Hoosick Falls, New York
Encyclopedia
Hoosick Falls is a village in Rensselaer County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 3,182 at the 2010 census, a decline of 254 since 2000. During its peak around 1900, the village had a population of about 7,000. The Capital District Regional Planning Commission projects a further decline in population through 2010 and beyond.
The village of Hoosick Falls is near the center of the town of Hoosick
on NY 22
. The village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as Hoosick Falls Historic District
.
Grandma Moses
is buried in the village. The site of the British entrenchments at the Battle of Bennington
, 6 August 1777, is nearby and is maintained as Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site
.
reports the date of the first permanent settlement as 1688. The French drove the settlers out in 1754 and most of the settlement was burned, but they returned and rebuilt after the French & Indian War ended. Hoosick Falls was incorporated as a village in 1827.
Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Co.In 1852 a blacksmith named Walter A. Wood began manufacturing a reaper in Hoosick Falls. By the 1890s the Walter A. Wood Mowing & Reaping Company was the largest farm machinery manufacturer in the world, taking up 85 acres (340,000 m2) on the west bank of the river. The Wood Company closed in 1924, mainly due to the introduction of John Deere's revolutionary self propelled farm equipment. Most of these facilities were used by the Colasta Corporation from the mid 1920s until the late 1950s. This company manufactured radio parts. Later, parts of this site were used as a lumber yard/hardware store. A rash of arson fires in the mid and late 1970s consumed the entire complex. The only buildings still in use today are outside of the main complex, the Interface Solutions Plant (formerly the Wood-Flong Paper Mill), which was Walter A Wood's steel foundry. The original Office Building is still present also.
Along with the Walter Wood plant, Hoosick Falls was a boomtown in the 19th century. Many other businesses came into town, bringing people and money with them. Hoosick Falls once had factories that made Paper, small numbers of Appliances, Parts, Glass, and some nominal Soda and Beer Bottling Plants. A large number of rich Victorian homes were built during this period and are still there today, most in good shape. This was also a regional center of Trade and Export. Local farmers and manufacturers would come to town to sell their goods and load them on rail cars bound for New York City or abroad. These goods consisted of manufacturers, grain, milk, livestock, construction materials (mostly slate and brick), paper & pulp, timber and beverages.
, the village has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.
The village is divided by the Hoosic River
.
of 2000, there were 3,436 people, 1,382 households, and 880 families residing in the village.The population density was 1,998.8 persons per square mile (771.3/km²). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 903.4 per square mile (348.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.58% White, 0.55% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.
There were 1,382 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05. In the village the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $36,731, and the median income for a family was $45,829. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $23,313 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,062. About 5.1% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
, 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 3,182 at the 2010 census, a decline of 254 since 2000. During its peak around 1900, the village had a population of about 7,000. The Capital District Regional Planning Commission projects a further decline in population through 2010 and beyond.
The village of Hoosick Falls is near the center of the town of Hoosick
Hoosick, New York
Hoosick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 6,759 at the 2000 census.The Town of Hoosick is in the northeast corner of the county.- History :...
on NY 22
New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22 is a north–south state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the state's eastern edge from the outskirts of New York City to a short distance south of the Canadian border. At , it is the state's longest north–south route and...
. The village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Hoosick Falls Historic District
Hoosick Falls Historic District
The Hoosick Falls Historic District is located in the downtown section of the village of that name in New York, United States. It is an eight-acre area concentrated along Church, Classic and John streets south of the Hoosick River....
.
Grandma Moses
Grandma Moses
Anna Mary Robertson Moses , better known as "Grandma Moses", was a renowned American folk artist. She is often cited as an example of an individual successfully beginning a career in the arts at an advanced age. Although her family and friends called her either "Mother Moses" or "Grandma Moses,"...
is buried in the village. The site of the British entrenchments at the Battle of Bennington
Battle of Bennington
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place on August 16, 1777, in Walloomsac, New York, about from its namesake Bennington, Vermont...
, 6 August 1777, is nearby and is maintained as Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site
Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site
Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site is the Rensselaer County, New York location where the Battle of Bennington occurred on the 16th of August 1777. Here, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts militia under General John Stark rebuffed a British attempt led by Colonel Friedrich Baum to...
.
History
Although this has been an issue of considerable debate, it's believed the first documented settlers came to Hoosick Falls on the Hoosic River, around 1746. Encyclopedia AmericanaEncyclopedia Americana
Encyclopedia Americana is one of the largest general encyclopedias in the English language. Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopedia has been produced by Scholastic....
reports the date of the first permanent settlement as 1688. The French drove the settlers out in 1754 and most of the settlement was burned, but they returned and rebuilt after the French & Indian War ended. Hoosick Falls was incorporated as a village in 1827.
Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Co.In 1852 a blacksmith named Walter A. Wood began manufacturing a reaper in Hoosick Falls. By the 1890s the Walter A. Wood Mowing & Reaping Company was the largest farm machinery manufacturer in the world, taking up 85 acres (340,000 m2) on the west bank of the river. The Wood Company closed in 1924, mainly due to the introduction of John Deere's revolutionary self propelled farm equipment. Most of these facilities were used by the Colasta Corporation from the mid 1920s until the late 1950s. This company manufactured radio parts. Later, parts of this site were used as a lumber yard/hardware store. A rash of arson fires in the mid and late 1970s consumed the entire complex. The only buildings still in use today are outside of the main complex, the Interface Solutions Plant (formerly the Wood-Flong Paper Mill), which was Walter A Wood's steel foundry. The original Office Building is still present also.
Along with the Walter Wood plant, Hoosick Falls was a boomtown in the 19th century. Many other businesses came into town, bringing people and money with them. Hoosick Falls once had factories that made Paper, small numbers of Appliances, Parts, Glass, and some nominal Soda and Beer Bottling Plants. A large number of rich Victorian homes were built during this period and are still there today, most in good shape. This was also a regional center of Trade and Export. Local farmers and manufacturers would come to town to sell their goods and load them on rail cars bound for New York City or abroad. These goods consisted of manufacturers, grain, milk, livestock, construction materials (mostly slate and brick), paper & pulp, timber and beverages.
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 village has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.
The village is divided by the Hoosic River
Hoosic River
The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick and the Hoosuck , is a tributary of the Hudson River in the northeastern United States. The different spellings are the result of varying transliterations of the river's original Algonquian name...
.
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 3,436 people, 1,382 households, and 880 families residing in the village.The population density was 1,998.8 persons per square mile (771.3/km²). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 903.4 per square mile (348.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.58% White, 0.55% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.
There were 1,382 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05. In the village the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $36,731, and the median income for a family was $45,829. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $23,313 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,062. About 5.1% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people connected to Hoosick Falls
- Bob EberlyBob EberlyBob Eberly was a big band vocalist, best-known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell....
and Ray EberleRay EberleRaymond "Ray" Eberle was a vocalist during the Big Band Era. Eberle sang with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.-Career:...
, brothers and Big Band singers. - Private Harris S. Hawthorn, received the Medal of Honor for capturing Gen. Custis Lee (the son of Gen. Robert E. Lee) on April 6, 1865 at the Battle of Sailor's Creek, Virginia; he is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery.
- Harriet HoctorHarriet HoctorHarriet Hoctor was a ballerina, dancer, actress and instructor from Hoosick Falls, New York. Composer George Gershwin composed a symphonic orchestral piece specifically for Hoctor in the film Shall We Dance .-Family:Born to Timothy Hoctor and Elizabeth Kearny, Harriet Hoctor was one of four...
, ballerina, dancer, Broadway theatreBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and Hollywood actress was born in the village. - Jenny HolzerJenny HolzerJenny Holzer is an American conceptual artist. Holzer lives and works in Hoosick Falls, New York.-Education:...
, the conceptual artist, lives and works here. - Grandma MosesGrandma MosesAnna Mary Robertson Moses , better known as "Grandma Moses", was a renowned American folk artist. She is often cited as an example of an individual successfully beginning a career in the arts at an advanced age. Although her family and friends called her either "Mother Moses" or "Grandma Moses,"...
, whose artwork was first discovered in a window at the W.D. Thomas Pharmacy in Hoosick Falls. She is buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery located off Main Street on south end of the village. - Jill ReeveJill ReeveJill Reeve is a former field hockey defender from the United States, who earned a total number of 134 caps for the Women's National Team, in which she scored eight goals. The former student of the Old Dominion University recovered from injury suffered at the 2002 Champions Challenge to help the U.S...
, Former member of the United States women's national field hockey teamUnited States women's national field hockey teamThe United States women's national field hockey team represents the United States in the international field hockey competitions. The women's team, coached by Australia's Lee Bodimeade since 2005, made its first international appearance at the 1983 Women's Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur,... - Harry Van SurdamHarry Van Surdam-External links:...
, who "devised one of the first legal forward pass plays ever used by a college team," according to the Oklahoma Daily, in a 1966 article. In 1972, he was placed in the National Football Hall of Fame; the award hangs in the foyer of the Hoosick Falls Central School.