Altona (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Altona is a town
in Clinton County
, New York, United States
. The population was 2,887 at the 2010 census. The town was named after the Altona, Hamburg
district of Germany
.
The Town of Altona is centrally located in the county. The western part is inside the Adirondack Park boundary
, but the entire town is specifically excluded from the park by statute. Altona is northwest of Plattsburgh
, New York.
for thousands of years. Archeological studies have found that by 1300 CE
, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians
, a distinct group who spoke Laurentian
, built fortified villages similar to those visited and described by explorer Jacques Cartier
in the mid-16th century.
The first European-American settler arrived around 1800. In 1857, the town was formed from part of the Town of Chazy
. The early economy was based on natural resources: mining
, logging
, and tanning
.
, the town has a total area of 101.3 square miles (262.5 km²), of which 101.1 square miles (261.7 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.7 km²) (0.28%) is water.
New York State Route 190
(Military Turnpike) is a northwest-southeast highway in the town. U.S. Route 11
crosses the northwest corner of Altona.
of 2000, there were 3,160 people, 888 households, and 653 families residing in the town. The population density
was 31.3 people per square mile (12.1/km²). There were 1,007 housing units at an average density of 10.0 per square mile (3.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.50% White
, 11.96% Black or African American
, 0.35% Native American
, 0.13% Asian
, 4.75% from other races, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos
of any race were 8.10% of the population.
There were 888 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.
The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 41.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 161.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 184.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $41,442. Males had a median income of $31,217 versus $25,491 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,312. About 8.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 25.7% of those age 65 or over. Those living below the poverty line are also known as chee-wees.
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 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, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,887 at the 2010 census. The town was named after the Altona, Hamburg
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
district of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The Town of Altona is centrally located in the county. The western part is inside the Adirondack Park boundary
Blue Line (New York State)
The Blue Line is the term used in New York state for the boundaries of the Adirondack and Catskill parks, within which can be found the state's Forest Preserve...
, but the entire town is specifically excluded from the park by statute. Altona is northwest 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,...
, New York.
History
Close to the St. Lawrence River, the area was home to various 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....
for thousands of years. Archeological studies have found that by 1300 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians
St. Lawrence Iroquoians
The St. Lawrence Iroquoians were a prehistoric First Nations/Native American indigenous people who lived from the 14th century until about 1580 CE along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in present-day Quebec and Ontario, Canada, and New York State, United States. They spoke Laurentian...
, a distinct group who spoke Laurentian
Laurentian
Laurentian may refer to:*Anything related to Saint Lawrence or the Saint Lawrence River*Laurentia, the craton at the heart of the North American continent...
, built fortified villages similar to those visited and described by explorer Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
in the mid-16th century.
The first European-American settler arrived around 1800. In 1857, the town was formed from part of the Town of Chazy
Chazy, New York
Chazy is a town in northeastern Clinton County, New York, in the United States. The population was 4,284 at the 2010 census. The closest city is Plattsburgh, to the south. Chazy is from Canada. The zip code is 12921 and it is in area code 518.- History:...
. The early economy was based on natural resources: 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...
, logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, and tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
.
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 101.3 square miles (262.5 km²), of which 101.1 square miles (261.7 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.7 km²) (0.28%) is water.
New York State Route 190
New York State Route 190
New York State Route 190 is an east–west state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 374 in the community of Brainardsville within the town of Bellmont. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with...
(Military Turnpike) is a northwest-southeast highway in the town. 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...
crosses the northwest corner of Altona.
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 3,160 people, 888 households, and 653 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 31.3 people per square mile (12.1/km²). There were 1,007 housing units at an average density of 10.0 per square mile (3.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.50% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 11.96% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.35% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.13% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 4.75% from other races, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race were 8.10% of the population.
There were 888 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% 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, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.
The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 41.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 161.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 184.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $41,442. Males had a median income of $31,217 versus $25,491 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 $15,312. About 8.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 25.7% of those age 65 or over. Those living below the poverty line are also known as chee-wees.
Communities and locations in Altona
- Alder Bend – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town and in the state park.
- AltonaAltona (CDP), New YorkAltona is a hamlet in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 730 at the 2010 census.Altona is located in the Town of Altona.-Geography:Altona is located at ....
– 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 Altona is in the western part of the town. - Altona Correctional FacilityAltona Correctional FacilityAltona Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York in the USA. The prison is in the Town of Altona in Clinton County.- History :...
– A New York medium security prisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, built around a former high school that was given over in 1983. It is north of Altona village. - Crowley Corners – A hamlet, on NY-190, southwest of Altona village.
- Dannemora Crossing – A hamlet at the west town line.
- Forest – A hamlet in the western part of the town, west of Irona.
- Irona – A hamlet near the north town line, northwest of Altona village.
- Jericho—A hamlet in the southwest part of the town.
- Miner Lake – A lakeLakeA lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the western part of the town, north of Crowley Corners. - Miner Lake State Park – a park in the western part of the town.
- Purdys Mills – A hamlet south of Altona village.
- Robinson – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town, inside the state park.
External links
- http://www.altonany.com
- ePodunk Altona NY