Hartwick, New York
Encyclopedia
Hartwick is a town
located in Otsego County
, New York
, USA. As of the 2000 census
, the town had a population of 2,203.
Town of Hartwick is located in the middle of the county, southwest of Village of Cooperstown
.
Hartwick, New York is the largest Hartwick in the world in terms of population.
John Christopher Hartwick
(1714–1796), an early landowner of the town. Hartwick had bought the area (the Hartwick Patent, granted 1761) that now constitutes the township from the Mohawk Indians
in 1763. Discontent with the sparsely settled communities of Palatine
Germans in the Mohawk Valley to the north, which Hartwick believed made people immoral, he bought the original Hartwick Patent with the intent to build a "New Jerusalem." This did not occur as Hartwick stipulated, according to conditions in his lease that residents look to him as their religious superior, and by the 1790s the shrewd land speculator William Cooper
had sold most of Hartwick's land against his wishes.
Instead of a New Jerusalem, Hartwick requested in his will that a Lutheran seminary be opened with his estate. Upon Hartwick's death in 1797, efforts to do this started but were complicated by the fact that Hartwick left his estate to Jesus Christ. Fifteen years later, Hartwick Seminary - the oldest Lutheran Seminary in the United States - opened in 1812. The seminary closed in the 1920s, and the proceeds were used to open Hartwick College
in nearby Oneonta
in 1925.
The town was established in 1802 from the Town of Otsego
. In 1803, the north town line was altered.
The largest commercial enterprise to occur in Hartwick was probably the Oneonta-Mohawk trolley line which arrived in 1901 and had extensive shops, car barn and yards on the southeast side of the village, many of the hamlets and crossings still show architectural signs of its passage nearly a century after the last passenger service.
, the town has a total area of 40.3 square miles (104.4 km²), of which, 40.2 square miles (104.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.
New York State Route 205
is a north-south highway in the western side of Hartwick.
Otsego Creek flows through the western part of Hartwick. The Susquehanna River
defines the east town line.
of 2000, there were 2,203 people, 850 households, and 601 families residing in the town. The population density
was 54.9 people per square mile (21.2/km²). There were 1,098 housing units at an average density of 27.3 per square mile (10.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.96% White, 0.41% African American, 0.73% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races
, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 850 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,764, and the median income for a family was $38,889. Males had a median income of $28,529 versus $21,111 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,473. About 9.9% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 10.7% 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...
located in Otsego County
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...
, USA. As of the 2000 census
Census
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...
, the town had a population of 2,203.
Town of Hartwick is located in the middle of the county, southwest of Village 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...
.
Hartwick, New York is the largest Hartwick in the world in terms of population.
History
It was named after Lutheran MinisterMinister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
John Christopher Hartwick
John Christopher Hartwick
John Christopher Hartwick was a Lutheran minister in Colonial America and founder of Hartwick College.-Background:Hartwick was a native of the dukedom of Saxe-Gotha in the province of Thuringia in...
(1714–1796), an early landowner of the town. Hartwick had bought the area (the Hartwick Patent, granted 1761) that now constitutes the township from the Mohawk Indians
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
in 1763. Discontent with the sparsely settled communities of Palatine
Palatine
A palatine or palatinus is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times...
Germans in the Mohawk Valley to the north, which Hartwick believed made people immoral, he bought the original Hartwick Patent with the intent to build a "New Jerusalem." This did not occur as Hartwick stipulated, according to conditions in his lease that residents look to him as their religious superior, and by the 1790s the shrewd land speculator William Cooper
William Cooper (judge)
William Cooper was the founder of Cooperstown, New York and father of writer James Fenimore Cooper, who apparently used his father as the pattern for the Judge Marmaduke Temple character in his book The Pioneers....
had sold most of Hartwick's land against his wishes.
Instead of a New Jerusalem, Hartwick requested in his will that a Lutheran seminary be opened with his estate. Upon Hartwick's death in 1797, efforts to do this started but were complicated by the fact that Hartwick left his estate to Jesus Christ. Fifteen years later, Hartwick Seminary - the oldest Lutheran Seminary in the United States - opened in 1812. The seminary closed in the 1920s, and the proceeds were used to open Hartwick College
Hartwick College
Hartwick College is a non-denominational, private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college located in Oneonta, New York, in the United States. The institution was founded as Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, and is now known as Hartwick College...
in nearby Oneonta
Oneonta, New York
Oneonta is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, had a population of 13,901. Its nickname is "City of the Hills." While the word "oneonta" is of undetermined origin, it is popularly believed to mean "place of open rocks" in the Iroquois language...
in 1925.
The town was established in 1802 from the Town of Otsego
Otsego, New York
Otsego is a town in Otsego County, New York, United States. The population was 3,904 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a lake on its border.The Town of Otsego is in the north central part of the county.- History :...
. In 1803, the north town line was altered.
The largest commercial enterprise to occur in Hartwick was probably the Oneonta-Mohawk trolley line which arrived in 1901 and had extensive shops, car barn and yards on the southeast side of the village, many of the hamlets and crossings still show architectural signs of its passage nearly a century after the last passenger service.
People of note in Hartwick
- William H. Bissell, born in Hartwick in 1811, later congressman and governor in Illinois.
- George Lough, Scottish immigrant who was one of the earliest importers of cheviot sheep to America, and with son in law William Curry established the American Cheviot Sheep Breeders Association.
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 40.3 square miles (104.4 km²), of which, 40.2 square miles (104.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.
New York State Route 205
New York State Route 205
New York State Route 205 is a state highway in New York, running from near the city of Oneonta to the town of Otsego in Otsego County. NY 205 is a two-lane highway its entire length and passes through Hartwick....
is a north-south highway in the western side of Hartwick.
Otsego Creek flows through the western part of Hartwick. The Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
defines the east town line.
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 2,203 people, 850 households, and 601 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 54.9 people per square mile (21.2/km²). There were 1,098 housing units at an average density of 27.3 per square mile (10.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.96% White, 0.41% African American, 0.73% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.23% 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 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 850 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,764, and the median income for a family was $38,889. Males had a median income of $28,529 versus $21,111 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 $17,473. About 9.9% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Hartwick
- Arnold Lake – A lake near the south town line.
- Chase – A location on County Road 11 in the northeast part of Hartwick, that once had a trolley line siding.
- Cooks – site of another former trolley siding halfway between Chase and Summit, one of the more scenic sections of the trolley route.
- Clintonville – 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...
in the southeast part of Hartwick. - Field Crossing – A location on County Road 11 near the north town line.
- Goey Lake – A lake in the southeast part of the town.
- Hartwick – The hamlet of Hartwick is located on NY-205 at County Road 11.
- Hartwick Reservoir – A small lake east of Hartwick village.
- Hemlock Hill – An elevation near the west town line noted for treacherous winter driving conditions.
- Jones Crossing – A hamlet south of Hartwick village on NY-205, once a siding on the Oneonta Mohawk trolley line.
- Perkins Crossing – A location on County Road 11 near the north town line.
- Scotch Hill – A location in the northwest part of Hartwick
- South Hartwick – A hamlet on County Road 11, south of Hartwick village.
- Summit Crossing – A location on County Road 11 near the north town line.
- Toddsville – A hamlet at the east town line on County Road 26, once home of a large textile mill.