Homer (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Homer is a town in Cortland County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 6,363 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Greek
poet Homer
.
The Town of Homer contains a village called Homer
. The town is situated on the west border of Cortland County, immediately north of the City of Cortland
.
used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution
. "Homer" was the name of one of the townships in the Military Tract, this name being assigned by a town clerk.
This region was settled in 1791.
The Town of Homer was established when Onondaga County
was formed in 1794. It is within Cortland County
, New York
which was formed from Onondaga County.
In 1835, the Village of Homer set itself off from the town by incorporation.
, the town has a total area of 50.7 square miles (131.2 km²), of which 50.4 square miles (130.4 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) (0.59%) is water.
The west town line is the border of Cayuga County
.
Interstate 81
, US Route 11, and New York State Route 281
are north south highways. New York State Route 41
and New York State Route 90
converge on Homer village from the west. New York State Route 41A
converges on NY-41 in the northwest quadrant of Homer. New York State Route 13
cuts across the southeast quadrant.
The East Branch and West Branch of the Tioughnioga River
flow southward through Homer. Lower and Upper Little York Lakes are fed and drained by the West Branch.
of 2000, there were 6,363 people, 2,446 households, and 1,746 families residing in the town. The population density
was 126.3 people per square mile (48.8/km²). There were 2,603 housing units at an average density of 51.7 per square mile (20.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.11% White, 0.41% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 2,446 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,321, and the median income for a family was $51,968. Males had a median income of $34,873 versus $23,656 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,145. About 6.3% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
, 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 6,363 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Greek
Greek literature
Greek literature refers to writings composed in areas of Greek influence, typically though not necessarily in one of the Greek dialects, throughout the whole period in which the Greek-speaking people have existed.-Ancient Greek literature :...
poet Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
.
The Town of Homer contains a village called Homer
Homer (village), New York
Homer is a village in Cortland County, New York, USA . The population was 3,368 at the 2000 census. The village name is derived from the surrounding town, which was named after the poet Homer....
. The town is situated on the west border of Cortland County, immediately north of the City of Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
.
History
The region was part of the Central New York Military TractCentral New York Military Tract
The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly two million acres of bounty land set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War....
used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution
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...
. "Homer" was the name of one of the townships in the Military Tract, this name being assigned by a town clerk.
This region was settled in 1791.
The Town of Homer was established when Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
was formed in 1794. It is within Cortland County
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
, 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...
which was formed from Onondaga County.
In 1835, the Village of Homer set itself off from the town by incorporation.
Notable natives and residents
- Arthur C. SidmanArthur C. SidmanArthur C. Sidman was the son of a blacksmith who became a popular American vaudeville performer and playwright.-Early life:...
Actor and playwright - Amelia Jenks Bloomer, Women's rights activist
- Francis Bicknell CarpenterFrancis Bicknell CarpenterFrancis Bicknell Carpenter was an American painter born in Homer, New York. Carpenter is best known for his painting First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, which is hanging in the United States Capitol...
, Artist - William StoddardWilliam StoddardWilliam Osborn Stoddard was an author, inventor, and assistant secretary to Abraham Lincoln during his first term.Stoddard was born at Homer, Courtland Co., New York. His parents were Prentice S. and Sarah Stoddard. Stoddard attended the University of Rochester, where he graduated cum laude...
, Secretary to President Abraham Lincoln during his years at the White House - Eleazer WakeleyEleazer WakeleyEleazer Wakeley was a Nebraska and Wisconsin politician and jurist.Born in Homer, New York, Wakeley and his family moved first to Pennsylvania and then to Elyria, Ohio, where he studied the law and was admitted to the Ohio bar. His father was Solmous Wakeley, who served in the Wisconsin Legislature...
, Nebraska and Wisconsin politician and jurist - Andrew Dickson WhiteAndrew Dickson WhiteAndrew Dickson White was a U.S. diplomat, historian, and educator, who was the co-founder of Cornell University.-Family and personal life:...
, Diplomat, educator, historian, founder of Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
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 50.7 square miles (131.2 km²), of which 50.4 square miles (130.4 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) (0.59%) is water.
The west town line is the border of Cayuga County
Cayuga County, New York
Cayuga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was named for one of the tribes of Indians in the Iroquois Confederation. Its county seat is Auburn.- History :...
.
Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
, US Route 11, and New York State Route 281
New York State Route 281
New York State Route 281 is a north–south state highway in central New York, United States. It extends for across Cortland and Onondaga Counties. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 13 in the town of Cortlandville. Its northern terminus is at a junction with...
are north south highways. New York State Route 41
New York State Route 41
New York State Route 41 is a north–south state highway in Central New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 in the town of Sanford. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Route 20 in the village of Skaneateles...
and New York State Route 90
New York State Route 90
New York State Route 90 is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. All but five of the route's are located in Cayuga County, with the remaining situated in Cortland County. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S....
converge on Homer village from the west. New York State Route 41A
New York State Route 41A
New York State Route 41A is a north–south New York State Route located within Onondaga, Cayuga, and Cortland Counties in Central New York. Its northern terminus is located at a junction with U.S. Route 20 in the village of Skaneateles in Onondaga County...
converges on NY-41 in the northwest quadrant of Homer. New York State Route 13
New York State Route 13
New York State Route 13 is a state highway that runs mainly north–south for between NY 14 in Horseheads and NY 3 west of Pulaski in Central New York in the United States. In between, NY 13 intersects with Interstate 81 in Cortland and Pulaski and meets the New York...
cuts across the southeast quadrant.
The East Branch and West Branch of the Tioughnioga River
Tioughnioga River
The Tioughnioga River is a tributary of the Chenango River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau area east of the Finger Lakes at the northernmost edge of the watershed of the Susquehanna River....
flow southward through Homer. Lower and Upper Little York Lakes are fed and drained by the West Branch.
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 6,363 people, 2,446 households, and 1,746 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 126.3 people per square mile (48.8/km²). There were 2,603 housing units at an average density of 51.7 per square mile (20.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.11% White, 0.41% Black 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...
, 0.22% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% 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 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 2,446 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% 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, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,321, and the median income for a family was $51,968. Males had a median income of $34,873 versus $23,656 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 $20,145. About 6.3% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the Town of Homer
- East Homer – A hamlet northeast of Homer village, located on NY-13.
- East River – A hamlet southwest of East Homer.
- HomerHomer (village), New YorkHomer is a village in Cortland County, New York, USA . The population was 3,368 at the 2000 census. The village name is derived from the surrounding town, which was named after the poet Homer....
– The Village of Homer is north of Cortland on US-11 and NY-281. Homer is next to West Branch. - Little York – A hamlet north of Pratt Corner on NY-281.
- Pratt Corners – A hamlet north of Homer village on NY-281.
- Scott – A hamlet located just north of the town on NY-41.