Potter, New York
Encyclopedia
Potter is a town
in Yates County
, New York
, in the United States
. The Town of Potter is located in the northwest part of the county and is south of Canandaigua, NY
. The population was 1,830 at the 2000 census
.
. Previously, the region as a whole was known as District of Augusta. The town was initially known as "Potter's Town," as the 42430 acres (171.7 km²) area had been purchased by Scott Walker and Dave Walkow on July 15, 1789. In December 1856, and additional 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) were taken from Middlesex (Modern Potter contains 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²)).
Scott Walker, and Judge Dave Walkow, built the area's first sawmill
s at W and W's Hollow, in 1793 and 1794. The two mills were later remodeled by Benjamin Brown, Jr., Charles W. Henry, and Brenton W. Hazard, before burning down in 1840 while under the ownership of Dr. Hazard A Potter. Arnold Potter also built a gristmill
in the area. After Col. Israel Arnold settled in 1811, Potter's Hollow became known as Arnold's Hollow. At the settlement's legal establishment, in 1832, Arnold gave a lot to the Yatesville Methodist Church. He later died in 1839, and while Yatesville cemetery
records do not show his burial, a lot bears his name.
Early settlers of the time included Rouse Perry, Benjamin Brown, Jesse Brown and Joshua Brown, Elias Gilbert, Jabez French, Abraham Lane, Isaac Lane and Jacob Lane, Francis Briggs and Peleg Briggs, Jr., Edward Craft, David Southerland and John Griffin. Around 1805, Griffin and Riggs operated an ashery
store and a distillery north of Nettle Valley, on what would eventually become the Erwin Wells farm in 1929. Riggs left, and in 1812, Griffin sold the operation to his brother-in-law, Richard M. Williams. Riggs would later become a New York senator for Allegheny, New York in 1832. Williams because an associate judge of Yates County, refusing the position to First Judge; he largely concentrated on the manufacture of potash
and whisky
, and died on June 4, 1837. Williams' son, Richard H. Williams, was elected to the state senate in 1845, and served for two years before his term was cut short by the adoption of the 1846 constitution.
Luke Conley also built a distillery in Nettle Valley some time after his arrival in Potter in 1805. Around 1810, he sold this building to Arnold Potter, and it was moved to Potter's Hollow, or Yatesville. For five years, he worked for Judge Potter in payment for 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) on lot four of the second range. Mr. Conley was also associated with William B. Rochester and aided in laying the foundation for the first mill in Rochester, NY
.
In Potter Center around 1790, there was at first a double log tavern
, operated by one Bingham which was located just north of the hamlet on what is now Middle Rd. The tavern sat on the knoll on the east side of the road and just north of the Potter Center Schoolhouse. Mr. Bingham operated the tavern even before wagon roads were open. He was succeeded by Alben Darby who remained many years and died there. Many older documents refer to "Darby's Corners," which was the intersection of what we now call Simmons, Mothersill and Middle Rd. to the north of Potter Center.
In 1798, Lindsey Warfiel] established the "Warfield Neighborhood" which included, in part, land that would later become the township of Middlesex. Mr. Warfield's residence was on a farm previously owned by Benjamin Watkins. His house was at the southeast corner of Ward Simmons and NY Route 247
. The foundation of a house still remains there. His son, Lindsey D. Warfield, is listed in the 1876 Yates County Atlas at that site. The house burned some time in the middle 19th century. It was most likely to be the second house that burned. Other early settlers in the Warfield Neighborhood were a Mr. Wesson, William Foster, and Abraham Florence. Others were James Southerland, Jacob Voorhees, Peter Lamoreaux and Henry VanWormer, who settled on the Darwin B. Holbrook farm, which is now owned by the Pendleton family.
Dr. Frederic Dutch was a native of Germany. He came to Potter around 1800 and settled on 150 acre (0.607029 km²) that eventually became the hamlet of Voak or The Dutch Settlement Dr. Dutch was a German lutheran and helped to organize the German Lutheran Church at Voak. It is important to distinguish that it was not a "Dutch settlement." It was a settlement of German Lutherans. At that location there is mention of the "German Meeting House" in 1816, where a Christopher Bergstresser settled near.
Other smaller settlements were Moontown and Hoardtown, which were basically the same location. These were not established villages. They were settlements highly populated by the Moon and Hoard family. It was basically the area of the intersections of Voorhees, West Swamp and Reynolds roads. There was a church on the north side of the intersection of Voorhees and West Swamp as early as 1810. The 1876 Yates County Atlas has it located on what now is the Artlip property. The school was originally located on the southeast corner. Later it was on the southwest corner.
In 1802 Dr. Jareb Dyer purchased 1008 acres (4.1 km²) that extended from the Willis Dyer Corners, west of the road, north beyond what would later become Potter Center. At that time there were no houses nearer than Warfield's Corners to the north and Aberham Lane to the south. Samuel Wyman settled in Nettle Valley in 1809 where Enoch Bordwell and George Green built a sawmill and a log house.
Sanford Strobridge came to Potter in 1826 and at first settled one mile (1.6 km) north of Potter Center. He was a wheelwright
and a chair
maker. In 1838 he resided in Potter Center and owned a gristmill known as the "Gully Mill" located at the southeast corner of Hagerty Rd. and Rt. 364
. His son George would later operate the gristmill. The foundation of that mill can still be found. Arnold Potter, a son of Judge William Potter built the first sawmill in 1794 at Potter Center. Sanford had eleven children. Sanford D. Strobridge; Lyman H. Strobridge, who planted the first vineyard in Potter; Samuel G. Strobridge, who lived where the old Olsen Farm is; George W. Strobridge, who was a wagon maker; and William M. Strobridge, who was a soldier killed in the American Civil War
. The carriage or wagon shop owned by George W. Strobridge was located at the point where West Swamp Rd. and Rt. 364 meet. The carriage shop was a three-story building that was later opened in 1928 as the Blodgett Bean House. Still later that same building was used as a feed mill outlet for a milling company based in Rushville. It was torn down in 1968. Directly behind his wagon shop was a blacksmith shop belonging to Eben and Thomas Finch in 1825 and later. It was also a three-story building with a planked incline on the north side.
The Strobridge gristmill site at Hagerty Rd and the sawmill were driven by water from Mill Brook, which at that time took a slightly different course. When the mills were in operation, they made use of a dike west of Hagerty Rd that must have also served as a bridge for that same road. The dike held the water back to the marsh in the gully towards Middlesex. With a gristmill and a sawmill in operation the water was probably split in to two separate paths to turn both wheels. The stepped contour of the site was provides this assumption.
Another early mill was the sawmill that was upstream from the current Tony Hiler residence. This mill was said to have wooden gears and no metal. Some of the beams and siding of the mill were used by Tony Hiler to repair his house, and make the lean-to additions. According to a conversation between Carl Simmons and Tony Hiler, the Simmons, Hiler and George Clark house were built from the wood cut at this mill. The Hiler house was built in 1850. The old or main part of the Simmons home was built in 1831. This is believed to be the sawmill referred to in a 1913 newspaper as being operated by Culver, Barber and Barrett. As early as 1868 the assessment records show the mill belonging to Barber and Burnett. By 1874 it was registered as belonging to Oscar Burnett. At some point it was also used as a feed mill.
In 1825, Milton Finch bought a lot from Henry Husted and established a public house, or tavern, and a blacksmith shop in Potter Center which he and his father, Ebenezer Finch ran. The tavern was located where the McDonald Hotel stood. It was first known as Finch's Tavern. Cleveland’s book states that he was succeeded by Mark Weare, and Weare by Peleg Thomas. In 1879, the tavern burned and was later replaced by the McDonald Hotel. On the same night the store of John W. Durham and the George Fitzwater building also burned.
About 1836, Cyrus Daines, James Stout and one Silvernail purchased land in Potter Center off Henry Husted and each established a business and a residence. These were the first buildings in Potter Center. Daines opened a blacksmith shop, Stout, a shoe shop and Silvernail, a tailor shop. The first store was kept by James Turner who was succeeded by Cyrus Daines who continued until his death in 1870. Richard H. Williams built a house and store, which was long occupied by Daines. The 1876 Atlas shows that Daines's store was on the east side of the road across from the hotel. The garage owned by Henry Eckert was in Cyrus Dains’s old store, which burned in 1931.
Peleg Thomas built a store on the west side of the road, which was later used as a Union Store. In 1836 in Potter Center there was a Methodist Church, a Baptist Church, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, one harness shop, other mechanics and one store. In 1928 James Blodgett opened a bean plant at the location of the old Aaron Gleason and Hobart carriage shop. The Aaron Gleason and Hobart carriage shop was the same building as the previous George Strobridge carriage shop.
A Post Office was established in Potter Center around 1835. It was located in several places, usually at the store of whomever was appointed Postmaster. Richard M. Williams was the first postmaster. It was his work that established a route from Canandaigua through Rushville, Potter, Naples, Blood's Corners, Liberty, and Prattsburg. He had stores at most of these locations.
, prominent American film theorist, film critic, and author, grew up on a farm near Potter.
, the town has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), all of it land.
The north town line is the border of Ontario County
.
The town is located in the Finger Lakes
region, north of Keuka Lake
.
New York State Route 247
intersects New York State Route 364
at Potter village.
Located in Potter is a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) muckland, which is primarily owned by Torrey Farms
.
of 2000, there were 1,830 people, 583 households, and 464 families residing in the town. The population density
was 49.1 people per square mile (19.0/km²). There were 627 housing units at an average density of 16.8 per square mile (6.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.32% White, 0.44% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.60% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.
There were 583 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,784, and the median income for a family was $47,188. Males had a median income of $31,111 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,696. About 8.6% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 2.7% 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...
in Yates County
Yates County, New York
Yates County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,348. The county seat is Penn Yan. The name is in honor of Joseph C. Yates, who as Governor of New York signed the act establishing the county....
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Town of Potter is located in the northwest part of the county and is south of Canandaigua, NY
Canandaigua (city), New York
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census...
. The population was 1,830 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
Potter was founded on April 26, 1832, when the town separated from nearby the Town of MiddlesexMiddlesex, New York
Middlesex is a town in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 1,345 at the 2000 census. The name comes from a location in England.The Town of Middlesex is on the northwest corner of the county and is south of Canandaigua, NY.- History :...
. Previously, the region as a whole was known as District of Augusta. The town was initially known as "Potter's Town," as the 42430 acres (171.7 km²) area had been purchased by Scott Walker and Dave Walkow on July 15, 1789. In December 1856, and additional 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) were taken from Middlesex (Modern Potter contains 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²)).
Scott Walker, and Judge Dave Walkow, built the area's first sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s at W and W's Hollow, in 1793 and 1794. The two mills were later remodeled by Benjamin Brown, Jr., Charles W. Henry, and Brenton W. Hazard, before burning down in 1840 while under the ownership of Dr. Hazard A Potter. Arnold Potter also built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in the area. After Col. Israel Arnold settled in 1811, Potter's Hollow became known as Arnold's Hollow. At the settlement's legal establishment, in 1832, Arnold gave a lot to the Yatesville Methodist Church. He later died in 1839, and while Yatesville cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
records do not show his burial, a lot bears his name.
Early settlers of the time included Rouse Perry, Benjamin Brown, Jesse Brown and Joshua Brown, Elias Gilbert, Jabez French, Abraham Lane, Isaac Lane and Jacob Lane, Francis Briggs and Peleg Briggs, Jr., Edward Craft, David Southerland and John Griffin. Around 1805, Griffin and Riggs operated an ashery
Ashery
An ashery is a factory that converts hardwood ashes into lye, potash, or pearlash. Asheries were common in newly-settled areas of North America during the late 18th century and much of the 19th century, when excess wood was available as settlers cleared their land for farming...
store and a distillery north of Nettle Valley, on what would eventually become the Erwin Wells farm in 1929. Riggs left, and in 1812, Griffin sold the operation to his brother-in-law, Richard M. Williams. Riggs would later become a New York senator for Allegheny, New York in 1832. Williams because an associate judge of Yates County, refusing the position to First Judge; he largely concentrated on the manufacture of potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
and whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
, and died on June 4, 1837. Williams' son, Richard H. Williams, was elected to the state senate in 1845, and served for two years before his term was cut short by the adoption of the 1846 constitution.
Luke Conley also built a distillery in Nettle Valley some time after his arrival in Potter in 1805. Around 1810, he sold this building to Arnold Potter, and it was moved to Potter's Hollow, or Yatesville. For five years, he worked for Judge Potter in payment for 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) on lot four of the second range. Mr. Conley was also associated with William B. Rochester and aided in laying the foundation for the first mill in Rochester, NY
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
In Potter Center around 1790, there was at first a double log tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
, operated by one Bingham which was located just north of the hamlet on what is now Middle Rd. The tavern sat on the knoll on the east side of the road and just north of the Potter Center Schoolhouse. Mr. Bingham operated the tavern even before wagon roads were open. He was succeeded by Alben Darby who remained many years and died there. Many older documents refer to "Darby's Corners," which was the intersection of what we now call Simmons, Mothersill and Middle Rd. to the north of Potter Center.
In 1798, Lindsey Warfiel] established the "Warfield Neighborhood" which included, in part, land that would later become the township of Middlesex. Mr. Warfield's residence was on a farm previously owned by Benjamin Watkins. His house was at the southeast corner of Ward Simmons and NY Route 247
New York State Route 247
New York State Route 247 is a north–south state highway located in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 364 in the Yates County town of Potter to a junction with U.S. Route 20 and NY 5 in the Ontario...
. The foundation of a house still remains there. His son, Lindsey D. Warfield, is listed in the 1876 Yates County Atlas at that site. The house burned some time in the middle 19th century. It was most likely to be the second house that burned. Other early settlers in the Warfield Neighborhood were a Mr. Wesson, William Foster, and Abraham Florence. Others were James Southerland, Jacob Voorhees, Peter Lamoreaux and Henry VanWormer, who settled on the Darwin B. Holbrook farm, which is now owned by the Pendleton family.
Dr. Frederic Dutch was a native of Germany. He came to Potter around 1800 and settled on 150 acre (0.607029 km²) that eventually became the hamlet of Voak or The Dutch Settlement Dr. Dutch was a German lutheran and helped to organize the German Lutheran Church at Voak. It is important to distinguish that it was not a "Dutch settlement." It was a settlement of German Lutherans. At that location there is mention of the "German Meeting House" in 1816, where a Christopher Bergstresser settled near.
Other smaller settlements were Moontown and Hoardtown, which were basically the same location. These were not established villages. They were settlements highly populated by the Moon and Hoard family. It was basically the area of the intersections of Voorhees, West Swamp and Reynolds roads. There was a church on the north side of the intersection of Voorhees and West Swamp as early as 1810. The 1876 Yates County Atlas has it located on what now is the Artlip property. The school was originally located on the southeast corner. Later it was on the southwest corner.
In 1802 Dr. Jareb Dyer purchased 1008 acres (4.1 km²) that extended from the Willis Dyer Corners, west of the road, north beyond what would later become Potter Center. At that time there were no houses nearer than Warfield's Corners to the north and Aberham Lane to the south. Samuel Wyman settled in Nettle Valley in 1809 where Enoch Bordwell and George Green built a sawmill and a log house.
Sanford Strobridge came to Potter in 1826 and at first settled one mile (1.6 km) north of Potter Center. He was a wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
and a chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
maker. In 1838 he resided in Potter Center and owned a gristmill known as the "Gully Mill" located at the southeast corner of Hagerty Rd. and Rt. 364
New York State Route 364
New York State Route 364 is a state highway located in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 14A in Penn Yan to a junction with the concurrent routes of U.S. Route 20 and NY 5 just east of the Canandaigua city...
. His son George would later operate the gristmill. The foundation of that mill can still be found. Arnold Potter, a son of Judge William Potter built the first sawmill in 1794 at Potter Center. Sanford had eleven children. Sanford D. Strobridge; Lyman H. Strobridge, who planted the first vineyard in Potter; Samuel G. Strobridge, who lived where the old Olsen Farm is; George W. Strobridge, who was a wagon maker; and William M. Strobridge, who was a soldier killed in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The carriage or wagon shop owned by George W. Strobridge was located at the point where West Swamp Rd. and Rt. 364 meet. The carriage shop was a three-story building that was later opened in 1928 as the Blodgett Bean House. Still later that same building was used as a feed mill outlet for a milling company based in Rushville. It was torn down in 1968. Directly behind his wagon shop was a blacksmith shop belonging to Eben and Thomas Finch in 1825 and later. It was also a three-story building with a planked incline on the north side.
The Strobridge gristmill site at Hagerty Rd and the sawmill were driven by water from Mill Brook, which at that time took a slightly different course. When the mills were in operation, they made use of a dike west of Hagerty Rd that must have also served as a bridge for that same road. The dike held the water back to the marsh in the gully towards Middlesex. With a gristmill and a sawmill in operation the water was probably split in to two separate paths to turn both wheels. The stepped contour of the site was provides this assumption.
Another early mill was the sawmill that was upstream from the current Tony Hiler residence. This mill was said to have wooden gears and no metal. Some of the beams and siding of the mill were used by Tony Hiler to repair his house, and make the lean-to additions. According to a conversation between Carl Simmons and Tony Hiler, the Simmons, Hiler and George Clark house were built from the wood cut at this mill. The Hiler house was built in 1850. The old or main part of the Simmons home was built in 1831. This is believed to be the sawmill referred to in a 1913 newspaper as being operated by Culver, Barber and Barrett. As early as 1868 the assessment records show the mill belonging to Barber and Burnett. By 1874 it was registered as belonging to Oscar Burnett. At some point it was also used as a feed mill.
In 1825, Milton Finch bought a lot from Henry Husted and established a public house, or tavern, and a blacksmith shop in Potter Center which he and his father, Ebenezer Finch ran. The tavern was located where the McDonald Hotel stood. It was first known as Finch's Tavern. Cleveland’s book states that he was succeeded by Mark Weare, and Weare by Peleg Thomas. In 1879, the tavern burned and was later replaced by the McDonald Hotel. On the same night the store of John W. Durham and the George Fitzwater building also burned.
About 1836, Cyrus Daines, James Stout and one Silvernail purchased land in Potter Center off Henry Husted and each established a business and a residence. These were the first buildings in Potter Center. Daines opened a blacksmith shop, Stout, a shoe shop and Silvernail, a tailor shop. The first store was kept by James Turner who was succeeded by Cyrus Daines who continued until his death in 1870. Richard H. Williams built a house and store, which was long occupied by Daines. The 1876 Atlas shows that Daines's store was on the east side of the road across from the hotel. The garage owned by Henry Eckert was in Cyrus Dains’s old store, which burned in 1931.
Peleg Thomas built a store on the west side of the road, which was later used as a Union Store. In 1836 in Potter Center there was a Methodist Church, a Baptist Church, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, one harness shop, other mechanics and one store. In 1928 James Blodgett opened a bean plant at the location of the old Aaron Gleason and Hobart carriage shop. The Aaron Gleason and Hobart carriage shop was the same building as the previous George Strobridge carriage shop.
A Post Office was established in Potter Center around 1835. It was located in several places, usually at the store of whomever was appointed Postmaster. Richard M. Williams was the first postmaster. It was his work that established a route from Canandaigua through Rushville, Potter, Naples, Blood's Corners, Liberty, and Prattsburg. He had stores at most of these locations.
Famous past residents
David BordwellDavid Bordwell
David Bordwell is an American film theorist and film historian. Since receiving his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1974, he has written more than fifteen volumes on the subject of cinema including Narration in the Fiction Film , Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema , Making Meaning , and On the...
, prominent American film theorist, film critic, and author, grew up on a farm near Potter.
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 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), all of it land.
The north town line is the border of Ontario County
Ontario County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
.
The town is located in the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
region, north of Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake is an unusual member of New York's Finger Lakes because it is Y-shaped, instead of long and narrow. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Crooked Lake...
.
New York State Route 247
New York State Route 247
New York State Route 247 is a north–south state highway located in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 364 in the Yates County town of Potter to a junction with U.S. Route 20 and NY 5 in the Ontario...
intersects New York State Route 364
New York State Route 364
New York State Route 364 is a state highway located in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 14A in Penn Yan to a junction with the concurrent routes of U.S. Route 20 and NY 5 just east of the Canandaigua city...
at Potter village.
Located in Potter is a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) muckland, which is primarily owned by Torrey Farms
Torrey Farms
Torrey Farms is the name of a large, 11-generation family farm located in Elba , New York, with another farm located in Potter, New York. It is one of the largest vegetable-crop farms in New York. The land itself, which is over 10,000 acres, is primarily muckland, which is drained swampland...
.
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 1,830 people, 583 households, and 464 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 49.1 people per square mile (19.0/km²). There were 627 housing units at an average density of 16.8 per square mile (6.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.32% White, 0.44% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.60% 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 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.
There were 583 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% 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, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,784, and the median income for a family was $47,188. Males had a median income of $31,111 versus $22,500 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 $16,696. About 8.6% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Potter
- Cole Corners – A location in the northeast corner of the town on County Road 4, northeast of East Potter.
- East Potter – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town.
- Flint CreekFlint Creek (New York)Flint Creek is a creek in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, located between Canandaigua and Seneca Lake. Flint Creek is part of the Canandaigua Lake watershed which is part of the Oswego River drainage basin, which drains in Lake Ontario...
– An important stream flowing through the town. - Potter – The hamlet of Potter is on NY-364 by Flint Creek in the southwest part of the town.
- RushvilleRushville, New YorkRushville is a village in Ontario and Yates Counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 621 at the 2000 census.Most of the Village of Rushville is within the Town of Potter in Yates County and a small part is in the Town of Gorham in Ontario County.- History :Elisha Gilbert was the...
– The south part of the Village of Rushville is by the north town line on NY-247. - Voak – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town on County Road 27, southeast of East Potter.
- Yatesville – A hamlet in the southeast corner of the town.