Rouses Point, New York
Encyclopedia
Rouses Point is a village
in Clinton County
, New York
, United States
, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler.
The Village of Rouses Point is in northeast part of the Town of Champlain
and is north of Plattsburgh
. It is less than one mile south of the Canada–United States border.
and Nova Scotia
n refugees who were granted tracts of land in reward for their services during the American Revolution
. Steamboat
s were a booming business on this part of the lake; the second commercial steamboat in the world was launched on Lake Champlain
with Rouses Point as its first port-of-call. Steamboat traffic continued on the lake for the next 100 years, until displaced by the railroad.
Edward Thurber built the first frame house in 1818. Legend has it that President James Monroe
stayed there. By 1860, Rouses Point had a variety of shops and tradespeople such as loggers, bakers, tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, prostitutes, and hatters. Its location on the Canadian border made it an important stop on the Underground Railroad
, through which many African-Americans escaped to freedom.
Rouses Point became an incorporated village in 1877, and grew quickly to a population of over 2,000 by 1892. The Delaware and Hudson Railroad opened a station, connecting the village to New York City
and Montreal
.
During Prohibition
(1923–33), the village's proximity to the Canadian border made it popular with those who wanted to smuggle illegal alcohol across the border. Rum-running
became common, and three speakeasies
, one called "The Bucket of Blood" operated nightly. Organized crime visited the area, bringing with it the usual vices.
During World War II
, the community was the scene of substantial shipments of war materials to points north by water and rail.
Today, the lake at Rouses Point has three marinas filled with pleasure craft. Wyeth
, a pharmaceutical company, formerly employed over 1,000 people.
in terms of the center of population.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) (19.09%) is water.
Rouses Point is a port of entry from Canada
and is close to the Canada–United States border with Quebec
. The village is on the west shore of Lake Champlain
.
The village is located by the U.S. Route 2
and U.S. Route 11
intersection. New York State Route 9B
enters the village from the south, and New York State Route 276
enters the village from the northwest.
The intersection of US 2 and US 11 is the terminus of each highway.
of 2000, there were 2,277 people, 978 households, and 604 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,281.8 people per square mile (493.9/km²). There were 1,062 housing units at an average density of 597.8 per square mile (230.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.19% White, 0.70% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races
, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 978 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples
living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $39,167, and the median income for a family was $49,931. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $30,064 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $20,539. About 6.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
. Dodge Memorial Library is located on Lake Street (Route 9B/US 11
). Also found on Lake Street is the Rouses Point Civic Center, which houses village council meetings, an ice rink, and from time to time serves as a small convention floor.
Amtrak
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Rouses Point, operating its Adirondack
daily in both directions between Montreal
and New York City
. The Rouses Point station
is the closest station on the U.S. side of the international boundary.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Clinton County
Clinton County, New York
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-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...
, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler.
The Village of Rouses Point is in northeast part of the Town of Champlain
Champlain (town), New York
Champlain is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 5,754 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Lake Champlain....
and is north 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,...
. It is less than one mile south of the Canada–United States border.
History
Rouses Point was first settled around 1783 by CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
n refugees who were granted tracts of land in reward for their services 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...
. Steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s were a booming business on this part of the lake; the second commercial steamboat in the world was launched on 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 Rouses Point as its first port-of-call. Steamboat traffic continued on the lake for the next 100 years, until displaced by the railroad.
Edward Thurber built the first frame house in 1818. Legend has it that President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
stayed there. By 1860, Rouses Point had a variety of shops and tradespeople such as loggers, bakers, tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, prostitutes, and hatters. Its location on the Canadian border made it an important stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, through which many African-Americans escaped to freedom.
Rouses Point became an incorporated village in 1877, and grew quickly to a population of over 2,000 by 1892. The Delaware and Hudson Railroad opened a station, connecting the village to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
During Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
(1923–33), the village's proximity to the Canadian border made it popular with those who wanted to smuggle illegal alcohol across the border. Rum-running
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
became common, and three speakeasies
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
, one called "The Bucket of Blood" operated nightly. Organized crime visited the area, bringing with it the usual vices.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the community was the scene of substantial shipments of war materials to points north by water and rail.
Today, the lake at Rouses Point has three marinas filled with pleasure craft. Wyeth
Wyeth
Wyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
, a pharmaceutical company, formerly employed over 1,000 people.
Geography
Rouses Point, located at 44°59′15"N 73°22′3"W (44.987531, -73.367634), is the northernmost village in New YorkNew 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 terms of the center of population.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 village has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) (19.09%) is water.
Rouses Point is a port of entry from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and is close to the Canada–United States border with Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The village is on the west shore 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...
.
The village is located by the U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...
and U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
intersection. New York State Route 9B
New York State Route 9B
New York State Route 9B is a state highway located within Clinton County, New York, in the United States. The route serves as a connector between its parent route, U.S. Route 9 , in the town of Champlain and US 11 in the village of Rouses Point...
enters the village from the south, and New York State Route 276
New York State Route 276
New York State Route 276 is a state highway located entirely within Clinton County, New York, in the United States. It connects the town of Champlain to the village of Rouses Point, with both termini situated at intersections with U.S. Route 11 about apart...
enters the village from the northwest.
The intersection of US 2 and US 11 is the terminus of each highway.
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 2,277 people, 978 households, and 604 families residing in the village. 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 1,281.8 people per square mile (493.9/km²). There were 1,062 housing units at an average density of 597.8 per square mile (230.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.19% White, 0.70% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.18% 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 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 978 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% 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, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $39,167, and the median income for a family was $49,931. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $30,064 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 village was $20,539. About 6.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Local Information
There is one elementary school in Rouses Point, housing grades K-5. Students from grades 6-12 attend Northeastern Clinton Central Middle/High School in ChamplainChamplain (town), New York
Champlain is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 5,754 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Lake Champlain....
. Dodge Memorial Library is located on Lake Street (Route 9B/US 11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
). Also found on Lake Street is the Rouses Point Civic Center, which houses village council meetings, an ice rink, and from time to time serves as a small convention floor.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Rouses Point, operating its Adirondack
Adirondack (Amtrak)
The Adirondack is a passenger train operated daily by Amtrak between New York City and Montreal. The trip takes approximately 11 hours to cover a published distance of , traveling through the scenic Hudson Valley and the Adirondack Mountains...
daily in both directions between Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The Rouses Point station
Rouses Point (Amtrak station)
Rouses Point is a train station in Rouses Point, New York served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. It is the last station in the United States along the Adirondack line before crossing the US-Canadian Border. The building is a former U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service...
is the closest station on the U.S. side of the international boundary.