Orleans, New York
Encyclopedia
Orleans is a town in Jefferson County, New York
, USA. The population was 2,789 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the northern part of the county and is north of Watertown
. Orleans is named after the commune
of Orléans
in France.
granted land, a hundred square mile tract, in the town to Peter Penet in 1788. The town was first settled around 1806.
The important community of La Fargeville
was founded around 1816 by the construction of a mill on the Chaumont River.
The town was formed from part of the town of Brownville
in the year 1821 at the same time as some other new towns.
Fordham University
was founded as St. Johns College in La Fargeville in 1838 by a purchase of the lands and home of John La Farge. The college moved to New York City after a few years.
, the town has a total area of 77.8 square miles (201.5 km²), of which, 71.1 square miles (184.1 km²) of it is land and 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it (8.57%) is water.
Part of the town is located at the St. Lawrence River and includes part of Wellesley Island
, containing Dewolf Point State Park
. The north town line is the international border of Canada (Ontario
).
Interstate 81
, a major divided highway, passes through the town to the Canadian border. New York State Route 12
follows the south bank of the St Lawrence River and intersects New York State Route 180
, a north-south highway, at Fishers Landing. New York State Route 411
is an east-west highway in the south part of Orleans.
of 2000, there were 2,465 people, 928 households, and 703 families residing in the town. The population density
was 34.7 people per square mile (13.4/km²). There were 2,084 housing units at an average density of 29.3 per square mile (11.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.20% White, 0.77% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 928 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,458, and the median income for a family was $41,471. Males had a median income of $28,828 versus $22,132 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,315. About 8.8% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
, USA. The population was 2,789 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the northern part of the county and is north of Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
. Orleans is named after the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
in France.
History
The Oneida tribeOneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
granted land, a hundred square mile tract, in the town to Peter Penet in 1788. The town was first settled around 1806.
The important community of La Fargeville
La Fargeville, New York
La Fargeville is a hamlet in the town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 588 at the 2000 census. The hamlet is named after John La Farge, one of the early proprietors of the town. The hamlet of La Fargeville was once a village, but dissolved its municipal...
was founded around 1816 by the construction of a mill on the Chaumont River.
The town was formed from part of the town of Brownville
Brownville (town), New York
Brownville is a town in Jefferson County, New York, USA. The population was 6,263 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Jacob Brown, early settler and leader....
in the year 1821 at the same time as some other new towns.
Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
was founded as St. Johns College in La Fargeville in 1838 by a purchase of the lands and home of John La Farge. The college moved to New York City after a few years.
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 77.8 square miles (201.5 km²), of which, 71.1 square miles (184.1 km²) of it is land and 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it (8.57%) is water.
Part of the town is located at the St. Lawrence River and includes part of Wellesley Island
Wellesley Island
Wellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, USA is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.-Geography:...
, containing Dewolf Point State Park
Dewolf Point State Park
Dewolf Point State Park is a small park on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River.-Location in the State of New York:Dewolf Point State Park is situated within the Town of Orleans.The Park forms part of Jefferson County, New York.-Opening season:...
. The north town line is the international border of Canada (Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
).
Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
, a major divided highway, passes through the town to the Canadian border. 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...
follows the south bank of the St Lawrence River and intersects New York State Route 180
New York State Route 180
New York State Route 180 is a north–south state highway in the northwestern part of Jefferson County in the U.S. state of New York. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 3 in the Hounsfield hamlet of Baggs Corner, located west of downtown Watertown. The northern terminus is...
, a north-south highway, at Fishers Landing. New York State Route 411
New York State Route 411
New York State Route 411 is an east–west state highway in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 180 in the community of La Fargeville in the town of Orleans...
is an east-west highway in the south part of Orleans.
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 2,465 people, 928 households, and 703 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 34.7 people per square mile (13.4/km²). There were 2,084 housing units at an average density of 29.3 per square mile (11.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.20% White, 0.77% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 0.16% 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 928 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,458, and the median income for a family was $41,471. Males had a median income of $28,828 versus $22,132 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 $17,315. About 8.8% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and inhabited locations
- Barlow Corners – A location in the southeast corner of the town on County Road 15.
- Collins Landing – A community on the south shore of Wellesley Island.
- DeLaFarge Corners – A hamlet on the east town line on County Road 3.
- Dewolf Point State ParkDewolf Point State ParkDewolf Point State Park is a small park on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River.-Location in the State of New York:Dewolf Point State Park is situated within the Town of Orleans.The Park forms part of Jefferson County, New York.-Opening season:...
– a state park on Wellesley IslandWellesley IslandWellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, USA is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.-Geography:...
by Lake of the Isles. - Fineview – A location on the south shore of Wellesley Island on County Road 100.
- Fishers LandingFishers Landing, New YorkFishers Landing is a hamlet in the town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York just southwest of Grass Point State Park. This is a favorite vacation destination for many coming to the Thousand Islands. Foxy's Restaurant is a well known location on the St. Lawrence River...
– A location in the north part of town by the St. Lawrence River, on Routes NY-12 and NY-180. - Getman Corners – A location in the southeast part of the town on County Road 15.
- Grass Point State ParkGrass Point State ParkGrass Point State Park is a state park located in the Town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York. The park is located along the St. Lawrence River by Routes 12 and 180, between Clayton and Alexandria Bay.Grass Point Cottage is a full-service accommodation...
– A state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the northern part of the town, off NY-12. - Grenell – A community on Wellesley Island north of Thousand Islands Park.
- Grandview Park – a community on the northwest tip of Wellesley Island.
- La FargevilleLa Fargeville, New YorkLa Fargeville is a hamlet in the town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 588 at the 2000 census. The hamlet is named after John La Farge, one of the early proprietors of the town. The hamlet of La Fargeville was once a village, but dissolved its municipal...
– A hamlet at the intersection of Routes NY-180 and NY-411, along with County Road 181. - Moore Landing – A location on Wellesley Island.
- Omar – A hamlet in the northern part of the town on Route 180. The community was once called "Mudges Mills."
- Orleans Corners (or "Orleans Four Corners," formerly "Shantyville") – A location in the southeast part of the town on NY-411 at County Road 15.
- Stone Mills – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town on Route 180.
- Thousand Island Park – A hamlet on the southwest tip of Wellesley Island by South Bay.
- Upper Town Landing – An historic location in the town.
- Waterson Point State ParkWaterson Point State ParkWaterson Point State Park is located on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River in the Town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York. It is near Wellesley Island State Park....
– A state Park on the north shore of Wellesley Island. - Wellesley Island State ParkWellesley Island State ParkWellesley Island State Park is located on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River in the Town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York at 44° 19'North, 76° 00' West. The park is divided into sections that are on different parts of the island. It has the largest camping complex in the Thousand...
– A state park on Wellesley Island.
Geographic locations
- American Narrows – A narrow part of the St. Lawrence River that flows between Wellesley Island and the mainland of New York.
- Chaumont River – A stream in the south part of Orleans, flowing past La Fargeville.
- Collins Landing Wildlife Management AreaNew York State Wildlife Management AreasNew York State owns and maintains more than 85 Wildlife Management Areas , with a total area of more than .The Wildlife Management Areas Program is administered by the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources of the Department of Environmental Conservation...
– A conservation area by the St. Lawrence River. - Crow Island – A small island by the north shore of Wellesley Island.
- Eel Bay – A bayBayA bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
at the west end of Wellesley Island. - Mullet Creek – A stream entering the St. Lawrence River at Fishers Landing.
- Lake of The Isles – A bay formed by two arms of Wellesley Island.
- South Bay – A bay on the southeast corner of Wellesley Island.
- Wellesley IslandWellesley IslandWellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, USA is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.-Geography:...
– An island in the St. Lawrence River, partly in the town of Orleans.