Delanson, New York
Encyclopedia
Delanson is a village
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 Schenectady County
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...

, 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 385 at the 2000 census.

The Village of Delanson is in the southeast region of the Town of Duanesburg
Duanesburg, New York
Duanesburg is a town in Schenectady County, New York, USA. The population was 5,808 at the 2000 census. Duanesburg is named for James Duane, who held most of it as an original land grant. The town is in the western part of the county.-History:...

.

Geography

Delanson is located at 42°44′55"N 74°11′7"W (42.748640, -74.185222).

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 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 385 people, 151 households, and 109 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 616.7 people per square mile (239.8/km²). There were 156 housing units at an average density of 249.9 per square mile (97.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.06% White, 1.30% African American, 1.56% Native American, 0.26% 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 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population.

There were 151 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the village the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $58,036, and the median income for a family was $60,000. Males had a median income of $38,889 versus $30,000 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 $24,114. None of the families and 0.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 4.1% of those over 64.

History

The Village of Delanson is situated in the southern part of the Town of Duanesburg, County of Schenectady and State of New York. It lies between the historic Cherry Valley Turnpike, also known as the Third Great Western Turnpike (now part of US 20
U.S. Route 20 in New York
U.S. Route 20 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains. US 20 is the longest...

), and another highway once known as the Danforth Turnpike (now New York State Route 7
New York State Route 7
New York State Route 7 is a 180-mile long New York State Highway that runs from the New York/Pennsylvania border south of Binghamton, New York to the New York/Vermont border east of Hoosick. Most of the road runs along the Susquehanna Valley, closely paralleling Interstate 88 throughout...

).

Under the name of Delanson, its history dates back only to 1893. The sister village of Quaker Street, New York, situated approximately one-half mile to the south of Delanson and on the Danforth turnpike (now New York Route 7), was the pioneer business center serving the surrounding territory before the era of railroad transportation. What is now known as Delanson was then referred to as Toad Hollow because it lies to the head of the Normanskill drainage.

The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad
Albany and Susquehanna Railroad
The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad was a railroad running from Albany to Binghamton, operating 1851 to 1870-History:Construction began on April 19, 1851 from Albany to Schoharie Junction, New York, a distance of 35 miles . This phase was completed in 1863...

, being authorized and organized by legislature to construct a railroad from Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

 to Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...

, built the railroad in sections. The first section extended from Albany to Central Bridge, and their engineers, seeking a favorable grade, found the desired route passed through the upper part of the Normanskill Valley which provided an improved means of transportation for this vicinity. This section was constructed during the years 1861 to 1863 inclusive and in the latter year, transportation was established between the above-named points. To best serve the needs of Quaker Street, a site was chosen for a station and other necessary facilities. A station and freight house were erected on the east side of the highway crossing, between certain tracks existing at that time. This was given the name Quaker Street Station.

The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company was organized and was expanded by buying or leasing railroads from Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....

 to Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 and the canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...

 from Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....

 to Rondout, New York
Rondout, New York
Rondout was a village located on the north side of Rondout Creek near its mouth on the Hudson River in Ulster County and includes the Rondout-West Strand Historic District....

. The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad was to become the Susquehanna division of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. Later, the canal properties were sold to Samuel Coykendall, who dropped the word “canal” from the corporation title. The Schenectady and Duanesburg
Duanesburg, New York
Duanesburg is a town in Schenectady County, New York, USA. The population was 5,808 at the 2000 census. Duanesburg is named for James Duane, who held most of it as an original land grant. The town is in the western part of the county.-History:...

 Railroad was built from Delanson to Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...

; at Delanson it connected with, and became part of, the Susquehanna division of the Delaware and Hudson Railway
Delaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...

. The formation of a junction brought increased activities to this point, making it necessary for more men to be employed.

Of necessity homes were built for the accommodation of those employed in their different capacities by the railroad. Several business places opened up, including a coal business owned and operated by Mr. Hicks Sheldon. He conducted this business until the time of his death, after which it was purchased by Mr. W. C Briggs.

For many years Doctors Hill and Roche of Quaker Street gave medical attention to persons in the territory.

For a few years there was a creamery, but this did not last long and was sold to Charles Washburn, who changed it to a storehouse. On the east side of the railroad tracks a saw mill was built and later expanded to include feed grinding, flour milling, and dealing in lumber supplies, successively owned and operated by A. Ball, Peter Hunt, Charles Washburn, and Briggs and Horohoe.

In keeping with the times two hotels were brought into being for the accommodation of the traveling public; one by James Shoudy and the other later owned by Richard Mackey.

Because of the nature of the employment, the population of the village was largely of the transient type with employees coming here to work for terms of different duration and leaving through advancement, promotion, or the desire to seek other employment due to the proximity of Schenectady with its extensive enterprises. This being the case, there is a considerable lack of accurate records, and this makes it difficult to record in true order the events which contributed to the growth of the village.

During the decade preceding 1890 there was considerable discussion over choosing a name for the settlement. The name “Caryell”, after a man living here, was proposed. C. D. Hammond, who was superintendent of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, named it Delanson, coining the word from Delaware and Hudson. He took the first three letters of Delaware
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 (Del), the first two of “and” (an), and added the last three letters of the word Hudson
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 (son), making the complete word “Delanson”. Thus the name had changed from Toad Hollow to Quaker Street Station to Delanson.

Because the post office was located at Quaker Street, and feeling the need for more adequate post office facilities, a movement was started to establish a post office at Delanson. Providing the name of the community was the first necessary step in the process of securing a post office. In 1893, a post office was established in the store of one Ed Wilber, which building has continually housed the post office to the date of this compilation. Mr. Ed Wilber was appointed acting postmaster in 1893, was succeeded in December of the same year by Mr. Lorin H. White, Delanson’s first regularly appointed postmaster.

During the agitation for a name, a post office, and other matters necessary to a new community, the people were not unmindful of their needs for a place in which to worship. The reward of their efforts was the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...

, erected during the years 1877-78, which still stands and adequately serves its purpose. The pastor of this church for many years also presided at the services in the old North Church located at Lee’s Church, sometimes known as Lee’s Corners. The parsonage was built in 1886 on the south side of the church.

The last portion of the railroad, Bainbridge
Bainbridge, New York
Bainbridge, New York, the name of a village and a town in Chenango County, New York, USA may refer to:* Bainbridge, New York* Bainbridge , New York, a village in the town- See also :...

 to Binghamton, was completed in 1869 and through traffic was established; this resulted in increasing activities to the railroad. Car inspectors were employed; cripple track service for the repair of damaged cars and a roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...

 for the care of locomotives were some of the facilities provided in keeping with the upward trend of business. In 1885 the first station, and hay barn adjoining burned and immediately a new station was erected on the present site. Building a new station here necessitated the removal of the first crude method of refueling locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

s, and a turntable, to a new location. The new refueling plant was provided at a point near the present water tanks and served for several years. About 1900 a greatly improved refueling plant was coal storage facilities was built, this served until 1929 when the refueling of engines was discontinued at this point. Although a considerable number of men had found employment in different capacities, a policy of retrenchment was adopted as was general on all railroad due to business conditions, with the result that all of the smaller terminals were eliminated, thus removing this source of employment.

The hotel and restaurant owned and operated by Mr. James Shoudy, located just south of the station burned in June 1891. The restaurant was never rebuilt but Mr. Shoudy immediately started reconstruction of the hotel on the old foundation. This locally supported two blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

’s shops, one of which stood on the site of the present post office building and was later moved to its present location, the other was located east of the highway crossing on the lands of James Shoudy – this was razed in 1933.

Early in the 1880s a small greenhouse was built under the direction of Mrs. H. W. Harris. To this was added, at different times, four other units as the volume of business expanded. Later, her son assumed ownership and operation of the flourishing business. Since then Mr. Kapper and then Mr. R. P. Hagadorn purchased and operated the greenhouse – after approximately fifty five years of service this was torn down.

The demands for improved water service for both railroad and domestic purposes reached a stage beyond the ability of private means to supply. As a result the Duanesurg Water Company was incorporated and a reservoir with the necessary means of distribution was installed. The reservoir was located north of the Village of Delanson and just south of the Cherry Valley Turnpike. This construction took place in 1895. Another reservoir was added about 1909.

Surrounding territory supplied the railroad with a considerable amount of business through the shipment of hay, handled by dealers located here at different times. Some of them were D.A. Ball, John Ball, Fox and Terpening, Lauren Webster, R.A. Babcock, Harold Babcock, and Ernest Babcock, who is local representative of Grange League Federation and conducts a feed store.

It might be well to remember at this time, that our first postmaster L.H. White also established in 1894 an undertaking and furniture business which he conducted until his death. Mr. Galen White, his son assumed ownership then and has continued the business. Mr. L.H. White further increased his activities by representing this district in the state legislature.

Prior to 1920, there were from time to time, serious discussions on fire protection and the question of establishing a fire district or incorporating the Village. The first step was to organize a volunteer fire department in 1920. This was followed in 1921 by the incorporation of the village. A small hand-drawn hosecart and chemical apparatus was purchased; later a motorized pumper was bought. Mr. R.A. Babcock was the first president of the village. Under his supervision, and with the aid of a progressive board of trustees, a building was built, to be known as the Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...

, and with provisions for housing the fire-fighting equipment and headquarters for the fire department. This building, started in 1922, and completed in 1923, contains, besides the above mentioned features, an auditorium, a room for the Village Board and a fully equipped kitchen.

In 1925, the Fulton County Gas and Electric Company established service in this village, providing street lights and current for domestic use.

As has been stated before, many sources of employment on the railroad were established which caused the removal of many employees from this point. Since that time families have moved here to occupy the homes but many of them are employed elsewhere, principally in Schenectady. This has changed the type of village from commercial to residential.

Written by Wanda Patterson

A number of historic buildings were included in the Delanson Historic District
Delanson Historic District
Delanson Historic District is a national historic district in Delanson, Schenectady County, New York. The district includes 31 contributing buildings on 19 properties. The buildings were built between about 1860 and 1890. They are primarily residential, with one church and one former commercial...

, 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 1984. The Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary
Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary
Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary is a national historic district located near Delanson, Schenectady County, New York. The district includes six contributing buildings and one contributing structure on a largely wooded, rural tract. It lies in the valley of the Bozenkill and includes a...

was listed in 1970.

External links

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