Cherry Valley (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Cherry Valley is a village in Otsego County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 592 at the 2000 census.
The Village of Cherry Valley is in the Town of Cherry Valley
. Cherry Valley is located about 13 miles northeast of Cooperstown
and 8 miles east of the northern end of Otsego Lake.
under the name Lindesay's Bush. In 1778, during the American Revolution
, forty-seven village residents were killed by a British
and Iroquois
raiding party, an event to become known as the Cherry Valley Massacre
.
The village was incorporated in 1812, setting itself apart from the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
The village is located on New York State Route 166
at the junction of County Highways 50 and 54. It is in the northeast part of the county.
Cherry Valley Creek
flows southward through the village.
of 2000, there were 592 people, 237 households, and 159 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,041.5 people per square mile (401.0/km²). There were 288 housing units at an average density of 506.7 per square mile (195.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.99% White, 0.51% Asian, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 237 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,375, and the median income for a family was $41,375. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $20,104 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $15,808. About 9.8% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
and Allen Ginsberg
used to visit to escape city life, especially in the autumn when the maple
leaves change color. Many people around Cherry Valley are dairy farmers; tapping maple trees for sap, which is then refined into syrup, is a common spring practice. The area looks much like it did in the 19th century. Historic re-enactments are held to commemorate the importance of Cherry Valley during the American Revolution
.
Area attractions include the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Bates Hop House, Judd Falls, Otsego Lake, and Glimmerglass State Park
.
There is an annual Memorial Day celebration which includes a Craft Fair, Flea Market, Chicken BBQ, and parade.
left New York City for the isolated village in 1911, writing O Pioneers!
while there. Poet Allen Ginsberg
bought a farm there in the 1960s, and the town became a haven and destination point for many of the major personalities of the Beat scene: William Burroughs, Gregory Corso
, Peter Orlovsky
, Herbert Huncke
, Ray Bremser
, Anne Waldman
, Robert Creeley
, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
, Harry Smith
, Mary Beach, Claude Pelieu and many others all spent time either living or visiting there. Poet Charles Plymell
still lives in Cherry Valley—he and his wife Pam ran Cherry Valley Editions from their home, publishing small editions of major writers. Jazz pianist Paul Bley
is also a resident of the small town, as is artist/writer Jack Walls, artists Richard Saba and Mark Mastroianni, film maker James Rasin, and National Book Award nominated novelist Dana Spiotta.
The transgender pioneer, actress and Andy Warhol Superstar Candy Darling
is buried in the historic Cherry Valley Cemetery. A significant portion of the award winning feature length documentary film about her life, Beautiful Darling
(2010), was shot in Cherry Valley. The photographer Ryan McGinley
has staged several photo shoots in and around the village, and the artist Dash Snow
shot one of his last 8mm pieces, "Sisyphus, Sissy Fuss, Silly Puss", there in late May 2009.
Otsego County, New York
Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-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 592 at the 2000 census.
The Village of Cherry Valley is in the Town of Cherry Valley
Cherry Valley (town), New York
Cherry Valley is a town in Otsego County, New York, USA. The population was 1,266 at the 2000 census.Within the Town of Cherry Valley is a village, also called Cherry Valley...
. Cherry Valley is located about 13 miles northeast of Cooperstown
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
and 8 miles east of the northern end of Otsego Lake.
History
The village was established in 1740 by John LindesayJohn Lindesay
John Lindesay was the founder of the settlement of Cherry Valley, in Otsego County, New York. He was a native of Scotland, and in December, 1730, he was commissioned as a Naval Officer of the port of New York by Governor John Montgomerie....
under the name Lindesay's Bush. In 1778, 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...
, forty-seven village residents were killed by a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
raiding party, an event to become known as the Cherry Valley Massacre
Cherry Valley massacre
The Cherry Valley Massacre was an attack by British and Seneca forces on a fort and the village of Cherry Valley in eastern New York on the cold, snowy and rainy morning of November 11, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It has been described as one of the most horrific frontier...
.
The village was incorporated in 1812, setting itself apart from the town.
Geography
Cherry Valley is located at 42°48′1"N 74°45′0"W (42.800359, -74.750063).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 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
The village is located on New York State Route 166
New York State Route 166
New York State Route 166 is a north–south state highway in Otsego County, New York, United States. It extends for from NY 28 in the village of Milford to U.S. Route 20 north of the village of Cherry Valley. Much of NY 166's southern portion is near Cooperstown, and various...
at the junction of County Highways 50 and 54. It is in the northeast part of the county.
Cherry Valley Creek
Cherry Valley Creek
Cherry Valley Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in central New York, USA.Cherry Valley Creek flows southwesterly through the Cherry Valley in Otsego County, through the towns of Cherry Valley, Roseboom, Middlefield, and Milford....
flows southward through the village.
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 592 people, 237 households, and 159 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 1,041.5 people per square mile (401.0/km²). There were 288 housing units at an average density of 506.7 per square mile (195.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.99% White, 0.51% Asian, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 237 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,375, and the median income for a family was $41,375. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $20,104 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 $15,808. About 9.8% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Additional village facts
The village is somewhat off the beaten path (In spite of US Route 20 passing a few miles north), not much visited by tourists; Jack KerouacJack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
and Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
used to visit to escape city life, especially in the autumn when the maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
leaves change color. Many people around Cherry Valley are dairy farmers; tapping maple trees for sap, which is then refined into syrup, is a common spring practice. The area looks much like it did in the 19th century. Historic re-enactments are held to commemorate the importance of Cherry Valley 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...
.
Area attractions include the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Bates Hop House, Judd Falls, Otsego Lake, and Glimmerglass State Park
Glimmerglass State Park
Glimmerglass State Park is located north of Cooperstown, in Otsego County, New York, USA. Most of the park is located inside the Town of Springfield....
.
There is an annual Memorial Day celebration which includes a Craft Fair, Flea Market, Chicken BBQ, and parade.
Cultural significance
Cherry Valley has a long history as an artist and writer's community. Willa CatherWilla Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
left New York City for the isolated village in 1911, writing O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by American author Willa Cather. It was written in part when Cather was living in Cherry Valley, New York, with Isabelle McClung and was completed at the McClungs' home in Pittsburgh...
while there. Poet Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
bought a farm there in the 1960s, and the town became a haven and destination point for many of the major personalities of the Beat scene: William Burroughs, Gregory Corso
Gregory Corso
Gregory Nunzio Corso was an American poet, youngest of the inner circle of Beat Generation writers...
, Peter Orlovsky
Peter Orlovsky
Peter Anton Orlovsky was an American poet.-Life and work:Orlovsky was born in the Lower East Side of New York City, the son of Katherine and Oleg Orlovsky, a Russian immigrant. He was raised in poverty and was forced to drop out of Newtown High School in his senior year so he could support his...
, Herbert Huncke
Herbert Huncke
Herbert Edwin Huncke was a writer and poet, and active participant in a number of emerging cultural, social and aesthetic movements of the 20th century in America...
, Ray Bremser
Ray Bremser
Ray Bremser was an American poet.Bremser was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. When he was 17 he went AWOL from the United States Air Force and was briefly imprisoned. The next year he was sent to Bordenstown Reformatory for 6 years for armed robbery...
, Anne Waldman
Anne Waldman
Anne Waldman is an American poet.Since the 1960s, Waldman has been an active member of the “Outrider” experimental poetry community as a writer, performer, collaborator, professor, editor, scholar, and cultural/political activist....
, Robert Creeley
Robert Creeley
Robert Creeley was an American poet and author of more than sixty books. He is usually associated with the Black Mountain poets, though his verse aesthetic diverged from that school's. He was close with Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, Allen Ginsberg, John Wieners and Ed Dorn. He served as the Samuel P...
, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
, Harry Smith
Harry Smith
Harry Smith may refer to:* Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet , British soldier* Harry Smith , British politician in Falkirk Burghs* Harry Smith , Canadian* Harry B...
, Mary Beach, Claude Pelieu and many others all spent time either living or visiting there. Poet Charles Plymell
Charles Plymell
Charles Plymell is a poet, novelist, and small press publisher. Plymell has been published widely, collaborated with, and published many poets, writers, and artists, including principals of the Beat Generation....
still lives in Cherry Valley—he and his wife Pam ran Cherry Valley Editions from their home, publishing small editions of major writers. Jazz pianist Paul Bley
Paul Bley
Paul Bley, CM is a pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing.-Biography:...
is also a resident of the small town, as is artist/writer Jack Walls, artists Richard Saba and Mark Mastroianni, film maker James Rasin, and National Book Award nominated novelist Dana Spiotta.
The transgender pioneer, actress and Andy Warhol Superstar Candy Darling
Candy Darling
Candy Darling was an American actress, best known as a Warhol Superstar. A male-to-female transsexual, she starred in Andy Warhol's films Flesh and Women in Revolt , and was a muse of the protopunk band The Velvet Underground.-Early life:Candy Darling was born James Lawrence Slattery in Forest...
is buried in the historic Cherry Valley Cemetery. A significant portion of the award winning feature length documentary film about her life, Beautiful Darling
Beautiful Darling
Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar is a 2010 feature-length documentary film about Candy Darling, the transgender pioneer, actress and Andy Warhol Superstar. The film was written and directed by James Rasin and features Chloe Sevigny as "the voice of...
(2010), was shot in Cherry Valley. The photographer Ryan McGinley
Ryan McGinley
Ryan McGinley is an American photographer living in New York City who began making photographs in 1998. In 2003, at the age of 25, McGinley was one of the youngest artist to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. He was also named Photographer of the Year in 2003 by American Photo...
has staged several photo shoots in and around the village, and the artist Dash Snow
Dash Snow
Dashiel "Dash" Snow was an American artist, based in New York.-Life:Dashiel A. Snow was born in 1981, the son of Taya Thurman and Christopher Snow...
shot one of his last 8mm pieces, "Sisyphus, Sissy Fuss, Silly Puss", there in late May 2009.