Port Byron, New York
Encyclopedia
Port Byron is a village
in Cayuga County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,297 at the 2000 census. The village is believed to be named after Lord Byron.
The Village of Port Byron is in the Town of Mentz
and is north of Auburn, New York
.
The local school is the Port Byron Central School District
.
Byron
, Minnesota
, a small town in southeastern Minnesota
was named after Port Byron, New York, the name being suggested by George W. Van Dusen
, a grain dealer who was formerly from Port Byron, NY.
Originally known as "Bucksville," the name was changed to Port Byron in 1825 as it became a port
on the Erie Canal
. Later, when the canal route was changed in 1856, the village was a railroad town.
The village was incorporated in 1837.
The Erie Canal Lock 52 Complex
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1998.
faith, Brigham Young
lived here in the early 1830s. He was a painter and builder. One of the early buildings he lived in still exists on Pine Street. Henry Wells
of "Wells and Fargo" fame also lived here in the early 1830s. We can trace Isaac Singer
of sewing machine fame here in 1837, when he was better known for his acting than his machinery skills. Sculptor Byron Pickett lived here in the 1840s and his family is buried in the local cemetery. Clara Barrus trained in Boston to become a doctor. She is better known as the aid and biographer of naturalist John Burroughs
. She also wrote a book about her childhood, titled "A Life Unveiled" written under the name "A Child of the Drumlins". Actress Kittie Rhoades was raised here, and she kept a summer house nearby. She is buried in the local cemetery. Opera singer Richard Bonelli
was born here as Jacob Bunn.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
The village is at the junction of Routes NY-31
and NY-38
. The New York State Thruway
passes north of the village.
The Owasco Outlet flows northward from Owasco Lake
to the Seneca River
through the village. It provided substantial water power to the early village.
of 2000, there were 1,297 people, 501 households, and 350 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,287.7 people per square mile (495.8/km²). There were 527 housing units at an average density of 523.2 per square mile (201.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.22% White, 1.54% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 1.23% from other races
, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.16% of the population.
There were 501 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples
living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,625, and the median income for a family was $37,054. Males had a median income of $30,875 versus $20,404 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $15,741. About 11.0% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Cayuga County
Cayuga County, New York
Cayuga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was named for one of the tribes of Indians in the Iroquois Confederation. Its county seat is Auburn.- 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,297 at the 2000 census. The village is believed to be named after Lord Byron.
The Village of Port Byron is in the Town of Mentz
Mentz, New York
Mentz is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2010 census.The Town of Mentz is on the central part of the county, north of Auburn, New York.- History :...
and is north of Auburn, New York
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
.
The local school is the Port Byron Central School District
Port Byron Central School District
Located in the Village of Port Byron, Town of Mentz, County of Cayuga and State of New York.In March 2009, Port Byron Central Schools had its first student, Jonathan Pilat, qualify to participate in the state championships for the National Geography Bee. He won the school competition in January 2009...
.
Byron
Byron, Minnesota
Byron is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, approximately 5 miles west of Rochester on U.S. Route 14. It is surrounded by Kalmar Township. The population was 4,914 at the 2010 census....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, a small town in southeastern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
was named after Port Byron, New York, the name being suggested by George W. Van Dusen
George W. Van Dusen
George Washington Van Dusen was a grain dealer who was one of the many businessmen to become rich from the milling boom in Minnesota in the second half of the 19th century. Van Dusen was from a New York family, and his father Laurence had been born in Byron Center, Genesee County, New York.In...
, a grain dealer who was formerly from Port Byron, NY.
History
Settlers began arriving around 1797.Originally known as "Bucksville," the name was changed to Port Byron in 1825 as it became a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
on the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. Later, when the canal route was changed in 1856, the village was a railroad town.
The village was incorporated in 1837.
The Erie Canal Lock 52 Complex
Erie Canal Lock 52 Complex
Erie Canal Lock 52 Complex is a national historic district located at Port Byron and Mentz in Cayuga County, New York. The district includes two contributing buildings ; three contributing engineering structures ; and archaeological sites associated with the canal...
was 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...
in 1998.
Residents of note
There are a number of people who can trace their roots back to Port Byron or who settled here for a while. Before he was a leader of the MormonMormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
faith, Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
lived here in the early 1830s. He was a painter and builder. One of the early buildings he lived in still exists on Pine Street. Henry Wells
Henry Wells
Henry Wells was an American businessman important in the history of both the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company.-Early life:...
of "Wells and Fargo" fame also lived here in the early 1830s. We can trace Isaac Singer
Isaac Singer
Isaac Merritt Singer was an inventor, actor, and entrepreneur. He made important improvements in the design of the sewing machine and was the founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company...
of sewing machine fame here in 1837, when he was better known for his acting than his machinery skills. Sculptor Byron Pickett lived here in the 1840s and his family is buried in the local cemetery. Clara Barrus trained in Boston to become a doctor. She is better known as the aid and biographer of naturalist John Burroughs
John Burroughs
John Burroughs was an American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement. According to biographers at the American Memory project at the Library of Congress,...
. She also wrote a book about her childhood, titled "A Life Unveiled" written under the name "A Child of the Drumlins". Actress Kittie Rhoades was raised here, and she kept a summer house nearby. She is buried in the local cemetery. Opera singer Richard Bonelli
Richard Bonelli
right|thumb|Bonelli, ca. 1940sRichard Bonelli was an American operatic baritone active from 1915 to the late 1970s.-Life and career:...
was born here as Jacob Bunn.
Geography
Port Byron is located at 43°2′N 76°38′W (43.0368, -76.6254).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 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
The village is at the junction of Routes NY-31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
and NY-38
New York State Route 38
New York State Route 38 is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 96 in the town of Owego in Tioga County. The northern terminus is at a junction with NY 104A in the town of...
. The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
passes north of the village.
The Owasco Outlet flows northward from Owasco Lake
Owasco Lake
Owasco Lake is the sixth largest and third easternmost of the Finger Lakes of New York in the United States of America . The name Owasco can be roughly translated from a Mohawk and Iroquois term meaning "crossing"....
to the Seneca River
Seneca River (New York)
The Seneca River in central New York flows from west to east, from Seneca Lake, through the Montezuma Marsh at the north end of Cayuga Lake to the Seneca's confluence with the Oneida and Oswego rivers at the Three Rivers area north of Syracuse. Much of the river has been channelized to form part...
through the village. It provided substantial water power to the early village.
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 1,297 people, 501 households, and 350 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 1,287.7 people per square mile (495.8/km²). There were 527 housing units at an average density of 523.2 per square mile (201.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.22% White, 1.54% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 1.23% 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 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.16% of the population.
There were 501 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% 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, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,625, and the median income for a family was $37,054. Males had a median income of $30,875 versus $20,404 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 $15,741. About 11.0% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.