Lowville (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Lowville is a town in Lewis County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 4,548 at the 2000 census. The town is near the center of the county and is southeast of the city of Watertown
. Lowville contains a village also named Lowville
, which is the county seat
. The town of is named after Nicholas Low
, an early landowner. Low was of Dutch descent, and had emigrated with his wife and three small children from a rural village outside of Amsterdam
in 1778.
, the town was formed in 1800 from The Town of Mexico
, New York
in Oswego County. In 1803, part of Lowville was used to form the town of Harrisburg
. The Village of Lowville was incorporated in 1854 and was designated the county seat in 1864, succeeding the community of Martinsburg in the Town of Martinsburg
.
Phil (Stow) Kelley along with their six sons settled in Lowville in 1799, moving from Middletown Conn. With the help of some others Daniel put up a saw mill and a 2-story house. One son, Datus Kelley, worked in the mill. In 1867 Datus' daughter Emeline (Kelley) Huntington wrote: By a little brook which comes down from the long hills which rise almost like mountains on either side of the Black River
, stands the same old mill where Father ground the wheat and corn for the country people. Its wheel is dripping and clattering still, doing duty as faithfully as of old. While the old miller who 'picked the stones and calked the gate' when the mill was new, has laid away his earthly casket in the little burying ground far away from the roar of the water which is constantly pouring over the mill dam. In 1810 Datus married Sara Dean and moved to Rockport Ohio. Datus and Sara then bought Kelleys Island in Lake Erie (Ohio), and founded the community called Kelley's Island. Agriculture and dairy farming flourished in the area because of the rich soil on the Black River Flats. With the opening of the Black River Canal
in 1851, the Rome Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad in 1867, and The Lowville and Beaver Railroad in 1906, industries flourished including AMF
(manufacturer of bowling pins) and Kraft
(the largest cream cheese plant in the country).
Dedicated in 2006, the "Maple Ridge Wind Farm" is one of the largest wind farm
s in the United States. This site has 195 wind turbines with a total capacity of 320MW (equivalent to a mid-sized power plant). Maple Ridge (formerly Flat Rock Wind Farm) provides about $10 million in benefit to the local community with about $2 million annual payments to 75 landowners, and $8 million in tax revenues to the region. This site has increased New York's renewable energy generation by sixfold. The project is jointly owned by PPM Energy and Horizon Wind Energy.
, the town has a total area of 38.1 square miles (98.7 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²) of it is water and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (0.84%) is water.
New York State Route 1356 ends at New York State Route 11
in Lowville. West-south highways, New York State Route 26
and New York State Route 812
also pass through the town.
The Black River flows along the northwest side of the town.
of 2000, there were 4,548 people, 1,796 households, and 1,172 families residing in the town. The population density
was 120.3 people per square mile (46.5/km²). There were 2,033 housing units at an average density of 53.8 per square mile (20.8/km²).
There were 1,796 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,396, and the median income for a family was $42,358. Males had a median income of $32,375 versus $21,181 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,659. About 13.3% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Lewis County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,944 people, 10,040 households, and 7,309 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile . There were 15,134 housing units at an average density of 12 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...
. The population was 4,548 at the 2000 census. The town is near the center of the county and is southeast of the city of Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
. Lowville contains a village also named Lowville
Lowville (village), New York
Lowville is a village in Lewis County, New York, United States. The Village is nestled in the Black River Valley, between the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and the Tug Hill Plateau, and is located in the eastern part of the Town of Lowville....
, which is the 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....
. The town of is named after Nicholas Low
Nicholas Low
Nicholas Low was an American merchant and developer from New York City. He developed properties in upstate New York, including Lowville which was named for him....
, an early landowner. Low was of Dutch descent, and had emigrated with his wife and three small children from a rural village outside of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1778.
History
Settled in 1798 by a company from Westfield, MassachusettsWestfield, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
, the town was formed in 1800 from The Town of Mexico
Mexico (town), New York
Mexico is a town in the northeast part of Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 5,181 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village, also called Mexico. NY 104/Main Street passes through the village. NY 69 passes through the town of Mexico and comes to an end in the village,...
, 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...
in Oswego County. In 1803, part of Lowville was used to form the town of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, New York
Harrisburg is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 423 at the 2000 census.The Town of Harrisburg is in the northwest part of the county...
. The Village of Lowville was incorporated in 1854 and was designated the county seat in 1864, succeeding the community of Martinsburg in the Town of Martinsburg
Martinsburg, New York
Martinsburg is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 1,249 at the 2000 census. The town is named after founding father, Walter Martin....
.
Phil (Stow) Kelley along with their six sons settled in Lowville in 1799, moving from Middletown Conn. With the help of some others Daniel put up a saw mill and a 2-story house. One son, Datus Kelley, worked in the mill. In 1867 Datus' daughter Emeline (Kelley) Huntington wrote: By a little brook which comes down from the long hills which rise almost like mountains on either side of the Black River
Black River (New York)
The Black River is a blackwater river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Ontario on the shore of Jefferson County, New York in the United States of America...
, stands the same old mill where Father ground the wheat and corn for the country people. Its wheel is dripping and clattering still, doing duty as faithfully as of old. While the old miller who 'picked the stones and calked the gate' when the mill was new, has laid away his earthly casket in the little burying ground far away from the roar of the water which is constantly pouring over the mill dam. In 1810 Datus married Sara Dean and moved to Rockport Ohio. Datus and Sara then bought Kelleys Island in Lake Erie (Ohio), and founded the community called Kelley's Island. Agriculture and dairy farming flourished in the area because of the rich soil on the Black River Flats. With the opening of the Black River Canal
Black River Canal
The Black River Canal was a canal built in northern New York in the USA to connect the Erie Canal to the Black River. This canal was only 35 miles long, but it had 109 locks...
in 1851, the Rome Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad in 1867, and The Lowville and Beaver Railroad in 1906, industries flourished including AMF
AMF
AMF may refer to:* Action Message Format, a protocol for object remoting* Additive Manufacturing File Format, a protocol for 3D printing* Adios Motherfucker, a mix drink with high alcoholic content.* Afghan Militia Force, as designated by various U.S...
(manufacturer of bowling pins) and Kraft
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
(the largest cream cheese plant in the country).
Dedicated in 2006, the "Maple Ridge Wind Farm" is one of the largest wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
s in the United States. This site has 195 wind turbines with a total capacity of 320MW (equivalent to a mid-sized power plant). Maple Ridge (formerly Flat Rock Wind Farm) provides about $10 million in benefit to the local community with about $2 million annual payments to 75 landowners, and $8 million in tax revenues to the region. This site has increased New York's renewable energy generation by sixfold. The project is jointly owned by PPM Energy and Horizon Wind Energy.
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 38.1 square miles (98.7 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²) of it is water and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (0.84%) is water.
New York State Route 1356 ends at New York State Route 11
New York State Route 11
New York State Route 11 may refer to:*New York State Route 11 in Central New York*U.S. Route 11 , the only route numbered "11" in New York since 1926...
in Lowville. West-south highways, New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26 is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broome County, where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 267...
and New York State Route 812
New York State Route 812
New York State Route 812 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 12 and NY 26 in the Lewis County village of Lowville...
also pass through the town.
The Black River flows along the northwest side of the town.
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 4,548 people, 1,796 households, and 1,172 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 120.3 people per square mile (46.5/km²). There were 2,033 housing units at an average density of 53.8 per square mile (20.8/km²).
There were 1,796 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,396, and the median income for a family was $42,358. Males had a median income of $32,375 versus $21,181 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 $16,659. About 13.3% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the Town of Lowville
- Dadville – A hamlet northeast of Lowville village on NY-812 and the Black River.
- LowvilleLowville (village), New YorkLowville is a village in Lewis County, New York, United States. The Village is nestled in the Black River Valley, between the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and the Tug Hill Plateau, and is located in the eastern part of the Town of Lowville....
– A village in the eastern part of the town. - Mill Creek – A stream flowing eastward through Lowville village to the Black River.
- Smiths Landing – A former community on the shore of the Black River.
- Stows Square – A former community, once located north of Lowville village.
- West Lowville – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town at the junction of Routes NY-12 and NY-177.