grist mill in 1836 or 1837. These were for many years the principal business enterprises in Grafton.
The first physician to practice in town of whom there is any knowledge was Dr. FRufus S. Waite, a native of Petersburgh, who came to Grafton Center from Brownsville in 1819. He practiced for about forty years and became widely known throughout Rensselaer County. Dr. Amos Allen, also a native of Petersburgh, settled in Grafton in 1846, immediately after his graduation from the Berkshire Medical School. For many years Dr. Allen was the only physician in the town.
When, in pursuance of the school law of 1812-1813, the town voted its first appropriation for the maintenance of the schools at public expense, Jedediah Wellman, Daniel Mills and Thomas West were chosen school commissioners. In the fall of 1813 the town was divided into ten districts, and soon after a common school was maintained in each district. In common with all other towns in the state, the school system was changed from time to time in accordance with legislative enactment. under the system of supervision by town superintendents, Thomas W. potter served in 1844 and 1845, John C. Potter in 1846, Paul K. Davison in 1847 and 1848, Dr. Amos Allen from 1850 to 1853 and Daniel H. Davison from 1854 to 1856.
December 19, 1845 saw a tragedy in Grafton, one of the many taking place in Rensselaer County during the Anti-Rent War
Anti-Rent War
The Anti-Rent War was a tenants' revolt in upstate New York during the early 19th century, beginning with the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer III in 1839....
, following the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer III. Elijah Smith was shot by an unknown person during one of the numerous struggles which took place between the anti renters and the authorities of the county.
Some of the earlier industries in Grafton are referred to above. Saw mills were among the earliest enterprises, as they were rendered necessary by the presence of an almost unbroken forest over mountain and valley. These mills also sent out large quantities of tan bark, and vast quantities of the wood were reduced to charcoal and sent to nearby markets. As the timber was cleared away the inhabitants began to pay more attention to agriculture, stock raising, and dairying. The manufacture of shirts was begun about 1855 by Caleb W. Scriven, who introduced the first sewing machine in the town. The workd was done by his employees at their homes and the product of their toil was sent to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Others who engaged in the business at the early day were the firm of J.H. & A.H. Scriven, Ford & Bennett and their successors. Many families in town found the industry as a profitable one at the time.
Geography
The town of Grafton is located north of the center of Rensselaer County. It is bounded on the north by Pittstown and Hoosick, on the east by Petersburgh, on the south by Berlin and Poestenkill and on the west by Brunswick. Like Stephentown, it is rectangular in shape. Its surface contains more small lakes and ponds than any other town in the county, and these are the headwaters of many streams flowing in every direction. The town may be said to be the center of the watershed of Rensselaer County.Grafton possesses the most uneven surface of any town in the county. It is located within the limits of the Petersburgh Range of mountains and the principal peaks in the town reach an altitude of from 1000 to 1200 ft (304.8 to 365.8 m) above the level of the sea. A small portion of the land only is cultivable, but the hillsides afford excellent grazing. nevertheless many of the inhabitants of Grafton have farms which, by years of constant care and cultivation, have been rendered almost as productive as any within the county.
As already stated, ponds and small streams are very abundant. Cranberry lake, in the southern part, is the source of the Quacken Kill, which flows by a devious to the western limits of the town, affording numerous excellent mill sites. in the northern part of the town are several creeks flowing towards the hoosick Valley. The ponds of Grafton are noted for the purity and high quality of their water, and some of them on this account were once considered as available sources of supply for Troy's drinking water.
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 town has a total area of 46 square miles (119.1 km²), of which, 44.9 square miles (116.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (2.35%) is water.
The town is mostly a highlands, continuing the Taconics north, or the Berkshires west. The secenic beauty of the area is seen at the Grafton Lakes State Park
Grafton Lakes State Park
Grafton Lakes State Park is a state park in Rensselaer County, New York in the USA. The park is in the central part of the Town of Grafton and north of the community of Grafton on NY Route 2....
, a park with four lakes among gentle mountain scenery.
Adjacent towns and areas
The town is south of the Towns of HoosickHoosick, New York
Hoosick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 6,759 at the 2000 census.The Town of Hoosick is in the northeast corner of the county.- History :...
and Pittstown
Pittstown, New York
Pittstown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 5,644 at the 2000 census. It is in the northern part of the county.A small part of the north town line is Rensselaer County's border with Washington County, New York...
.
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 1,987 people, 747 households, and 554 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 44.3 people per square mile (17.1/km²). There were 1,059 housing units at an average density of 23.6 per square mile (9.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.99% White, 0.15% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.25% 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 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 747 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,347, and the median income for a family was $53,810. Males had a median income of $38,333 versus $28,750 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 $21,312. About 4.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Grafton
- Babcock Lake – A 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...
in the northeast corner of the town. - Dunham Reservoir – A reservoir in the south part of the town.
- East Grafton – A hamlet east of Grafton village on NY-2.
- Elizabeth Lake – A small lake near Grafton Lakes State Park.
- Grafton (formerly "Grafton Center" and "Patroons Mill") – The hamlet of Grafton on NY-2 in the central part of the town.
- Grafton Lakes State ParkGrafton Lakes State ParkGrafton Lakes State Park is a state park in Rensselaer County, New York in the USA. The park is in the central part of the Town of Grafton and north of the community of Grafton on NY Route 2....
– A state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
near Grafton village, north of NY-2. - Quackenkill – A hamlet in the western part of the town on NY-2.
Part of the town is serviced by Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
Brunswick Central School District is a rural fringe central school district located east of the city of Troy whose main campus resides in the town of Brunswick in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The district has two operating school buildings: Tamarac Elementary School and Tamarac...
.
External links
This article incorporates text from Landmarks of Rensselaer County New York, by George Baker Anderson (1897), a publication now in the public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
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