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Geneva (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Geneva is a town
in Ontario County
, New York
, USA. The population was 3,289 at the 2000 census. The actual source of the name is ambiguous.
The Town of Geneva is in the southeastern part of the county and borders the City of Geneva
.
("Seneca Castle"), at the north end of Seneca Lake. This village was fortified during the Colonial Period as a defense against the French and was later used as a British stronghold during the American Revolution
. It was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition
.
Post revolution settlement began around 1878.
The town was established from part of the Town of Seneca
in 1872.
Seth Reed and his family settled here and owned an 18-mile tract of land in Ontario County between 1787 and 1795 before becoming the earliest settlers of Erie, PA. Colonel Reed had been involved in the Battle of Bunker Hill
and the Canada campaign while serving in the Continental Army
in the Revolutionary War. His latter experiences in this region of New York
may have attracted him to Ontario County and Geneva.
In 1806, the village called Geneva began to set itself apart from the town and was incorporated as a village in 1812. A new charter making the Geneva a first class village was granted in 1871.
The loss of this territory to the City of Geneva made the town the smallest in the county.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²), of which, 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²) of it is land and 0.0 square miles (0.0 km²) of it (0.05%) is water.
The south town line is the border of Yates County
and the east town line is the border of Seneca County
. Part of the town is on the northwest shore of Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes
.
US 20
is an east-west highway, and NY 14
and 14A
are north-south. NY 245
is an east-west highway in the south part of the town.
of 2000, there were 3,289 people, 1,416 households, and 900 families residing in the town. The population density
was 172.2 people per square mile (66.5/km²). There were 1,532 housing units at an average density of 31.0 persons/km² (80.2 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 93.65% White, 2.43% African American
, 0.06% Native American, 1.73% Asia
n, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There are 1,416 households, out of which 24.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples
living together, 6.6% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,234, and the median income for a family was $58,350. Males had a median income of $39,186 versus $23,108 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,990. 3.4% of the population and 1.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.6% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65 or older.
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 Ontario County
Ontario County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
, 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...
, USA. The population was 3,289 at the 2000 census. The actual source of the name is ambiguous.
The Town of Geneva is in the southeastern part of the county and borders the City of Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
.
History
The town is situated in the territory of the historic Seneca, who had an important village at KanadaseagaKanadaseaga
Kanadaseaga , was a major village of the Seneca nation of the Iroquois Confederacy in west-central New York State, United States. It was located between the northern ends of Seneca Lake and Canandaigua Lake, west of the present-day city of Geneva, New York, in the township of Seneca...
("Seneca Castle"), at the north end of Seneca Lake. This village was fortified during the Colonial Period as a defense against the French and was later used as a British stronghold 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...
. It was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan 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...
.
Post revolution settlement began around 1878.
The town was established from part of the Town of Seneca
Seneca, New York
Seneca is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 2,731 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a group of local natives....
in 1872.
Seth Reed and his family settled here and owned an 18-mile tract of land in Ontario County between 1787 and 1795 before becoming the earliest settlers of Erie, PA. Colonel Reed had been involved in the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
and the Canada campaign while serving in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
in the Revolutionary War. His latter experiences in this region of 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...
may have attracted him to Ontario County and Geneva.
In 1806, the village called Geneva began to set itself apart from the town and was incorporated as a village in 1812. A new charter making the Geneva a first class village was granted in 1871.
The loss of this territory to the City of Geneva made the town the smallest in the county.
Geography
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 town has a total area of 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²), of which, 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²) of it is land and 0.0 square miles (0.0 km²) of it (0.05%) is water.
The south town line is the border of Yates County
Yates County, New York
Yates County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,348. The county seat is Penn Yan. The name is in honor of Joseph C. Yates, who as Governor of New York signed the act establishing the county....
and the east town line 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...
. Part of the town is on the northwest shore of Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
.
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...
is an east-west highway, and NY 14
New York State Route 14
New York State Route 14 is a state highway located in western New York in the United States. Along with NY 19, it is one of two routes to transect the state in a north–south fashion between the Pennsylvania border and Lake Ontario...
and 14A
New York State Route 14A
New York State Route 14A is a north–south state highway located in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 14 in the Schuyler County town of Reading to an intersection with U.S. Route 20 and NY 5 west of the Ontario...
are north-south. NY 245
New York State Route 245
New York State Route 245 is a state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 21 in Naples. The northern terminus is at NY 5, U.S. Route 20 and NY 14A west of Geneva...
is an east-west highway in the south part of 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 3,289 people, 1,416 households, and 900 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 172.2 people per square mile (66.5/km²). There were 1,532 housing units at an average density of 31.0 persons/km² (80.2 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 93.65% White, 2.43% 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...
, 0.06% Native American, 1.73% Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There are 1,416 households, out of which 24.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% 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, 6.6% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,234, and the median income for a family was $58,350. Males had a median income of $39,186 versus $23,108 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 $22,990. 3.4% of the population and 1.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.6% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65 or older.
Communities and locations in the Town of Geneva
- Billsboro – A hamlet on NY-14 on the shore of Seneca Lake, south of the City of Geneva.
- Billsboro Corners – 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...
near the center of the town on County Road 6, west of Billsboro. - Border City – A hamlet by the east town line, east of the City of Geneva.
- Clarks Point – A projection into Lake Seneca north of Billsboro.
- Geneva – The City of Geneva is partly surrounded by the town.
- Hobart and William Smith CollegesHobart and William Smith CollegesHobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
– A college in the City of Geneva. - Kashong Point – A projection into Seneca Lake by the south town line.
- Lenox Park – A hamlet west of the City of Geneva on US-20.
- Pre-Emption – A hamlet northwest of the City of Geneva on County Road 4.