Remsen (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Remsen is a town
in Oneida County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Henry Remsen, an early settler.
The Town of Remsen has a village called Remsen
. The town is north of Utica
, New York
.
merchant and owner of Henry Remsen Jr. & Co., was the descendant of some of the earliest Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam
.
The town was first settled around 1792, when Barnabas Mitchell of Meriden, Connecticut
settled in the area and began clearing a farm which was subsequently owned by his son Milo, and became known as the 'Milo Mitchell place.' Soon afterwards, Mitchell was joined by Nathaniel Rockwood, John Bonner, Perez Farr, Bettis Le Clerc, Jonah Dayton, John Kent and Shubael Cross, all of whom came from New England
to settle in Remsen. In September 1795 five families from Wales
settled in the vicinity, marking the beginning of a substantial Welsh
presence in the area.
The Town of Remsen was formed in 1798 from part of the Town of Norway
in Herkimer County
, New York
when Oneida County was formed. In 1869, part of Remsen was used to form the new Town of Forestport
.
, the town has a total area of 36.9 square miles (95.5 km²), of which, 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (4.04%) is water.
The east town line is the border of Herkimer County
. The Black River
, widened into Kayuta Lake by a dam, defines the north part of the town. Remsen was at one time a commercial hub, during the railroad years. During the 1970s and 1980s, there were still strong industries such as farming. There were also many factory-type jobs to be found in nearby Utica, NY. It was hit hard by the closing of factories and a large military base, Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY in the early 1990s. It is currently widely considered a town without much wealth and most local businesses have closed.
Remsen is at the border of the Adirondack Park.
of 2000, there were 1,958 people, 745 households, and 517 families residing in the town. The population density
was 55.3 people per square mile (21.4/km²). There were 991 housing units at an average density of 28.0 per square mile (10.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.36% Black or African American
, 0.15% Native American, 0.41% Asian, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population.
There were 745 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,968, and the median income for a family was $41,042. Males had a median income of $30,938 versus $22,989 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,394. About 8.5% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
-- Represented Team USA in women's singles luge at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Placed 12th overall.
Colin Panetta-- Creator of the comic "X-Heroes" as well as various other graphic works.
John's Gross Finger-- Regional punk band that achieved mild success in the late 1990s until their breakup in 2004.
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 Oneida County
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
, 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 1,958 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Henry Remsen, an early settler.
The Town of Remsen has a village called Remsen
Remsen (village), New York
Remsen is a village in Oneida County, New York, USA. The population was 531 at the 2000 census.The Village of Remsen is in the southwest part of the Town of Remsen....
. The town is north of Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, 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...
.
History
Remsen was named for Henry Remsen II, the original proprietor of the township and the inheritor of the Remsenburgh patent, which embraced some 48000 acres (194.2 km²) in Oneida and Herkimer counties and was granted in 1766 (later regranted by the Legislature in 1787) to Remsen and four other New York merchants. Remsen, a New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
merchant and owner of Henry Remsen Jr. & Co., was the descendant of some of the earliest Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
.
The town was first settled around 1792, when Barnabas Mitchell of Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
settled in the area and began clearing a farm which was subsequently owned by his son Milo, and became known as the 'Milo Mitchell place.' Soon afterwards, Mitchell was joined by Nathaniel Rockwood, John Bonner, Perez Farr, Bettis Le Clerc, Jonah Dayton, John Kent and Shubael Cross, all of whom came from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
to settle in Remsen. In September 1795 five families from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
settled in the vicinity, marking the beginning of a substantial Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
presence in the area.
The Town of Remsen was formed in 1798 from part of the Town of Norway
Norway, New York
Norway is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 711 at the 2000 census.The Town of Norway is located in the east-central part of the county and is northeast of Utica.The town borders the Adirondack Park.- History :...
in Herkimer County
Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
, 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...
when Oneida County was formed. In 1869, part of Remsen was used to form the new Town of Forestport
Forestport, New York
Forestport is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,692 at the 2000 census.The Town of Forestport is located in the northeast corner of Oneida County...
.
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 36.9 square miles (95.5 km²), of which, 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (4.04%) is water.
The east town line is the border of Herkimer County
Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
. 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...
, widened into Kayuta Lake by a dam, defines the north part of the town. Remsen was at one time a commercial hub, during the railroad years. During the 1970s and 1980s, there were still strong industries such as farming. There were also many factory-type jobs to be found in nearby Utica, NY. It was hit hard by the closing of factories and a large military base, Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY in the early 1990s. It is currently widely considered a town without much wealth and most local businesses have closed.
Remsen is at the border of the Adirondack Park.
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 1,958 people, 745 households, and 517 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 55.3 people per square mile (21.4/km²). There were 991 housing units at an average density of 28.0 per square mile (10.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.36% 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...
, 0.15% Native American, 0.41% Asian, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population.
There were 745 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,968, and the median income for a family was $41,042. Males had a median income of $30,938 versus $22,989 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 $16,394. About 8.5% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
Erin HamlinErin Hamlin
Erin Hamlin is an American luger who has competed since 2005. She won the gold medal in the women's singles event at the 2009 FIL World Luge Championships in Lake Placid, New York; this marked the first time in 99 races that a German woman was not the top finisher.Hamlin finished 12th in the...
-- Represented Team USA in women's singles luge at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Placed 12th overall.
Colin Panetta-- Creator of the comic "X-Heroes" as well as various other graphic works.
John's Gross Finger-- Regional punk band that achieved mild success in the late 1990s until their breakup in 2004.
Education
Remsen Central School District, which includes Remsen Elementary (K-6th grades), and Remsen Junior/Senior High (7th-12th grades). As of 2007, the student population of Remsen Elementary was 258, and Remsen Junior/Senior High was 317. The mascot of both schools is the Remsen Rams.Communities and locations in the Town of Remsen
- Bardwell Mill – A location east of Hennedaga.
- Kayuta Lake – A lake partly in the northwest part of the town.
- Hinckley Reservoir – A reservoir partly in the southeast part of the town.
- Hennedaga – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
- Ninety-six Corners – A hamlet on Route 365 near the east town line.
- RemsenRemsen (village), New YorkRemsen is a village in Oneida County, New York, USA. The population was 531 at the 2000 census.The Village of Remsen is in the southwest part of the Town of Remsen....
– The Village of Remsen is in the southwest part of the town.