Moriah, New York
Encyclopedia
Moriah is a town
in Essex County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 4,879 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Moriah is in the eastern part of the county. It is 32 miles (51.5 km) south-southwest of Burlington, VT, 44 miles (70.8 km) south of Plattsburgh
, 98 miles (157.7 km) north of Albany, NY, and 101 miles (162.5 km) south of Montreal, Quebec. Moriah is inside the Adirondack Park.
. At the time of European encounter, the area was inhabited chiefly by the historic Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk
of the Iroquois Confederacy to the west of Lake Champlain
, with Algonquian
-speaking Mahican
to the south.
In 1749 the French Jesuits attracted numerous Iroquois (mostly Onondaga
fleeing warfare in the western part of present-day New York
) to a site on the Oswegatchie River
near present-day Ogdensburg
. The Jesuit fathers founded a mission
village and fort. The Iroquois had to convert
to Catholicism
to live there. The converted Iroquois and their descendants became known as the Oswegatchie, and were considered "nephews" to the Six Nations of the Iroquois. They were among the Seven Nations of Canada
that allied with the French during the Seven Years War and with the British during the American Revolutionary War
, in part due to their strong trading ties and cultural links. After the Seven Years War (French and Indian War
) and British victory, the colonial government granted some of its soldiers land in the region, which was ceded by the French.
It was not until after the American Revolutionary War, when most of the Iroquois allies went to Upper Canada
with the Loyalists, that the first European-American permanent settlement was made, around 1785. At the time, local Native Americans still hunted in the area. They were called the St. Regis and Oswegatchie Indians, although both groups were Catholic Iroquois. Relations were initially friendly, but American settlement patterns pushed the Native Americans from their hunting grounds. (The St. Regis group were Catholic Mohawk who lived at the reserve of Akwesasne
, whose territory along the St. Lawrence River included land within the boundaries of both Canada and New York, recognized as the present-day St. Regis Mohawk Reservation
.)
The town was formed in 1808 from the Town of Elizabethtown
.
The discovery and mining
of iron
in the Adirondacks caused a boom in the local economy. This area also processed iron in smelting
, and shipped products from Port Henry
on Lake Champlain. These operations were conducted from 1824 until 1971. The Iron Center Museum in Port Henry recalls and interprets that past era.
Winter ice-fishing for Smelt on the frozen Lake Champlain
has been a popular sport for more than a century. Tourists come to join the residents in this activity.
, the town has a total area of 71.2 square miles (184.4 km²), of which, 64.7 square miles (167.6 km²) of it is land and 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it (9.09%) is water.
The east town line is formed by Lake Champlain
and the border of Vermont
.
New York State Route 9N
is a north-south highway near Lake Champlain. Interstate 87
, The Northway, crosses the northwest corner of Moriah.
of 2000, there were 4,879 people, 1,894 households, and 1,253 families residing in the town. The population density
was 75.4 people per square mile (29.1/km²). There were 2,253 housing units at an average density of 34.8 per square mile (13.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.71% White, 2.79% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population.
There were 1,894 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,903, and the median income for a family was $39,827. Males had a median income of $31,747 versus $21,592 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,721. About 8.5% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 7.0% 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 Essex County
Essex County, New York
Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
, 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 4,879 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Moriah is in the eastern part of the county. It is 32 miles (51.5 km) south-southwest of Burlington, VT, 44 miles (70.8 km) south of Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh (city), New York
Plattsburgh is a city in and county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 19,989 at the 2010 census. The population of the unincorporated areas within the Town of Plattsburgh was 11,870 as of the 2010 census; making the population for the immediate, urban Plattsburgh,...
, 98 miles (157.7 km) north of Albany, NY, and 101 miles (162.5 km) south of Montreal, Quebec. Moriah is inside the Adirondack Park.
History
This area was inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
. At the time of European encounter, the area was inhabited chiefly by the historic Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
of the Iroquois Confederacy to the west of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, with Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking Mahican
Mahican
The Mahican are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe, originally settling in the Hudson River Valley . After 1680, many moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. During the early 1820s and 1830s, most of the Mahican descendants migrated westward to northeastern Wisconsin...
to the south.
In 1749 the French Jesuits attracted numerous Iroquois (mostly Onondaga
Onondaga (tribe)
The Onondaga are one of the original five constituent nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Their traditional homeland is in and around Onondaga County, New York...
fleeing warfare in the western part of present-day 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...
) to a site on the Oswegatchie River
Oswegatchie River
The Oswegatchie River is a river in northern New York that flows north from the Adirondack Mountains to the Saint Lawrence River at the city of Ogdensburg. The river mouth was the site of a Jesuit mission, Fort de La Présentation, founded in 1749. Also a fur trading post, the village had 3,000...
near present-day Ogdensburg
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
. The Jesuit fathers founded a mission
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
village and fort. The Iroquois had to convert
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
to live there. The converted Iroquois and their descendants became known as the Oswegatchie, and were considered "nephews" to the Six Nations of the Iroquois. They were among the Seven Nations of Canada
Seven Nations of Canada
The Seven Nations of Canada were a historic confederation of Canadian First Nations living in and around the Saint Lawrence River valley beginning in the eighteenth century. They were allied to New France and often included substantial numbers of Roman Catholic converts. During the Seven Years War...
that allied with the French during the Seven Years War and with the British during the American 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...
, in part due to their strong trading ties and cultural links. After the Seven Years War (French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
) and British victory, the colonial government granted some of its soldiers land in the region, which was ceded by the French.
It was not until after the American Revolutionary War, when most of the Iroquois allies went to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
with the Loyalists, that the first European-American permanent settlement was made, around 1785. At the time, local Native Americans still hunted in the area. They were called the St. Regis and Oswegatchie Indians, although both groups were Catholic Iroquois. Relations were initially friendly, but American settlement patterns pushed the Native Americans from their hunting grounds. (The St. Regis group were Catholic Mohawk who lived at the reserve of Akwesasne
Akwesasne
The Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne is a Mohawk Nation territory that straddles the intersection of international and provincial borders on both banks of the Saint Lawrence River. Most of the land is in what is otherwise the United States...
, whose territory along the St. Lawrence River included land within the boundaries of both Canada and New York, recognized as the present-day St. Regis Mohawk Reservation
St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, New York
St. Regis Mohawk Reservation is a Mohawk Indian reservation in Franklin County, New York, United States. It is also known by its Mohawk name, Akwesasne. The population was 2,699 at the 2000 census. The reservation is adjacent to the Akwesasne reserve in Ontario and Quebec. The Mohawk consider the...
.)
The town was formed in 1808 from the Town of Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, New York
Elizabethtown is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,315 at the 2000 census. The county seat of Essex County is a hamlet also called Elizabethtown. The name is derived from Elizabeth Gilliland, the wife of an early settler....
.
The discovery and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
in the Adirondacks caused a boom in the local economy. This area also processed iron in smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
, and shipped products from Port Henry
Port Henry, New York
Port Henry is a village in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,152 at the 2000 census.The Village of Port Henry lies on the east side of the Town of Moriah and is approximately one hour's drive south of Plattsburgh...
on Lake Champlain. These operations were conducted from 1824 until 1971. The Iron Center Museum in Port Henry recalls and interprets that past era.
Winter ice-fishing for Smelt on the frozen Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
has been a popular sport for more than a century. Tourists come to join the residents in this activity.
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 71.2 square miles (184.4 km²), of which, 64.7 square miles (167.6 km²) of it is land and 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it (9.09%) is water.
The east town line is formed by Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
and the border of 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...
.
New York State Route 9N
New York State Route 9N
New York State Route 9N is a north–south state highway in northeastern New York, United States. It extends from an intersection with U.S. Route 9 , NY 29, and NY 50 in the city of Saratoga Springs to a junction with US 9 and NY 22 in the Clinton County village of...
is a north-south highway near Lake Champlain. Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
, The Northway, crosses the northwest corner of Moriah.
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 4,879 people, 1,894 households, and 1,253 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 75.4 people per square mile (29.1/km²). There were 2,253 housing units at an average density of 34.8 per square mile (13.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.71% White, 2.79% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.21% 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 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population.
There were 1,894 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,903, and the median income for a family was $39,827. Males had a median income of $31,747 versus $21,592 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 $19,721. About 8.5% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Moriah
- Bartlett Pond - A pondPondA pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
by the north town line, northeast of Mineville. - Bulwagga Bay - A bayBayA bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
of Lake Champlain, southeast of Port Henry. - Grover Hills - A hamlet north of Moriah Center on County Road 7.
- Moriah - The 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...
of Moriah is west of Port Henry village on County Road 42 at the junction of County Road 7. - Moriah Center - A hamlet north of Moriah on County Road 7 at County Road 4.
- MinevilleMineville-Witherbee, New YorkMineville-Witherbee is a census-designated place and region of the Town of Moriah in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,747 at the 2000 census.The CDP is composed of the two hamlets of Mineville and Witherbee...
- A hamlet northeast of Witherbee on County Road 6. - Mullen Bay - A bayBayA bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
of Lake Champlain north of Port Henry by the north town line. - Port HenryPort Henry, New YorkPort Henry is a village in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,152 at the 2000 census.The Village of Port Henry lies on the east side of the Town of Moriah and is approximately one hour's drive south of Plattsburgh...
– The Village of Port Henry on the shore of Lake Champlain. - WitherbeeMineville-Witherbee, New YorkMineville-Witherbee is a census-designated place and region of the Town of Moriah in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,747 at the 2000 census.The CDP is composed of the two hamlets of Mineville and Witherbee...
- A hamlet near the north town line on County Road 7 (birthplace of Johnny PodresJohnny PodresJohn Joseph Podres was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
). - Cheever - An area of Port Henry located North of the Village along route 9n on the way to WestportWestport, New YorkWestport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census.The Town of Westport is on the eastern border of the county and is south of Plattsburgh and south of Montreal. Westport is inside the Adirondack Park.Westport is...
. - Moriah Corners - A small hamlet, similar to Moriah Center in that it is based around a four way intersection and a few small locally owned businesses.
Notable residents
- Johnny PodresJohnny PodresJohn Joseph Podres was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher and 1955 World SeriesWorld SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
MVP. Born in Witherbee. - John Tarbell, (b. in Moriah, lieutenant-colonel of the 91st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment91st New York Volunteer Infantry RegimentThe 91st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a state infantry regiment formed during the American Civil War from counties around Albany, New York.-Service:...
and promoted to brevetBrevet (military)In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier generalBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
of United States Volunteers during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In 1865 he resigned from the Army and bought a plantation in Scott County, MississippiScott County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,423 people, 10,183 households, and 7,535 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,116 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, and settled with his family in Atlanta to do business. On March 4, 1866, he testified before the US Congress and the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, saying the quality of leadership was integral to its success. - Tom TylerTom TylerTom Tyler was an American actor in silent and sound motion pictures, best known for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the acclaimed 1941 movie serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.-Biography:...
, early 20th-century film star. - Robert GarrowRobert GarrowRobert Garrow was an American spree killer who was active in New York in the early 1970s.-Early life:Born in the Upstate New York village of Dannemora, Garrow grew up in a poor family of farmers...
, serial killer who murdered several women in the SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
area in 1973.
Further reading
- D. Peter MacLeod's notes on the Treaty of Kahnawake, 1760
- D. Peter McLeod, (1996) The Canadian Iroquois and the Seven Years' War, Ottawa & Toronto: The Canadian War Museum & Dundurn Press. Canadian War Museum Historical Publication No. 29.
- D. Peter McLeod, Northern Armageddon: the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2008.
- Jack Campisi and William A. Starna. "On the Road to Canandaigua: The Treaty of 1794", American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Autumn, 1995), pp. 467–490
External links
- Town of Moriah, Official Website
- "Moriah, NY", Essex County Historical Society, Adirondack History Center Museum