Little Falls (city), New York
Encyclopedia
Little Falls is a city
in Herkimer County
, New York
, USA. The population was 5,188 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a small cataract
near the city.
The City of Little Falls is located at the southeastern corner of the Town of Little Falls
and is east of Utica
.
Little Falls has a picturesque location on the slope of a narrow and rocky defile
, flowing through which the river falls 45 feet (13 m) in less than a mile (1.6 km), forming a number of cascades.
around the falls promoted a trading location on the site of the future city, allowing it to be the first settlement in the town.
The small settlement here was destroyed by the Indians and Tories in June, 1782, and the place was not resettled until 1790 and was known at times as "Rockton" and "Rock City." Little Falls was incorporated as a village in 1811, and reincorporated in 1827. The City of Little Falls was chartered in 1895.
The Western Inland Canal (early attempt of the Erie Canal) was constructed in 1792 and helped the local economy. The Erie Canal
, completed in 1825, passes through the city. Lock 17 of the New York State Erie Canal replaced the 3 locks of the original 1825 Erie Canal and until recent years was the highest lift lock in the world at 40.5 feet (12.3 m) in height.
Little Falls was a major cheese
center in the third quarter of the 19th Century.
In 1900, 10,381 people lived in Little Falls, in 1910, 12,273, in 1920, 13,029, and in 1940, 10,163.
of Revolutionary War
fame, with a monument erected in 1896.
Nineteenth-century soap
manufacturing magnate Benjamin T. Babbitt
operated a machine shop in Little Falls early in his career.
Little Falls was the home of David H. Burrell
, an inventor and gentleman farmer, who, in 1885, patented the first technically sound oil burner which could burn both liquid and gaseous fuels. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan
declared the year, "Oil Heat Centennial Year" because it marked one hundred years since the U.S. Patent Office granted, to Burrell, a patent for his furnace. Mr. Burrell was also a pioneer in the local dairy industry with many patents for improved machinery registered in his name. His company, D.H. Burrell and Co., was founded in 1885 to develop and distribute this equipment.
Francis Bellamy
, author of the Pledge of Allegiance
, lived in the city.
In the late 1800s, and early 1900s, eye specialist Professor Louis Sugarman of Little Falls, NY attracted hundreds of local spectators, as well as worldwide celebrity, for his daily plunge in the Mohawk River, even when the thermostat hit 23 below zero, earning him the title "the human polar bear".
, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (4.29%) is water.
Little Falls is mostly on the north bank of the Mohawk River
near a waterfall which was considered smaller than another waterfall on the river by Cohoes, New York
.
New York State Route 5
, New York State Route 167
, New York State Route 169
, and New York State Route 170
converge on Little Falls.
of 2000, there were 5,188 people, 2,339 households, and 1,277 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,367.0 people per square mile (527.1/km²). There were 2,646 housing units at an average density of 697.2 per square mile (268.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.78% White, 0.29% Black or African American
, 0.33% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.06% from other races
, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 2,339 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,965, and the median income for a family was $34,583. Males had a median income of $28,807 versus $21,040 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,139. About 9.3% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Herkimer County
Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
, 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...
, USA. The population was 5,188 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a small cataract
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
near the city.
The City of Little Falls is located at the southeastern corner of the Town of Little Falls
Little Falls (town), New York
Little Falls is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,544 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a waterfall located nearby.The Town of Little Falls has on its eastern end a small city called Little Falls...
and is east of Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
.
Little Falls has a picturesque location on the slope of a narrow and rocky defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
, flowing through which the river falls 45 feet (13 m) in less than a mile (1.6 km), forming a number of cascades.
History
Little Falls was first settled around 1723. The need to portagePortage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
around the falls promoted a trading location on the site of the future city, allowing it to be the first settlement in the town.
The small settlement here was destroyed by the Indians and Tories in June, 1782, and the place was not resettled until 1790 and was known at times as "Rockton" and "Rock City." Little Falls was incorporated as a village in 1811, and reincorporated in 1827. The City of Little Falls was chartered in 1895.
The Western Inland Canal (early attempt of the Erie Canal) was constructed in 1792 and helped the local economy. 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...
, completed in 1825, passes through the city. Lock 17 of the New York State Erie Canal replaced the 3 locks of the original 1825 Erie Canal and until recent years was the highest lift lock in the world at 40.5 feet (12.3 m) in height.
Little Falls was a major cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
center in the third quarter of the 19th Century.
In 1900, 10,381 people lived in Little Falls, in 1910, 12,273, in 1920, 13,029, and in 1940, 10,163.
Notable residents
On the outskirts of the city is the grave and residence of General HerkimerNicholas Herkimer
Nicholas Herkimer was a militia general in the American Revolutionary War, who died of wounds after the Battle of Oriskany.-Career:...
of 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...
fame, with a monument erected in 1896.
Nineteenth-century soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
manufacturing magnate Benjamin T. Babbitt
Benjamin T. Babbitt
Benjamin Talbot Babbitt was a self-made American businessman and inventor who amassed a fortune in the soap industry, manufacturing Babbitt's Best Soap.-Early life:...
operated a machine shop in Little Falls early in his career.
Little Falls was the home of David H. Burrell
David H. Burrell
David Hamlin Burrell was an American industrialist, inventor, and philanthropist based in Little Falls, New York. He achieved prominence through improvements and inventions related to the dairy industry during the late 19th- and early 20th centuries.He developed most of his inventions at his...
, an inventor and gentleman farmer, who, in 1885, patented the first technically sound oil burner which could burn both liquid and gaseous fuels. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
declared the year, "Oil Heat Centennial Year" because it marked one hundred years since the U.S. Patent Office granted, to Burrell, a patent for his furnace. Mr. Burrell was also a pioneer in the local dairy industry with many patents for improved machinery registered in his name. His company, D.H. Burrell and Co., was founded in 1885 to develop and distribute this equipment.
Francis Bellamy
Francis Bellamy
Francis Julius Bellamy was an author, editor, and Baptist minister born in Mount Morris, New York. He attended Rome Free Academy in Rome, New York, the University of Rochester and the Rochester Theological Seminary . He was an American Baptist minister and Christian Socialist who wrote the...
, author of the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
, lived in the city.
In the late 1800s, and early 1900s, eye specialist Professor Louis Sugarman of Little Falls, NY attracted hundreds of local spectators, as well as worldwide celebrity, for his daily plunge in the Mohawk River, even when the thermostat hit 23 below zero, earning him the title "the human polar bear".
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 city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (4.29%) is water.
Little Falls is mostly on the north 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...
near a waterfall which was considered smaller than another waterfall on the river by Cohoes, New York
Cohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
.
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
, New York State Route 167
New York State Route 167
New York State Route 167 is a north–south state highway located mostly within Herkimer County in eastern New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 20 in Richfield Springs, Otsego County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with...
, New York State Route 169
New York State Route 169
New York State Route 169 is a north–south state highway located within Herkimer County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 5S in the town of Danube to a junction with NY 28 and NY 29 in the village of Middleville...
, and New York State Route 170
New York State Route 170
New York State Route 170 is a north–south state highway in Herkimer County, New York, United States. It runs from NY 169 in the city of Little Falls to NY 29 in the town of Fairfield. It has only one other junction with a signed state highway, that being NY 170A, its spur route...
converge on Little Falls.
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 5,188 people, 2,339 households, and 1,277 families residing in the city. 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 1,367.0 people per square mile (527.1/km²). There were 2,646 housing units at an average density of 697.2 per square mile (268.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.78% White, 0.29% 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...
, 0.33% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.06% 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 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 2,339 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,965, and the median income for a family was $34,583. Males had a median income of $28,807 versus $21,040 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 city was $15,139. About 9.3% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.