Lowville (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Lowville is a village in Lewis County
, New York
, United States
. The Village is nestled in the Black River Valley, between the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains
and the Tug Hill Plateau
, and is located in the eastern part of the Town of Lowville
.
Lowville is the county seat
of Lewis County. The name of both the village and town is derived from Nicholas Low
, an early landowner of Dutch descent, who had emigrated with his wife and three small children from a rural village outside of Amsterdam
in 1778.
The Postal ZIP code for Lowville is 13367. The village's population was 3,476 at the 2000 census.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
The village is at the junction of New York State Route 12
, New York State Route 26
, and New York State Route 812
. It is just west of the Black River
and Mill Creek flows eastward through the village to the river.
Whetstone Gulf, a spectacular three-mile-long canyon cut into the eastern side of the Tug Hill Plateau is located near the town. The canyon is part of Whetstone Gulf State Park
.
of 2000, there were 3,476 people, 1,403 households, and 882 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,830.8 people per square mile (706.4/km²). There were 1,588 housing units at an average density of 836.4 per square mile (322.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.66% White, 0.75% Black or African American
, 0.40% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.75% from other races
, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.
There were 1,403 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $32,841, and the median income for a family was $42,399. Males had a median income of $31,831 versus $21,422 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,172. About 13.9% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.
Lewis County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,944 people, 10,040 households, and 7,309 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile . There were 15,134 housing units at an average density of 12 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Village is nestled in the Black River Valley, between the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
and the Tug Hill Plateau
Tug Hill Plateau
The Tug Hill Plateau is an upland region in upstate New York in the USA, famous for heavy winter snow. The Tug Hill Region is west of the Adirondack Mountains and is separated from the Adirondacks by the Black River Valley. Although the region is and has traditionally been known as the Tug Hill...
, and is located in the eastern part of the Town of Lowville
Lowville (town), New York
Lowville is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 4,548 at the 2000 census. The town is near the center of the county and is southeast of the city of Watertown. Lowville contains a village also named Lowville, which is the county seat. The town of is named after...
.
Lowville is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lewis County. The name of both the village and town is derived from Nicholas Low
Nicholas Low
Nicholas Low was an American merchant and developer from New York City. He developed properties in upstate New York, including Lowville which was named for him....
, an early landowner of Dutch descent, who had emigrated with his wife and three small children from a rural village outside of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1778.
The Postal ZIP code for Lowville is 13367. The village's population was 3,476 at the 2000 census.
History
Silas Stow, an early settler, established himself in Lowville in 1797. The Village of Lowville was incorporated in 1854 and was rechartered in 1858. It was designated the county seat in 1864, succeeding the community of Martinsburg in the Town of MartinsburgMartinsburg, New York
Martinsburg is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 1,249 at the 2000 census. The town is named after founding father, Walter Martin....
.
Economy
Lowvile has mainly an agricultural economy with a long history of farming. However, Lowville does have many businesses including a Kraft Foods facility, Lowville Mason Supply, and Lowville Co-op, and several small restaurants like Gary's and JEB's. Lowville also offers franchises like Arby's, Mcdonald's, Walmart, and Tractor Supply. In 2006, Maple Ridge Wind Farm was constructed by Horizon Wind Energy LLC. introducing 195 wind turbines. Lowville boasts an annual Lewis County Fair and the Lowville Cream Cheese Festival. Furthermore, Lowville Academy Central School founded in 1808 provides a K-12 education to approximately 1,440 students.Notable people
- Franklin B. HoughFranklin B. HoughFranklin B. Hough was a scientist, historian and the first chief of the United States Division of Forestry, the predecessor of the United States Forest Service. He was among the first to call attention to the depletion of forests in the U.S...
, the "father of American forestry." - Silas StowSilas StowSilas Stow was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Middlefield, Middlesex County, Connecticut, he attended the common schools and studied law, but never practiced. He moved to Lowville, Lewis County, New York and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He became land agent for Nicholas...
, land agent for Nicholas LowNicholas LowNicholas Low was an American merchant and developer from New York City. He developed properties in upstate New York, including Lowville which was named for him....
and U.S. Congressman. - Ela CollinsEla CollinsEla Collins was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...
, U.S. Congressman. - Charles DayanCharles DayanCharles Dayan was an American lawyer and politician who was a United States Representative from New York from 1831 to 1833....
, U.S. Congressman. - William CollinsWilliam Collins (representative)William Collins was a United States Representative from New York. He was born in Lowville on February 22, 1818. He was the son of Ela Collins, a prominent politician from the State. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice there. He served as district attorney for Lewis...
, U.S. Congressman. - Andrew W. DoigAndrew W. DoigAndrew Wheeler Doig was a U.S. Representative from New York. He served in the 1830s and 1840s.Born in Salem, New York, Doig pursued an academic course. He moved to Lowville, New York, and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He served as town clerk of Lowville in 1825, and as county clerk of Lewis...
, U.S. Congressman. - Charles L. KnappCharles L. KnappCharles Luman Knapp was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born on a farm near Harrisburg, New York, Knapp attended the rural schools, Lowville Academy, and Irving Institute, Tarrytown, New York....
, U.S. Congressman. - Thomas Burk, Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
- Charles Melville DeweyCharles Melville DeweyCharles Melville Dewey was an American tonalist painter. He was born in Lowville, N. Y. Confined to his bed from his twelfth to his seventeenth year by a hip disease, he formed the poetic conception of nature which appears in his pictures...
, noted American painter. - Fred YoungFred YoungFred Matthews Young was a Canadian, democratic socialist, politician. He was an ordained minister and long time organizer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation .-Early life:...
, N.Y. Assemblyman, N.Y. Senator, Chief Judge of N.Y. Court of Claims and N.Y. Republican Party Chairman. - H. Robert Nortz, N.Y. Assemblyman.
- Peter OstrumPeter OstrumPeter Gardner Ostrum is an American large animal veterinarian and former child actor whose only film role was Charlie Bucket in the 1971 motion picture Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. A native of Cleveland, Ostrum practices and lives in Lowville, New York with his wife Loretta , and two...
, veterinarian, former child actor as the main character Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWilly Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
.
Geography
Lowville is located at 43°47′11"N 75°29′15"W (43.786662, -75.487645).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 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
The village is at the junction of New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12 is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in the town of Chenango in the Southern Tier. The northern terminus is at NY 37 near the village of...
, New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26 is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broome County, where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 267...
, and New York State Route 812
New York State Route 812
New York State Route 812 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 12 and NY 26 in the Lewis County village of Lowville...
. It is just west of the Black River
Black River (New York)
The Black River is a blackwater river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Ontario on the shore of Jefferson County, New York in the United States of America...
and Mill Creek flows eastward through the village to the river.
Whetstone Gulf, a spectacular three-mile-long canyon cut into the eastern side of the Tug Hill Plateau is located near the town. The canyon is part of Whetstone Gulf State Park
Whetstone Gulf State Park
Whetstone Gulf State Park is a state park located in Lewis County, New York in the USA. The park is on the border of the towns of Turin and Martinsburg...
.
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 3,476 people, 1,403 households, and 882 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 1,830.8 people per square mile (706.4/km²). There were 1,588 housing units at an average density of 836.4 per square mile (322.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.66% White, 0.75% Black or African American
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...
, 0.40% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.75% 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 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.
There were 1,403 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% 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 37.1% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $32,841, and the median income for a family was $42,399. Males had a median income of $31,831 versus $21,422 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 $17,172. About 13.9% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.