Montezuma, New York
Encyclopedia
Montezuma is a town
in Cayuga County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,277 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Montezuma is at the west border of Cayuga County and is northwest of Auburn
, New York
.
during the American Revolution
.
The town was part of a reservation set aside for the members of the Cayuga tribe when the Central New York Military Tract
was established. Outside settlers arrived around 1798.
Salt production was an important early industry. The Erie Canal
passed through the town, but became part of the Seneca River during its re-construction.
The Town of Montezuma was established from the Town of Mentz
in 1859.
The Mentz Church
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2004. The Seneca River Crossing Canals Historic District
was listed in 2005.
, the town has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48.4 km²), of which, 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (2.19%) is water.
Most of the west town line, partly marked by the Seneca River
and the Cayuga and Seneca Canal is the border of Seneca County
. The northwest town line is the border of Wayne County
, also marked by the Seneca River along with the Erie Canal.
The New York State Thruway
(Interstate 90
) crosses the town. Conjoined US 20
and New York State Route 5
pass through the southwest corner of the town. New York State Route 90
is a north-south highway that intersects east-west New York State Route 31
north of Montezuma village.
The eastern part of the Montezuma Swamp is in the town.
of 2000, there were 1,431 people, 498 households, and 384 families residing in the town. The population density
was 78.2 people per square mile (30.2/km²). There were 547 housing units at an average density of 29.9 per square mile (11.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.07% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.
There were 498 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,769, and the median income for a family was $44,808. Males had a median income of $31,518 versus $22,885 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,551. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 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 :...
, 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 1,277 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Montezuma is at the west border of Cayuga County and is northwest of Auburn
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
, 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...
.
History
Native villages were the target of the Sullivan ExpeditionSullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
during 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...
.
The town was part of a reservation set aside for the members of the Cayuga tribe when the Central New York Military Tract
Central 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....
was established. Outside settlers arrived around 1798.
Salt production was an important early industry. 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...
passed through the town, but became part of the Seneca River during its re-construction.
The Town of Montezuma was established from the Town of Mentz
Mentz, New York
Mentz is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2010 census.The Town of Mentz is on the central part of the county, north of Auburn, New York.- History :...
in 1859.
The Mentz Church
Mentz Church
Mentz Church is a historic community church located at Montezuma in Cayuga County, New York. It is a rectangular, gable roofed frame structure built between 1820 and 1830 and enlarged during the 1870s-1880s. The front facade features a centrally engaged square tower. Also on the property is the...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2004. The Seneca River Crossing Canals Historic District
Seneca River Crossing Canals Historic District
Seneca River Crossing Canals Historic District is a national historic district located at Montezuma and Tyre in Cayuga County, New York. The district includes more than a mile of the Enlarged Erie Canal prism ; towpath and heelpath; a drydock; the remains of the Richmond Aqueduct crossing the...
was listed in 2005.
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 18.7 square miles (48.4 km²), of which, 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (2.19%) is water.
Most of the west town line, partly marked by the Seneca River
Seneca River (New York)
The Seneca River in central New York flows from west to east, from Seneca Lake, through the Montezuma Marsh at the north end of Cayuga Lake to the Seneca's confluence with the Oneida and Oswego rivers at the Three Rivers area north of Syracuse. Much of the river has been channelized to form part...
and the Cayuga and Seneca Canal is the border of Seneca County
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
. The northwest town line is the border of Wayne County
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
, also marked by the Seneca River along with the Erie Canal.
The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
) crosses the town. Conjoined US 20
U.S. Route 20 in New York
U.S. Route 20 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains. US 20 is the longest...
and 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...
pass through the southwest corner of the town. 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....
is a north-south highway that intersects east-west New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
north of Montezuma village.
The eastern part of the Montezuma Swamp is in 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 1,431 people, 498 households, and 384 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 78.2 people per square mile (30.2/km²). There were 547 housing units at an average density of 29.9 per square mile (11.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.07% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.
There were 498 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,769, and the median income for a family was $44,808. Males had a median income of $31,518 versus $22,885 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 $15,551. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Montezuma
- Fox Ridge – 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...
by the Erie Canal and the north town line. - Free Bridge Corners – A location in the southwest corner of the town.
- Montezuma – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town on NY-90 north of the Thruway. It was incorporated as a village in 1866, but later abandoned that status.
- Montezuma National Wildlife RefugeMontezuma National Wildlife RefugeMontezuma National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, encompassing part of the Montezuma Swamp at the north end of Cayuga Lake...
– A conservation area on the west side of the town. - Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area – Part of this state conservation area is in the northern part of the town.
- Willow Grove – A hamlet near the west town line, located next to the Erie Canal.